Sony: Bad CCDs, good service.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuudge.

I knew it was only a matter of time before this happened. My Sony DSC-F717 finally fell prey to the inevitable: ccd failure. It was all at once too, one night i’m taking a picture of my cat passed out in a laundry hamper, and the next day I go to turn it on and get an abstracted smear of purple vertical lines.

This is a problem for many older sony cameras and clies manufactured between 2002 and 2004. Many other manufacturers also use the same defective ccd, a complete list if affected cameras can be found at the link above (imaging resource).

There are a few theories as to why this happens. Either the use of epoxy chip packages instead of ceramic is causing moisture in, or a bad iodine-bearing bonding compound on the wiring, or just faulty ZIF connectors.

Regardless, Sony has shown an amazing care for its customers by repairing all affected Sony cameras for free regardless of warranty status, including S&H!

via IR
“From October 3, 2005 through October 2, 2007, Sony will repair, free of charge, affected products exhibiting the above-mentioned problem where it is caused by the image sensor device. Sony will also cover the cost of shipping and handling to service to correct this issue.”

I’ll post photos of the sensor later tonight, as well as update you on the process of sending it in for repair.

So, although I’m super-bummed about my camera being broken, a new CCD is at least cool, since mine is a few years old. And, if you own an older camera from any manufacturer, check the above linked website to see if your camera is at risk.

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