# Repair Or Replace



## ember (Jan 17, 2008)

Hi all,
My little Canon A300 "picture window" has gone black. Is this something I can fix, or should I just replace it? It is several years old, and works well, or has worked well til the blackout thing happened.
Thanks,
Ember


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

You could always take it to your local camera shop and get an estimate for repair, but you would probably be able to purchase a new digital camera with the same or better features for not too much more than the repair costs.


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

It probably would be cheaper just to buy a new one...


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

For the cost of a new 8 mega pixel camera you could get it repaired or you could just get the new camera.

I am in the Replace it camp..


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

It looks like you could buy a used one for ~$70 or a new A470 (7mp) for ~$90









I'd shop around. The only camera's I get repaired are SLR's (I think the tuneup and sensor cleaning on the D100 ran close to $70 last year







)...


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## livetofish (Sep 5, 2008)

ember said:


> Hi all,
> My little Canon A300 "picture window" has gone black. Is this something I can fix, or should I just replace it? It is several years old, and works well, or has worked well til the blackout thing happened.
> Thanks,
> Ember


call Canon Loyalty Program (google for the exact 800#) before any repairs. You might get a great bargain.

LTF


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## ember (Jan 17, 2008)

livetofish said:


> Hi all,
> My little Canon A300 "picture window" has gone black. Is this something I can fix, or should I just replace it? It is several years old, and works well, or has worked well til the blackout thing happened.
> Thanks,
> Ember


call Canon Loyalty Program (google for the exact 800#) before any repairs. You might get a great bargain.

LTF
[/quote]

I will check that out right now!!
Thanks
Ember


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

I would definitely take it into the shop first for a look see. I have had two camera repair incidents in the last year that I was sure would be expensive or unrepairable. In the first, the shop fixed the problem right on the spot at no charge. In the second, they had a like camera in back that they were cannibalizing. Total cost of repair on that one was $30 for a hours labor.

It's certainly worth having somebody at least take a look.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## ember (Jan 17, 2008)

I took LTF's advice checked out the owner loyalty #, our little camera is under a recall. Canon is sending me a prepaid shipping label, to send in the camera, and they will repair or replace as required!! Good thing I've been on ebay so much so I have a box and packing material!!


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

ember said:


> I took LTF's advice checked out the owner loyalty #, our little camera is under a recall. Canon is sending me a prepaid shipping label, to send in the camera, and they will repair or replace as required!! Good thing I've been on ebay so much so I have a box and packing material!!


Congrats, Ember!!! I love happy endings!


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## 5th Time Around (Jul 8, 2008)

Thanks for the info - I never thought of calling the company before. This is what this site is all about - helping each other.

My elliptical LCD screen woke up one day with a big black blob in the middle of the screen. Machine still works but I will check with the company to see if I can get a new LCD screen.

BTW I love my Cannon A520 (I think it is). Very reliable camera. I even have the Cannon Selphy little photo printer for scrapbooking.


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## ember (Jan 17, 2008)

5th Time Around said:


> Thanks for the info - I never thought of calling the company before. This is what this site is all about - helping each other.
> 
> My elliptical LCD screen woke up one day with a big black blob in the middle of the screen. Machine still works but I will check with the company to see if I can get a new LCD screen.
> 
> BTW I love my Cannon A520 (I think it is). Very reliable camera. I even have the Cannon Selphy little photo printer for scrapbooking.


DH's coffee pot died this morning, I'm tempted to call Sunbeam, and see what I can work out with them!







Just kidding!! He already stole the one from the Abi-One!! 
I agree I get answers to a TON of questions on this forum that I don't even ask!!
TTFN,
Ember


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## anne72 (Apr 27, 2007)

Hey Ember,

I wonder if this is a "thing" with the Canon cameras? We have the Canon Powershot A95 and the same thing is happening, I'll have to check and see if mine is under recall too!


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## anne72 (Apr 27, 2007)

I called Canon today about my camera, turns out it is the same problem and they are sending me a label too. Apparently several Canon cameras have this faulty sensor and it's quite common. I'm just glad I don't have to buy a new camera, wasn't really planning on that expense so close to the Holidays!!! Thanks for posting Ember, you saved me quite a bit of money!!!


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

Glad to hear that things worked out - I have a canon a520 and loved it. Yes, I dropped it and now my picture window is completely black. Nice little camera & I'm gonna miss it.


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## ember (Jan 17, 2008)

rdvholtwood said:


> Glad to hear that things worked out - I have a canon a520 and loved it. Yes, I dropped it and now my picture window is completely black. Nice little camera & I'm gonna miss it.


If you haven't tossed it already, you may want to call them, maybe dropping and the black window are coincidental, both mine and Anne72 are under recall. Canon sent me a free shipping label, so you aren't any $, and they will call or email before they repair.
TTFN
Ember


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

ember said:


> Glad to hear that things worked out - I have a canon a520 and loved it. Yes, I dropped it and now my picture window is completely black. Nice little camera & I'm gonna miss it.


If you haven't tossed it already, you may want to call them, maybe dropping and the black window are coincidental, both mine and Anne72 are under recall. Canon sent me a free shipping label, so you aren't any $, and they will call or email before they repair.
TTFN
Ember
[/quote]

Well thats just the beginning.......its pretty bad.


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## ember (Jan 17, 2008)

rdvholtwood said:


> Glad to hear that things worked out - I have a canon a520 and loved it. Yes, I dropped it and now my picture window is completely black. Nice little camera & I'm gonna miss it.


If you haven't tossed it already, you may want to call them, maybe dropping and the black window are coincidental, both mine and Anne72 are under recall. Canon sent me a free shipping label, so you aren't any $, and they will call or email before they repair.
TTFN
Ember
[/quote]

Well thats just the beginning.......its pretty bad.
[/quote]

RUTROW that doesn't sound good!! Did you do like my friend Dawn, and drive over it AFTER you dropped it???


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

ember said:


> Glad to hear that things worked out - I have a canon a520 and loved it. Yes, I dropped it and now my picture window is completely black. Nice little camera & I'm gonna miss it.


If you haven't tossed it already, you may want to call them, maybe dropping and the black window are coincidental, both mine and Anne72 are under recall. Canon sent me a free shipping label, so you aren't any $, and they will call or email before they repair.
TTFN
Ember
[/quote]

Well thats just the beginning.......its pretty bad.
[/quote]

RUTROW that doesn't sound good!! Did you do like my friend Dawn, and drive over it AFTER you dropped it???

[/quote]

No I dropped it, whilst on crutches, to take a pic of our new TT!!


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

um, hello ? get NIKON'S!







There, that should get Doug going! Hey Wolfie, how's YOUR Nikon? Mine is doing GREAT! did I mention I have a Nikon?


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

Doxie-Doglover-Too said:


> um, hello ? get NIKON'S!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Which one? need some details here....


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

rdvholtwood said:


> um, hello ? get NIKON'S!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Which one? need some details here....








[/quote]

I have the d60, Wolfie has one about 1000 times better cuz she actually knows how to use one







HOWEVER, yesterday I received the external flash I ordered and OMG! what a difference! woo hoo! are ya reading this Wolfie and Doug?







I'm learnin!


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Just remember Tawnya, when you put the flash on the camera, the big frosted glass looking part should be pointing towards the back of the camera.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

PDX_Doug said:


> Just remember Tawnya, when you put the flash on the camera, the big frosted glass looking part should be pointing towards the back of the camera.
> 
> Happy Trails,
> Doug










So thats what those glasses are for in her picture...


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

PDX_Doug said:


> Just remember Tawnya, when you put the flash on the camera, the big frosted glass looking part should be pointing towards the back of the camera.
> 
> Happy Trails,
> Doug


yeah, I saw you had it that way on your camera but my manual says to do it the right way


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## ember (Jan 17, 2008)

Hi all, 
I got an email from Canon today, my camera is all fixed up, and on her way home!!








TTFN
Ember


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

Ember - thats great - I also called Canon and here is what they offered me for my A520 -

A570 - $89.00
SD1000 - 100.00
SX100IS- 125.00

They are refurbished, but, I think I may go with the last one...


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

rdvholtwood said:


> Ember - thats great - I also called Canon and here is what they offered me for my A520 -
> 
> A570 - $89.00
> SD1000 - 100.00
> ...


Here's the relevant dpReview article from August 2007. Looks like they liked it!


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

wolfwood said:


> Ember - thats great - I also called Canon and here is what they offered me for my A520 -
> 
> A570 - $89.00
> SD1000 - 100.00
> ...


Here's the relevant dpReview article from August 2007. Looks like they liked it!
[/quote]

Thanks for the info!! - I just got off the phone with Canon & purchased the SX100 IS - couldn't pass up that oppurtunity.


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## ember (Jan 17, 2008)

rdvholtwood said:


> Ember - thats great - I also called Canon and here is what they offered me for my A520 -
> 
> A570 - $89.00
> SD1000 - 100.00
> ...


Here's the relevant dpReview article from August 2007. Looks like they liked it!
[/quote]

Thanks for the info!! - I just got off the phone with Canon & purchased the SX100 IS - couldn't pass up that oppurtunity.








[/quote]

Good for you RDV!! Stacey and I have been talking about our A300, and as near as we can tell/guess, we think that camera is at least 7 or so years old, so pretty decent of Canon to stand behind it I think, especially considering we got the camera and printer combo for $100/$150, and now both still work. We keep it in the truck to take pics for insurance, work, or just to update a customer on progress at their job. anyway...


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

ember said:


> Ember - thats great - I also called Canon and here is what they offered me for my A520 -
> 
> A570 - $89.00
> SD1000 - 100.00
> ...


Here's the relevant dpReview article from August 2007. Looks like they liked it!
[/quote]

Thanks for the info!! - I just got off the phone with Canon & purchased the SX100 IS - couldn't pass up that oppurtunity.








[/quote]

Good for you RDV!! Stacey and I have been talking about our A300, and as near as we can tell/guess, we think that camera is at least 7 or so years old, so pretty decent of Canon to stand behind it I think, especially considering we got the camera and printer combo for $100/$150, and now both still work. We keep it in the truck to take pics for insurance, work, or just to update a customer on progress at their job. anyway...

[/quote]

Thanks ember - how do your batteries hold up in the A300? I am thinking about buying some rechargables to avoid the fast battery drain.


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## ember (Jan 17, 2008)

rdvholtwood said:


> Ember - thats great - I also called Canon and here is what they offered me for my A520 -
> 
> A570 - $89.00
> SD1000 - 100.00
> ...


Here's the relevant dpReview article from August 2007. Looks like they liked it!
[/quote]

Thanks for the info!! - I just got off the phone with Canon & purchased the SX100 IS - couldn't pass up that oppurtunity.








[/quote]

Good for you RDV!! Stacey and I have been talking about our A300, and as near as we can tell/guess, we think that camera is at least 7 or so years old, so pretty decent of Canon to stand behind it I think, especially considering we got the camera and printer combo for $100/$150, and now both still work. We keep it in the truck to take pics for insurance, work, or just to update a customer on progress at their job. anyway...

[/quote]

Thanks ember - how do your batteries hold up in the A300? I am thinking about buying some rechargables to avoid the fast battery drain.
[/quote]

It uses batteries pretty quickly, but we learned that for us the rechargable didn't work very well, because the camera stays in the truck, we had the camera and dead batteries, but the charger was home on the desk!!


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

ember said:


> Ember - thats great - I also called Canon and here is what they offered me for my A520 -
> 
> A570 - $89.00
> SD1000 - 100.00
> ...


Here's the relevant dpReview article from August 2007. Looks like they liked it!
[/quote]

Thanks for the info!! - I just got off the phone with Canon & purchased the SX100 IS - couldn't pass up that oppurtunity.








[/quote]

Good for you RDV!! Stacey and I have been talking about our A300, and as near as we can tell/guess, we think that camera is at least 7 or so years old, so pretty decent of Canon to stand behind it I think, especially considering we got the camera and printer combo for $100/$150, and now both still work. We keep it in the truck to take pics for insurance, work, or just to update a customer on progress at their job. anyway...

[/quote]

Thanks ember - how do your batteries hold up in the A300? I am thinking about buying some rechargables to avoid the fast battery drain.
[/quote]

It uses batteries pretty quickly, but we learned that for us the rechargable didn't work very well, because the camera stays in the truck, we had the camera and dead batteries, but the charger was home on the desk!!

[/quote]

Good point...we'll just have to see how fast these batteries go..We actually stock up on AA's for the holidays.


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## livetofish (Sep 5, 2008)

As for the batteries go ENELOOP. Great deals in local Costco right now. There are a lot of good things about these batteries and you can read about them here.

http://www.amazon.com/Sanyo-Eneloop-Pre-Ch...8800&sr=8-4


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## LarryTheOutback (Jun 15, 2005)

livetofish said:


> As for the batteries go ENELOOP. Great deals in local Costco right now. There are a lot of good things about these batteries


These are only 2000mAh batteries. Try http://www.thomasdistributing.com/ and look for the 2900mAh or 2700mAh batteries. I've been buying my rechargables from Thomas Distributing for years now and have been very happy. In particular I've had great luck with the Maha 2700mAh batteries; my experience with Maha is that when they say 2700 they mean it ... some popular store brands seem to have their mAh determined by the marketing department not the engineering department.

The higher the number, the more power is stored in the batteries, and the less often you will have to change batteries. There are also newer batteries that don't discharge as fast with disuse; they are more expensive and come with lower capacity but for some usages they might work out better for you.

Ed


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## ember (Jan 17, 2008)

Got my A300 back today! Works perfectly!! Also returned the batteries and the flashcard that I had forgotten to remove before shipping it out!!
TTFN
Ember


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

ember said:


> Got my A300 back today! Works perfectly!! Also returned the batteries and the flashcard that I had forgotten to remove before shipping it out!!
> TTFN
> Ember


Thats great ember!! thanks for the reminder - I removed the flashcard from our A520 so I don't send it back with the camera!


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## livetofish (Sep 5, 2008)

LarryTheOutback said:


> As for the batteries go ENELOOP. Great deals in local Costco right now. There are a lot of good things about these batteries


These are only 2000mAh batteries. Try http://www.thomasdistributing.com/ and look for the 2900mAh or 2700mAh batteries. I've been buying my rechargables from Thomas Distributing for years now and have been very happy. In particular I've had great luck with the Maha 2700mAh batteries; my experience with Maha is that when they say 2700 they mean it ... some popular store brands seem to have their mAh determined by the marketing department not the engineering department.

The higher the number, the more power is stored in the batteries, and the less often you will have to change batteries. There are also newer batteries that don't discharge as fast with disuse; they are more expensive and come with lower capacity but for some usages they might work out better for you.

Ed
[/quote]

Maha chargers are the BEST (loud intentional). I have not had very good experience with their batteries though. Eneloops seem to work better for me.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

LarryTheOutback said:


> ... There are also newer batteries that don't discharge as fast with disuse; they are more expensive and come with lower capacity but for some usages they might work out better for you.
> ...


The Eneloop are some of the slow discharge batteries. Energizer even now makes slower discharge NIMH batts. For reliability and long life though, just buy some of the disposable lithium batteries. They really work well in cameras and if you aren't a high volume user, won't cost that much more.


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

Nathan said:


> ... There are also newer batteries that don't discharge as fast with disuse; they are more expensive and come with lower capacity but for some usages they might work out better for you.
> ...


The Eneloop are some of the slow discharge batteries. Energizer even now makes slower discharge NIMH batts. For reliability and long life though, just buy some of the disposable lithium batteries. They really work well in cameras and if you aren't a high volume user, won't cost that much more.
[/quote]

This is great info! I would tend to think also that you should check with your *individual camera* to see what _type _the manufacturer recommends for their camera -as to insure proper operation or void any warranty....


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

ember said:


> Ember - thats great - I also called Canon and here is what they offered me for my A520 -
> 
> A570 - $89.00
> SD1000 - 100.00
> ...


Here's the relevant dpReview article from August 2007. Looks like they liked it!
[/quote]

Thanks for the info!! - I just got off the phone with Canon & purchased the SX100 IS - couldn't pass up that oppurtunity.








[/quote]

Good for you RDV!! Stacey and I have been talking about our A300, and as near as we can tell/guess, we think that camera is at least 7 or so years old, so pretty decent of Canon to stand behind it I think, especially considering we got the camera and printer combo for $100/$150, and now both still work. We keep it in the truck to take pics for insurance, work, or just to update a customer on progress at their job. anyway...

[/quote]

Hey Ember - we received our SX100IS today - and its nice!!


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## anne72 (Apr 27, 2007)

ember said:


> Got my A300 back today! Works perfectly!! Also returned the batteries and the flashcard that I had forgotten to remove before shipping it out!!
> TTFN
> Ember


Got my camera back last Friday, they told us it was the sensor, unfortunately it's still not working properly.







I'm so bummed, not what I wanted to have to buy right now...


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

anne72 said:


> Got my A300 back today! Works perfectly!! Also returned the batteries and the flashcard that I had forgotten to remove before shipping it out!!
> TTFN
> Ember


Got my camera back last Friday, they told us it was the sensor, unfortunately it's still not working properly.







I'm so bummed, not what I wanted to have to buy right now...
[/quote]

Did you check into the loyalty program? We traded our broken A520 for the SX100IS for $125.00. The cameras are refurbished, but, they come with a 6 month warrenty.


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## ember (Jan 17, 2008)

anne72 said:


> Got my A300 back today! Works perfectly!! Also returned the batteries and the flashcard that I had forgotten to remove before shipping it out!!
> TTFN
> Ember


Got my camera back last Friday, they told us it was the sensor, unfortunately it's still not working properly.







I'm so bummed, not what I wanted to have to buy right now...
[/quote]

That is a Bummer.


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