Powershot fails SX260, SX240, S95- systematic or bad luck?

mjdundee wrote:

I really love taking photographs and I used to carry a small PnS as a backup and lightweight only option besides and lately as a replacement my heavy DSLR for many many years.

Well - the last 12 months were quite an experience with three different Canon Powershot models and I am really at a point to say: Great cameras - but does it make sense to buy no. 4 if they never last longer than 9 months before a major failure?

In July 2012 I bought a wonderfull SX260 from Amazone. I was really satisfied eith the results and it was a pleasure to use and very easy to carry.

Unfortunatelly the bad design of the lens cover blades caused multiple scratches to the front lens and in October 2012 I had to send it back to the Canon service. They replaced the lens and shutter element within 10 days & I sold the camera in November because I felt that a smaller Powershot with faster lens and better detail was best for taking winter landscapes.

The S95 fullfilled all my dreams. Small, fully manual + RAW and a fantastic lens.

The only thing I was missing was the long zoom of the SX260.

For that reason I bought a SX240 (never used the GPS on the SX260) on ebay in ment condition in March 2013.

After a trip to Scandinavia in June the lenscover blades caused a scratch on the front lens - same story as with the SX260 in 2012 - shadow visible on each and every picture again. What a pitty!

The camera is under warranty until November 2013 - so I sent it to the Canon Service.

This time they denied repair under warranty without explanation. What a shame!

Since I still had the trusty S95 I was disppointed but not lost. I am still trying to achieve a solution here.

Now - although I take extreme care of my cameras and lenses and always carry them in a lowepro hardcase, the S95 pictures show a fat dark stripe on every picture with aperture smaller than f 3.5 since last week. No damage or scratches visible - must be dust between the lenses or the sensor. Not under warranty - what a shame!

Slowly but for sure I doubt that this means just bad luck. I remenber that even my first PnS - a Casio Q30 back in 2003 lasted more than 3 years before the lens collapsed.

Is my experience systematic for Canon PnS cameras?

Will a G series (G15) mean another frustrating experience after a couple of months or is it just me - the guy with bad luck? What do you think, whats your experience with Canon Powershots?

Cheers,

Tom

I do have a small scratch on my SX260 lens but it doesn't seem to be causing a problem on photos.

I guess I only think of these cameras as almost throw away items, mine only costed $AU200, so when I bought it from a Hong Kong seller I realised that the warranty wasn't worth the paper it wasn't printed on, so if mine fails then it is a bin job.  I buy it realising this, if it lasts two years it will be obsolete anyway so that is only $100/year or $2/week, not bad value.

Of course I am very careful with mine and only keep it in a belt bag and try not to let dust or grit get on it, but its difficult at times when travelling in dusty environments.

They say you can improve the lens scratch by putting something dark on the scratch like a black marking pen or maybe flat black paint, then clean it away only leaving the scratch filled, this is supposed to reduce any light flare at that point.  Try it on your SX260, they are an amazing camera.

Good luck.

Brian