Yeahhh, Victory for Customer vs. Best Buy!!! Now Canon Powershot S80 or ???

[Oline]

Hello Everyone!

After an extremely time consuming and frustrating 3 ½ month battle with Best Buy, they have finally agreed to replace my broken Canon Powershot S70. Yeahhh, a victory for the little good guy!

In a rather large nutshell, I took the still under the out-of-pocket extended warranty 13 month old camera to the Best Buy repair department in January 2006 due to overexposure issues. The camera would sometimes work fine but there were increasing incidents of whited out barely visible images. The problem occurred sporadically but the images both still and moving on the LCD screen were often almost washed out altogether with only the highlights of dark objects/ features so it was often pointless to take photos altogether.

Upon receiving the camera back about 8 weeks later from the Best Buy 3rd party service company, I was told that the camera had internal corrosion damage that was not covered by the warranty and that the estimate for repair was $427. The camera was well cared for and had been exposed to the rain, ocean or any other potentially harmful elements.

When I received the unrepaired camera back from Best Buy, the lens’ cover was open at the time. A bit annoyed but I let it slide. Given that I did not have a battery at the time, it was not until I got home that I realized that the camera was broken altogether. The lens would not extend or retract and there was absolutely no functionality to the camera. Nothing but a solid white LCD screen and an awful grinding humming noise. This was obviously far from the condition of the camera when I had initially brought it to Best Buy. It was overexposure issues gone awry.

At this point, I took the camera to a local San Francisco camera repair shop which was recommended by Citysearch with plans for a second opinion regarding the corrosion issues and lens problems. The very kind owner told me that he would prefer not to touch the camera and proceeded to explain to me his concerns. Thanks San Francisco Camera and Repair! As a frustrated novice, I had not picked up on the following: A couple of the screws were missing altogether and others had been replaced with non-original screws from other non S70 cameras, there were minor wedge marks where the camera had been pried open, the camera was not resealed properly when it was reassembled and of course the optical lens was broken altogether. Wonderful craftsmanship, ehhh?!

I returned to Best Buy and immediately told them of my concerns. Based on the shoddy way in which the camera was handled by their slaughter house repair company, how could they be skilled in diagnosing and repairing a camera? Furthermore, based on the way my camera was manhandled, how would it be possible to determine the extent to which they had potentially caused internal damage vs. damage that occurred naturally while the camera was in my possession? The manager was very apologetic and assured me that the matter would be taken care of.

 

[Oline]

SORRY, SAGA CONTINUED:

Three weeks later the camera returned with the exact same diagnosis of corrosion damage and a not covered by warranty estimate of $427. I then called the non-Best Buy repair company for more details. I was given the same vague diagnosis of corrosion damage but no mention of the broken lens and zero functionality of camera. Upon requesting that they check their records of past repaired cameras, I confirmed that they had previously looked at the camera in January. Despite my concerns, Best Buy had brilliantly sent the camera back to the same company which had broken it in the first place!

I then called the original Best Buy manager, again furious but firm and polite. He again apologized and assured me the matter would be taken care of.

Two weeks later, I received a voice mail message from the Best Buy geek squad that the camera had returned from repair with a $0 balance. Thrilled, I headed to Best Buy. Low and behold, I discover that my lovely camera is still nothing but a useless doorstopper. Flabbergasted but still polite, I have the original manager paged. He was again apologetic but had the audacity to say, “Well, that just happens to be the repair company that we use.” What?!

As I had previously on the phone, I told him that their camera repair company appears to be running unsupervised high school shop projects in which the kids are most likely spilling their Mountain Dews on the cameras. At this point he caved and told me to return with the battery and AC Adapter. He informed me that if the camera was not functioning in the condition that I had brought to them he would replace it free of charge with the camera of my choice.

Given the absurdity of the situation, I realize that it’s a bit premature to say Yippee! but I’m remaining optimistic and now weighing my options. The question now is should I get the Canon Powershot S80 or go with a different brand altogether?

Pros of the S70: I loved the picture quality both indoor and out and extensive features particularly the wide angle lens and fully automatic features. Cons: A bit bulky and sluggish shoot time makes it very difficult to capture the oh so special moments of active children. Furthermore, I’ve read in other forums that Canons are indeed quite sensitive to naturally occurring elements of water in the air (humidity, change in temperature etc) in contrast to Olympus and Pentax cameras. If I decide to get the S80, my batteries, charger and memory cards will be obsolete so that is not a determining factor in sticking with Canon or possibly choosing a new brand altogether. Accessories for sale, anyone?!

A final potential concern is that I’ve found several documented incidents on the internet but have yet to determine how prevalent the E18 errors AKA sticky lens issues are with the S80. Is it purely coincidental that my camera returned with a lens that would not retract, hmmm?! Again the screen was white so none of the icons were visible. I’ll check for an error message when I return to Best Buy but I guess I’ll most likely never know. Regardless, it also looks like I’m also faced with a moral dilemma as it appears that Canon has handled the E18 issue very poorly and now faces one or more class action lawsuits. If you’re interested in the topic, let me know as I’ve bookmarked some amusing and not so amusing sites on the matter.

Overall, the S80 seems to get excellent reviews and is often described as the “closest thing you’ll get to an SRL.” Do you agree? If that is the case, then I can live with size of the camera as picture resolution, features and the overall quality of the camera are of much more importance to me.

Should I stick with the Canon S80 as the wide angle lens and fully automatic features are very important to me? I realize it’s a “digital camera thing,” but is the S80 noticeably faster than the S70 or will slowness continue to be an issue? Which Canons are most prone to E18 errors? Do any of you agree with the sensitivity issues of Canon cameras and suggest that I switch to a Pentax or Olympus? If so, what are your suggestions on other brands and models based on my wants and needs?

Thank you so much for reading my long winded possibly soon to be a fairy tale story. Your suggestions are greatly appreciated as I had put a tremendous amount of research into my beyond my budget S70 purchase which I have now been without for months and need to make a decision as soon as possible. I simply cannot afford to replace the camera on my own and need to act quickly before the Best Buy manager takes a stress related leave of absence!

Thanks a lot and have a wonderful day!

 

[roboshooter]

In a rather large nutshell, I took the still under the out-of-pocket extended warranty 13 month old camera to the Best Buy repair department in January 2006 due to overexposure issues. The camera would sometimes work fine but there were increasing incidents of whited out barely visible images. The problem occurred sporadically but the images both still and moving on the LCD screen were often almost washed out altogether with only the highlights of dark objects/ features so it was often pointless to take photos altogether.

3rd party repair shops are usually not very good. Too bad you could not send it to Canon in the 12th month while under Canons warranty.

 

[Bob Cleary]

Hmm... Have you had your S70 since December of 2004? Sorry for your problem and unsatisfactory experience in any event. Of course it is impossible to diagnose the source of issues like corrosion at this point. It is possible the camera was exposed to high humidity even before you bought it, or after you delivered it for its initial repair. Who knows? And, at this point, what difference does it make? The fact that the store manager has acquisced and is willing to replace your camera free of charge and with the camera of your choice appears the BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOME for you.

I suggest you gather up the CAMERA, RECEIPT OF PURCHASE, EXTENDED WARRANTY, BOX AND ACCESSORIES, and return as soon as possible to deal with the manager to whom you have spoken. BY ALL MEANS, take a NEW, IN-BOX-AND-ORIGINAL-WRAPPING replacement camera in exchange if one is offered under the terms you outlined.

As for choosing a replacement camera, recall the reason(s) you bought the S70 in the first place. It was features, wide-angle zoom, image quality, reviews and recommendations, and the like, was it not? To my way of thinking, a brand new S70 would still be an excellent choice -- if there is one to be had. Personally, I would rather have an S70 than an S80, based on the S70's ability to shoot in RAW. But that's ME and time may have eliminated that possibility.

On the other hand, your experience (and California weather) may make the S70 or S80 a less than ideal choice for you . You may be better off with a "waterproof" Pentax or Olympus camera. What you may theoretically sacrifice in terms of image quality by going from Canon to either Pentax or Olympus (and there are those who would suggest there is no sacrifice in the exchange) is moot if you are without a camera to shoot due to repair and warranty issues.

So, by all means consider a weatherproof p&s camera. (My son and I continue to use my circa 1993 Pentax IQ Zoom 90WR weather-resistant film camera with amazingly good results.) Three cameras to review Side-by-side along with the S80 right here in this forum are the Olympus Stylus 810, Olympus Stylus 720 SW, and the Pentax Optio W10.

Best,

Bob

 

[Bob Cleary]

I need to ammend my reply.

After "the BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOME for you" I should add -- "but not necessarily for the store or warranty company." It is possible the original diagnosis of corrosion not covered under warranty was accurate and correct, that no repair or replacement is due.

Huh?

How many times have you taken your S70 to the beach, the Golden Gate Bridge, or other scenic locations under foggy or damp conditions? How many times may that light misty rain have fallen on the camera and not been noticed or removed? (How can you remove a problem you haven't noticed, right???) The S70 IS NEITHER WATERPROOF, NOR WEATHER-RESISTANT. Failure of the camera under these conditions IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.

Still, incidental damage to the camera may have occurred in the hands of the repair facility. It's hard to know for sure. That may be the reason you are receiving consideration over and above the corrosion issue. But as another poster noted, it would have been best to have Canon inspect the camera within the initial twelve month warranty period.

Bob