Rami Dagan 31 pts

October 22, 2006 1:53 AM

32

8

Subscribe for Email Updates for this Question

black screen in S1IS canon camera

when i turn my camera on, all i can see is a black screen. like the lenss is still covered. on "view mode" (when i can see previeus pictures) it works fine. i can also enter the camera setting and menus.
what should i do?

Report Abuse Did you find this question

helpful or

not helpful?

Brenda P (BrendaP) 28621 pts

October 22, 2006 4:31 PM

31

16

OK, this might sound stupid, but I had the same problem with a similar camera and I had accidentally pushed the Display button. I was about to give my camera up for dead. Try pushing it (the little button on the bottom back that says Disp on it). Does that bring your image back? If not let me know and I'll research further.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Alvaro Figueroa 69 pts

October 23, 2006 2:50 PM

8

5

I'm having exacty the same problem with an S2. The display button doesn't fix it.

Also, if I take a picture, the picture will be black... like Rami said, just like if the lens is covered.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Alvaro Figueroa 69 pts

November 8, 2006 7:20 PM

39

9

Bad news on this. Tired on browsing in the Internet, I called Canon costumer support, and after explaining the situation, I've been explained that it sounds like the image sensor has gone bad in the camera, and that it is not a common problem for this model.

So I need to mail the camera to the Canon Factory Service in Illinois and they will fix it.

If the camera has been purchased in less than a year, the waranty will cover the fix cost. If not they will charge you about $119.

They very nicely provided some other information such as that when I send the camera, I need to remove everything from it, such as batteries, memory card, strap, etc. So if you are gonna send your camera, call Canon Costumer Service in case I am missing any other details. It's 1-800-828-4040.

To bad, I was planning a trip for this weekend, and the repair will take from 7 to 10 bussines days... Well...

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Brenda P (BrendaP) 28621 pts

November 9, 2006 1:29 PM

5

9

Thanks for the update, Alvaro. I have not yet heard about this camera having image sensor problems- furthermore, usually a bad sensor (at least the ones I've seen) result in streaked images not totally black screens. But thanks for posting your results, that should help anyone with a similar problem. Good luck.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Cathrin Judell 0 pts

November 15, 2006 8:11 PM

1

24

Dear constumer dept.

For my business i recently purched your so called easy to use t-shirt transfer (tr 301).
I used the transfers on 100 % cotton t-shirts, a canon (s 200) printer and i followed all the steps as instructed. But after washing the t-shirts the transfers looked like it was ripped. i´m very disappointed in Canon.
All the t-shirts are wrecked. I had very angry costumers at my shop and my credibility is at stake.
i made some spare designs and those i probably can throw away also. This is all costing me a lot of money.
I newly opened up my shop and can´t affort this. So underneath you´ll find my expenses and my bank account number for you to deposit the total to.

Cathrin Judell
Kerkplein 8, Paramaribo ,Suriname- South America
Tel.(597)8574419

bankacc.# 79472577
RBTT bank Kerkplein 1, Paramaribo, Suriname

Losts:
25 t-shirts a US$ 4.- US$100.-
3 x 10 sheets of transfers US$ 60.-
2 inktcartridges a US$ 40.-
Total US$ 200.-

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 57 pts

December 20, 2006 4:08 AM

14

0

Alvaro is right. I just had the same problem with my s2 is. All camera functions work, but takes "black" pix and all I see through the viewfinder/display screen is black. I, too called Canon customer service, and after some troubleshooting, they diagnosed it as a bad sensor. I am outraged that I should pay $119 to correct what seems to be a SERIOUS design flaw on Canon's part. Just my luck that it happens 4 months out of warranty. After only 16 months, I have a $500 paperweight (yes that's what it cost me when I bought it 8/10/05--sad, huh?). Oh they also offered me a refurbished s2 is for $209. I did tons of research before deciding to buy this and camera and have been totally thrilled with its performance--until now. Not sure what I'm going to do yet.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

PaRaDoXaLL (paradoxall) 9 pts

December 28, 2006 3:12 PM

7

5

[original message removed at the request of user]

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Martin Gignac 11 pts

January 2, 2007 10:48 PM

13

1

My S2 IS (which is 6 months out of warranty) is now giving me this black screen problem. And my brother, who also bought an S2 IS some months back, has just started having the exact same problem with his as well...

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 41 pts

January 9, 2007 4:45 PM

45

4

Last night I spoke to Nate, a supervisor in the camera/video department at Canon (1-800-828-4040). His extension number is 9965. I explained to him that I was not very happy at the prospect of paying upwards of $200 to fix a camera I spent $500 on just 16 months ago. Especially when the failure occurred due to no fault of my own.

He agreed to repair my S2 IS as if it were covered by warranty (i.e., free of charge), provided that when they inspect my camera they do not find any evidence of misuse on my part (water or sand in the camera, evidence of impact or other external force, etc.) The justification he used was that the S1 IS has a service notice or recall of some sort on the CCD (charge coupling device) or image sensor. Since my sensor apparently has failed, and the S1 IS was the predecessor to the S2 IS (my camera), it could be deduced that this is a continuing problem in this model line.

Nate said he would send me an email with the information I need to ship my camera to their service center in Illinois. I'll post back when I have more news.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Timothy Shields 25 pts

January 31, 2007 12:31 PM

3

0

We are 3 months out of warranty and have the same problem. We will not pay to fix this problem!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 57 pts

January 31, 2007 6:45 PM

6

0

Sorry to hear that, Timothy. I would suggest calling Canon customer service using the information I noted in my earlier post. Keep in mind that I had to call more than once and request to talk to a supervisor before I got them to accommodate my request.

I just shipped my camera back to the service center in IL. They received it today, confirmed that the service will be performed at no charge to me, and said my camera will be returned to me in about 10 business days. I'll post back when I get my camera back to let you know how the repairs went.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Timothy Shields 25 pts

January 31, 2007 9:32 PM

4

0

Diane,

We are shipping ours back tomorrow! Let's keep our fingers crossed. Forums like this help us have a united voice. Thanks for posting.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

PaRaDoXaLL (paradoxall) 9 pts

February 2, 2007 2:27 PM

2

7

[Original message removed at request of user]

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Timothy Shields 25 pts

February 2, 2007 7:22 PM

10

3

Francis,

They will repair my camera, or I will sue them. I have already been in contact with the law firm that represented the class action suit against Canon for the cameras covered in the prior recall. As this is materially the same problem with the next generation camera, it will not take much work for us to be included in the original class. I would rather spend $1000 in legal fees to get my camera fixed than spend $1 in repair costs. Canon needs to be a good corporate citizen and do what is right. Let's see who blinks first.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Barry McBroom (BarryS2IS) 29 pts

February 2, 2007 11:32 PM

4

0

I too have a Canon S2 IS with exactly the same problem described above. I am going to follow up with the advise above. The squeeky wheel often gets the grease. I purchased my camera 8/15/05, so am now 5+ months out of warranty. I love the camera when it takes pictures. Please let us know how it goes getting this problem repaired when camera is beyond the 1 year warranty. Love the NewsGroups!!!!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

s pressman 5 pts

February 4, 2007 4:18 PM

3

1

I have the exact same problem with my S2 IS, also purchased at about the same time -- around 9/2005. Clearly, there is a problem that Canon should be addressing

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

PaRaDoXaLL (paradoxall) 9 pts

February 5, 2007 8:49 AM

1

4

[Original message removed at request of user]

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Rajesh Dharmadhikari 2 pts

February 6, 2007 4:56 PM

2

1

Hi Francis,
I have sent my camera S1 IS to repair which is having CCD problem. It's there since last month waiting for optical unit.They won't fix my camera and are waiting very long I do not understand what to do?

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

PaRaDoXaLL (paradoxall) 9 pts

February 8, 2007 8:09 AM

1

3

[Original message removed at request of user]

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Andy 2 pts

February 8, 2007 7:47 PM

2

1

Francis. I have a S2IS that has an E18 error. This camera has been around the world with me and is not worth having repaired by Cannon, it is truly taken a beating and I am sure I will find a good portion of the Namibian Desert inside (there is also some dust on the sensor but that is not my big concern). But I would like to give it a try myself. Can you give me some guidance on opening the S2IS myself. I am pretty good at repairing small electronics but I would love your suggestions on opening the S2IS before I proceed. Or perhaps you know of a site that tells me what to do. I did not see one. Thank you in advance for your help.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Timothy Shields 25 pts

February 11, 2007 2:36 PM

6

2

We spoke to a supervisor at Canon and our camera will be fixed free of charge. We should receive it back in 10 days. I will update the site when it arrives. You have to speak to a supervisor to have the charges waived.

Good luck to you others involved in this.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Barry McBroom (BarryS2IS) 29 pts

February 12, 2007 9:42 AM

15

0

First, a word of thanks to Diane G.

I just called Canon at the number Diane listed above. I selected the technical issues option and spoke to Eldridge. I explained that I had a S2IS and that it had the "Black Screen of Death". I also mentioned that I had checked the "Disp" switch and that that was not the problem. I then mentioned that I was aware that the S1IS had a bulliten out on the CCD failure problem and that based on what I was seeing on the web, the S2 was also prone to the same problem. Eldridge never blinked, just said that Canon would take care of it as long as that was the issue. I explained that the camera was out of warranty (purchased it 8/15/2005) and he said that that did not matter.

So, it appears that the S2IS is now coming under the same repair bulletin as the S1. Eldridge issued me a prepaid UPS label, so Canon is even paying for the postage!!!!

BTW, Eldridge was a front line technical support person. I never had to ask for a supervisor. For what it is worth, I called in about 9:30 a.m. this morning to deal with this. I have found that sometimes the day crew at the technical support departments are more knowledgeable and well informed.

I will post back on the progress of getting my camera repaired.

Keep up the posts. Information is power.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Paul Viljoen 8 pts

February 12, 2007 1:39 PM

3

0

I have the exact same problem as Diane G and the others with my S2 IS, also purchased at about the same time -- around 2005-10-14. Clearly, there is a problem that Canon should be addressing. I am in South Africa and busy with Canon-SA and will post progress...

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Aamir 4 pts

February 12, 2007 7:22 PM

4

3

hi guys
i just read this on the internet. take a look. canon admits fault in its ccd device and will fix the cameras for free.
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=PgComSmModDisplayAct&keycode=2112&fcategoryid=221&modelid=8775

hope this solves the problem for most of you.
enjoy

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

s pressman 5 pts

February 12, 2007 7:33 PM

2

0

Aamir: that doesn't apply to the Canon S2

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

jessef 0 pts

February 13, 2007 12:45 PM

0

I just called Canon at the number Diane mentioned and spoke with a 1st line tech who said it's not covered. I then asked to speak with a supervisor and he said the same thing. Flat out denied my claim and told me to send it in to Canon service and they will then contact me and tell me how much it will cost. This is ridiculous.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

s pressman 5 pts

February 13, 2007 1:17 PM

2

1

I just paid for the refurbished unit, then saw that Timothy Shields got his covered out of warranty. So I sent an email to customer service to complain. I got a phone call saying when I send back my busted camera, if they determine it's not abused, they'll credit it back.

This was not in writing, however, so I'm not holding out much hope.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Jeff 3 pts

February 13, 2007 9:00 PM

3

0

We are having the same black screen problems as many of you are. It seems like Canon has inconsistently handled these problems. The first time I was told by a front line tech that there is a "gray area" after the warranty expires and depending on what they find they may fix it for nothing. We called again the next day to get instructions emailed to us on how to return the camera and that tech flat out told us this camera does not have a service bulletin on it and it would not be covered out of warranty. Do I need to speak to a supervisor and play hardball? Sure don't feel like spending any money on a $500 camera if they won't fix it for free.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

viljoen too 0 pts

February 28, 2007 7:01 PM

0

6

Paul Viljoen van Bethlehem Voortrekker Hoerskool? Matriculated 1997?

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Jim H 6 pts

March 2, 2007 3:15 PM

3

0

I am having same issue with black screen on S2IS camera also purchased in the 10/2005 timeframe. I was told to send in camera, but rep made no commitment on covering cost of repair of CCD image sensor, though that sounds like the problem. Stay tuned to see if Canon stands behind product, given the apparent frequency of this problem.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 57 pts

March 2, 2007 4:34 PM

10

1

I just got my camera back from the Canon Service Center yesterday (3/1/07). They had it for a full month; I guess the CCD was on backorder from Japan.

It seems to be working fine so far. Of course I found it interesting/ironic that, on the invoice, they clearly noted that the repair carries no warranty as the camera was no longer under original manufacturer's warranty and they merely provided the complimentary repair service as a courtesy to me.

Good luck to all the others; don't let them charge you to repair your camera for this CCD failure! Tell them about this posting string, ask to talk to a supervisor if necessary! It took me 3 separate phone calls to get someone to take care of me. See my earlier postings for more info. After I talked to the supervisor (Nate), Canon emailed me a prepaid UPS shipping label (including insurance) to send my camera to the Illinois service center. I did not pay one cent for shipping or repair and you shouldn't have to either.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Jack S 5 pts

March 3, 2007 5:05 PM

5

0

Oh! I get same problem on my S2 IS........ black screen.
How many user have or had this problem?
Seems like this is recall issue...

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Brian C 4 pts

March 4, 2007 11:02 AM

4

0

Thanks everyone, I just spent the last 30 minutes tryng to figure out what could be wrong with my S2 IS. I will be on the phone 1st thing monday with Canon.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Timothy Shields 25 pts

March 5, 2007 12:05 PM

5

0

Update- We received our camera back today. It took longer than expected as the part was backordered. We were not charged for the repair, but we did have to pay to ship the camera to them.

Good luck everyone!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Simon L (nissman) 4 pts

March 6, 2007 3:00 AM

4

0

I had my S1is do the same black screen of death thing a couple of weeks ago. They just left a message today that they will replace it with a brand new s3is. As you can guess, I am pretty happy with that. Maybe canon Australia hasn't got any more s1 parts available. I don't care I just got myself an s3. My experience with canon has been exceptional and they have certainly won themselves a continued customer.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 57 pts

March 6, 2007 10:48 AM

1

0

Wow! Good for you, Simon L!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Paul Viljoen 8 pts

March 8, 2007 2:53 PM

5

0

Update : Spoke to Canon SA (J Venter) & Cameratek today; Canon repair my S2-Is under warranty. Good luck to all the others. Thanks everyone

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Roberto Souto (robertosouto) 17 pts

March 9, 2007 9:46 AM

0

1

Holy shit, Simon L lucky bastard!

I got the same problem, but i live in Brazil, i don´t know what to do =/

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Barry McBroom (BarryS2IS) 29 pts

March 10, 2007 1:38 PM

5

0

I just received notice from Canon that my S2-IS has been repaired free of charge and was shipped back to me today. Canon paid for everything including shipping to and from the repair center. See my earlier posts on this thread for what I did and who I contacted. Thank Goodness for Newsgroups like this.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

MichaelA 0 pts

March 10, 2007 4:12 PM

0

1

Black-screen during shooting mode can be fixed in PowerShot SD400 by holding down the "Func. Set" button for five seconds. When the camera resets, the screen comes back to life.

The black (dead) screen problem has happened to me a couple of times. The screen would work fine in playback mode or video mode, but when I switched to shooting mode, the screen would turn black (dead). Hopefully this reset trick will resolve the black screen problem in other Canon models. Good luck!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

barbara 2 pts

March 12, 2007 10:55 AM

1

My canon A70 has that black screen thing going on to. I am pretty upset about it, but will not pay the $ to have this fixed. I can buy a new camera for the $ it will cost to have it fixed. I wont buy another canon camera again, ever. I feel if so many people had the same problem with the canon digitals that there should be a recall on it, and they should fix all the cameras. Its not good business.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Jennifer Grucza (jgrucza) 633 pts

March 12, 2007 11:31 AM

1

0

Barbara, there is a recall on the Canon A70 (as well as several other models), and they should fix your camera for free if your problem is what the recall is for (sounds like it probably is). Here's the service notice on Canon's website.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

barbara 2 pts

March 13, 2007 10:25 AM

1

0

Jennifer.... thanks I already contacted them after reading all the comments about this thing. They were very nice, asked me a few details which I have to get back to them, and they will send me the Postage paid for me to put on the box when mailing. I sure hope it fixes it because I miss my digital. I have other cameras, but really liked this one. They did say it would be a free repair.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Jennifer Grucza (jgrucza) 633 pts

March 13, 2007 12:42 PM

0

1

That's good to hear! Glad it's working out for you. I have a Canon A70 too, but I haven't had any problems with it yet, guess I've just been lucky.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Jim H 6 pts

March 20, 2007 11:34 AM

3

2

I received my S2IS camera back today. Canon fixed the image sensor issue at no cost to me. Way to go Canon for standing behind your product!!!!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

SarainOR 1 pts

March 21, 2007 2:23 PM

1

0

Thanks for the help on this everyone before me. We also have the black screen. It started going in Dec. and now all there is is black when I try to take a picture. I am dealing with Canon now for the repairs. I am waiting for the email for the postage label. Sounds like they need to put the S2IS on the list for the image sensor problem. Glad I found this site to help. Good luck to all.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Roberto Souto (robertosouto) 17 pts

March 21, 2007 6:51 PM

0

Yeah, Sarain i dont know why theydont put s2is in the recalllist. Imhere inbraziland just sent the camera for them to "check" the problem, i don´t know whats going to happen =/

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Christophe Vinck 5 pts

March 26, 2007 2:35 PM

3

0

Thanks for the help solving this problem.

Same problem here in Belgium. Bought my S2 IS in december 2005 and the warranty just expired. Black screen, only shoots black pictures, function menu still works and I can view the previously taken pictures. Given the numerous complaints above the camera clearly has a manifactural problem. Cannon SHOULD TAKE BACK AND REPAIR ALL cameras with this problem, if not, last Canon camera I ever bought. I will contact my support center in Belgium tommorow and keep you posted.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

dan c 2 pts

March 28, 2007 1:59 PM

2

0

I have the same problem, black screen! I will try to call them and see what happens.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Lakeleader (lakeleader) 32 pts

March 28, 2007 2:24 PM

3

0

My $500 S2, now 5 months out of warranty, did the same thing. Canon repair wants $119 plus shipping or $185 for a referb. I bought 3 S1 canons for my school art dept. Two went bad. One under warranty one not. All seem to be the same problem. I will let you all know what happens when I try to go above and beyond the Canon call center. Good to have this forum going. Thanks to Diane for breaking thru and for others for insisting Canon stand behind their expensive products!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Anon 3 pts

March 30, 2007 3:57 AM

3

0

Just had this on an S2, also just out of warranty. If you US citizens think you have a gripe, Canon's UK service centre wanted 141 GBP for repair! I managed to buck the system & get the repair carried out under "warranty".

Francis is correct that this is NOT a CCD sensor issue (at least in my case). It is caused by the shutter sticking closed. The shutter is integrated into the lens unit & that was was replaced as a whole unit.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Barry McBroom (BarryS2IS) 29 pts

March 30, 2007 6:48 PM

2

0

I got my S2 IS back a couple of weeks ago. Have been so busy that I have not had a chance to try it out. Finally got around to testing it and it seems to be working great. Canon paid 100% of the shipping and repair cost. I am so glad that I found this website and this thread. It saved me several hundred dollars. Thanks to each of you for participating.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Larry A 2 pts

April 2, 2007 11:26 AM

2

0

I purchased my S2IS in October 2005 and the black screen of death problem just happened. I contacted Canon customer service and told them I had a CCD failure. The technician said that only the S1IS was covered by the service notice. I mentioned that the S2IS model is also failing at a high rate and the news is getting out on forums like this one. The technician then said he would send a free UPS label to me for returning the camera, but he wouldn't say anything about whether the repair would be done free of charge.

After Canon's repair center receives my camera, it will take them about a week to tell me what the problem is and whether they'll charge me to repair it. I'll report back to this forum with an update about what happens.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Michael 6 pts

April 3, 2007 3:33 PM

2

0

me too, same "black screen of death" problem with S2IS bought in 2/06. will send it to repair center in IL and wait for their response.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Roberto Souto (robertosouto) 17 pts

April 4, 2007 7:50 PM

3

0

Oh no! i just received the reply from the company that fix the cameras here i´m brazil, and it´s more than 400 USD to fix, can you believe that!?

I asked them to talk with Canon directly about that problem because we not supposed to pay for canon manufacture problems.

Hm as Francis Cagnon told, S2 IS not in the recall list because it´s not a CCD problem, like the others, but a Iris opening problem, but since it´s something that are happening a lot, they should do a statement about this.

Well, i´ll keep you guys informed about any progress. =/

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 57 pts

April 4, 2007 8:57 PM

7

0

I'm not sure how to differentiate btwn CCD problem vs. iris opening problem. But CCD failure is what the original Canon tech diagnosed for my camera on 12/19/06.

After my camera stopped working, I called into Canon's 800 number and the Canon tech had me go through a few troubleshooting steps. The last exercise he had me do was remove all the batteries (including the small "watch" battery) and essentially "reboot" my camera. After reinstalling all the batteries, my camera did take one, very, very dim photo. The second attempt yielded the original black screen problem. After that, the tech stopped the troubleshooting, said it was a CCD failure, gave me the repair/refurbish options, and the rest is covered in my previous posts.

The repair center in Illinois had my camera for about one month "waiting for an optical part to come in". That is the most info I got when I called to inquire as to the status of my repair. I don't know if a CCD or an iris or both would be considered "an optical part", but just thought I'd offer my experience. I will have to see if I can find the packing slip they sent back when they returned my camera to see if they specified the part that was replaced.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Roberto Souto (robertosouto) 17 pts

April 5, 2007 11:01 PM

3

1

Well about the pictures, i took a lot of this "dim" pictures, and right after, completely black ones, in the rapair company, they said here that was a "optical block" problem.

I´m very sad, i dont have the camera for 1 month now, and i need to wait for canon´s response about they responsability on this, and to import the part, that they dont have in brazil, dammit, i think in going to have the camera back in 2008 =(

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 57 pts

April 6, 2007 6:14 AM

4

2

I found the packing slip that the Canon Service Center sent back with my S2 IS.

Under "Examination/Request Details", it says "LCD Evaluation; Check All Functions, Repair to Good Working Order".

Under "Service Details", it says, "We have examined the product according to your request, and, it was found that the optical assembly was inoperative there was no display on the LCD. The optical assembly was replaced. Other electrical adjustments, inspection and cleaning and parts replacements were carried out.cxb19i147"

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Roberto Souto (robertosouto) 17 pts

April 6, 2007 5:21 PM

2

0

Oh thank you Diane, you see, its not the CCD, it´s a Iris opening problem =/

Well i was in contact with Canon USA by e-mail, and im going to take the camera back from the service center here in Brazil, and send it to a friend in NY, so she will send to the factory, and lets see what happens...

Sad and with no camera :(

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Andrew 0 pts

April 8, 2007 11:33 AM

0

3

this same thing happened to my sd600. they didn't list it on that link someone provided before. it first happened just 2 months after i got it... i was at crater lake in oregon, and the thing is showing a black screen. i was not happy. how long is the warranty? one year?

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Michael 6 pts

April 13, 2007 2:39 AM

2

0

Canon agreed to repair my camera at no charge and expect to receive it within ten business day

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

John(",) 26 pts

April 14, 2007 8:31 PM

0

1

our S2 IS is over exposing for every shot. After reading this tread, I'm beginning to believe its the shutter problem too, only in reverse!

Regardless of what manual shutter/aperture settings we use, it's a complete burnt out shot.
Occasionally on a dark scene it will capture it but its nowhere near a clear shot.

The one thing that is throwing me is that it works fine if you record a movie.
I've removed ALL battery's to reset it and rule out some firmware problems it might have but to no use!

any comments or ideas on this experience would be greatly appreciated (",)

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Bobbie A 6 pts

April 15, 2007 11:15 AM

2

0

I also have the same problem with black screen. I will contact the number provided by Diane on Monday. I'm so glad that I found this site!!!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

dan c 2 pts

April 15, 2007 4:10 PM

2

0

I received a letter for canon on the 13th . Canon said that they would fix my s2 si at no cost.And would be sent it back in seven days. If you have this problem of the black screen demand canon fix it, they know there is a problem with this camera

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Steve S 1 pts

April 17, 2007 12:59 PM

1

0

I have to say thank you to everyone contributing to this discussion. I've had my S2 IS for a while and love the camera. I too have the "black screen of death" problem. I just got off the phone with Bill at 1-800-828-4040, technical support for the Powershot camera. He's sending me a Canon form and a UPS form via email. I box it up with just the camera (properly packed in the box), put the completed form in the box, slap the UPS label on it, and I'll have the camera back in 7-10 business days after they receive it. How easy is that?

I was very specific to mention the "black screen" problem and this posting. That seemed to get the issue rolling straight to the labels and free shipping. Thanks again everyone. I'll let you know how it went. Thank you Diane G, Timothy Shields, Barry McBroom, Paul Viljoen, Michael, and dan c.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Sorin H (hashwood) 68 pts

April 17, 2007 8:20 PM

0

I'm having the same problem, but I am in Romania, Europe.....
I don't think Canon will even bother to talk with me since it I waited more then three months and lots of emails and phone calls to get a manual for S2 IS (a manual for s1 came with my camera purchased from an authorized retailer, imagine that!). I even emailed to more then 100 @canon emails that I googled on the internet telling about my problem and asked to receive or purchase a manual in English.

I also think it's something mechanical. I don't hear the whole click; just something like it's stuck. The problem first happened in December, when I was on Holidays. After a whole black night, a good surprise. Next day the sensor opened and I was able to take pictures for 5 days. Well, not happy, because sometimes I had to power off and on the camera to work, but at least it worked.
When I was back home I took some pictures and it also worked. Now after a month or more of inactivity it's dead.

So, can anyone (ie FRANCIS :) ) give me some advices, on how to try to repair it. I am a DIY maniac and I have some skills. That's my only hope or another camera, but not Canon for sure next time. I did nothing wrong, I even keep the camera in two bags, first one from Canon and another one bigger that holds more accessories. It's very well protected.

I know my post may s*ck, because it's this big, but h*ll, you're the only one on my side...

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 57 pts

April 17, 2007 8:45 PM

0

Sorin,

Did you try to call the 800 number mentioned in my earlier post? I know it's for Canon USA, but you might try just to see what they say. . .maybe they'll have you ship it to Japan or something. . .Worst they can say is there's nothing they can do for their Romanian customers. But hey, maybe they'll use this as an opportunity to try to win your good favor back. Worth a try, isn't it? Good luck.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Sorin H (hashwood) 68 pts

April 17, 2007 9:35 PM

0

I wrote them an email. I'll give them a call tomorrow. But I don't think they care about non US customers. They will say to contact Canon Europe, who will guide me to Canon Romania, who doesnt even have a service here. They have companies that do service for them. I know because I had problems with the manual as I said and with a i950 printer. But what do I have to loose?... I'll call them tomorrow...

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Sorin H (hashwood) 68 pts

April 18, 2007 7:05 AM

6

0

Heres how I managed to make it work. I set the camera in TV mode, set the shutter at 15 sec, click to take a picture and during that 15 secs I open the battery. When the battery is inserted again the camera works and I can take pictures. And the camera works. Maybe it needs a little exercise.......
It's clear that it's a mechanical problem.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Dan C 1 pts

April 18, 2007 4:09 PM

1

0

I just received my S2 is back today from canon. It took a total of 12 days from me sending it to getting it back. If you have the black screen problem ,call them and send in They gave me no trouble and the camera works like new.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Sorin H (hashwood) 68 pts

April 18, 2007 7:12 PM

3

0

Sure, you are lucky for being in US. I emailed Canon and they answered a big email telling me nothing...
"I apologize for any inconvenience caused by the problem you are having"
"You can send the camera to a friend/relative in the U.S., and have that
person forward the camera to the Factory Service Center. This is only
an viable option if it was PURCHASED in the United States."
"If the camera was purchased overseas, and you live overseas, the camera has to be serviced overseas."
"It is the main Canon web site for all of our divisions worldwide; if you follow the prompts for the countries in question, you may find a list of repair facilities in those countries."
"However, since these are not Canon USA repair facilities, we can regrettably offer no guarantees that these facilities will repair
products that are foreign to them. Please keep in mind that the
PowerShot S2 IS model is a specifically US camera model, and non-US
repair facilities may not be able to repair US products, depending on
their policies and capabilities."

You all know what this is, don't you. It's like I'm being almost a man...

Joke or not, my after I was able to use the camera with the method described above, I let it "rest" for some hours and the black screen reappeared. But guess what :) If I do that thing again the camera can work. Isn't this odd... Maybe it's a software problem, maybe canon just replace the firmware and ship the camera back. (any advices Francis?)
Please someone; test that method to see if the camera works, I am really curious.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Julie (jml1828) 6 pts

April 18, 2007 8:03 PM

2

0

I too have the S2 IS with the black screen. I purchased it in Dec. 2005 & of course it's out of warranty.

When I first called Canon about the repair I told the csr that I was aware of the CCD image sensor advisory that included the S1 IS and would like to have mine repaired under the advisory terms also, but was told that I had a different model with a different problem and it could not be included with the S1 IS. I went ahead and sent the camera to the repair center last week. I received an email today that they had received it and had an estimate of $119 plus $8 shpg. to repair it. I called again and was told that I could not get it repaired free of charge because different model/different problem. I went ahead and paid for the repair on-line so I could get it repaired.

Since this afternoon I've been searching the net for other owners with the same problem, and I found this forum. So, I just called back and asked to speak with a supervisor. I had to go through the whole schpill once again before I got to speak to a supervisor. Finally I got to the supervisor. She seemed like she wanted to help me, but since I had already paid for the repair she couldn't help me and would have to have customer relations contact me tomorrow. I explained to her that my search on the net for S2 IS problems turned up several owners with the same problem and that some were getting their's repaired free of charge and some weren't. She said that Canon certainly doesn't want unhappy customers and that customer relations would be able to help me tomorrow.

We'll see what happens tomorrow and I will post the results.

Moral of the story: Don't feel hopeless enough to go ahead and pay for the repair. Insist on speaking with a supervisor and explaining the situation and go from there.

I tend to hunker down and accept defeat as opposed to fighting for what's right. If I had not done more research and found this (and other) forum/s I would be defeated once again!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Commander Bob 2 pts

April 19, 2007 11:53 AM

2

0

First off, I love this camera. It has everything I wanted when I started looking for a better digital camera. With that said, I was pretty choked when I went to take a picture and couldn't get an image on the view screen. I took the camera to my local Canon Canada service centre on Monday and told them the problem. They said they would be nice and fix it for free even though it was just out of warranty. I did mention that I researched the problem on-line and I was aware of the major ccd recall. They told me that it wasn't an issue with the s2, only the s1. Anyways, Long story short, I got the camera back today. I think it's because I live in a city with a service center and they said it's an easy fix. It only took three days from the time I dropped it off until receiving it back. Glad to have it back and working again! Good luck to the rest of you with this problem.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Julie (jml1828) 6 pts

April 19, 2007 7:24 PM

2

0

Okay, I just spoke to Michelle in Customer Relations about this problem. She basically told me that there is NO KNOWN ISSUE with the s2 therefore she can't help me. She makes the 6th person I've spoken with and she is the 6th person to make it seem as if I'm a moocher looking for a freebie.

After I told her about reading on several website forums about this same issue and how some people get their's repaired free of charge and some do not, she said that she just can't speculate on what is being posted on the internet. People can put anyting on the internet according to her (duh)! I guess I'm just a lone customer experiencing an isolated incident.

The person from customer relations who was supposed to call me today at 5:00 p.m. never called. I had to call back myself and had to speak to 3 people only to be told that there's nothing that Canon is aware of in regards to this particular model. Even though everyone here and on other site forums are having the EXACT same problems, Canon doesn't have a problem with it.

In essence, this lady talked "down" to me, called me a liar, and treated me like the low-life piece of dirt that Canon sees me as. Even if after further investigation Canon reimburses me for the repair, I will never ever purchase another Canon product as long as I live.

It would be different if absolutely no one was getting the repair done at no cost, but apparently they can just pick and choose at random who pays and who doesn't. This is not fair business practice, and I will do everything in my power to spread the word about their dis-honest unethical practices.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 57 pts

April 19, 2007 8:06 PM

2

0

Julie,

I am sorry to hear about the way you've been treated.

Any of these people you called, did they take your email address down? When I first called the Canon Technical Support (the guy who did the troubleshooting with me), he asked for my email address and the next day, I got an email from Canon requesting my feedback. The email contained a link to an online survey. The survey allowed me to express my dismay at being offered the chance to pay $200 to fix a camera that had failed only 15 months after purchase. After completing the survey, I got a followup email apologizing:

"Dear Valued Canon Customer: Thank you for sharing your opinions with us. We are sorry that your issue requires further assistance and want to do everything possible to help you obtain a prompt resolution."

It then gave me a special 800 number that would be valid for 30 days (i'm not sure how "special" it was, because it seemed to take me through the same menu as the standard 1-800-828-4040 number). Anyway, when I called, I first got a front-line person, who couldn't authorize anything, then I asked to speak to his manager...after holding for a bit, I got Nate, who finally took care of me.

With all customer service reps I contact, I always ask for their name and ID number/extension number/call center location etc, "just for my notes" so if they treat me poorly (or well), I can report it via email/survey etc.

Maybe you'll get the email survey tomorrow. Good luck.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Linda (LindaEB) 0 pts

April 22, 2007 9:57 PM

0

Hello,
Sorry to cut in but I have an A610 bought in December 05 like a lot of your better cameras (I passed on your model to save a couple hundred). I have the black screen of death today for no reason, having taken excellent care of this very good camera. Canon tells me it's over (yes, at least $100 to fix it). The A610 is not on the list of troubled CCD sensors, either, yet it sounds clear that that's the problem, especially since nothing happened to the camera in the two days I didn't use it. I will call tomorrow. I'm asking for Nate. I expect it will be unpleasant.

Thanks.
L

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Jacqui 0 pts

April 23, 2007 3:06 AM

0

I have the same problem with my S2 IS, however I'm in Australia and have just been told by Canon that it will cost me $360 AUD to fix, if it is the CCD image sensor!!!

Unfortunately it is just out of warranty as well. Any suggestions anyone?

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Sorin H (hashwood) 68 pts

April 23, 2007 5:06 PM

52

0

Anyone tried this? I can make my camera work with this method, but I must do it every day I want to use it.

I set the camera in TV mode, set the shutter at 15 sec, click to take a picture and during those 15 secs I open the battery. When the battery is inserted again the camera works and I can take pictures.

Please try it, I am really curious

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Julie (jml1828) 6 pts

April 24, 2007 5:59 PM

0

Diane I did get the survey. I filled it out and they gave me a "special" phone number to call also. I will not call Canon again. I have already told my sad sob story to 6 different people and to no avail. I have gotten my camera back just today as a matter of fact. It is working for now, but I guess within the next 6-15 months it will die again. I did notice however that Canon warrants this particular repair for 3 months. Ha Ha!

Anyway, they can have my $127 because I will be one of the first in line to sign up for the class action suit that Timothy Shields mentioned in his above post. Sign me up Timothy!!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Larry A 4 pts

April 25, 2007 2:41 PM

4

0

In my message above dated April 2, 2007, I described my initial contact with Canon customer service. Here is what happened after that initial contact:

Day +1, I received a UPS shipping label via email.

Day +3, I shipped the camera back to the Canon factory service center in Elk Grove Village, IL.

Day +5, I received the following email message from Canon:

We have received your equipment for evaluation and repair. Based on our initial examination, we will start the necessary repairs at no charge to you. You can expect the repair to be completed and returned back to you within approximately 7 business days from the date shown above. There is no need to respond to this notice.

Please note that in the unlikely event that any additional internal damage is found due to liquid/water, sand, corrosion, battery leakage or impact (such as dropping the unit), a revised estimate will be sent for your authorization, since these conditions are specifically excluded from warranty coverage.

Thank you for purchasing Canon products and for allowing us this opportunity to serve you.

Best Regards,
Canon Factory Service Center

Day +8, I received the same letter in the regular mail.

Day +20, I received an email that said:

We are pleased to confirm that the service you requested on your POWER SHOT S2 IS has been completed and your equipment has been shipped to you on [xxxx]. The tracking number for your package is [xxxx]. If you wish to track the status of your shipment through Federal Express, click here, or visit www.FedEx.com and use the tracking number listed above.
Please note that a signature is required for delivery!

Thank you for purchasing Canon products and for allowing us this opportunity to serve you.

Best Regards,
Canon Factory Service Center

Day +23, I received the camera by FedEx. I put in the batteries and memory card, and everything is working like new.

I am glad that, in my case at least, Canon stands by its product quality. I hope that the repaired CCD will be continue to function like new for the remaining life of the camera.

While I am completely satisfied with the repair, I am disappointed that the S2-IS is still not listed in Canon's CCD Image Sensor Advisory. It was aggravating to argue with customer service about this and to be totally in the dark about the cost of repairing my camera until the service center had examined it. It is disappointing to hear about other S2-IS owners who have to pay for the same repair just because they didn't talk to the right customer service representatives.

If Canon would add the S2-IS to its CCD Image Sensor Advisory, I would count myself a completely satisfied and loyal customer. Until then, I will be a little wary.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Leigh 1 pts

April 26, 2007 5:42 PM

1

0

The same time you all were having luck with getting free repairs, we have had just the opposite experience. We talked to the Illinois service center several times, including supervisors, and were consistently told that we would have to pay for the repair. We were polite, didn't yell, just asked why some are repaired for free and others not. The supervisor insisted that nobody got their camera repaired for free. So the bill to repair is estimated to be $140.

We won't pay it. Why put $140 into an old camera when new models are out from other manufacturers that have more and better features.

We are so disappointed in Canon. We've bought their products for many many years, this is the first time we've had a problem, and they don't care that it's the manufacturer's fault, and not ours.

I doubt we'll ever buy another Canon product.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Julie (jml1828) 6 pts

April 26, 2007 7:08 PM

0

Leigh,

Your's is the same story all 6 people I spoke with gave me. One woman went as far as to tell me that there is no known issue with this camera. I asked her if that is true, then why are so many people on the internet discussing the problem? Also, why are some having to pay for the repair while others are not. She had no idea what I was talking about, as if to tell me that Canon had never heard anything about the S2 problem.

If Canon isn't aware of this problem then why are the people on this website and others telling their story of reporting the problem to Canon and sending their camera in to Illinois and having it repaired free of charge?

I just wish Canon would fess up and do the right thing. Either charge everyone for the repair or charge no one for it. This just doesn't seem ethical to me and maybe just maybe not on the legal side either. But what do I know? I'm just one unhappy customer among hundreds of thousands or millions of happy ones.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Michael 6 pts

April 27, 2007 2:24 AM

2

1

I received my camera back yesterday and it worked great. I am happy with the service that Canon stands behind their products. This forum is great

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Edward 2 pts

April 30, 2007 8:47 AM

2

0

I had the same problem about 6 months ago, shortly after the warranty expired on my S2IS. Canon refused to fix it for free despite several telephone conversations. So I reluctantly paid the repar fee. I got the camera back after several weeks, with a note that the sensor had been repaired. I noticed that the serial number on the camera they returned to me was not the same as the one I had sent in. I called Canon, and was informed that the part was back ordered so they had decided to send me a "refurbished" unit. Of course, they never informed me that they were making this switch, and in fact the paperwork they sent with the camera indicated that my original camera had been repaired. I know nothing about the history of the camera they sent me, including whether it in fact has the same sensor that has apparently been failing in a large number of these camera. So not only did Canon not stand behind the product, they in fact sent me false and dishonest information about the repair. I buy a fair amount of photo equipment, but will never buy Canon again.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Slab 0 pts

May 1, 2007 12:17 AM

0

Same problem with my S2 IS..... Planning to call Canon tomorrow AM and see what kind of luck is in store for me. Thanks to everyone for their postings!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Christophe Vinck 5 pts

May 2, 2007 4:07 AM

2

0

Thanks again everybody for participating.

The Canon support center in Belgium told me to send the camera back to the store where I bought it (I live in Belgium but the (internet) store is in the Netherlands). So I did and I paid for the shipping charges. I asked my vendor to insist on repairing my camera under warranty (the store is a major dealer of Canon cameras and can therefore put more pressure on than a single buyer like myself could). My vendor explained that the problem was probably due to a malfunction of the shutter (staying closed all the time, taking only black pictures as result) and had nothing to do with the CCD. Apparently not only the S2 IS has this problem, but it is something that a lot of digital camera have.

Past friday my camera was returned, so my vendors efforts paid of. The camera works again and the repair-note mentions a replacement of the optical unit (meaning that it was indeed a shutter problem). Luckely for me I didn't have to pay for the repair.

I hope that you have the same luck as me and can only hope that your vendor is as willing and helpfull as mine.

Same problem here in Belgium. Bought my S2 IS in december 2005 and the warranty just expired. Black screen, only shoots black pictures, function menu still works and I can view the previously taken pictures. Given the numerous complaints above the camera clearly has a manifactural problem. Cannon SHOULD TAKE BACK AND REPAIR ALL cameras with this problem, if not, last Canon camera I ever bought. I will contact my support center in Belgium tommorow and keep you posted.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Roberto Souto (robertosouto) 17 pts

May 3, 2007 8:06 PM

0

Well guys, i´m now two months with my camera in the brazilian authorized center to repair the camera, i´m still waiting for them to contact canon int. because they are charging more than 400usd to fix the optical unit (!!!), and if they can contact canon and explain the whole situation, i can get my camera repaired here free of charge. (I contacted canon int. also, and they gave me the solution to send the camera for a friend within the US, to send a pre-paid label, and fix it, but the shipping to US will cost me like 50usd, just to send =/
I´m soo sad, i need my cameraaaaa :(

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

markd (markd) 2 pts

May 5, 2007 12:49 PM

0

My s2is just got the black screen of death---I called canon ----they wont promise anything . They are not paying for shipping there.All they said was send it in and we will look at it .THAT SUCKS.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Simone 1 pts

May 7, 2007 10:07 AM

1

0

Thanks for all of the info concerning this issue. I've had my S2IS for approx. 1 1/2 yrs. I started having problems a few months ago. The black screen would come up when I'd turn on the camera. If I'd turn off/turn on the problem would resolve itself.

I called Cannon this morning (the #s previously posted) & they are sending me a shipping label in order to ship the camera to them. The Tech says that they will evaluate the issue & see if it is related to the CCD issue. They will let me know whether Cannon will pay for the repair. So far no guarantees, but at least they are shipping for free.

Before I got off the phone, the Service guy informed me that there are "no" Cannon advisories for this Model. I questioned why there is not since apparently this is widely known at forums like this. He says that he cannot comment on such forums since the sources are not creditable. ;^)

I was planning to purchase an SD750 for my husband, but will wait for their response before buying into another Cannon.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

tureno7 1 pts

May 8, 2007 9:53 AM

1

0

My S2IS also have the same problem. I have send it to the repair centre and told them about the complain on this model at this forum. They say they will let their technician check on it and will give me an answer 3 days later. Now, they wanted to charge me after telling me that there is nothing wrong with the CCD but only the shutter is unable to open. Will call them again tomorrow to see if there is any possible to fix it without paying the charge... : (

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Roberto Souto (robertosouto) 17 pts

May 8, 2007 8:39 PM

1

0

Guys i told you already, and it was told before in previous posts.

Canon S2 IS problem is not on ccd, but in the optical unit (iris opening i guess), that´s why S2 is not on the CCD recall list.

When we speak with canon, let´s make it clear for them, or they will never understand that this is an issue in S2 IS and they must put an advisory about this problem.

Since we like canon products, and now realize that they have a poor information system that can´t identify this issue, i think it worth to fight for this, because they cant blame of for their fault, and need to understand that, more than just boycott the company, and stay unhappy.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 57 pts

May 8, 2007 10:36 PM

5

0

I agree with Roberto. Regardless of the reason for the failure (CCD or iris or whatever), Canon should stand by their product. Apparently, mentioning the postings on this online forum isn't enough to spur them to action on a consistent basis.

Let's try to help EVERYONE get their Canon Powershot S2is camera fixed. Maybe we can use this forum to tally up the repairs made to date on the S2is & the specific repair that was performed in each case. Hopefully that will give sufficient proof to Canon that they need to issue a recall or service advisory on this problem for the S2is.

As I noted in my 4/16/07 post (and Christophe Vinck in his 5/2/07 post), the optical unit was replaced. . .which I guess means it's an iris or shutter problem?? Is the iris the same thing as the shutter? Please forgive my ignorance, I am not at all technologically or mechanically savvy.

According to the posts by Anon (4/30/07), FRANCIS GAGNON (12/28/07 & 2/5/07), Roberto Souto (4/16/07), Christophe Vinck (5/2/07), and Tureno7 (5/8/07), this failure is due to the iris or shutter sticking closed. John (",) noted in his 4/14/07 post of overexposure. . .perhaps due to the shutter sticking open?

Now, to help others get their cameras fixed:

Step 1: For all those who have had your cameras successfully repaired (Alvaro Figueroa, Barry McBroom, Dan C, Larry A, Jim H, Timothy Shields, Commander Bob, others)--if you still have the slip they sent back with your camera, can you share with us what the repair notes say?

Step 2: For all those still waiting for your camera (or haven't yet posted back on the results of the repair)--Simone, Steve S, SarainOR, Paul Viljoen, Michael, Lakeleader, and others, can you share with us the result of your repair (and what the repair notes say on the return slip)?

Thanks everyone for your input and good luck to all!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

tureno7 1 pts

May 9, 2007 5:55 AM

0

got a reply from Canon. they will offer me for a discount repair about $110usd to repair. and they told me that the mechnical board that i am having may not be the same as other camera. if i dont it to be repair, they will rather return the camera to me. it's a whole of shit!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

markd (markd) 2 pts

May 9, 2007 10:36 AM

1

0

It appears that all the customer care people at Canon are not on the same page when it comes to handiling this situation because the first person I talked to just gave me the address where to send the camera . The second person I talke to told me to wait for an email that would give me instructions and a shipping label which sounds like Canon was paying for the shipping .I'm confused ,I havnt received an email yet ----its wednesday and I made the first call on saturday.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 57 pts

May 9, 2007 12:41 PM

0

markd,

If they told you Sunday that they would email you, you should have received the email by now. Perhaps they wrote your email address incorrectly. I would suggest that you call them back (cite the csr's name and time/date you called if you took note of that) and say you haven't yet received the promised email with instructions and label.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Roberto Souto (robertosouto) 17 pts

May 9, 2007 12:53 PM

2

0

By diane G:

Now, to help others get their cameras fixed:

Step 1: For all those who have had your cameras successfully repaired (Alvaro Figueroa, Barry McBroom, Dan C, Larry A, Jim H, Timothy Shields, Commander Bob, others)--if you still have the slip they sent back with your camera, can you share with us what the repair notes say?

Step 2: For all those still waiting for your camera (or haven't yet posted back on the results of the repair)--Simone, Steve S, SarainOR, Paul Viljoen, Michael, Lakeleader, and others, can you share with us the result of your repair (and what the repair notes say on the return slip)?

==============

I think we should focus on this.

I think that the people that had their cameras repaired free of charge, could help us, sending the number of the service order, serial number of the camera, or some other number that canon can check there and see their mistake with us. Maybe if we can get 5-10 users with this information, canon will not be able to say that can´t trust in things that are written on the net, because this information is inside their database.

Let´s work together folks, people that got it free of charge, please help the others.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

markd (markd) 2 pts

May 9, 2007 1:31 PM

0

I called tuesday to tell them I never received an email from them and they told me it takes 28 to 48 hrs to process. He checked my email address and it was correct.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Julie (jml1828) 6 pts

May 9, 2007 9:05 PM

2

0

For what it's worth here's the info on the repair slip that came with my camera after the repair for which I was charged a total of $127:

Order Number: CM117623
Repair Complete Date: April 19, 2007
POWER SHOT S2 IS
Serial#: 1128702208
Location ID: TECH 1

"Service Details:
We have examined the product according to your request, and, it was found that the optical assembly was inoperative there was no display on the LCD. The optical assembly was replaced. Other electrical adjustments, inspection and cleaning, parts replacements, electrical adjustments, inspection and cleaning and parts replacements were carried out.cxb19i147"
(and yes, the last few statements are printed on the repair slip exactly as I typed it word for word)

I have recently received a second email from Canon containing yet another survey about my experience. I told the same story one more time and stressed how dissatisfied I am with Canon and their business practices. I'm sure they'll sit up and pay attention THIS TIME (LOL)!

I am very, very interested in seeing the info on the repair slips of the people who were not charged. I am curious as to whether or not there is an indication of Canon's responsibility regarding this repair or if it's just a "random" decision making process by the service representative handling that particular repair.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Roberto Souto (robertosouto) 17 pts

May 10, 2007 12:41 PM

0

Of course Julie, because with this information at least you guys from US can sue Canon for that awful practice. Please folks, do exactly the same Julie did!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

markd (markd) 2 pts

May 10, 2007 1:37 PM

1

0

I just called Canon again because I never got an email from them.This time they are sending a prepaid shipping label to send the camera in ! go figure

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Linda (LindaEB) 0 pts

May 10, 2007 1:56 PM

0

1

Hi
A while ago I wrote in about my A610, which was having the same black screen problem as your S2IS models, I think. I could not see to take pictures but could review the pics on the card, and I could see the menu on the LCD. Here's what happened, and I suppose it's good news. I called and argued until they sent a prepaid mailing label via e-mail. After packing the camera and sending it, I got the estimate of the the $107 or so to begin repairs, with the condition that they might ask for more money later. I called Canon and argued with a rep until I got a supervisor (just get really mad till they transfer you, which isn't fun but worked--the reps won't offer you anything). I told the supervisor that the camera was only 16 months old (he called this "way out of warranty," which I didn't think was justified). I mentioned this forum and also CNET, where there are more complaints about the black screen, especially about my model. After chatting with him forcefully, he agreed Canon would do a one-time-only no-charge repair on my camera (if it was repairable). I got my camera back within 5 days, and it does seem to work, but the paperwork says it is not guaranteed at all. Here's part of what it says:
We have examined the product according to your request and it was found that the optical assembly was inoperative images could not be output [sic] The optical assembly was replaced. Other electrical adjustments, inspection and cleaning and parts replacements were carried out.

I hope this helps you all. Call them and be relentless. I was. I don't know how long the camera will last, though, but for now it's back.
They also can send you a different refurbished model if they feel like it, so watch out. I was very concerned about that.

Best,
Linda

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Roberto Souto (robertosouto) 17 pts

May 16, 2007 5:59 PM

2

0

People that got your cameras fixed free of charge, help us!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Scott 3 pts

May 16, 2007 10:55 PM

1

My S2 has had the black screen of death for a while now, but I just now had time to look into the problem & found this site. I haven't called Canon yet, and appreciate any more advice available from you all who have been waging this war so far. And I would be willing to participate in any class-action taken. (seems like some attorney would be willing to do it, as much as they like to work)

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Kevin 4 pts

May 19, 2007 9:48 PM

0

Well, I guess I'm not alone, except I get a white screen, and pictures taken will have a purplish colored band down the middle third. I'll call Monday and see how I do. Glad I found you.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Scott 3 pts

May 19, 2007 9:53 PM

0

I'm seriously considering just altering my receipt, since I started having this problem before 1 year was up; I just wasn't able to call them about it until now. It's been 3 weeks over 1 year right now.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

markd (markd) 2 pts

May 20, 2007 9:37 AM

0

I just received a letter from Canon saying that my camera was covered, they would fix it free as long as there is no water damage ,dropping or dust damage.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

AR 1 pts

May 21, 2007 1:12 AM

1

0

Another S2 black screen here.
the long exposure remove battery technique from above gets me one poor quality shot before its black again. From that im pretty sure its a iris problem.
I will report back if im succsessful with Canon Australia. but im not hopeful
Otherwise its an expensive paper weight.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Lakeleader (lakeleader) 32 pts

May 21, 2007 7:45 AM

4

0

THANK YOU DIANE!!!

I followed Diane's tip, called Nate at 1-800-828-4040, [be sure to insist on talking to Nate, a supervisor, I believe], was issued a UPS prepaid tag, Camera was back within a couple of weeks working as it should. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to Diane!

I did my best to let Canon know that it is very bad business to tell customers that they have no options other than paying plenty for a repair or buying the refurb for $175 plus shipping. Canon never told me of any other options. It was only by chance that I found this forum and was saved this huge cost. How many others have fallen victim to Canon's poor behavior? Hundreds? Thousands? Many, many thousands?

I believe we all need to post complaints about Canon's lack of consideration for those who purchase their very expensive products.

I challenged everyone on this forum to look for at least three product review opportunities across the net and to post your own disgust with the way Canon has misbehaved. Maybe we can help others get better service!

I am going to do absolutely everything I can to let future Canon customers know of this issue. I will also let Canon know that some of their customers are concerned about fellow photographers. Please help me in this. It's for the good of all of us to hold Canon's feet to the fire! Lakeleader

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 57 pts

May 21, 2007 9:21 AM

3

0

That is great news, Lakeleader. I'm so glad I could help. I don't understand the inconsistency with which Canon is treating this issue. But I am glad to hear that at least my contact (Nate) is consistent.

I just want to reiterate for all reading this post, I never had to be rude or threatening, just persistent. I did not exaggerate or stretch the truth, just stuck to the facts. I too, tried to make very clear my disappointment that such an expensive camera failed so soon due to no fault of my own. I told Nate that my faith in Canon's quality and committment to customer service had been seriously compromised but if they took care of me by repairing my camera, that would help restore my faith.

See below for the info from my return invoice. You will notice the repair message is the same as Julie's--see her 5/9/07 post and Roberto Souto's 5/9/07 post. To Lakeleader and others who have sucessfully had your cameras repaired--if you too can share your info, maybe that will help others get their camera repaired.

Order Number: CL689090
Repair Complete Date: February 26, 2007
POWER SHOT S2 IS
Serial#: 0621217073
Location ID: TECH 1

"Service Details:
We have examined the product according to your request, and, it was found that the optical assembly was inoperative there was no display on the LCD. The optical assembly was replaced. Other electrical adjustments, inspection and cleaning, parts replacements, electrical adjustments, inspection and cleaning and parts replacements were carried out.cxb19i147"

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

[A|S] W 1 pts

May 25, 2007 1:00 PM

1

0

I just got my out-of-warranty S2 IS back yesterday from being repaired for this problem, my service details read exactly like Diane's, right down to the code at the end. I did pay to ship the camera to them, but they eventually repaired it at no cost. However, their *first* response after receiving my camera was that I would have to pay the normal fee. I then called and spoke with somebody and pointed out that I had been told, prior to shipping the camera, that they would at least inspect the camera first before telling me if I'd have to pay (and the rep I spoke with confirmed that the camera had not yet been inspected). She put me on hold briefly, then informed me that she was going to escalate the issue and that I would not be charged.

Overall, I consider their handling of the problem to be very professional, even if it took a little persistence on my part to get the result I wanted. They were never rude, dismissive, or slow -- which means they're better than quite a few other companies I've had to deal with on repair issues!

BTW, I did not see this message thread until today, so I was flying blind on this issue. Kudos to those who got free shipping of their camera to Canon! ;-)

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 57 pts

May 25, 2007 1:11 PM

1

0

Thanks [A|S] W,

If you wouldn't mind posting your order number/repair date/serial number info, I think it might be helpful to the others who are encountering difficulty getting their S2 IS repaired. Then, if they cite the postings on this site and are told that online postings can't always be considered a reliable source of information (which is true), they will have a few example numbers to back up their claims.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Roberto Souto (robertosouto) 17 pts

May 25, 2007 5:17 PM

0

Diane Thank you a lot for your support, please folks that had their cameras repaired free of charge, post the details of the repair (order number/repair date/serial number info), this will help a lot guys like me, that live in a country that don´t have a canon repair center, but a authorised company that have contract with canon.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Kylie Robert 7 pts

May 27, 2007 12:04 PM

1

0

Thanks All,
I too have the same problem and have sent my camera back to Canon. I have not heard back from them yet but I now have some ammunition should they come back expecting me to pay for the repair. I have been a long time supporter of Canon (this is my 3rd still camera and I just got a video camera) so I will be very disappointed if they do not honour the repair.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Kylie Robert 7 pts

May 29, 2007 3:56 PM

2

0

Update- I received an e-mail requesting that I pay $135.53 to have my camera repaired. I rang the 1-800-828-4040 and requested to speak with Nate on extension 9965 (Thanks Dianne). I described the problem of the "Black Screen" and that my LCD screen does in fact work and Nate described it as a CCD not projecting problem (Same as recorded in the S1 IS model!).
He was concerned that the Tech department had recorded that my camera had scratches/scuffs, and that the problem was described as LCD/viewfinder does not project. I again clearly stated that the LCD screen does in fact work (to view stored images and menu items) and the scratches/scuffs are minimal, normal day to day usage and primarily on the base where connected to a tripod (this camera is well cared for and is always placed back into a camera bag - there has been no misuse at all). He said that he wold waive the charges as a "Good Faith" and has advised the tech department to start repair tomorrow with an expected return in 10 working days.
I will post my repair details as soon as my camera returns.
Thank you everyone on this forum for your advice.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Linda D 0 pts

May 29, 2007 6:21 PM

0

I can't believe how many black screens on the Canon S2 IS have been discussed here. My screen went black in December. Canon offered me the repair or $199 refurbished unit. I could ot stomach spending another cent after I had paid over $500 to begin with. I was about to write it off and switch to Olympus. I'll call Canon and see if I can get anywhere. I really miss my camera!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Roberto Souto (robertosouto) 17 pts

May 29, 2007 8:35 PM

0

PLEASE PEOPLE DON´T FORGET, if you got free-of-charge fix, please post all the package details here, so other can inform Canon what is happening, not based just on the forum information.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

HYM (HYM) 0 pts

May 30, 2007 7:46 AM

0

I also faced the same problem. I am in Delhi, India and the camera is out of warranty. The Canon guys charged me the service charges and the camera was fixed. The problem, they said, was shutter lock because of moisture. I showed them the Canon web site link for CCD malfunctioning, but as it never mentioned S2 IS, it was not repaired free. I had to pay service charge.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Bobbie A 6 pts

May 31, 2007 12:00 PM

3

1

Ok, I called cannon (the number Diane G. has listed) and spoke with the supervisor Nate. It took several calls to reach him, but when I spoke with him I mentioned the black screen problem with my camera. At first he acted like he was unaware of the problem, them I mentioned this site and several names of people who have had the same trouble with the 2sis. He advised me to include in my request that cannon evaluate my camera for ccd problems common in this and the previous model. My camera was fixed at no charge to me. Thanks to everyone who came before me!!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 57 pts

May 31, 2007 12:18 PM

2

0

Good to hear, Bobbie A. Can you please take a few minutes to post the details on your return repair slip (see my 5/21/07 post for example) so that others can have actual numbers to reference other than just this posting thread? Let's help everyone get the same great repair service from Canon that we got.

Nate (and Canon) must be cursing my name right now...

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Joyce 0 pts

June 2, 2007 3:17 AM

0

2

I have the Powershot A300. My screen is black and I had no idea what was wrong until I came to this site. I can't believe that I have been duped by a company as large as Canon. I will never buy one of their cameras again. I was not even aware of the recalls. Well, at least I know what is wrong.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Bobbie A 6 pts

June 2, 2007 11:02 AM

1

0

The return repair slip just states that the camera was evaluated per my request.
I requested them to review LCD and CCD, which had failed in previously recalled models of my camera. I have the 2sis, the 1sis has been recalled. I requested it to be fixed at no charge to me. They did. The return slip just states, per your request the repairs were done at no charge.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Barry McBroom (BarryS2IS) 29 pts

June 2, 2007 1:22 PM

4

0

Diane & Roberto,

Thank you for taking the lead on this issue and keeping things moving. Sorry I have not gotten my repair information out here sooner. But, here it is now:

My Order Number: CL813907
Date: March 8, 2007
POWER SHOT S2 IS
Serial #: 0721314799
Location ID: TECH 1

The letter reads as follows:

Thank you for your request on your equipment as listed below.
We have examined your equipment for the service you requested.

The service on your equipment has been completed. As part of Canon's commitment to its customers, you can be assured that your equpment has been returned to Factory Specifications.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you.

If you should have any questions or concerns, please contact the Canon Factory Service Center.

Examination/Request Details: LCD EVALUATION, CHECK ALL FUNCTIONS, REPAIR TO GOOD WORKING ORDER.

Service/Work Type: No Charge Repair

Equipment Received: POWER SHOT S2 IS

Serial #: 0721314799

Service Details: We have examined the product according to your request, and it was found that the part was inoperative the aperture control could not function properly The part was replaced. Other electrical adjustments, inspection and cleaning and parts replacements were carried out. cxb19i86

REPAIR WARRANTY: THE PROBLEM NECESSITATING THIS REPAIR IS NOT COVERED BY THE LIMITED WARRANTY FOR YOUR PRODUCT. ACCORDINGLY, THIS REPAIR IS BEING PROVIDED TO YOU AS A COURTESY ONLY, "AS IS' AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. FURTHERMORE, CANON U.S.A., INC. WILL NOT RESESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES AND LOST PROFITS), COST, EXPENSE, LOSS OR INCONVENIENCE AS A RESULT OF THESE REPAIRS. THIS COURTESY REPAR DOES NOT, AND IS NOT INTENDED TO, CONSTITUTE A WAIVER OF CANON U.S.A., INC.'S REIGHT TO CAHRGE YOU FOR ANY FUTURE REPAIRS NOT COVERED UNDER THE LIMITED WARRANTY FOR YOUR PRODUCT.

The last paragraph is a lot of CYA by Canon to make sure they are not liable for anything. They just did it out of the kindness of their hearts. So, I guess the moral of the story is that you must find a kind hearted Canon representative! For those of you who are in other countries besides the U.S.A. it sounds like that can be a real challenge.

Bottom line, it does appear that the issue is not a CCD issue, but rather as others have been finding, it is actually a sticking/malfunctioning aperture control. But, no matter which issue it is, it appears to be a significant problem with this camera.

I hope this information helps and I too encourage others to post their information here. It can only help those who are still not getting the service and treatment that they should from Canon.

*****FINALLY YOUR HELP IS NEEDED AS FOLLOWS:***** I would encourage each of you to go back to Diane's JANUARY 9th post where she gives Nates name and phone number at Canon and vote that post as HELPFUL. We need to move the BEST ANSWER designation to that post in order to steer future uses of this particular post in the right direction from the start.

Keep the information coming. Information is power!

Barry McBroom

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Kylie Robert 7 pts

June 2, 2007 5:10 PM

4

0

Update - My camera arrived in good working order, return slip details below:

My Order Number: CM361064
Date: May 31, 2007
POWER SHOT S2 IS
Serial #: 1028714140
Location ID: TECH 1

The letter reads as follows:

Thank you for your request on your equipment as listed below.
We have examined your equipment for the service you requested.

The service on your equipment has been completed. As part of Canon's commitment to its customers, you can be assured that your equpment has been returned to Factory Specifications.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you.

If you should have any questions or concerns, please contact the Canon Factory Service Center.

Examination/Request Details: SCRATCHES/SCUFFS TO UNIT, LCD/VIEWFINDER DOES NOT PROJECT IMAGES, CHECK ALL FUNCTIONS, REPAIR TO GOOD WORKING ORDER.

Service/Work Type: No Charge, Repair

Equipment Received: POWER SHOT S2 IS

Serial #: 1028714140

Service Details: We have examined the product according to your request, and it was found that the optical assembly was inoperative the aperture control could not function properly The optical assembly was replaced. Other electrical adjustments, inspection and cleaning and parts replacements were carried out. cxb19i86

REPAIR WARRANTY: THE PROBLEM NECESSITATING THIS REPAIR IS NOT COVERED BY THE LIMITED WARRANTY FOR YOUR PRODUCT. ACCORDINGLY, THIS REPAIR IS BEING PROVIDED TO YOU AS A COURTESY ONLY, "AS IS' AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. FURTHERMORE, CANON U.S.A., INC. WILL NOT RESESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES AND LOST PROFITS), COST, EXPENSE, LOSS OR INCONVENIENCE AS A RESULT OF THESE REPAIRS. THIS COURTESY REPAR DOES NOT, AND IS NOT INTENDED TO, CONSTITUTE A WAIVER OF CANON U.S.A., INC.'S REIGHT TO CAHRGE YOU FOR ANY FUTURE REPAIRS NOT COVERED UNDER THE LIMITED WARRANTY FOR YOUR PRODUCT.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 57 pts

June 3, 2007 1:32 PM

3

0

Thanks Barry & Kylie! Good idea Barry on asking everyone to help in voting my 1/9/07 post "helpful" in order to direct folks to Nate's number immediately. :)
I noticed that the "service details" notes are all very similar, with only very subtle differences. To my untrained eye, it seems we have a recurring issue here with the optical assembly.

From my 4/6/07 & 5/21/07 and also Julie's 5/9/07 posts "...it was found that the optical assembly was inoperative there was no display on the LCD. The optical assembly was replaced."

From Barry's & Kylie's 6/2/07 posts "...it was found that the optical assembly was inoperative the aperture control could not function properly The optical assembly was replaced."

Let's keep the repair info coming in, folks! To everyone who has had your camera successfully repaired, please help us by sharing the info from your return repair slips (like Julie, Barry, Kylie, and I have done). The more actual service reference numbers and repair information we can accumulate on this site, the more concrete, indisputable proof we'll have that this is a consistent and ongoing problem with the S2 IS.

As Barry mentioned, Canon will be sure to remind us that they're not *technically* legally obligated to do this service (limited warranty is 12 months only), that it's being done as a courtesy repair only. My repair slip also had the same exact "CYA" disclaimer message both you & Kylie noted in your 6/2/07 posts, Barry. But I think if Canon wants to try to keep their good name and reputation, this "courtesy repair service" (especially when these failures occur within mere months of the warranty expiration!) is a wise choice for them.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Martijn 4 pts

June 5, 2007 4:41 PM

4

0

Hello all,

I've also purchased a canon S2 IS last year. A few weeks ago it started to give black screens now and then. Randomly... If the camera was switched off and on again, the problem was gone. The problem started to appear more and more. On the last day of my warranty period I went back to the store where I had bought my camera (3 weeks ago) There they saw the problem, and sent it to a canon repair centre.
Today I got my camera back. Works perfect again. In the repair notes it is written that the optical unit (Aperture/Shutter/Optical unit) was replaced.

Off course it was all free of costs for me.
I was lucky that the problem started within the year...

I hope this post is of some help for you

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 57 pts

June 5, 2007 5:01 PM

1

0

Thanks Martijn. If you have the time, can you please post some more detailed information from your return repair slip (i.e., order number, date, serial number, etc)? Doing so will help add to the definitive evidence of this problem. See Barry's & Kylie's 6/2/07 posts for examples of the kind of info we're looking to collect.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

HYM (HYM) 0 pts

June 6, 2007 4:42 AM

0

Anybody in India got the camera repaired without any charge?

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

sandy 1 pts

June 6, 2007 11:13 AM

0

Thanks everyone for the posts. I also have the s2is i bought it 12/05 and have the black screen of death. I have been trying to get Nate but when I call he is not in. Any ideas on a good time to call

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Nora P 0 pts

June 9, 2007 1:44 AM

0

Mine is doing it too!! It started at my mother's memorial service on March 30th. I thought I had fixed the problem by reformating the memory card and installing fresh batteries. All was fine for a month, then it started doing it again. It's terrible that I couldn't count on my camara for my daughter's birthday party last weekend. I will be telling Canon that the two times it failed me the most were those two emotional events!

I bought mine (well, my husband bought it for me) Dec. 05 at CompUSA which has since closed all stores within a 2 hour radius. He got the extended warranty, but we would have to drive two hours each way to deal with that. I have to go find the receipt for it, but I know what I will be doing Monday morning - Calling Nate over at Cannon!!

Having this info will hopefully help get my camara fixed! For free. I think the extended warranty MIGHT help.... we'll see.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

TwinGST 1 pts

June 10, 2007 9:05 PM

0

I have been trying to get a hold of Nate for the past two weeks. Unfortunately, he is always busy. He has returned my call, but I was at work and couldn't answer it. I tried emailing Nate. As he does not oversee email division, he can't handle any email submissions.

I am shipping my S2 IS through someone else. I am hoping to talk to Nate this week, however, after he returns from his vacation.

I have a bachelor party coming up and if I get the S2 IS back by next Thursday, would give Canon 10 outta 10 for having great customer support.

Will update more.

ps.
Special Thanks to Diane G.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Mathi 0 pts

June 12, 2007 5:28 PM

0

I had a similar problem and after I rest to Factory reset, it started taking picture with poor quality. Especially in sunshine, it is overexposing the picture. Luckily I found this forum and dialled Canon, they instructed me to send the camera. then they will validate and update me. Lets see what happens.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Michael N 7 pts

June 12, 2007 10:46 PM

1

0

Earlier this year we experienced the blackout screen on our camera (S2IS). We contacted Canon and sent out the camera with the free shipping to the factory. Couple of days later we received an email from Canon stating that it would cost $138 to repair the problem. I then called customer service and spoke to Nate. (thanks Diane) Nate gave me some mumbo jumbo about expired warranty, service contract, and no repairs are free of charge. He even offered a discount on the repair. I told him how disappointed I was and dissatisfied with what he was telling me. He said he has guidelines to follow and at this point he will relate my problem to customer relations and have them help me out. The bottom line is this is obviously a wide spread problem. Due to no fault of mine. I do not want to pay for repair of a faulty product. We were told that customer relations will contact us within 24 to 48 hours... will post results as soon as we hear from Canon.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

sandy 1 pts

June 13, 2007 9:13 AM

0

Has anyone thought of a lawsuit

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Nora P 0 pts

June 13, 2007 9:29 AM

0

Found my CompUSA receipt and we have 3 year extended warranty on it, so thinking that it shouldn't be a problem to get it fixed. Whew. $20 well spent. Will let you all know what happens.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Mathi 0 pts

June 13, 2007 5:30 PM

0

I talked to the customer care representative, he said the repair cost would be $ 119 or replace with reburbised one for $ 175. He also told me to ship it on my cost. I am ready for deal this legal department? Guys, Please adcvise. I am really disappointed as I bopught this camera on March 29, 2006.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 57 pts

June 13, 2007 5:59 PM

2

0

Let's keep the repair info coming in, folks! To everyone who has had your camera successfully repaired, please help us by sharing the detailed info from your return repair slips (like Julie, Barry, Kylie, and I have done).

Lakeleader, [A|S] W, Bobbie A, Martijn, others...can you please help us out? See Barry's & Julie's 6/2/07 posts for the info we're looking to collect (i.e., order number, date, serial number, service details, etc).

The more actual service reference numbers and detailed repair information we can accumulate on this site, the more concrete, indisputable proof we'll have that this is a consistent and ongoing problem with the S2 IS. Then maybe Canon will finally admit this is a design flaw deserving of a recall.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Anthony F 8 pts

June 14, 2007 1:39 AM

8

0

Hello Everyone!
First of all this has turned out to be a rather long post. I apologize in advanced.

About a week ago, my Canon S2IS started to exhibit the same problems most of you who have posted to this thread have seen (blank photos taken, blank LCD and blank viewfinder). After some digging I came across this website. Having been already burnt by the Sony CCD recall (previous previous camera was a Sony P-51) I was hoping lighting would not strike twice.

Relieved that I had actually bought my particular camera in December 2006 (after fortunately finding the receipt) I took the camera in for repair on the 12th of June 2007 (two days ago). This afternoon (14th of June 2007) I picked the camera up after receiving a call this morning (two day turn around, surprised me too. A fast response? Or something more sinister?).

My unit is now back to its former glory, maybe even better since its had a cleaning. I did not have the troubles most of you have since my unit was still in warranty and Canon honored said warranty no questions asked. Although I did note a few things through the whole process (which I will share with you).

First I direct your attention to this picture:
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b89/tux_masaki/S2ISProblem_1280.jpg
Most of you will recognize what we are looking at. In normal operation, the aperture/shutter is open. When the camera is off, or in the process of taking a photo, this shutter closes. I bring this up because I noticed on my pre-repaired unit that the aperture/shutter was permanently closed. Did anyone else notice this? Does anyone who still has a malfunctioning S2IS see this behavior?

It gets better…

When I took the camera into the Canon service center, I mentioned that I had been looking on the internet about failing S2IS units, and said that perhaps it could be a failed optical unit, the assistant merely nodded in agreement while looking down the lens barrel (getting a view of the camera as my picture above).

I found it most curious that the assistant knew exactly what to look for, and also curious about the super fast turn around time (even Sony took about 1-2 weeks to fix my camera, and that was for a problem that they were expecting). Could Canon internally know about this problem, and already have circulated internal repair memos about this? Who knows, but it is pure speculation at this point.

The problem with the S2IS seems to be a totally different beast to the Sony CCD recall. To me it feels as if this is a known problem and Canon is keeping it internal. But that’s my two cents.

The following are the details from my repair. I hope this post helps any fellow S2IS owners out there! Good Luck!

***************************************
Canon repair center: 1 Thomas Holt Drive, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
Model: PSS2IS
Serial: 2248801426
Part Number: CM1-2717-000
Part Description: Optical Unit
Work Completed: Dismantled and replaced listed part. Adjusted as required. Reassembled, cleaned, checked and tested. Note: Due to age and condition of the unit we have repaired unit at no charge
***************************************

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Michael N 7 pts

June 14, 2007 4:19 PM

2

0

I spoke with Michelle Barlow who works for canon's customer relations. And to no avail they only offered to give a 50% discount. Half of $119 is better than nothing. But I still refused and told her that I was very disappointed with her answer. She said that my camera is out of warranty and the problem with my camera was different from other people on this forum. She didn't even want to hear about this forum and said that my problem is unique to myself and doesn't know anything else about the real problem. She said that this forum isn't a canon website and things written on it could be false. Canon will never admit there is a problem b/c it is not to wide spread. But whenever this does come up as one of the product advisories, god bless! I told her that I spoke to Nate the supervisor with customer service and told her that Nate is aware of the problem. She will be returning my call and we'll see what happens... How exciting!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Ross (Black screen Victim) 5 pts

June 14, 2007 4:42 PM

1

0

Hello guys,

The "Powershot S2 IS" is definitely a big blunder regarding the amount of "Optical assembly failures" reported by the above customers. In fact, i have one of those with the same "Black Screen of Death" problem, and it is 1 month 1/2 out of warranty. This is the second website i have consulted about the subject, and you guys are doing a good job in keeping new 'c'anon victims informed about the right steps to take for free-of-charge repairs, things that 'c'anon representatives have failed to do, they apparently suffer information deficits which i doubt; they did on purpose. Congratulation! once again.There is a "time" pattern that you guys gave without knowing it, it seems like the problems start appearing after you passed the Warranty Time.... Upsss !!! My wife just called to let me know that she just contacted Canon Support Service and they said that we only need to send the camera in and they will repair it for free but we still need to pay the shipping to send it to them. Do you really think i still have the right to the shipping label?

Thanks to all of you who contribute to this forum, since by simply reporting your multiple bab experiences with canon has been very helpfull to me and perhaps upcoming "Black Screen Of Death Victims."

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Michael N 7 pts

June 14, 2007 8:23 PM

2

0

Hello to all the S2IS owners with this crazy black screen of death!!!
After my conversation with canon's customer relations, a few hours later I received an email from canon stating that they will repair my camera "free of charge". The call back never happened. Pheewwww! So evidently the conversation with canon pulled some strings! I told them that this is a widely spread problem and should be posted in their product advisory section. I told her that I spoke with Nate and that he was aware of the problem. Perhaps that woke somebody up! I am so glad.
I believe they were possibly afraid that I would go to the top!
But right now I'm on top of the world b/c my camera is being fixed for free! =))

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Anthony R 0 pts

June 15, 2007 8:15 AM

0

Hi guys
My s2is has the same problem...........canon should be fixing this problem free of charge,this doesn't seem to be a isolated problem ..........

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Michael N 1 pts

June 15, 2007 5:39 PM

1

0

Anthony R, whatever they tell you never accept your at fault. Keep refusing their offers and tell them that you are dissatisfied and this is not a problem of your own. They will eventually give in and you'll get the "free of charge" repair. This evidently is a huge problem with the canon s2is's. (optical assembly is malfunctioning). Call customer service supervisor Nate and tell him your problem and many people on this website also have the same exact problem. I'll post my repair information as soon as I get my camera back. Good luck!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Mike K 0 pts

June 16, 2007 7:33 AM

0

Same problem. Have spoken to Canon twice. Both times no dice. I can get it repaired at a locally authorized repair dealership at my expense or send it to them at my expense. They treated me like I was an idiot for suggesting this might be a manfucaturing problem and not a user abuse problem. Said the same garbage about stuff on the net can't be trusted. I guess they think you all must work for the Sony PR department and have nothing better to do then make stuff up about Canon Camera's.

This is an absolute joke. I am a 23 year old Student and can't afford to just throw money around. I am very dissappointed with Canon Canada and I certainly will be trying to avoid this company for the rest of my existence.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Mohan 0 pts

June 19, 2007 6:27 AM

0

HYM,

The replacement is valid in South and south-east Asia as well. You should contact the Canon service center in your city. The following link in the Canon site clearly mentions that.

http://www.canon-asia.com/index.jsp?fuseaction=image-phenomena_notice

My camera too has caught this problem...I just called their customer service and my complaint was taken down and was told that the tech support would get back to me.
I just hope they fix the issue.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Anthony R 0 pts

June 19, 2007 8:29 AM

0

Emailed canon usa 3 times,they said I should go through canon canada because I'm in canda,but they did say if I had a usa address the would send me a prepaid shipping label to get my camera repaired.........finally got response from canon canada after 3 days,they say theres no recall on the S2 IS and just gave me address where I could get my camera repaired...........something has gotta be done about this,I have lost all respect for canon and well be looking for other brands of electronics if they don't deal with my problem.......

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Anthony R 0 pts

June 19, 2007 5:38 PM

0

Just talking to canon usa,they well send prepaid shipping label,but in no way repair camera for free...they said theres no advisory on the S2's ccd,and that its a different ccd than the S1 and other camera's.....Canon is the most crappest fucking company on the planet.........

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Tammy G 1 pts

June 19, 2007 8:39 PM

0

Oh no.. Thanks for this site. After hours of reading the manual I decided to do a search. I am so glad I found you. Tomorrow I will begin my quest for "free repair". I will keep you posted.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Tammy G 1 pts

June 20, 2007 5:34 AM

1

0

Ok. I just made my first phone call. I used the 1-800-828-4040. I got a rep named Rodney. I immediately used a stern voice and all knowledge gained from this website. I told him I had a Powershot S2 with a bad optical uint giving me the black screen and I wanted it fix free of charge. He asked if I had called before, if it had been posted on Canon site as a bad part etc.. I told him it was the same problem that the S1 had that Canon recognized. I said it is a known defect with many post by customers on the website. He hesitated for a moment. Then offered me a free UPS Label via email, asked if I still had the receipt. I did and found mine was purchased from Wal-mart on 4/10/06. I told him it had been doing this black screen for months within the warranty time, but it took me two months to figure out it was a defect and not something I was doing wrong. I told him it started out as an intermittent problem. He took the serial no. and stated that the tech would send me info once the camera was received. Will keep you posted once I receive the email from tech. Good Luck.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

sandy 1 pts

June 20, 2007 7:36 AM

1

0

Spoke to Nate told him I was very unhappy with the problem he gave me a free label and told me to call back once the repair department reviewed my camera. You must state you are not happy and don't want to pay for a repair. I said I would rather pay 175 for a new sony. I will keep everyone posted on result

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Michael N 7 pts

June 20, 2007 2:56 PM

2

0

Hello All!!!
Got my camera back & everything seems to be fine. Here are the details of my repair letter:

Order Number CM463768
Repair Complete Date June 18, 2007
POWER SHOT S2 IS
Location ID: TECH 2

Service Details
We have examined the product according to your request, and, it was found that the optical assembly had suffered some kind of shock damage the aperture control could not function properly. The optical assembly was replaced. Other electrical adjustments, inspection and cleaning and parts replacements were carried out. cxb19i86

Summary of Charges
Flate Rate Repair Charge $0.00
(Parts & Labor Included)
Sales Tax $0.00
Shipping $0.00
Total Due $0.00

Examination/Request Details
LCD DOES NOT PROJECT IMAGES,LCD STAYS BLACK,CHECK ALL FUNCTIONS,REPAIR TO GOOD WORKING ORDER.

So that's the story. Thanks to all the people on this website to make this happen!! Good luck to all those people who are in the same boat. Remember, be persistant and refuse any offers they throw at you. Just tell them you are dissatisfied/unhappy of the problem that was not caused by you but of a faulty part that needed to be replaced. Bottom line is that I hope this makes it to the canon's product advisory section.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Phord 5 pts

June 21, 2007 6:19 AM

1

0

I am so happy to find this forum! My S2 IS I bought in 08/2005 just started acting up this week. Sometimes when I turn it on, the shutter refuses to open and I see the black screen you all are describing. It is not the iris, but the little shutter just like Anthony shows in his picture (Thanks, Anthony!). It has been intermittent, and the first time it happened I was using alkaline batteries that I suspicious of. When I replaced them with NiMH's (my preference) the problem lessened, but remained. That is, it sometimes would come up "black" and sometimes would work immediately. I got a low battery indicator from my NiMH's after just a dozen shots or so, so I replaced them with fresh Alkalines. So far, no problems. But I expect the problem to return.

The way I usually "fix" the problem is to take several"black" photos. One or two usually frees it up, but last night it took about 10 before it finally opened. I think the iris action or some other mechanical action causes a vibration which frees up the shutter. Next time I'll try high-speed shutter mode and see if several shots in a row can free it more reliably.

I'm going to call Canon and see about getting it fixed, since I expect this will continue to get worse. Thanks for all your posts here; there's power in numbers! Good info!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Bert Bakker (BertBakker) 1 pts

June 22, 2007 2:34 AM

1

0

Hi folks,

I had the same problem (black screen on S2 IS) within the two years EU warranty period.
I send the camera to ETB ASS (Canon service in the Netherlands) and they replaced the optical unit for free.
Follow the links below to download the pdf-files with my complaint and the letter of repair from ETB ASS.
[URL]http://www.mediafire.com/?53jtepezf12[/URL]
[URL]http://www.mediafire.com/?byznxjvx14o[/URL]

Succes with your problems with the S2 IS

Bert Bakker
NL Zwartsluis

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Scott 3 pts

June 23, 2007 4:47 PM

1

Since Canon is playing dirty and making it a pain, I say play dirty back. Just make the date on your receipt less than 1 year ago, then call them.

The black screen of death is the optical unit failure, covered under the 1-year plan. Only problem is that once they fix it, you can plan on failure again in 14 months, and then you're up a creek. I'm going to make the most of mine over the next year.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Sriram Ranganathan 1 pts

June 25, 2007 9:19 AM

0

Hi guys in India who have the black screen problem

I am located in Hyderabad and have a Canon S2 IS. I called up their support center in Hyderabad when I did not know what hte problem was (hadn't seen this beautiful page by then) and was told - 1000 INR + parts cost for repairing whatever was wrong.

I was holding on looking for options just coz INR 1000 + parts cost is too high considering I bought this Camera in Sept 2005 and a brand like Canon isn't supposed to conk out so easy.

Anyways, after seeing this forum, I am going to target Canon India for a free repair / replacement of part. Since customer service in India is 175 times worse than it is in the US of A, I have no doubt I will face a lot of problems. Let's see what happens finally.

I would be searching on the Canon site anyways ... but if someone could post any useful email ids / customer support numbers / helpful contact people in Canon you already have spoken to, etc, then it would be very useful.

Once I get any progress, I will update it on this site.

Guys in India, my email id is sriram.ranga@gmail.com in case you want to mail me with some information or want some information from me.

Cheers

Sriram

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

sandy 1 pts

June 25, 2007 11:46 AM

0

I got a letter from canon they received the camera and will fix for free. Wow I thought I would have to call back and fight with them and it was already shipped back to me 6/25 one week turnaround

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 57 pts

June 25, 2007 3:13 PM

0

1

Thank you Anthony F for an excellent post (6/14/07) that documents the problem very well! Glad to get a post from someone who knows their way around a camera, yet can break it down into a simple enough explanation, even a non-techie like me can understand! :) I too find it very ironic that, upon hearing your decription of the problem, the tech knew exactly where to look (coincidence??? I think not...) To anyone out there who hasn't read Anthony F's 6/14/07 post yet, I highly recommend you read it!

Sandy--so glad to hear your good news! When you get your camera back, can you please help by sharing the detailed info from your return repair slip (like several others have now done)? See Barry's & Julie's 6/2/07 posts, or Anthony F's 6/14/07 post, or Michael N's 6/20/07 post for the info we're looking to collect (i.e., order number, date, serial number, service details, etc).

The more actual service reference numbers and detailed repair information we can accumulate on this site, the more concrete, indisputable proof we'll have that this is a consistent and ongoing problem with the S2 IS. Then maybe Canon will finally admit this is a design flaw deserving of a recall.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Mohan 0 pts

June 25, 2007 10:49 PM

0

2

Sriram Ranganathan,

http://www.canon-asia.com/index.jsp?fuseaction=image-phenomena_notice

I approached the Canon service center in chennai. The immediately accepted to replace the ccd without any charge to me. Didnt expect this good QoS.
I went in expecting them to refuse or to charge me..took a lot of printouts to support my point...but never needed any of them.
They took a few moments to examine my camera and said it is the ccd issue and would be replacing it free of cost but will take around 35 days(bcoz of large no. of replacements at hand), may be a little earlier... sounded reasonable.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Diane G 57 pts

June 25, 2007 11:11 PM

0

Mohan,

The link you posted references a recall notice that covers the S1 IS model, not the S2 IS as we have been discussing here. The S1 IS is on recall due to faulty CCD.

We are all hoping that Canon will eventually put the S2 IS on its own recall, because based on the reponses above, it is failing due to a faulty optical unit.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Sriram Ranganathan 1 pts

June 26, 2007 1:14 AM

0

Mohan
Thanks for the reply. That helps! A couple of questions for you so I am well prepared when I go to the service center -

1. Is ur camera S2 IS or S1 IS or some other model?

2. Was it under warranty when you took it to them with the complaint?

3. You say you took several printouts etc but never needed them. Could you tell me what printouts?

4. Could you give me some kind of service number or so which identifies your complaint and resolution. If necessary I will use that for indicating that in Chennai the service center has recognized it as a problem and fixed it for free.

5. Could you give me your email id so I can contact you if necessary.

Thanks buddy

Sriram

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Mathi 0 pts

June 26, 2007 11:15 AM

0

Here is my summary of repair for this problem.

Repair Order Information

Customer: MATHIVANAN POTHIYAPPAN
Repair Order Number: CM520225
Model:POWER SHOT S2 IS
Service Type:No Charge
Amount Due:$0.00

Current Repair Status
Date:06-26-2007
Status:Shipped
Shipping /
Tracking

Pick Up
PU

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Carol 0 pts

June 26, 2007 5:29 PM

0

Good morning,

We have just contacted the repair centre in NSW, to be told that they will not be fixing our plack screenof death, unless we send it them first and pay postage package and AUS$ 50 for the privalegde. Having been a Canon supporter through a couple of generations ( my Mum used to win competitions with hers in the 70 and 80's) and having done plenty of research on this before buying it I am very diappointed with Canon's response to the S2 IS issues. Becuase we need the camera for an upcoming wedding and don't have the luxury of waiting for them to phaff around we are at the stage of exersing the ultimate customer perogative of having an expensive paperweight, never buying Canon again and advising anyone against buying Canon.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Melanie 6 pts

June 27, 2007 3:57 PM

1

0

I'm having the same issue with my S2 IS. I just received the quote via email this morning:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Examination / Request Details: Summary of Charges:
SCRATCHES.LCD-SCREEN IS BLACK,WILL NOT DISPLAY ANY IMAGES.CHECK ALL FUNCTIONS,REPAIR TO GOOD WORKING ORDER.FLAT RATE REPAIR MODEL, PARTS AND LABOR INCLUDED IN PRICE Flat Rate Repair Charge
(Parts & Labor Included) $ 119.00

Service / Work Type: Charge , Repair
Sales Tax $ 0.00
Equipment Received: POWER SHOT S2 IS
Serial #: 1228803695 Shipping $ 8.00
P.O.#:
Accessories Received: Total Due $ 127.00
STRAP/NO BATTERY/NO MEM-CARD/NO BOX/LENS-CAP

The repair charge indicated represents a standardized cost, enabling Canon to provide repair estimates free of charge.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

I called to argue with them about the charge because when I sent it in (via their online service) I mentioned that I knew it was an existing issue, referenced this thread, and said I didn't expect to pay for the repair. During my call I got transferred around several times. Finally I was transferred to a Factory Service Agent who seemed somewhat sympathetic. She said she would call the Repair Center and see if she could have them waive the charges for me. When she got back on the phone with me she told that although they have done these sorts of repairs as "courtesy" for certain customers, they couldn't offer that service to me. I asked why they could provide that service to others but not to me and she said she didn't know. She then transferred me to her manager at my request.

Her manager, James, basically denied that Canon has EVER provided a courtesy repair on any model of camera that was not under warranty, EVER, unless it was listed on a recall or Product Advisory List. I again mentioned this thread, as well as several others I've found, and also mentioned that the tech I was just talking to had admitted to me that it had been done for others. He denied it again and told me the best he could offer me was a 30% discount.

I just called back and asked to speak with Nate at the extension Diane G. gave. Unfortunately he wasn't available, but they said he would call me back before the end of the day.

I'm really upset over this service because I was about to buy myself a digital Rebel SLR, which I've wanted for years. I have the 35mm model and have loved it, and I've always been such a huge Canon fan. But if they end up not being able to help me out on this charge, I think I'm going to have to switch teams and start looking into which Nikon model I want. I really hope they come through though, cuz I've had my heart set on that digital Rebel. :-(

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Pan 0 pts

June 27, 2007 7:10 PM

0

I also had exactly the same problem. Black screen caused by humidity condensed on the CCD.
I was lucky because a month before the expiration of the guarantee, I claimed repair for bad pictures (showing stains in low definition video mode). They refused to cover the repair, so I faxed a complaint to the State Office for the Rights of Cosumers (Sinigoros tou Katanaloti, in Greek). A few days after the guarantee had expired, the CCD went dead, resulting in the "black screen" effect. After almost 10 months, The Canon Company in Greece was forced to have the camera repaired with no charge. At the begining they insisted that the camera was misused and the lens was hit, thus not in good function, but finally they were forced to change the "optical Unit" and not the lens, which is exaclty the same as before (with the same tiny scratches).

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Tammy G 1 pts

June 29, 2007 9:47 AM

0

My camera is on its way back to me "FREE of CHARGE". This email however does not specify what they fixed.

Equipment:
POWER SHOT S2 IS

Repair #:
CM562997

Received:
26-JUN-07

Repair Cost:
$ 0.00

Status:
Shipped

28-JUN-07

Dear TAMMY

We are pleased to confirm that the service you requested on your POWER SHOT S2 IS has been completed and your equipment has been shipped to you on 28-JUN-07 . If you wish to track the status of your shipment through Federal Express, click here, or visit www.FedEx.com and use the tracking number listed above.
Please note that a signature is required for delivery!

Thank you for purchasing Canon products and for allowing us this opportunity to serve you.

Best Regards,
Canon Factory Service Center

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

sandy 1 pts

June 29, 2007 3:11 PM

0

Order Number cm517010
repair date june 21, 2007
Examination/request details:
LCD Evaluation, check all functions, repair to good working order.
Service/Work type: no Charge, repair
Summary of charges 0.00
Service Details
We have examined the product according to your request, and it was found that the optical assembly was inoperative there was no display on the LCD. The optical assembly was replaced. Other inspection and cleaning and parts replacements were carried out

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

TwinGST 1 pts

July 3, 2007 2:29 AM

1

0

Below is what Canon quotes me.
--------------------------------------------
Received:
June 20, 2007

Repair Cost:
$ 127.00

Status:
Estimated
--------------------------------------------

I explained my case carefully to the customer support for the 4th time and followed instructions on sending the S2 IS in, being promised that my S2 IS would be taken care of. Since the camera was received by the repair center on June 20th, I called twice to explain my case. Spoke to several reps, but not once was my message returned.

Being the Asian person I am, I spoke in very respectful tone to every rep I came across within my calls. I tried to memorize every rep names during the phone convo, and thanked them politely before I was transferred over each time.

Now, maybe I am just paranoid Asian, or Angry Asian. Call it whatever. Why is it that I felt like I was being pushed around during these phone calls? Being bounced between departments to departments, like a ping-pong ball. We all know Chinese are the best when it comes to table tennis, but I aint Chinese! I have full US Citizenship, and proud to say American!

If these hours I'd spent on the phone and online the past two months were saved, I could have easily paid for S3 IS by now. Hopefully something magical happens this week. And I have 4 other Canon cameras. =(

Best regards to every sad Canon Customers out there.
Harris

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

John H 0 pts

July 3, 2007 8:51 AM

0

1

Hi,
Another black screen here on my S21S.

Fortunately it happened under warranty. I paid the shipping to Cannon Australia.

Have not used the camera a lot since. Hoping this prob will not reoccur.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Sriram Ranganathan 1 pts

July 6, 2007 9:43 AM

0

I gave my camera to Canon Care in Secunderabad, India. They sent it over to some main service center in Gurgaon, Haryana and today I got back an estimate.

They say the camera has 3 things wrong with it - the Optical unit, the PCB Assembly Main, and the PCB Assembly D.C. (I guess direct current).

They have given me a quote of INR 16,000/- to replace the parts. To put it in context for US readers of this page, Canon is selling this camera in India for about INR 26,000/-

It has been less than 2 years since I bought my camera (though the Optical unit problem started some months back, i was guilty of laziness in not taking up the issue then itself).

I have written an email to some big shots of Canon Support, India. I will keep the board updated with the response.

This sucks .... if a PCB and Optical unit can go bust within 2 years of purchase, what use buying a Canon ... u can go in for some cheaper throwaway type of camera.

Cheers people ... hope u others have better luck.

Sriram Ranganathan

Hyderabad, India

Email id - sriram.ranga@gmail.com

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Larry A 2 pts

July 6, 2007 6:30 PM

2

0

Here are the details from the service report that I received along with my repaired S2 IS (the camera was repaired free of charge as I described above on April 25, 2007):

Order Number: CM053075

Repair Complete Date: April 19, 2007

Examination / Request Details: LCD EVALUATION. CHECK ALL FUNCTIONS, REPAIR TO GOOD WORKING ORDER.

Service / Work Type: No Charge, Repair

Summary of Charges:
Flat Rate Repair Charge $0.00
(Parts & Labor Included)
Sales Tax $0.00
Shipping $0.00
Total Due $0.00

Service Details: We have examined the product according to your request, and, it was found that the optical assembly was inoperative there was no display on the LCD. The optical assembly was replaced. Other inspection and cleaning and parts replacements were carried out. *CXB19117*

... followed by boilerplate identical to what Barry McBroom reported on June 2, 2007.

I was considering purchasing a more expensive model camera from Canon, but the company still has not issued a Product Advisory for the S2 IS optical assembly. If Canon will not publicly take responsibility for this issue, I will not make additional purchases from the company.

Canon's S2 IS official troubleshooting page has this listed -- a basic failure to take responsibility publicly:

Issue: The LCD/Electronic Viewfinder will not display an image.

Solution: If all troubleshooting has failed, please have your PowerShot S2 IS serviced

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Tony 1 pts

July 7, 2007 8:19 AM

1

TO SORIN: ( your trick works !!!!)
I'm from Spain, and I've the same problem with my S2 IS. I have tried your trick, and it works also for me !!!

The problem (software or hardware, I don´t know) is that the shutter doesn´t open on startup (you can see it clearly if you look it through the objective when you startup the camera and you get the black screen problem).

At least with your trick I can take several pictures without having any problem.
Anyway, I will contact with the Canon Support service here in Spain and I will let you know their answer.

Thanks for your help!

SORIN's TRICK:
Heres how I managed to make it work. I set the camera in TV mode, set the shutter at 15 sec, click to take a picture and during that 15 secs I open the battery. When the battery is inserted again the camera works and I can take pictures. And the camera works. Maybe it needs a little exercise.......
It's clear that it's a mechanical problem.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Ben H 2 pts

July 8, 2007 6:40 PM

1

0

Hi to fellow S2 screen sufferers,

Another black LCD screen on an S2 IS to report. I bought my camera in the UK in late 2005 but have done very little with it as we have a pocket-sized Fuji F401 that we seem to take everywhere.

I've since moved back to Australia in 2006 and took it out of the cupboard last week where it's been in its case for a while. The irony is that I only got the S2 out because the 4yr+ Fuji has finally given up too!

I checked the batteries in the S2 and replaced them anyway and hey presto - can still see pictures on the memory card and the settings are all there when I go to shoot but black screen & black shots.

Having read this post from top to bottom it's remarkable that Canon have still not done anything more formal about it. If anyone has contacts in the press - be it in the US, Europe, Asia - wherever - it's worth a phone call or email to see if they'll help to publicize our plight.

I'll be calling Canon Australia shortly and will update you as to what they say but I'm glad I found this site beforehand.

Lastly - I'm thinking of getting the Canon Digital IXUS 950 IS as a general replacement (pending customer service levels with the S2 repair). Anyone familiar with the model??

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Nora P 0 pts

July 8, 2007 8:27 PM

0

2

I forever will believe in extended warranties for digital camaras!! As stated above we bought the camara at CompUSA and paid for an extended warranty. Since there was no CompUSA anymore near us, I was a little scared that it would not work.

BUT IT DID!!!

The warranty company sent me a box and a label. I sent in my camara and 10 days later (ok, 12 but 4th of July and a weekend were in there, so 9 business days) later my fixed camara was returned. I didn't have to prove anything, argue or anything, the extended warranty took care of it all.

The camara is back to "new" same as before except that the lens circle (when you look at the lens) is now GREEN around instead of silver or black or whatever it was before so I am sure that is what they replaced. The receipt was very vague, but FREE.

YEAH.
Hope the rest of you get results. And in the future, pay for that extended warranty!
Nora

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Ben H 2 pts

July 8, 2007 9:47 PM

0

Interesting.
I just rang and spoke to the repair centre in North Ryde, Australia and explained the symptoms. The lady pretty much finished my sentence and said to drop it in (its not far from me so I'm not that fussed about a prepaid return slip) and they'll look at it.
If its what they think it is they'll repair it (for free TBC). I asked if this was a known issue and her response was "sort of".

I'm planning to drop it in this week so fingers crossed.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Sriram Ranganathan 1 pts

July 10, 2007 6:36 AM

0

Ok guys
To continue my tale of woe, the email I wrote to the India Support Head of Canon had a result ... sort of.

Some guy (not the Support head who I had emailed ... probably he is too big to call irate customers) called me up from the Gurgaon center where they had sent the camera for examination. He referred to the email I had sent and explained to me that since my warranty was not applicable, they could not do anything and at best, they could take out another 4000 INR from the bill and instead of 16000 INR, they would charge me 12000 INR.

Frankly I don't understand why they called me up to tell me my warranty didn't cover this ... because I told them that myself. Anyways, I told the genntleman that after spending 20000 INR on the camera, I definitely would not consider spending 12000 INR on repairing it within 2 years, even if it meant discarding the camera and buying a new one.

I doubt if they care ... the guy was mentioning my carelessness in buying a camera without India warranty (it had Japan-only warranty for one year) and while technically he is 100% correct, he didn't sound too concerned that his product's PCB and Optical units had conked out within two years. I told him that the fact that the camera was not covered under warranty was not a point under dispute .... technically he is 100% correct. However, the fact that the camera's heart i.e. - the PCB and Optical units were defective was the point I was trying to make.

Anyways, looks like I dump my S2 IS. The next camera I buy is definitely not going to be a Canon.

Cheers

Sriram Ranganathan
Hyderabad, India

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Phord 5 pts

July 10, 2007 11:44 PM

3

0

My iris shutter door worked intermittently now for about a week. But now it appears to be completely stuck. None of my tricks have succeeded in unsticking it!

I called Canon. I wanted to call during the day, but I wound up calling around 10pm EST. They have a nice voice-recognition autoattendant system. At first I picked the "tech support" option, but then the autoattendant told me I'd be charged $10 for the call if I was out of warranty! So I hung up and called back; this time I said "repair issues".

I talked to Shawn who was polite and professional but gave me the normal "send the camera in and we'll see what's wrong with it and how much it'll cost to fix" runaround. He recommended I ship the camera to them and then follow up with a supervisor if I get an estimate I don't like. I asked to speak to a supervisor now, and after a long wait -- NATE came on the phone!

I told him he was somewhat famous on this forum. He carefully didn't make any promises (I wasn't very pushy) and said that it sounded like the CCD or Optical Assembly problem but that they would have to evaluate it. He said some vague things that sounded scripted about how after the evaluation they would tell me what they could do and whether it was a warranty issue or not. And if I "have concerns" after I get their estimate, I can call him back at his extension (already posted on here).

And pretty much without my asking, he offered to send me a shipping label so I wouldn't have to pay for shipping. I guess this was because I had mentioned this concern to Shawn, and Nate was reading my comments. But either way it was a welcome gesture.

I told him that I was concerned that I have a camera I paid $800 for that died after only 18 months. I told him I have a Kodak I paid $800 for 8 years ago and it still works fine. I made sure to tell him that I want Canon to have this information so they can see if there's a pattern and handle it appropriately.

Nate was professional and polite, but he towed the company line well. I'll send my camera in this week and report back here what happens.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

summer 0 pts

July 13, 2007 12:03 AM

0

I too have fell victom to the S2IS with the "Black Screen of Death issue." Initial technical service was insistant of not granting any warranty and would be minimum $127 repair or $185 refurbished. I strongly advise not to purchase this camera for it is not a matter of will it die, it is when! My camera lasted 16 months.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Patty 0 pts

July 13, 2007 6:01 PM

0

The LCD display and the viewfinder on my PowerShot IS S2 also went blank. My had my camera 18 mos. I sent it to Canon and they wanted to charge me $135 ($119 + tax and S$H). I called them and told them that I found out that many of these cameras had the same problem (optical assembly) and since so many of their cameras have the same problem, they should fix my camera free. The lady was very nice and said that she would elevate the probablem further up to her superiors. I got an e-mail from Canon within 2 days telling me they would repair my camera for free. They did! I got my camera back in about 3 days and is is working fine. I hope you have the same good luck.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Courtney 0 pts

July 18, 2007 7:18 AM

0

Hi All
Thanks for all the advice. Seems we have a worldwide "black screen" epedemic concerning our S2's. Bought mine in Dec '05 and as most others my warranty has also lapsed. Thanks to Paul Viljoen (South Africa) I contacted Canon SA and waiting for J. Venter to call back. Estimated cost of repair is R2500.00 ($357) and theres no way this warrants the expense.

Will keep you posted as we go along.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

kodi 0 pts

July 18, 2007 10:49 PM

0

I'm really glad I stumbled across this forum. My s2, bought in sept 05, just went black this past weekend. At first, I thought my dad, clueless about modern technology, messed it up when he was trying to take pictures, but now I know it's not him! Family feud avoided!
It seems that Canon would recognize this issue as widespread and fix affected cameras at no cost. I had a previous issue with their customer service a few months back in regards to a broken part on a printer. I just wanted to purchase the part($4), but canon wanted to send me a refurb!!! Seems silly!
I will definitely be calling Canon tomorrow and will post any info.
wish me luck. :)

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Melanie 6 pts

July 19, 2007 3:53 PM

2

0

I just called back a 3rd time and spoke to Kevin, a first line customer support rep about my issue. I explained the whole thing all over again and he took it all down. He was extremely friendly and professional. He tried to find Nate for me but apparently he was in a meeting, so he passed me through to Mike. I gave Mike the rundown of my issue and he was very sympathetic. He's going to call the repair facility and have them pull my camera and pass it off to the supervising technician to take apart and diagnose. Once they know exactly what's wrong with it he's going to call me and let me know the status.

I feel much better after this call to Canon than I did after my last one. I guess in a company that big it all depends on who you talk to when you actually get through. My fingers are crossed that he'll be calling back with good news. I have a trip planned to go visit my baby niece in 3 weeks and I'm hoping to be able to take pictures while I'm there. Wish me luck!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Anthony R 0 pts

July 20, 2007 3:45 PM

0

Got my S2 back today from the canon canada repair center,they replaced the optical unit,and listed it as warranty......well all my emails and continuous badgering must have helped.......so people keep at them....and good luck to everyone

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Clay 4 pts

July 20, 2007 4:21 PM

0

I also have the same problem with the Canon PowerShot S2 IS . The problem referred to here as the "black screen of death" After talking to tech support and a supervisor I was referred to Michelle Barlow a Canon customer service rep. Ms. Barlow said that Canon is unaware of any particular problem, including the black screen of death with this model. When I told her about this forum, she said any body could post anything they wanted to this forum, it didn't matter unless it was on the official Canon website. She said I could post my comments to the "Customer Voice" section of the Canon website and they would be reviewed by management. I asked her if there was anyplace on the official Canan website were customer comments could be publicly viewed, she said "No." As of now I am getting - sent it in and we'll see if we can sqeeze $119 out of you.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Melanie 6 pts

July 20, 2007 4:27 PM

1

0

I wonder if we should all go to the Canon website and report the issue? I told the supervisor I spoke to (Mike) about this forum and he seemed really interested and took the web address from me. Hopefully they'll have to do something soon. This is too widespread a problem for them to keep pretending they don't know about it.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Sriram Ranganathan 1 pts

July 23, 2007 4:11 AM

1

0

I have done two previous postings about my camera (S2 IS). I am located at Hyderabad, India.

My S2 IS has two problems. One - the Optical unit problem (CCD problem, whatever) being faced by everyone. Secondly, the service center tells me the PCB (Main Assembly and DC Assembly both) have conked out too.

After contacting Mr. Rahul Goel, Manager Franchaise Operations who I was directed to by the Canon care guy at the service center I gave my camera in, I contacted Mr. Shamim Quadri, Asst. Director Canon India Service and explained the entire thing to him. I assumed that being an Asst. Director would give him a broader picture and he wouldn't be stuck in details like - "But u bought it in Japan ... but it is 1.5 years since u bought it". I thought at least he would appreciate the significance of a camera whose optical unit and PCBs both go within 1.5 years.

No such luck. He told me I bought my camera in Japan (great surprise), my warranty of one year was out (great surprise again) and he doesn't have to support cameras which do not have India warranty (this I didn't expect from a guy designated Asst. Director).

He told me he would charge me only for the parts and forego all the service charges, thus bringing my bill to 12000 INR. He offered me a second option, that is trading in my S2 IS for a new S3 IS which he would give me at a discounted price of 18000 INR, as opposed to its selling price of 25000 INR.

Considering I bought my S2IS for 20000 INR, converting Japanese yen to INR, this sounds like an extremely lousy deal to me and obviously I refused. To which he told me he couldn't do anything if I wanted everything for free (Again, a statement not worthy of his designation ... what does he think I gave for buying the camera in Japan .... bogies???).

Anyways, I have give up on my S2 IS as a lost cause but I am going to create as much stink as I can. I have asked Mr. Shamim for the email id of someone higher up the chain (he mentioned the president of Canon India who probably wants his turn at telling me my warranty is out). I also asked him the contact Id of someone at Canon International Corporate Customer Support.

Throw away ur Canons, guys ... the company stinks. At least the service in India stinks ... how I wish I had this Nate guy sitting in this Quadri's position.

Cheers

Sriram Ranganathan
Hyderabad, India

sriram.ranga@gmail.com

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Melanie 6 pts

July 23, 2007 10:52 AM

2

0

I just received a phone call from Canon. My repair will be done at no cost and I should have it back in a couple of days. Woohoo!!!! I'll post the details of the repair when I get it back.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Ben H 2 pts

July 26, 2007 8:29 PM

0

I just got a phone call back from Canon Australia who said that my camera had been repaired free of charge due to age & condition of camera. The optical unit has been replaced - as soon as I pick it up either today or next week I'll post more details from the paperwork they give me.

Thanks to all the contributors here - my gut feel is that Canon know this issue all too well and its just a matter of time before they do the right thing by their customers.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Sriram Ranganathan 1 pts

July 27, 2007 4:39 AM

0

I am located in India with the same Black Screen problem. Only thing is my camera was bought in Japan. When the lower level chaps were unwilling to give me a good deal, I wrote a mail to Canon India President and Vice-President.

Final call - the President of Canon, India says that he has no way of charging the costs to Canon, Japan from where I bought the camera. So there is nothing he can do. I can pay and they will fix it ... choice is mine.

I told him that as a customer it didn't matter to me whether the company calculated revenue per region or per unit or as a whole; for me it was Canon. If they agree it is a problem, then they have to fix it. Else they have to say - we don't think it is a problem.

Anyways, when the president of a company says no, I guess there is no one higher I can now approach.

Better luck to others!

Cheers

Sriram Ranganathan
Hyderabad, India

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Clay 4 pts

July 30, 2007 12:52 PM

1

0

I tried Sorin H's technique on my "black screen of death" Canon S2 IS and it worked. His technique is to set the camera to TV mode and the shutter to 15" then take a picture, remove the batteries, then replace the batteries and turn the camera on and shutter opens. I can take pictures this way for a while before the shutter sticks again. I can tell it's the shutter because at the point of failure, the shutter closes and dosen't reopen so I think the problem with the Canon S2 IS is a sticky shutter problem.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Cape May Mom 0 pts

July 30, 2007 2:37 PM

0

For those ofyou who have had this camera repaired, I would like some advice. I purchased my S2 IS on eBay in February. I wanted a good zoom for taking pics at my dd's dance recitals. This camera did great for that event...I've really enjoyed using it...UNTIL this week when I got the black screen of death. I'm not the original owner, so I doubt that free reapirs are an option, and I've only got around $200 in the camera so far. Would you reccommend repairing it at the cost of $135 or whatever, or cutting my losses and getting somthing else. I have my old digital camera (Sony cybershot DSC-P8) that still works great....just didn't have much zoom. I don't *really* need the zoom so much until next spring...although I liked the image stabilization quite a bit. Given your experiences, would you advise me to repair or look elsewhere? TIA!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Clay 4 pts

July 30, 2007 3:53 PM

1

0

Based on the experience of people on this site and other users, the Canon PowerShot 2S IS has a sticky shutter problem that will fail within two years (but is 'guaranteed' to last at least a year). So unless Canon repair is now replacing the optical unit with an improved one with a longer life, and no one is saying that they have, you have to ask yourself "Is this camera worth an additional ~$10.00 a month to me?" Because that is about what it amounts too. That and not knowing when it is going to fail again. Hey maybe one way to own this camera is to just plan on sending it in for an annual optical unit change! That way you could be sure it will work when its not in the mail.

Maybe another way to go is to find a company that still makes a quality product. Like you, I have been forced to call my old Kodak DC 280 out of retirement because of the Canon problem. It is six years old and still works. Imagine that! If I were Canon I would clean this up fast, before it did any more damage to its reputation.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Ben H 2 pts

July 31, 2007 1:41 AM

1

0

Just picked up the camera from Canon Australia - which I originally purchased in the UK in Aug 2005 and I came back to Australia in Nov 2005. So its about 2yrs old, but has been used very little.

The key parts from the 'invoice' state:

Part Description: Optical Unit
Part No. CM1-2717-000

Work completed: dismantled camera. supplied and fitted listed part. adjusted as required. re-assembled, cleaned, checked and tested all operations. note: no charge due to age & condition of unit.

So there we go, yet more proof that this issue is a faulty Optical Unit occurring in more & more S2 units.

Good luck to all those out there still trying to get Canon to repair at no cost. Don't give up.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Roberto Souto (robertosouto) 17 pts

August 2, 2007 5:37 PM

3

0

Oh well, i´m back! You guys maybe don´t know me but i was posting here a long time ago, and with the strong help of Diane G, others started to share their repair slip information to help us all.

But Since i´m brazilian and there is no Canon representatives here, just a company that cares for the repairs, they charged me like 450 USD to fix the camera, an i was completely hopeless, but still trying to make this people talk with canon about this problem and try to fix it free of charge, and also with canon USA.

This, for 5 months, and, yesterday they sent me an e-mail, saying that the camera was fixed, for me to go pick it up. Oh dammit i did not authorized nobody to do a 450USD-stupid-fix, and, for my surprise, the incompetent company told me that Canon USA contacted Canon South America (that i did not know that existed at all), and them Canon S.A. told the company to fix my camera free-of-charge! I was like a dream come true :)

They exchanged the Optical unit CCD, and even the lens, that i scratched!

Sooo happy now, unfortunately, i don´t have any repair slip to share the datails, but, thanks to all that are helping in this problem, and, if there is any brazilian with this problem, feel free to contact me at roberto.souto@gmail.com

cheers!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Rahul 0 pts

August 4, 2007 10:49 AM

0

1

Thanks a lot for this very useful discussion. I had the same black screen problem with my S1 IS (bought in Austin, TX - currently in Bangalore, India). Went to the Canon service center at 191/1, 5th Cross, Malleswaram, Bangalore Phone: 08041280151. Good customer service, inspected the camera for 5 minutes (checked black screen in picture taking mode, took a picture, verified that it appeared black) and said it would be repaired free of cost in 10-15 days. He said all Powershots had a similar problem.

Seeing some questions in this thread, I asked him if S2 IS was covered in this - he said no, S2 IS had a different problem that wasnt covered.

Thanks
Rahul
Bangalore, India

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Ross (Black screen Victim) 5 pts

August 7, 2007 2:31 PM

1

0

finally, Canon did send me a shipping label after i waited about two months to make a second phone call; i hope that that won't be dealing with repair charges issues.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Alan 3 pts

August 8, 2007 12:05 AM

3

0

Hi guys,
I came up with the same problem yesterday morning with my S2. Very dissapointed as I paid extra for a canon over other brands with similar features. I did this based on the "pay for a quality and known brand" principal.
Anyway, my camera is now about 6 weeks out of warranty, But canon have said they will honor the warranty and repair it at thier cost. I am paying for the mailing it to them, But I can handle that part.
So far so good, fingers crossed. I'll let you know how it goes.
And for those wondering, I am in NSW Australia.
:)
cheers.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Kevin 4 pts

August 8, 2007 12:48 AM

2

0

It seems as the weeks go by that Canon is less inclined to fight.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

AR 1 pts

August 8, 2007 10:01 PM

0

Hi all,
took my camera to the Canberra,Australia Canon office. It is 2 years old and had the stuck shutter problem. just got it back. fixed for free. delivered for free. Details below.

Part Description: Optical Unit
Part No. CM1-2717-000

Work completed: dismantled camera. supplied and fitted listed part. adjusted as required. re-assembled, cleaned, checked and tested all operations. As a gesture of goodwill, due to the age and condition of the unit, Canon has elected to do the repair at no charge.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Laswhy 0 pts

August 9, 2007 9:20 AM

0

5

I had the same problem that the Canon S2IS will not extend the lens and a black screen indicating the batteries need to be replaced or recharged. I realized that the NIMH batteries were rated at 2100mAh. I followed the instruction from the manual to replace the batteries to a higher rating of 2700mAh. The problem was solved.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Bob (pops1932) 1 pts

August 9, 2007 2:19 PM

1

0

This forum is a real jewel! My S2 IS CCD failed in the last week and I learned about the huge problem this has been and what Canon is doing about it from this site and the Service Notice from Canon re the S1 IS updated 10/31/06. I have sent mine off for repair or replacement, and will see what happens. Purchased it in March 06 so it theoretically is out of warranty per Canons technical support representative who did not tell me anything other than to send it for service at a cost of $119! Seems like they are keeping their heads in the sand.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Tee530 2 pts

August 20, 2007 11:30 AM

2

0

I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this discussion. The information and strategies detailed here have been invaluable in diagnosing the problem with my S2, which developed the “black screen” problem recently, almost exactly 16 months after purchase.

Based on the advice here, I called Canon tech support and spoke to Ron. He knew exactly what I was talking about and he acknowledged the problem has occurred on other Canon cameras, but “at this time” it was not listed officially as a problem with the S2. He offered a free UPS shipping label and gave detailed instructions for sending in the camera. After an evaluation, he said I would be contacted about the repair options. I didn’t press the issue at this point, figuring I will likely get the $119 repair quote, but I’ll be prepared to fight this as others on the thread have to get the “courtesy repair” done for free.

Thanks again for everyone’s time and emotional energy spent on getting this issue dealt with!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Ross (Black screen Victim) 5 pts

August 21, 2007 3:23 PM

3

0

Hey Guys, This is my third post about my Camera repair process with Canon (Powershot S2 Is), and if you guys are successfull enough in dealing with canon managers, here, below, is an email i receiced from Canon; they should talk to you about "their problem" like this :

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Equipment:
POWER SHOT S2 IS

* MY Address Here *

Repair #: xxxxxxxxxx

Received: day-Aug-07

Repair Cost:
$ 0.00

Status:
Accepted

day-AUG-07

Dear Ross :

We have received your equipment for evaluation and repair. Based on our initial examination, we will start the necessary repairs at no charge to you. You can expect the repair to be completed and returned back to you within approximately 7 business days* from the date shown above. There is no need to respond to this notice.

Please note that in the unlikely event that any additional internal damage is found due to liquid/water, sand, corrosion, battery leakage or impact (such as dropping the unit), a revised estimate will be sent for your authorization, since these conditions are specifically excluded from warranty coverage.

Thank you for purchasing Canon products and for allowing us this opportunity to serve you.

Best Regards,
Canon Factory Service Center

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OK then, remember, be very succinct and specific in detailing your "Camera flaw" and use technical terms that Canon uses to describe the problem, such as "Optical assembly Faillure," which is general but they will figure out if it is CCD or Iris; they even forget if i'm months out of warranty; information is power, and that's just the way it is . Please, do not embarass yourself with a problem that doesn't exist, othewise you're in trouble, they will charge you for the repair. All right, good look to all of you guys who have the same problem, and let me know if i'm being helpful to you or not.

baybay et a la prochaine!!!!!

Ross.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Kristi 1 pts

August 21, 2007 4:16 PM

0

Hi all,
I wanted to thank everyone for posting their problems with their Canon S2 IS here. My camera got the black screen a couple of weeks ago. I didn't know what was wrong and found this web site to try to determine the problem. I called Canon yesterday and spoke with Shane from the Tech department. He knew immediately what I was talking about. He acknowledged that other S2's were having this problem. I am being sent a UPS label for shipping. I did mention that through this website, I knew that others were getting the courtesy repair. He told me that if the problem was the same as the S1's were having, then my camera would be fixed under that same service notice that they had. He said that it sounded as if it was the same problem. So, I am awaiting my label to send it back, and we will see what they say.

He was very friendly and accommodating. I thanked him for the ease thus far in the process. Thank you so much for initially responding to all the problems, especially those that have had to battle from the beginning. I think the continued conversation of this problem with the Canons is having an effect! I hope my repairs continue to run smoothly. I will let you all know how my experience goes.

Kristi

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Smaudrey23 6 pts

August 23, 2007 11:51 PM

2

0

** HAPPY ENDING - YOU WANT TO READ THIS POSTING!**
I also found the information on the string very useful. However Kristi beware, my experience was exactly the same as your's up until a week later when I received their quote!

The email reiterated the problem I told them practically word for word and then asked for $127 to get it fixed. I called back and spoke to a manager in the repair facility who was adamant that the S2 IS was exempt from the service bulletin associated with other cameras, including the S1 IS (the S2 IS's predecessor), because the component affecting the CCD unit was not the same. He told me that each person who was issued a full credit for the repair was given that service because their camera suffered from another defect. It appears all in all there are a half dozen different reasons why the screen on our camera can go black. (Yet he doesn't see the problem with the camera!) He also ventured to say that there was no guarantee that we forum subscribers tell the truth in our postings! (straight up insulting me!) After going back and forth, he offered me a 30% discount on the repair.

A week later (after simmering down), I called back with the intention of telling Canon to take their 30% discount and put it you-know-where. As I would rather use my camera as a paper weight that pay another cent for it. However, on a whim, I ended up talking to a manager in the customer service center. I addressed my disappointment, not at having to pay for the repair, but at the way the manager in the repair facility handled the situation.

In the end, this manager gave me a courtesy credit on the entire repair!!! (Yay!). The important thing to note is that the reason he gave me the credit was because nothing on my original quote indicated that they even looked at my camera before quoting me. I also found a disclaimer in the fine print on my quote which explained that the quote I got was automatically generated. This proved that no one looked at my camera. In addition, I reminded the customer service manager, that the manager in the repair facility told me that there was half a dozen possible reasons for my LCD screen to go black. If they wanted me to pay for the repair, I at least needed to know which reason applied to me! Since neither he nor the other manager could provide that information, he was compelled to issue the credit. (note- the repair facility was closed at the time so he didn't have the ability to ask for an on-the-spot examination of my camera)

The moral of my story is, although Canon should take full responsibility for every S2 IS with the black screen problem, unfortunately there are no guarantees. You wont just get the credit by siting that others have had the same problem. Most importantly, you have to reach a sympathetic manager and be firm but reasonable. It took me 3 tries and several hours of argument to get it taken care of.

Also, note that even if you get a repair (paid or free), the repair is only under warranty for 3 months!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

jeannie 0 pts

September 1, 2007 5:10 PM

0

2

same thing with my S1 IS.. they are fixing it for free.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Clay 4 pts

September 1, 2007 8:06 PM

2

0

I sent in my S2 IS with the stuck shutter 'black screen of death' in for repair and they sent me an estimate of $127 including shipping! But after I callled and complained and talked about this thread they said they'd repair it for free. Well they didn't repair it! Instead they sent me a refurbished S3 IS that hopefully won't have the same shutter problem. Now I'm one happy camper.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Dawn 0 pts

September 4, 2007 12:20 PM

0

Hi Jeannie and Clay,

Who did you speak to regarding getting it fixed for free? I just received my estimate of $127 and planning to call and complain.

Thanks!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Scott 3 pts

September 4, 2007 1:46 PM

1

0

-----
appears all in all there are a half dozen different reasons why the screen on our camera can go black. (Yet he doesn't see the problem with the camera!) He also ventured to say that there was no guarantee that we forum subscribers tell the truth in our postings! (straight up insulting me!)
-----

Continuing to watch this thread in spite of mine now being fixed - I'm very glad to have found this thread before I called Canon.

It's much easier to make your receipt less than 12 months old than to deal with these idiots.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Kristi 1 pts

September 4, 2007 9:51 PM

0

I got my email and a letter from Canon stating that they received my camera and after review they are going to fix it at no charge. So far so good! Keeping my fingers crossed. I still think that it helped me to have so much information from this forum when I made my initial call. I did talk to someone from tech service instead of customer service. Maybe that has been the difference?

Thanks again everyone! I will keep you posted.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Amanda 0 pts

September 5, 2007 3:22 PM

0

Hey. I am having the same issue with my s2. I'm not having that much luck talking to people working there. I tried to reach Nate but they keep transferring to a manager named James who's very rude. Is there anyone else I can talk to about fixing it at no charge/no shipping? I've talked to them on 4 different occasions and it's the same every time.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Smaudrey23 6 pts

September 6, 2007 8:07 PM

1

0

Amanda,

As my previous posting and every other posting will tell you. It really depends on luck, who you talk to, and the specific technical issues facing your camera. I suggest changing departments. If you've been talking to managers in tech support , try customer service. And vis versa.

Quick update on my camera. I too was awarded a refurbished S3 IS instead of my old S2 IS. However, the 'repairs' have take 3 weeks instead of 1 (as was promised) and the camera is still in transit. Despite the positive? outcome, I don't think I'll ever buy another Canon again.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Edvian 0 pts

September 7, 2007 9:55 AM

0

Just for statistics: My S2 from October 2005 also has 'black screen of death'. Here in Norway we have 2 years of warranty, so it will be fixed free of charge (even if the dealer managed to send it to service without the receipt, and I got an offer back after 2 months to repair it for some US$ 400!). Now it seems to be work in progress, but the service company has been waiting for parts for a long time now...

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Phord 5 pts

September 7, 2007 10:54 AM

0

Dang. I sent my camera in (Canon paid for shipping). I got my email and letter quoting $127 for repairs. Nate had suggested that when I got the quote I could call and "discuss" it some more if I had "questions". I read that as code for "call and complain if you don't want to pay." But I was just too disgusted with the whole process, begging for repairs and I really just wanted my camera back. I looked around for other cameras to buy, but none had the features of my S2 IS.

So I caved.

I paid their ransom of $127 and got my camera repaired. I'm very happy to have it back, but I really wish Canon would step up to the plate on this flaw.

I want to start a more formal and organized web site to build our case and handle gripes. Anyone care to help? Email me: canon-bsod@phord.com

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Scott 3 pts

September 7, 2007 10:59 AM

0

What about something like Consumer Reports.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Christina 3 pts

September 7, 2007 6:16 PM

3

0

So I took everyone's advice and mailed my S2 IS to Canon. Just got the letter today saying it's going to cost $134.62 to repair the "black screen of death". I called and asked to speak with Nate, but I was told he does not work there any longer. I was put on the phone with a manager/supervisor named Norris. He said that Canon does not take anecdotal evidence as support for getting my 20-month-old camera fixed for free. He offered me a 50% discount on the repairs. I told him I wanted my $500 camera fixed for free since this is no fault of my own. He said I could pay for the repairs and if a service repair is issued on the S2 IS, then I could get my repair fee back. I told him no way! I'm not paying any more for this already expensive camera! He asked if I wanted it back...I told him I've never had a $500 paperweight before. I told him I will never buy a Canon again and I will go to every website I can think of to tell others never to buy from Canon again. TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS TO STAY AWAY FROM CANON! SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HAD LUCK WITH GETTING THIS TAKEN CARE OF, BUT NO COMPANY SHOULD MAKE IT THIS MUCH OF A HASSLE WHEN THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE PRODUCT, NOT THE CUSTOMER. I'm going to look into the class action lawsuit mentioned above.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Kristi 1 pts

September 11, 2007 11:26 AM

1

0

I received my Canon S2 IS back today. They did repair it for free. The turn around time was about 2 weeks. The optical assembly was replaced. I only ended up having to make that initial call and everything else has gone very smooth for me. I guess I will count myself extremely lucky. I am sorry to see that others are continuing to have problems getting their cameras taken care of. Canon really need to get a service notice out on these cameras!

Kristi

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Phord 5 pts

September 11, 2007 4:13 PM

1

0

@Christina: "Anecdotal evidence"? What about their own repair records? Don't they track that somewhere? Or is that considered anecdotal, too?

Sheesh!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Tobey 4 pts

September 12, 2007 12:20 PM

1

0

I bought my camera 5/30/06 and it worked fine until 7/23/07. Started with a few black screens that would not go away. Now can't get screen to come on at all. Called and spoke to technical support who advised that I was having a CCD problem. He did not want to pay for the shipping to the service center, but after requesting it a few times he agreed. He denied any known problems with this camera and was not aware of anyone else having this problem before. He intially suggested the cost we be around $120, they would email me about the problem and I could choose to accept or deny the charge. I will send the camera in and update as to what happens.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

xPacTo 0 pts

September 13, 2007 7:21 AM

0

I'm having a problem with it this morning, but will display and shoot after turning it OFF and turning it ON, or maybe tomorrow it will not wake up anymore. I don't know if they will repair it, I buy this in Taiwan and I'm here in the Philippines.

Wew!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

George 1 pts

September 13, 2007 11:11 AM

0

One more S2 IS with black screen sickness. This one in UK. I obtained a list of authorised servicesto from Canon. Send camera out to service company. www.camera-repair.co.uk. found that the optical unit is inoperative and quoted £152.00 for repair. Guess what...?
I will send some more emails to Canon and wait for miracle.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

yuki-e 2 pts

September 15, 2007 10:45 AM

0

Hi, another black screen here in Japan. I sent my S2 IS to canon repair service about 10 days ago and haven't got a reply yet. A bunch of people in a Japanese user forum have suffer from the same symptons, and most have been charged for the black screen repair. So I'm afraid people in power in Japan aren't willing to admit the exsisting problem. :-(
This forum is very informative and I'd like to thank everyone in here. I see some people have reported that they heard tech support people say that this is a CCD issue as well. It's a surprise for us - unfortunately we aren't really informed so far. They just change the 'optical unit', which includes lens, iris and CCD and don't tell you the details.
If possible, could any of you ask if it's CCD problem when you talk to tech support in your area? I think it's important for us because then of course Canon should put it in a recall list too, and Sony should pay for the bad quality CCD parts. Thank you!!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Hendrika McDowell 3 pts

September 15, 2007 11:58 AM

1

0

Yep, For the last 2 weeks I incurred the "black screen" problem. Changed batteries, studied my book, thinking I was on some wrong setting and just needed to correct it. In the power shooting manual nothing is mentioned about a "black screen". Well, I am delighted to read these pages and find that it is a MAJOR CANON product failure. Consumer Reports will also be notified! My warrantee is run out (May 06), but the money I paid for this camera was 100% good and it has not come up with any major "flaws". So, I know my rights, I'll call Canon and have a conversation with Nate. Will keep you posted. Thanks for all the communications about this. I am relieved to know.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Graham H 2 pts

September 16, 2007 9:53 AM

2

0

Hi Everyone, My S2 had failed with the black screen after 18 months similar to others in this thread, I complained to Canon and after some wrangling they sent me a free UPS bag to ship it to the service center so they could have a look. Not long after I received a report of "optical unit failure" and an estimate for repair of £127.00!. I sent a few emails complaining that this shouldn't have failed etc etc just like most people in this thread and the repair was reduced to £97.00 but no free repair. I refused this and told them to ship it back to me unrepaired and asked them for a reason as to why it had failed so soon...... they said:- "like most electromechanical products failures do sometimes occur. It is difficult for Canon to gauge the life of a product as this is determined by many factors such as usage, storage and the environmental conditions in which the camera is used".
My S2 was 18 months old, Immaculate, hardly used (300 photos max) kept in a case with silica gel and I used it in a lab for macro work!
Needless to say I wont be buying or recommending any more Canon products after this experience. This faulty "optical unit" should be on recall given the amount of failures Ive seen on here and elsewhere on the web. Whether its ccd or iris or something else it always ends up with optical unit replacement so that tells you something? doesn't it Canon!!
Best of luck to all those who are trying for a "goodwill repair" you'll need it!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

George 1 pts

September 17, 2007 11:52 AM

1

0

There is 224 postings from 102 people so far. I'm sure it's just a small percentage of S2 IS users who have done some research before they sent their cameras for a repair. I am curious how many more it has to be to convince Canon.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Tobey 4 pts

September 17, 2007 2:13 PM

2

0

Update, I received the following via email today:

We have received your equipment for evaluation and repair. Based on our initial examination, we will start the necessary repairs at no charge to you. You can expect the repair to be completed and returned back to you within approximately 7 business days* from the date shown above. There is no need to respond to this notice.

Please note that in the unlikely event that any additional internal damage is found due to liquid/water, sand, corrosion, battery leakage or impact (such as dropping the unit), a revised estimate will be sent for your authorization, since these conditions are specifically excluded from warranty coverage.

Thank you for purchasing Canon products and for allowing us this opportunity to serve you.

Best Regards,
Canon Factory Service Center

I was less than 2 months out of warranty when my camera failed, so I don't know if it was that, or they are just stepping up to the plate. There was no other explanation

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

JJ 1 pts

September 18, 2007 5:42 PM

1

0

I noticed last month that my Canon S2 IS (purchased 12-24-05) has the infamous 'black screen' also. I've contacted Canon and they say there is no recall as of (17 Sept 07) so I guess I'll send it in and pay the fee and if a recall does come about I will be reimbursed as per Eddie (Canon Tech).

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Kevin 4 pts

September 18, 2007 5:58 PM

1

0

Hey, what number are you folks in the States calling?

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

yuki-e 2 pts

September 19, 2007 12:27 AM

2

0

Update from Japan - a tech person from Canon East Japan called me yesterday and said that the reason was 'CCD failure that's same as S1 IS'. He said he was sorry for keeping me waiting and the repair will be covered by Canon (my S2 IS was 23 months old when it suddenly went black last month. It cost 54900 yen /w tax, approx. $474).
Also, another free repair of S2 IS was reported in our Japanese user forum (called Kakaku.com). The reason was also announced CCD, the part was broken by humidity.
So, long after Alvaro Figueroa's report in last November, Canon Japan finally admitted the image sensor problem! Now I wonder when they finally start a formal recall.

Before sending in my camera, I emailed Japanese customer support several times, requested a recall, reported there are tech people overseas Canon that diagnosed this as a CCD problem and over 20 people got their cameras repaired for free since last year. (Thanks people!) In my opinion, Canon should contact the User forums if the 'free repair' reports are lies (it's easy, isn't it?), and since some are covered and some are charged, users are getting angry for the unfariness, starting to say 'I won't buy a Canon again' and it's not a great strategy for their company to leave this problem unsolved etc.
I heard my camera will be back within this week, and I'll update if there's anything new.

BTW, from what I've read on the Net, the problematic CCD's were originally manufactured in a Sony's factory in Kyushu, Japan and I hear the ultra-thin gold wire bondings around a CCD are too weak and when one of the wires breaks, the system cannot work properly. So stick to the symptoms and try to insist this is a common problem just as other Power Shots and Ixus series. Hope it helps.
For lucky people who won the free repair, how about showing the picture of invoice with $0, 0 yen or whatever and Canon's logo? I'm not sure if a Japanese version helps many of you, but want to try if there's a invoice attatched.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Hendrika McDowell 3 pts

September 19, 2007 3:44 PM

2

0

I have an S2 IS, Spoke with Felicia (supervisor at Canaon 800-828 4040) today and she says that the black screen problem with the S2IS is not the same as with the SI IS, which does have a faulty CCD sensor. Canon put out an advisory on the SI IS. She also said that since my camera was bought in May 06, they are not likely to do a courtesy repair, (14 months is their cut off date). I can expect to be charged , but after I get the email from Canon about the cost of the repair, they will give me a 20% discount on the repair.I am not settling for that yet. I finally got a shipping label (a courtesy, I was told). If forced to pay that amount I will discourage folks from buying Canon. Felecia was most helpful and informative and told me that all information from customers is recorded and then reviewed by Canon headquarters. I hope that they will begin to see that this is a repetative problem like with the S1 IS and put out an advisory about it. It's helpful to include the camera model: S2 IS or S1 IS.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Smaudrey23 6 pts

September 20, 2007 2:06 AM

2

0

Quick update - I finally received my camera back from Canon ...it took 4 weeks instead of the 1 week promised. The delay was caused because instead of fixing my S2 IS, they gave me a refurbished S3 IS. Supposedly parts to repair S2 ISs are in high demand. (maybe because they are all breaking?)

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Suresh 1 pts

September 20, 2007 3:05 AM

0

I am from India (Chennai), I too face this exact problem (I could take dark pictures and view the pictures taken earlier) with my S2IS. I contacted Canon Chennai Service center, after inspecting it they said the optical unit has to be changed and it costs around Rs. 8000 ($200). This is too much for a camera that was only 14 months old.

Is there anyway, we can make canon to give a advisory note for the S2IS ?

Also, Is there anyway I can get this serviced free in India?

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

JJ 1 pts

September 20, 2007 12:54 PM

1

0

in the states I was given this via email:

you may call our special toll-free number for email customers with
unresolved issues and speak to a technician by dialing 1-866-261-9362,
Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 midnight ET, and Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. ET (excluding holidays).

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Lisa 0 pts

September 20, 2007 9:26 PM

0

I have a simiar issue, it's a black screen but does say "change the batteries" even when fresh batteries are installed. I can always view photos, just not take any.

Anyone have this problem?

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

yuki-e 2 pts

September 21, 2007 9:55 PM

0

Hi again, I received our camera back a few days ago, repair covered by Canon Japan for free. Here's the image of invoice as promised (sorry the pic is small).
http://kjm.kir.jp/pc/?p=42806.jpg
I erased our personal info, but u can see the optical unit no. (CM1-2717-000) that some people mentioned earlier and the price 0 (yen). It says sorry for the inconvenience and it's very polite.
However, they didn't write down 'CCD error' on this sheet, the detail was explained on the phone. So I recorded our conversation just for my personal memo, and S2IS's sound recorder worked fine.

According to the person I called in tech center, 'so far' there's no recall planned for S2IS and basically they charges for the repair.
He admitted it's the same symptoms as S1IS etc. and the reason iris stopped working is a broken CCD, but they've made the recall list by CCD's manufacture dates, and in that way S2IS isn't included I heard. CCDs do break, very occasionally and not as often as S1IS though, he said.
I said I feel sorry for many others and he said they had done courtesy repair in his center (I don't know how many times) for some that weren't satisfied with Canon's explanations.
Looks like I successfully met their criteria as an 'unhappy user', requesting for free shipping and talking to a supervisor/tech specialist etc, but I think I was incredibly lucky.

During my waiting time I bought a lightly used Nikon (F55 SLR) 'cause I like older film cameras too. Canon could lose their business chances while keeping people waiting. Sometimes their point-&-shoot digi camera recall is pretty late. Ixus 400 for example - you can find full of disorder reports left by users on the web.
Although I'm truly thankful for my free repair, I hope Canon help their users equally worldwide if they seek customer satisfaction.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Jason - Ohio 1 pts

September 24, 2007 10:17 PM

1

0

I also have the black screen issue -- Camera purchased Nov 05. Clearly a defective product worthy of a recall. Given Canon's reluctance to repair, I will NOT be recommending Canon products in the future. I find the above mentioned term 'courtesy repair' somewhat distasteful since it implies misuse or abuse by the owner.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Daniel - San Antonio 1 pts

September 25, 2007 7:21 PM

1

0

Hi guys,

I also have the same problem with the black screen of death. I talked with Tory then James who told me to send the camera and they will look at it, but no promises. James said since the camera is out of warranty and the ccd sensor is not a factor in the S2, I will probably be charged. Now that I know it could be the iris, I will definitely argue my case for a free repair or at least a deeply discounted repair. I definitely will not pay full price. I'd rather buy a Kodak at Walmart for $209. My friend has that camera and does really well. I will wait to see what happens and post the results. Thanks everyone.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Tobey 4 pts

September 25, 2007 8:35 PM

1

0

Final Update?

Recevied my camera on Monday, about a 2 week turnaround. The packing slip indicates they "found that the optical assembly had suffered some kind of shock damage the aperture control could not function properly The optical assembly was replaced" Never dropped the camera, but hey! they fixed it for free.

The no charge out of warranty repair was made as a "courtesy".

The camera seems to work, we'll see for how long.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Suresh 1 pts

September 26, 2007 7:58 AM

1

0

Today I spoke to the Regional Manager South (India) and he updates that s2is do not have such failure rate and hence cannot do a free replacement. Canon India service is really sucks. When I mentioned about this forum, he is not buying that argument. Only time will tell whether they will give an advisory for S2IS till that time I am going to have my camera as a mere paper weight.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Inks 28 pts

September 26, 2007 1:06 PM

1

0

Hi, I also have the same problem with my camera. I live in Estonia, and based on my e-mail to Canon Estonia, they said its not image sensor problem but shutter is stuck and it will cost me about 100$ to get it fixed. I'll try to push them to fix my camera for free as well.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

yuki-e 2 pts

September 26, 2007 8:43 PM

0

If you can find a junk S1IS /w black screen near you (net auction or shop etc), I think the iris/lens shutter part is also stuck, just like a broken S2IS. That's what I heard from Canon ...
The 2 parts are very tiny, made of plastic maybe? and situated together between the lenses. They are electronically connected to CCD.

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20030729/ccd.jpg
Here's an image of older CCD, used for a Canon 2 megapixel digital video cam. A real CCD is so small, like a nail size, and you can imagine how thin the gold wires are.
However, as you know some other digital cameras don't break this early and you should ask if this is Canon's quality controlled product.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Zessy 0 pts

September 27, 2007 1:59 AM

0

Hi guys,

I also have the same problem. I came to canon service center in jakarta this morning and the customer service told me that S2 IS is not on the list of broken product. And it's true that she will charge me arountd $125 for the spare part and another $40 for the service because it's not in warranty period.
I don't understand why canon doesn't put S2 IS in their list. I strongly believe S2 IS has the same problem with other camera.
I really don't want to pay $165 for a camera I bought for $500 20 months ago.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

st20 6 pts

September 28, 2007 10:31 AM

2

0

Wow...
How inconsistent can Canon be?
I have a S2 IS which I believed to be suffering from the dreaded Sony CCD field failures.

Symptoms: No image, menus operating, both LCDs working (can see the menus), flash working and lens will extend. But, no image... completely black.

However, Canon has insisted that the CCD used in the S2 IS is a different part. Ok, I'll believe them. As such I argued the ~$127 price down to $67.50 and paid it.

But, then I discovered this thread! Wow, just about everyone has had this "optical assembly" problem! And many of those who have posted here have had Canon cover the repairs and shipping. So I decided to get a refund and sent a fax to the Elk Grove Village IL repair facility (847-439-5628). I listed several of the "no charge" order numbers at the end of the fax to make a case for refunding the charge. If you look through this thread you can probably find more but here are the ones I found:

CL813907 CM361064 CM463768 CM053075
CM517010 CM562997 CM520225

I'd give out the Canon Elk Grove Village voice phone number but that will only bounce you back to Canon's offices out east. I spoke to I think a manager calling him self James or Jason (Nate wasn't in) out there. He was a "by the book" guy who didn't budge more than to make me a 50% off the repair cost. If you get this guy save your self the time and call back later.

I'll try to post again to let everyone know how things turn out.

...thanks everyone!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

George 0 pts

September 29, 2007 1:46 PM

0

I have the same problem in my S2IS after 17 months of use...I am living in Greece. Here the service of Cannon is under Intersys company...Anyone with the same problem here in Greece?Do they fix the camera for free?

...Thanks evereyone in this forum

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Kevin 4 pts

September 29, 2007 2:33 PM

0

Tobey, any chance that the 'shock damage' was electrical shock?

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Tobey 4 pts

September 29, 2007 4:46 PM

0

Kevin,

If its an electrical shock, it occurred using batteries. I am not aware of anything happening to the camera other than using it to take pictures. I had no communication with Canon after sending in the camera and got the standared email that other people seemed to have gotten. I always transferred the pictures using a card reader so I can't think of anything "unusual" that occurred.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Elias (Elias1980) 0 pts

September 29, 2007 8:18 PM

0

Hi guys,

I was planning to buy Canon PowerShot S2 IS. I read about “The black screen of death”. So I called Canon’s customer service 1-800-828-4040* this morning to verify whether it was a common problem with this camera or not. Surprisingly, they told me that they never heard about CCD, black screen, or optical failure. However, I told them that I read that this problem usually occurs within 17 to 20 months after it is purchased. The technical representative (Andrew) was kind of sarcastic, where he told me that Canon will not be responsible for any of its products that passes the 12 months warrantee period.

If that was the case, then I will never ever buy a product from such a company.

*For reference, the call took place at 11:23 a.m. EST (Sep./29/2007)

Best of luck to you all.
-Elias

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Tootie 0 pts

September 30, 2007 12:34 PM

0

1

I have the S2 IS , I'm also getting the black screen however my display says "change the batteries" and shuts down. Of course I carry fresh batteries and this is not the problem. Has anyone else experienced this problem? also I'm six months over warranty. I take extremely good care of my camera...Why can't they see this pattern and repair for free? I love this camera and do not want to purchase again.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Lisa 0 pts

September 30, 2007 4:42 PM

0

Tootie- exactly what happens to me. My camara is 4 months past the warranty. I emailed Canon customer service and received back a "form email" saying to clean the inside with an eraser...yada yada. The rep obviously didn't read it very closely. I am getting up the energy to call, it doesn't sound like a pleasant call.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

chris 1 pts

October 1, 2007 9:22 AM

1

0

I have an S2 that I purchased in September of 2005, I recently had the black screen issue and called canon. The service agent told me it would be fixed free of charge as long as it was a CCD issue. I sent the camera off, then received a bill for 119 dollars to fix the camera. I called canon and had to talk to three different people about honoring the original agreement. Canon is not willing to fix the S2's for free because they are not a "the list." This is some type of service agreement list or something. If you are persistent, they will waive the fees for one time only. I eventually talked to a supervisor named Marvin and he was very helpful. It was frustrating, but you have to persistent with Canon or they will not help you out..Good Luck

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

st20 6 pts

October 2, 2007 9:45 AM

1

0

Follow up...

Well, calling canon in VA and faxing their repair facility in IL has not changed a thing. They are insisting the camera has suffered shock - (I did not drop my $500 camera, I have not even dropped my other 3 sub $300 Canon cameras!). I will not get the written explanation until I receive the package. But it sounds like the same problem that other people have had. I asked for the broken parts to be returned as well. Giving them multiple repair numbers where all the work was done for free for similar problems did not help!

Good luck people - the best I could do so far was cut the repair bill from ~$127 to ~$67.

I can not believe that so many of us are suffering from what looks like the same problem (everything works (menus, LCDs - everything) except the image is all black).

That's too bad as I liked the Canon controls and color balance.

Time to move on to Nikon.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Inks 28 pts

October 3, 2007 2:54 AM

1

0

Canon rep in Estonia said that unfortunately they can't fix it for free at this point. I had sent him the link to this forum and he was surprised to find out that so many people are having problems with the camera. He said he'll send a proposal to Canon about adding S2 to the list as well. Well, Estonia is a small country and probably not many people are having this camera. Perhaps if some people from bigger countries who haven't gotten their cameras fixed will send letters to national newspapers complaining about Canon. Hopefully after those letters are being published Canon will do something. Just a thought since dealing with Canon directly doesn't seem to work...

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Tootie 0 pts

October 3, 2007 6:45 PM

0

2

followup

Boy do I feel dumb as well as relieved
I was not using the correct batteries
My husband purchased some off brand they were cheepos
usually I keep my NiMH batteries charged but both sets were low
I read the owners manual & sure enough use only cannon (energizer) alkaline
batteries...Lisa I hope this is your only problem as well

good luck everyone

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Kishan 0 pts

October 4, 2007 12:21 PM

0

I also seem to have a similar problem with my Canon S2 IS. I bought the camera sometime during Sept 2005 and it worked perfectly till now & one fine day the Screen Blanked out. I bought the camera when I was on a Vacation to USA & now I am back in India. Canon doesnt have a good support Centre in India. So I am now wondering about the other options. Its better to buy a new camera insted of spending 200+ $

Cannon should do something for the customers at least after 100+ such complaints. Is there any world-wide consumer forum which can help us to take up with this issue further?

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

ArthurY (arthuryang42) 1 pts

October 4, 2007 1:38 PM

1

0

I had this exact problem with my S2 IS. It's about 18 or so months old, and I actually hadn't been using it very often then one day I picked it up and found this problem. LCD seemed fine (icons worked) but it wouldn't show any 'live' images. I called Canon and at first they wouldn't pay for shipping. So hung up, gathered up my arguing points and called back. I got a different rep and tried the 'nice' approach. He resisted a little, but eventually agreed to email me a free shipping label. I'm not sure if it was a factor in his decision, but I mentioned seeing the product sevice notice for other cameras, as well as seeing this thread and the hundred of responses on it.

So a week later I get a piece of mail saying that they want to charge me $129 to fix it. So I called the number on the estimate and talked to Alexandra who gave me the stock answer, but did offer a 20% discount. If she had offered the 50%, I might have taken it, but not 20%. So I told her the same things I told the original support guys, then asked to speak to her manager. She put me on hold for a couple of minutes then came back and said that they'd give me a one-time courtesy repair. So looks like I got this fixed, but not without some phone calls. I bet that advisory will be updated in the upcoming months..

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Bilim (Bilim) 2 pts

October 4, 2007 7:40 PM

2

1

I had the same problem that everyone in this forum and just got it fixed. I bought my camera in August 2005, and for the past 6 months I started having the dreadful black screen problem. I never roughed up the cam and first thought it could be due to poor batteries, but that proved not to be the case. It first started showing the black screen randomly. I could spend a week without any trouble and then not being able to get a single picture for days. After reading most of the posts here and checking my cam, I realized the problem was coming from my shutter which remained constantly closed. I contacted Canon a couple of weeks ago, using the 1800 number and got redirected by the voice machine to the Virginia central (I am currently living in Pennsylvania). The first time I called I was slightly rough with the guy and didn't manage to get anything else from him than a "it will cost you $130". I called a couple of days later, explained again my problem and the representative sent me a UPS tag by email. He didn't guarantee any free repair, but said that there was a common problem like this with the S2 and that if it was the source of my problem it should be free. Two days later, the repair center sent me two emails, one for a repair costing $130, asking for my reply, the other one saying the repair would be free, except if they find sand/water damage. I didn't send any reply and I think the first one was just a mistake. Two days later they sent back my cam and it is working well since. I will post another message if it stops working again.
I hope this will help other people with the same problem.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Matteo (UK) 2 pts

October 5, 2007 7:45 AM

2

3

I had the same problem that everyone in this forum. I bought my camera in August 2005, and for the past 6 months I started having the dreadful black screen problem. I never roughed up the cam and first thought it could be due to poor batteries, but that proved not to be the case. It first started showing the black screen randomly. I could spend a week without any trouble and then not being able to get a single picture for days. I will try now to call the canon sevice center to see if I can have that repaired for free.
It is amazing how many people got the same problem. If you look the official canon website will see that canonn states that:
QUOTE

Problem details:
Among the CCDs used in the affected products, it has been confirmed that in extremely rare cases, under high-temperature/high-humidity environments, some of the internal wiring comes off.

If this defect occurs, the signal is not output from the CCD correctly when in shooting mode. This results in image abnormalities such as:

Images do not appear
Image colors are abnormal
Images appear distorted
These symptoms can be confirmed on the LCD monitor.
Solution:
We kindly request users who have confirmed these symptoms to contact the nearest Canon Service Centre.

Free repairs will be made for affected products in cases where it has been confirmed that the internal CCD wiring has come off.

Last modified date: 07-Jun-07

UNQUOTE

I believe "in extremely rare cases" is not correct, since more than 200 people in this forum had this problem.

As soon as I get an answer from canon I will let you know.

Regards,

Matteo

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Varun K. Parthasarathy (vkp7) 1 pts

October 8, 2007 2:13 PM

0

5

Hey Everyone,

First of All, please Don't Panic. The CCD ( sensor ) defect / Black screen of death problem is on the rise. Its becoming a common issue with the S2 IS owners. Send in the Camera with this completed form ( http://consumer.usa.canon.com/app/pdf/dealer/FSC.pdf )

Mailing Address
CANON FACTORY SERVICE CENTER
1440 CHASE AVENUE
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
(630) 250-6500

Briefly explain the situation and request for a courtesy repair. Good news is that Canon is repairing the Problem at ZERO Charge.
I'm certain that in the next few months Canon would issue an Advisory for a product recall as in the case of S1 IS.

S2 IS is a beautiful camera and Canon's customer service is fabulous. Hence please don't spread negative stories about Canon.

Regards,

Varun
A Proud S2 IS owner

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Gary B 0 pts

October 8, 2007 3:22 PM

0

2

Well, add me to the list. I bought my S2 IS about 20 months ago and we started having problems last week. I called Cannon after reading this forum. I spoke to a Larry. He basically told me that I would have to call once I received my quote and asked that it be fixed for free. I told him of the forum and that I knew it was the Black Screen of Death. He knew what I was talking about. I received my emails from Cannon with the free shipping. So I will let you know how I fair later.

Gary

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

George106 (George106) 1 pts

October 9, 2007 3:33 AM

0

Hi there, I am experiencing same problem. Unfortunately I bought my camera 23/9/2005 at Pixmania.com and warranty just expired couple of days ago. I have contacted Canon service via email and they sent me list of Authorized Service Facilities in UK. I wrote email to www.lehmannsdirect.co.uk they quoted me by 125GBP. Is there anybody who was successful in dealing with this problem in UK? I don't want to pay any additional cost for this camera which cost me 346GBP two years ago.

I have tried trick described above with removing batteries during shooting and it brought camera back to "working" state. Still I think this procedure is not substitute for repair.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Matteo 0 pts

October 9, 2007 7:54 AM

0

Hi All,

Canon is unbeleivable.
I contacted them and they told me that Canon Europe will not repair my camera for free.
They told me also that Canon in the States does!!!!!!
They told me that the camera sold in Europe is different from that one sold in the States!!
It can not be true. I am speechless.
I sent an e-mail complaining about the situation. No reply.
Maybe I should go on holiday to America to have my camera repaired for free.
I am really disappointed.
If I will receive an answer from Canon I will post it to everybody.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Another S2 IS black screen casualty 1 pts

October 11, 2007 6:41 PM

1

0

Hello All...

I have had the same problem as most people on this forum, with the S2 IS, and the "black screen of death". Here's the summary of my story....
My camera got the black screen about 2 weeks ago. It wasn't misused, dropped, etc. It just had the black LCD one day upon use. Poked around the net, after finding nothing in the manuals that came with it. I found this forum, and called the 800 number. Asked for Nate (after reading above).. no dice. They wouldn't send me to him. They gave me the IL address to send the camera to. I sent it off. 2 or 3 days later, I received an email it would be $127 to fix it. I called back, and got the usual front line b.s. Asked for a manager/supervisor. I talked to a guy named John. After some calm discussion back and forth, he said he'd offer me a discount. He put me on hold and came back and basically offered me 50% off. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for the discussion between him and whomever he was talking to. I picture in my mind a "wheel of discounts" they spin to determine this (as I've seen in this forum anywhere from free, to 20% off, to 50% off). I'm more disappointed that they won't stand behind their product. I understand there is a 1 yr. warranty, but the camera was only about 20 mos. old. I have a pair of Bose QC2 headphones that had issues with the plastic around the side ear pieces (the originals, and the replacement pair), and both times (both times out of the warranty period) they were fixed free of charge. No question asked. That's customer service for a company that believes in their product.

**What he told me is that while there isn't currently a service bulletin for the S2 IS, there could be in the future. For those here who didn't get their repairs for free, keep your service receipts. If they put a bulletin out for it, they will refund what you paid for service.**

Good luck everyone.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Alan (UK) 29 pts

October 11, 2007 7:42 PM

1

0

Hello from the UK -

I also have a Canon S2 IS with the 'black screen of death', about 2 years old. Sent it for a repair estimate to www.camera-repair.co.uk (Canon authorised service centre) and they want GBP152.22 to replace the optical unit. I've tried Canon UK and so far been told it's a chargeable repair. I found this thread and the images of the open and closed shutter after sending the camera so can't be certain the shutter is at fault but it sure seems likely given the length of this thread.

Has anyone got a free repair out of warranty in the UK yet?

I see manufacturer refurbished S2 IS on eBay.co.uk for about GBP135.00 - cheaper than repairing mine. Note that 'over the pond' my repair estimate would be less than half the UK rate!

While it is hard to know how many S2s have been sold, there does seem to be a lot of unhappy people out there. Come on Canon - fix the shutter problem for free, hopefully with an improved part, and we'll all be a lot happier.

- Alan

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

George106 (George106) 1 pts

October 12, 2007 2:36 AM

0

to Alan

As I wrote before I got the same replay from Canon UK. They send me list of authorized repair centers. As I don't want to have it fixed for that money I would probably wait. Or there is another option to send it to someone in USA and have it fixed there. I am really loosing trust into Canon (I had A80, A610) and considering to buy camera of another brand.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Tos 1 pts

October 16, 2007 11:08 AM

1

0

I purchased the S2IS in France in September 2005. The black screen problem occured exactly 20 months later in early May of 2007. I only had a 1-year warranty.
Since I live near a Canon service center near Paris, I just walked there. The person behind the counter said he had heard about the problem before and that Canon usually fixes it for free. Later I receive an invoice for 180 euros. I email back, asking for a discount. No sir. I was able to get it back without paying the 40 euro inspection fee. Now I have a stabilized paperweight. Interesting forum, anyway.

My next purchase will not be with Canon, and I'll probably ask for an extended warranty.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

st20 6 pts

October 16, 2007 11:31 AM

3

Hi all, image, Canon sent me a link to fill out a survey, had a lot to say - don't know if it will make any difference with them- but, if you are interested, I cut-n-pasted most of the text here - if not, hope things work out well with your Canon camera:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi...

I apologize for any confusion regarding the unsatisfactory values I posted. The repair process that was executed in Illinois proceeded smoothly. That, I would have given high marks.

I am unsatisfied with my treatment over the phone by a certain Canon manager (James) in Virgina. I felt that I had a strong case that Canon had repaired this same field failure at no charge to multiple customers. I even had over half a dozen similar Canon repair cases where there was no charge! Here they are - I could probably find more:

CL813907 CM361064 CM463768 CM053075
CM517010 CM562997 CM520225

The fact is this $500 Canon suffered a premature field failure within 2 years of normal use. After paying that much, I expected at least twice that life span. Actually, the way I treat my equipment, correction - the way I treat my *expensive* equipment, I would have expected 3 to 4 times that short 2 year life span.

I have over $3000 of Canon, Nikon and Speedotron equipment. I think it's time to move exclusively to someone who is not waisting their time making printers! That's too bad as I like the Canon firmware, control layout and features. My take away is that mechanically, Canon cameras are not well made.

By the way, I don't know exactly what comments are down on the attached notes to this repair on the Canon computers in Virgina. But I never talked to a manager named Nate. For all I know, he might be a nice guy. Most if not all of my contact with Virgina has been with someone calling him self James.

-----------------
Why did you rate “courtesy and friendliness of the representative who helped with your inquiry” a “4”. Please be as specific as possible.
-----------------
I talked to several 1st level support people in Virgina. All of which were accommodating and most were very courteous. But none were authorized to wave the over $100 repair costs.

For that I talked to James who would not drop the charge. I felt sure I had a strong case with evidence that Canon had previously performed similar if not the exact same repair at no charge. At least 1 if not more of the 1st level support people confirmed I had real repair case numbers where the charge was waved! I couldn't believe that I could not solicit the same service out of James.

-----------------
Why did you rate “effectiveness of the information provided regarding your inquiry” a “3”. Please be as specific as possible.
-----------------
All information with respect to the repair process was accurately provided. I would suggest the diagnosis could also be placed on the web along with the other repair information - not just sent in paper with the camera. Also, the diagnoses could be rendered in more detail specifying the exact parts / consumables used in the repair. As it stands, the reports are vague and, I suspect, of not much use in improving the design (this would be the real value of these reports - if you are not thinking this way, you might as well close the Illinois facility down and do your R&R in some 3rd world nation).

Also, I had asked for all parts to be returned. Only the camera was shipped back.

-----------------
Why did you rate “Your overall satisfaction with communicating with Canon regarding your repair inquiry” a “2”. Please be as specific as possible.
-----------------
As I said, I felt I had a strong case for this repair to occur at no charge to myself. But more importantly, I believed I had spent a large amount of money on a Canon product of which I expected a service life of 5 to 10 years. I felt cheated when my Canon failed at less then 2 year into normal service. Actually, less then normal as this is not the primary camera and may not be taken along as often. Evidently, I could not communicate this to the manager in Virgina.

-----------------
Please use this space to explain any of the ratings or answers you’ve provided in this survey or to provide any additional feedback about your experience with Canon’s Factory Service Center.
-----------------
There is no such think as perfect survey. And there is only so much you can do with process improvement. Actually, I think your repair process is fine. At least for anyone with internet and e-mail access.

From the customer's paradigm, Canon is inconsistent with repair costs. They will charge one customer over $100, another 20% to 50% less, and still another nothing for what appears to be the same repair. Further, there appears to be *many* identical model cameras with the same problem (shutter failure), repair diagnoses (replace shuter) and field time (about 20 month into life)! So it would also appear that Canon has a common mechanical mode of failure.

That is why I gave out bad marks. That is why I will probably not recommend a Canon camera to a serious photographer.

I would recommend you do what the customer wants. That you have Virginal participate in Quality Circle Meetings, Sigma 6 or ISO 9000 service auditing. Anything that will bring them together to treat Canon customers in a courteous, fair and consistent fashion. Note that none of these methods mean anything if the goal is not clearly set and maintained by a responsible and passionate group of people - not just managers! I recommend you find new value in the repair diagnostics (more detail) and provide better feed back to Canon manufacturing and Original Equipment Manufacturer suppliers.

And if you do not do these things - I recommend you move these expensive Illinois and Virginal facilities to a 3rd world countries where they may not provide a high quality of service but they wont cost as much.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Dis-satisfied by Canon Service 1 pts

October 16, 2007 2:52 PM

1

I talked for about an hour to this Factory Service agent (who I was told r the only ones authorized to waive off charges) named Ameeka (that is what it sounded like). I was calling on behalf of my sister who sent in the camera. She had talked to the same person and had gotten frustrated at her lack of willingness to even listen to anything. She offered a 30% discount on the bill of 127USD and flatly refused anything else. My sister tried quoting the reference Service order numbers given on the forum by Diane G and others who have all had the same problem. The lady just refused to listen and kept saying "no comments" when my sister asked why luck should play a part here - Nate gives people a break and Ameeka doesn't ... it isn't about Nate and Ameeka but about the blooming camera and the Canon company. No ice ... Ameeka just kept saying "no comments ... 30% discount ... take it or leave it". Requests to transfer the call to her supervisor also failed as Ameeka refused to transfer it to the supervisor. Finally my sis banged down the phone and I, the calmer member of the family, decided to make the call a few days later.

I talked a LOT to Ameeka ... maybe because I didn't get angry, Ameeka was less rude than she was to my sis (she was still rude) ... even before I would say my piece, she would trot out a "I am not giving u a free repair" line ... must have said it about 10 times in the time I talked with her. I told her not to make up her mind before she listened to my arguments and she kept insisting that my sister was very lucky to get the 30% discount as most people get nothing.

Anyways, finally she transferred me to her supervisor James, who seems to be a person filled with his own importance. I don't know why she transferred me but not my sis but it was no phucking use. This James guy immediately started on about how I was not their customer and my sister was their customer and he could neither talk to me nor give me any information (this after I had talked 45 mins to Ameeka). He said that it was highly irregular for brothers to call on behalf of the customers (LOL) and he could understand husbands calling up but not brothers. LOL again ... maybe he doesn't like brothers. Anyways, I told him that I could get my sister to call them up and authorize her brother (me) to talk with them on her behalf but this guy wasn't having any of it. I think I should simply have lied and said I was her husband speaking, as from his babbling, he seemed to have no problems with husbands calling on behalf of thier wives but only brothers ... anyways, the damage had been done and so I couldn't suddenly convert from a brother to a husband. So I had to hang up.

These r the funny observations I have made -

1. Ameeka says my sis's camera's problem is not the same as those Nate got fixed for free .... she also says that the camera has not yet been opened up and this is a standard charge they have quoted. So how does she know what is wrong with the camera?

2. Ameeka seems determined not to give a free repair ... she comes into the conversation with the pre-determined idea of "i don't give no quarter" and hence u can't really talk to her.

3. James seems to be an ass. He is willing to talk to people who lie and call themselves the customer's husband but not genuine people who happen to be the customer's brother ... not even if the customer calls up and authorizes the brother to speak on her behalf.

4. They seem to have disappeared Nate from his duty ... coz my sis tried HARD to get to him multiple times and has never succeeded ... even requests for him to call back have been taken but not kept.

Anyways, Canon sucks man!!! Not even two phucking years for a camera that is so expensive.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Jobmom 0 pts

October 25, 2007 10:43 PM

0

Just got off the phone with "Ameeka" --- Ma'm I have declined your repair and your camera will be sent back --- Guess I have a $500 paperweight now!

I told her I would wait until the S2 is recalled and try again!

Arghhh!!!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Jorge 0 pts

October 26, 2007 9:40 AM

0

1

I had the same problem.... was reading this thread and decided to apply brute force, as it is suposed to be caused by mecanical force. i started hitting the camera with the palm of miy hand while i turned on and off repeatidly.... after a couple of minutes its fine again.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

Phord 5 pts

October 26, 2007 9:58 AM

0

Dang! It just occurred to me that I bought this camera on my American Express card. It has an automatic warranty doubling feature. I need to call them and see if they'll cover the repair charge after the fact. But I thought I'd mention it here in case anyone else is in a similar situation.

Part of the reason I thought of it is because someone here mentioned getting an extended warranty next time (Thanks!). Another reason is because I dropped my $2000 Dell Laptop last month and KILLED it. I called Dell and told them what happened, and they REPLACED IT under WARRANTY. Sweet! I know Canon wouldn't do that!

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

stix_z4 0 pts

October 30, 2007 9:47 AM

0

Yet another victim here... in Switzerland this time. Camera is 22 months old. Have contacted Canon Europe through their website, so let's see what they say. Doesn't seem like anyone in Europe is having much luck in getting this repaired FOC though.

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

momo 1 pts

October 30, 2007 10:50 AM

1

0

And another victim. I've owned the camera for 20 months where during that time it was babied and rarely used. I'm not going to fork over $127 just to have the thing fail again in another 1-2 years so what can be done to force Canon to recognize this as a design issue with their camera?

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

jp/mn 30 pts

October 30, 2007 4:43 PM

0

Ditto here....Had this camera since Christmas '05. Went black totally this last week. Started going this summer once in awhile. Emailed Canon and they told me to try resetting the cameras settings. Tried no help. Then told me mail it back to them. Why should I pay for the shipping. It's their product problem. Let alone them to tell me to pay them $100 or more to fix this thing. Emailed consumer reports because in Julys issue they still claim this is a great camera. I purchased this camera because of the great ratings from
Consumer Reports. Now I am trying to get my husband to cancel the subscription, because it sure isn't true..

Report Abuse Did you find this answer

helpful or

not helpful?

ihatecanon 0 pts

October 31, 2007 12:38 AM