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Had to RMA my basically brand new Canon 860 IS (SD 870IS Digital ELPH) compact camera. The problem was a vertical, bright line that appeared on screen (and photos more disturbingly). Canon support handled the return issue admirably though, sending me a pre-paid slip and clear instructions. But they only did so after I phoned the service shop directly and talked to them. The web info was a great deal more fuzzy, and instructed me to just send the product in with no RMA number and at my own expense.
Looking back through the archive I realize that the line has been there for the entire time I’ve had the camera. But you can only see it when shooting in poor lighting conditions, particularly indoors. It does not show in good lighting, like outdoors. Nor does it show (clearly) in complete darkness, which seems a little strange if it is a CCD error. Could it be a side-effect of the CCD or software bug?
I ought to get the camera back any day now. We’ll see if they could fix it or if they just replaced the camera.
May 27: Camera delivered door to door. BUT Canon had found none of the problems I described. Will do a second RMA tomorrow. Problem is still evident!
May 28: Uploaded example images to Canon Image Gateway (link ought to be valid for 30 days). Called tech support and made them look at the shots. Second RMA slip is being sent out.
June 11: Canon RCC phoned to say that they (or rather their German service shop) had failed to find the problem. Requested the above link to the example photos again so they could forward it to the service shop.
June 16: Camera returned. The "line" is still there. Canon couldn’t find the problem (!) Third RMA slip is being sent (!) WTF !? Uploaded a few more shots to the Canon Image Gateway.
June 30: Camera returned. PROBLEM SOLVED. Canon says it was a faulty CCD. Optical unit changed. Case closed. Now was that so hard?
