-
Welcome to the new forums! Please read this first. For known issues we are working to resolve, click here.
505's cracking issue
- Thread starter augustin
- Start date
Robert MacLellan
Senior Member
I have one of the first F505s. Well the serial number is in the low 20,000s and there have been no problems with cracking. Frankly, if as you say many people are reporting this, this is the first I have heard of it.
I suppose a serach could be done of the postings here and on Usenet to see if ther are reports but it is news to me if it is happening.
I suppose a serach could be done of the postings here and on Usenet to see if ther are reports but it is news to me if it is happening.
U
Ulysses
Guest
Robert - It would be news to me, too. This thing has a metal body. I doubt that it is ever subjected to aerodynamic stresses that would cause this sort of defect.
Relevant word in the thread: "crack"
;-)
Relevant word in the thread: "crack"
;-)
you'll find more about the "cracking"problem there:
http://pcphotoreview.com/dc/reviews/view.cfm?ProductID=184&Start=30
http://pcphotoreview.com/dc/reviews/view.cfm?ProductID=184&Start=5
hope it's just a bad serie...
B
Brent Boren
Guest
Augustin,
I thought you were crazy, but I followed the 2 referrences you posted. It turns out that after understanding where to look - my 505 has the hairline crack mentioned in the first referrence below. I've had it since January, but didn't notice the crack until I looked for it.
That being said, the crack appears to be only cosmetic - not structural. Unless the plastic breaks apart and comes off the camera (which doesn't appear to be a likely outcome), I don't see how this could become an issue. My $0.02 anyway.
Brent
I thought you were crazy, but I followed the 2 referrences you posted. It turns out that after understanding where to look - my 505 has the hairline crack mentioned in the first referrence below. I've had it since January, but didn't notice the crack until I looked for it.
That being said, the crack appears to be only cosmetic - not structural. Unless the plastic breaks apart and comes off the camera (which doesn't appear to be a likely outcome), I don't see how this could become an issue. My $0.02 anyway.
Brent
U
Ulysses
Guest
augustin -
Hope I didn't offend you with my poor attempt at humor. It wasn't meant as a personal comment. I'll go and check out the articles you mentioned.
Thanks for posting the references.
Hope I didn't offend you with my poor attempt at humor. It wasn't meant as a personal comment. I'll go and check out the articles you mentioned.
Thanks for posting the references.
U
Ulysses
Guest
Hmm... Brent, could you do us a favor?
If you have access to another digicam (your own or a friends), could you take a picture of this hairline crack and post it for us to see and examine the extent of its problem. This would also help others with the F505 to possibly identify whether or not they also have the problem and knowing where to look.
That second reference that augustin gave seems to be a sort of ranting comment. ALL of his friends had the problem? The instruments out of the box had evidence of the cracking? Huh??? That's a bit hard to believe.
But if this is an issue, it deserves to be answered and addressed by those who've been using the camera for a long time and see if they have seen similar problems.
I especially look for comments from Steve Giannoni, Robert MacLellan, Nick Newell, and other long-time users. These are heavy users of the F505, and I'd expect that if it were a real problem that they would have seen and reported it.
If you have access to another digicam (your own or a friends), could you take a picture of this hairline crack and post it for us to see and examine the extent of its problem. This would also help others with the F505 to possibly identify whether or not they also have the problem and knowing where to look.
That second reference that augustin gave seems to be a sort of ranting comment. ALL of his friends had the problem? The instruments out of the box had evidence of the cracking? Huh??? That's a bit hard to believe.
But if this is an issue, it deserves to be answered and addressed by those who've been using the camera for a long time and see if they have seen similar problems.
I especially look for comments from Steve Giannoni, Robert MacLellan, Nick Newell, and other long-time users. These are heavy users of the F505, and I'd expect that if it were a real problem that they would have seen and reported it.
unless there is a real problem. it could be interesting to know more about that and to look carefully on the new 505V .(sorry for my english again)
no problem...i didn't even get the joke...(my english soso)
U
Ulysses
Guest
Augustin -
Yes, unless I hear a negative comment on this potential problem from one of the experienced long-time users of the F505, I also intend to purchase the F505V camera as it simply offers so many of the options that I want along with that excellent lens system.
I'm also guessing that they have improved the autofocus system as they have done for the S70. These two cameras share similar firmware.
Yes, unless I hear a negative comment on this potential problem from one of the experienced long-time users of the F505, I also intend to purchase the F505V camera as it simply offers so many of the options that I want along with that excellent lens system.
I'm also guessing that they have improved the autofocus system as they have done for the S70. These two cameras share similar firmware.
J
John Burns
Guest
My serial number is quite a bit lower than yours and after a very close inspection I can find no evidence of a crack anywhere.
John
John
Robert MacLellan
Senior Member
It would be difficult to say that it never happens. Especially since the newer F505s definitely take more effort to rotate the body. I was surprised when I picked up one of the current ones in a store a while ago. Perhaps, if the hinge is very tight then the stresses would be greater and there would be some fatigue of the moving parts but I don't think it is a wide enough occurrence to have people worry about it. We are a vocal bunch and, if something isn't right or if something breaks before its time, I am sure we would hear about it!
It is the same answer I give to the people who criticized floppy disk storage as "unreliable". If it WAS so "unreliable" and "inconvenient" why don't we hear dozens of complaints on forums such as this. When the Mavica 88s had the problem with folppies, it was almost instantaneous, how the news spread and how quickly Sony responded.
If this defect were common, I'm sure it would be discussed in many places and picked up on by Sony Critics for expansion and distribution to everyone in the industry.
It is the same answer I give to the people who criticized floppy disk storage as "unreliable". If it WAS so "unreliable" and "inconvenient" why don't we hear dozens of complaints on forums such as this. When the Mavica 88s had the problem with folppies, it was almost instantaneous, how the news spread and how quickly Sony responded.
If this defect were common, I'm sure it would be discussed in many places and picked up on by Sony Critics for expansion and distribution to everyone in the industry.
After reading these exact same reviews, I e-mailed several of the posters that gave basically positive review to the camera to see if these cracks had appeared for them. I only received replies from three of them and all three said that no cracks had appeared.
Here's what they said:
Reply #1: "So far I have not observed any of those problems. I am still with it."
Reply #2: "I have not observed any such cracks on my F505. I have taken over 1000 shots thus far and it seems as rugged as when I first used it. There is
some speculation that there was a revised design a few months after the
introduction that sometimes makes the lens barrel warm (from autofocus motor
operation perhaps). Mine is one of the first to be available in the US, so it does not exhibit any such characterisitcs. I have tried the Nikon 950, the Oly 2000 and owned a Fuji 600MX prior to the F505. I am happy with my choice. If I were a "serious" photographer, I might look more towards the Nikon or the Oly, but almost all of my shots are point and shoot, so I would not fare so well with them."
Reply #3: "I have had the camera for six months, being a professional coach the camera gets a good workout, at no time have I had any trouble, nor do I feel the people who wrote the review with those statements know a damn thing about the camera...! Oh! I have taken well over a 1000 pictures with it... My only complaint is the LCD in bright sunlight. I also have the Sony DCS-770, what a camera...!!!!!! The F-505 is a GREAT camera, I would however look at the new F-505V, it is everything the F-505 is, and more. Please let me know if I may be of any further assistance."
Here's what they said:
Reply #1: "So far I have not observed any of those problems. I am still with it."
Reply #2: "I have not observed any such cracks on my F505. I have taken over 1000 shots thus far and it seems as rugged as when I first used it. There is
some speculation that there was a revised design a few months after the
introduction that sometimes makes the lens barrel warm (from autofocus motor
operation perhaps). Mine is one of the first to be available in the US, so it does not exhibit any such characterisitcs. I have tried the Nikon 950, the Oly 2000 and owned a Fuji 600MX prior to the F505. I am happy with my choice. If I were a "serious" photographer, I might look more towards the Nikon or the Oly, but almost all of my shots are point and shoot, so I would not fare so well with them."
Reply #3: "I have had the camera for six months, being a professional coach the camera gets a good workout, at no time have I had any trouble, nor do I feel the people who wrote the review with those statements know a damn thing about the camera...! Oh! I have taken well over a 1000 pictures with it... My only complaint is the LCD in bright sunlight. I also have the Sony DCS-770, what a camera...!!!!!! The F-505 is a GREAT camera, I would however look at the new F-505V, it is everything the F-505 is, and more. Please let me know if I may be of any further assistance."
S
Sandy
Guest
I bought my f505 in Japan in September - a day after they came out. The serial no. is in the 25000's. No sign of any cracking.
Sandy
Sandy
B
Brent Boren
Guest
OK, let me try this. I apologize for the appearance of these, but I scanned the camera on my flatbed scanner :-( Unfortunately, this is the only thing I could think of to get a picture of the (very small) crack. I also ran unsharp mask on these images to get the crack to show up better - I know this is unfair, but again I'm dealing with pictures from a scanner.
Again, these seem only cosmetic to me. I had to read where to look before I noticed them. If these aren't the "cracks" you guys are talking about, please let me know.
Hope this helps (I also hope these links work),
Brent
Again, these seem only cosmetic to me. I had to read where to look before I noticed them. If these aren't the "cracks" you guys are talking about, please let me know.
Hope this helps (I also hope these links work),
Brent
B
Bob
Guest
I just got my 505 five weeks ago. After reading this thread I looked at my camera and as the scanned photos were appearing on my computer screen (follow this thread to see the photos) I noticed that there is a crack developing on my lens barrel in a similar location. Now what?? I have been extrememly careful with the camera and always have it in its case when not in use. Has anyone approached SONY to have this fixed? Suggestions????...
Dentist
Well-known member
I spoted the same line in my F505.I do not think it is a crack. Maybe some mechanical error in painting.
scanner.
- I know this is unfair, but again I'm dealing with pictures from a
Again, these seem only cosmetic to me. I had to read where to look before
I noticed them. If these aren't the "cracks" you guys are talking about,
please let me know.
Hope this helps (I also hope these links work),
Brent
U
Ulysses
Guest
D.M.T. -
This was my suspicion after viewing the images that were posted. I simply find it very hard to believe that this camera with a metal composite body would exhibit cracks of this nature. It should be an extremely durable and long-lasting chassis. There is no way that even constant swiveling of the LCD/lens housing would exert the sort of tangential or axial stress that would cause that sort of thing.
So I figured that more likely the crack could be a hairline scratch in either the finish on the camera or perhaps even a scratch due to carriage or storage. It helps to know that others are seeing the crack in exactly the same spot.
I wish that each individual finding the scratch could also post their serial numbers on the cameras. This would help determine if the problem was with a certain series range during manufacture.
This was my suspicion after viewing the images that were posted. I simply find it very hard to believe that this camera with a metal composite body would exhibit cracks of this nature. It should be an extremely durable and long-lasting chassis. There is no way that even constant swiveling of the LCD/lens housing would exert the sort of tangential or axial stress that would cause that sort of thing.
So I figured that more likely the crack could be a hairline scratch in either the finish on the camera or perhaps even a scratch due to carriage or storage. It helps to know that others are seeing the crack in exactly the same spot.
I wish that each individual finding the scratch could also post their serial numbers on the cameras. This would help determine if the problem was with a certain series range during manufacture.
B
Brent Boren
Guest
I'll emphasize again that I don't think this "crack" is structural - only cosmetic. I feel strongly that it is nothing to be concerned about. BTW, my serial number is in the 82000 range.
U
Ulysses
Guest
Hi there Brent -
First of all, I believe that I neglected to thank you for posting those scans of your F505. It was really appreciated, and I do not believe that it was a problem at all that you sharpened the image up a bit to make the defect stand out for the picture.
Also, I hope I didn't sound as if I was knocking your conclusion, because I actually agree with it. This must be something cosmetic, perhaps something with the finish on the camera, a place where somehow the barrel can get easily scratched for some reason (?), or some other logical explanation if others are getting a similar crack.
I hope that someone else who has reported this problem will be able to post their own comment or preferably a picture of their camera's crack/scratch/defect for even further examination.
It does sound, however, like most long-timers have not run across this problem.
First of all, I believe that I neglected to thank you for posting those scans of your F505. It was really appreciated, and I do not believe that it was a problem at all that you sharpened the image up a bit to make the defect stand out for the picture.
Also, I hope I didn't sound as if I was knocking your conclusion, because I actually agree with it. This must be something cosmetic, perhaps something with the finish on the camera, a place where somehow the barrel can get easily scratched for some reason (?), or some other logical explanation if others are getting a similar crack.
I hope that someone else who has reported this problem will be able to post their own comment or preferably a picture of their camera's crack/scratch/defect for even further examination.
It does sound, however, like most long-timers have not run across this problem.
Similar threads
- Sticky
- Featured
Announcement
Forum system known issues
Keyboard shortcuts
- f
- Forum