S400 Finish Wearing Off

[Russell]

The finish on my new S400 started wearing off at the corners almost immediately after I got it. I have sent it back to the factory and am waiting to see how they handle it. Does anyone else seem to be having this problem? The coating was supposed to be an improvement, but I never had any trouble with the S230. I hope they start making a stainless cover for it.
Russ

[michelle]

I thought the S400 has a stainless steel body with a super hard coating over it. That's what the Canon website says. I have a G2 but would like to get a S400 or S45 because they are smaller than the G2 and I only seem to take point and shoot type pictures.

[Russell]

Canon just returned my S400. The turn around time was 20 days which is not too bad. They did tell me 3 weeks. They sent it back fixed, but without any explanation. I would have liked to know if the new case has been reworked to alleviate a future problem, or if they just slapped a new cover on it. Actually they may have replaced the entire camera. It's hard to tell, but I hope it is a more permanent fix. If it starts to wear off again, I'll just live with it.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Wow,.. I have been eyeing this camera as a pocket cam,. and quite frankly I was attracted to its "Durable" finish. :(

I will be interested to see how it holds up?

[Tom W]

I have the S400 and haven't noticed any finish problems. I think that the original poster may have gotten a bad one. I'll keep an eye on mine though.

[lasercomp]

Russell wrote:
Canon just returned my S400. The turn around time was 20 days which is not too bad. They did tell me 3 weeks. They sent it back fixed, but without any explanation. I would have liked to know if the new case has been reworked to alleviate a future problem, or if they just slapped a new cover on it. Actually they may have replaced the entire camera. It's hard to tell, but I hope it is a more permanent fix. If it starts to wear off again, I'll just live with it.

Russell,
I am also an owner of the S400 and was wondering if you kept your camera in the S400 case? If you did keep it in the case and only held it while taking pics then i think you had a defective camera body. If you kept it in your pocket without any protection then it is possible that the finish can wear off in time.

[michelle]

But I thought the casing was made of some kind of mixture of ceramic material and stainless that was supposed to be very durable and scratch resistant. You wouldn't think it could "rub"off.

[Russell]

Hi Guys,
It is apparently not an isolated problem, as it has been discussed on the other Canon forum. I use an aftermarket leather case of the same kind that I also use for my two S230's. The S230's I used for over six months without so much as a scuff or scratch. I also do carry it in my Jeans pocket without the case sometimes, but like I said, no problems with the S230 getting the same usage. This problem was actually a wearing off of the finish starting in the corners that looked like the camera was worn through extensive use over the years.
Other than that I highly recommend the S400. It has been a ton of fun even though I am strictly a P&S family/vacation type user.

[hawkster]

michelle wrote:
But I thought the casing was made of some kind of mixture of ceramic material and stainless that was supposed to be very durable and scratch resistant. You wouldn't think it could "rub"off.

No, you wouldn't, would you? But wear off it does! Scratches easily too. I was carrying my S400 in my pants pocket, like I do my cell phone. Big mistake. The front of the camera is made of stainless steel, and regardless of how high-tech it may be, the finish is still nothing more than paint. The back of the camera seems to be both unpainted, and more durable. My solution: I called Canon parts and ordered a new faceplate. $45+$9 shipping. Yikes. I didn't want to be without the camera, so I decided to replace it myself. Of course, I don't recommend that you do the same. Should you decide to, however, all you need is a jeweler's Philips screwdriver and steady nerves. Before you begin, make a diagram of where the screws go. They are not all the same size or color. Be sure to remove all of the screws, including the two that don't seem to be involved with holding the faceplate in place. The two halves of the exterior can then be pulled apart, and the new faceplate installed. I'm going to go buy a case for the camera this afternoon.

[michelle]

I got the S400 case as soon as I bought the S400...I got it off ebay..with extra battery. The case is made for the elph so it fits perfectly..and you can still put it in your front pants pocket if you want. I do. I think the case and battery were only $35.00 US...and it's a Canon battery! In any case, the finish on my S400 is perfect and I've had it going on 3 months.