Canon PowerShot S2 IS_canon powershot s2 is digital camera

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Canon PowerShot S2 IS

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smellyknee 2007-06-27 03:51:10 Publish:

First let me start by saying, I love Canon's cameras. I've been a huge fan since I got my 35mm Rebel almost 10 years ago. Being a bit of a brand-loyalist, I've been pretty good about sticking with them and about 2 and a half years ago bought myself a PowerShot S2 IS. I'd like to say that I LOVE this camera. It's not the digital Rebel that I had been hoping to get soon, but for a point and shoot it has amazingly good manual setting options, the optical zoom at 12x is fantastic, and the photos always come out looking great (unless I do something to screw them up, which has been known to happen!)

Several weeks ago this camera that I love so much started having some issues with the LCD screen. I would take a picture or two, and the screen would go black. I'd have to turn the camera off and back on again in order to get the screen back up. Hitting the LCD display button did nothing. Somewhat frustrating, but it wasn't happening all the time so I was living with it. But then imagine my disappointment when I am on Cape Cod for a weekend wedding and discover at the Pilgrim Monument with my 11 year old son, that this issue has happened again and will no longer resolve itself by my turning the camera off and on. Poor kid was posing in front of that monument for quite some time while I fiddled with the settings and tried to get it to work.

So, the actual problem at that point was that the LCD display AND the display in the viewfinder were both black. In both of them you could see the settings of the camera, however, and you could also see any of the stored pictures in the memory card. So the LCD screen itself couldn't have been broken because otherwise it wouldn't display those things. Hitting the LCD display button would only move the settings being displayed back and forth between the viewfinder and the LCD screen. Basically the camera was operating as if it had the lens cap permanently affixed. (But yes, I did check and the lens cap was off!)

Being quite a serious Flickr addict I decided to ask in some of the groups I belong to if anyone else had the same issue with their S2 IS. I was referred to this thread in the Flickr group for S2 IS users: http://www.flickr.com/groups/s2is/discuss/72157600084622332/

This guy was having the EXACT same issue as me and had it repaired for free! Oh happy day for me!!! Until I read further and found that many others were also having the issue without such a happy outcome. Particularly in the thread that is referenced halfway down the conversation which can be found here: http://www.digitalcamera-hq.com/digital-cameras/canon-powershot-s2is_question.html?qid=3894.

I did some more research and have found hundreds of posts from S2 IS users all experiencing the same issue. The long and short of it is that the S1 IS which is the predecessor for this camera, had a faulty CCD display which was causing this issue to occur. That model was placed on their product advisory and now no matter what the warranty status, they will fix it free of charge. How nice! BUT, although the S2 IS is very obviously suffering from the same defaults, they have not yet added it to that list, and therefore Canon will not provide this fix to its users. On occasion they have been providing the free fixes as a "courtesy" to certain customers, but not to everyone.

Being armed with this knowledge I thought I had this in the bag. I figured I'd send my camera in with a detailed description of the problem, my knowledge of the fact that this problem is widespread, and a very nicely worded request to waive any repair costs. I figured what company would want to offend a long time and loyal customer by not eating the measly (to them) $119 repair fee?

Well, this morning I got my answer: Canon would want to offend that customer. They sent me a quote of $119 for the repair and $8 for shipping. I called the service center to discuss this cost and once again try to get it waived. The first level tech, as is the case with pretty much every first level tech at every company in the world, couldn't help me. He transferred me to a "Factory Service Agent" who he said could look into it for me. The FSA was very nice and as I explained my concern and my knowledge of the others with the identical issue who were not required to pay for the same service that I was requesting, she offered to contact the Repair Center to see if she could have them authorize dropping the charges. I waited on hold for several minutes until she came back and told me that she was very sorry but that although they have provided this service at no charge on occasion, it was only as "a courtesy" to certain customers, and they were not able to extend this offer to me.

Huh?

I asked her why these other customers, and a good number of them based on the forums I've been reading, have been receiving this courtesy, and why I could not. She said she didn't know, she only knew what the Repair Center told her. I asked to speak to her manager and she put me through to James.

I explained my situation to James, and explained again the fact that I knew that others had received this courtesy fix at no cost due to the issue becoming so widespread. James informed me that I was mistaken and that since the S2 IS was not listed on the Product Advisory List, that meant that Canon as a company would not be able to offer a free repair out of warranty for any reason under any circumstance. I asked how it was possible then that so many people had received that fix. James told me that he was certain he didn't know. I then pointed out to James that the woman who transferred me to him had told me that these courtesy fixes were indeed provided to some customers but that it just couldn't be provided to me. He told me that he was sure she must have been mistaken because it was an impossibility on all levels. He did offer me a 30% discount on the repair costs though.

Personally, I don't like James very much.

In the thread that I posted above one of the users had mentioned a manager named Nate at Canon who has authorized several of these courtesy repairs to be made "in good faith." Nate's number, in case anyone else is having this issue, is 800-828-4040 x9965. Apparently since that information was posted on the forum Nate has become increasingly difficult to get a hold of. I left him a message this afternoon and was assured I would hear back before day's end.

The biggest issue in this for me is that I am in the middle of researching dSLRs and as I mentioned above have had my heart set on the Canon Digital Rebel XT. The 35mm version has been so good to me, and I just absolutely love Canon's cameras. It has great ratings from current users and has features I'm already familiar with from my other Canons.. I just really want it! However, if this is the way that Canon treats their loyal customers when there is an issue with their products, I'm thinking I may need to finally switch teams and get myself a Nikon. Being in Marketing, and exceptionally sensitive to brand-loyalty, that prospect quite frankly makes me feel a little sick. Not that there is anything wrong with Nikon cameras; I've just always liked being a Canon girl. So I guess I am just venting here while I sit and wait for Nate's call, and hope against hope that they can resolve this issue for me so that I can continue to use and recommend my favorite camera brand. Please send your good thoughts my way for a cheerful outcome!!

Comments:

I have a PowerShot S2 IS which is having the same problem. I was going to buy the Digital Rebel but was scared by the price. I bought the PowerShot instead. (I later bought the Rebel after using a friends for a few days.) Needless to say, I was very disappointed when I pulled the PowerShot out of the closet to use for my Dad's 80th Birthday party to find out it crapped the bed. So much for Canon's good name. Give them the $$$$.

Comments:

Hi! I live in Australia and thinking of filing a suit with the fairtrading tribunal to add the S2IS to the Canon advisory. Could anyone send me an email with more details of their problems ? If Canon did fix this, can you also send me details of your repair ?

amish153 (at) hotmail (dot) com
Cheers!

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