IXUS 850 IS problem

[sean_in_singers]

Hi all, wondering if anybody has got any views. I have a IXUS 850 IS which I just put in for warranty repairs as there was a spec (looked like a dust bunny) on my photos. They replaced the lens to correct the problem.

I now have this strange problem which is a bit difficult to explain, and probably impossible to demonstrate when I take it back to Canon. It happens when I shoot during the day and I am in a heavily shaded area. The camera will operate fine (on auto), AF beam will work and flash will fire if required. Then for some reason the LCD display (as I am composing a shot) will go very dark, flash will not fire and I end up with a very dark photo.

Like I say, it's difficult to repeat, so after some view as to what might be the problem. I have reset all settings and there is nothing unusal (other than the result!)

Cheers Sean

[Jon]

SO, low light and first shot will be fine (always with flash? or sometimes not needing flash), then second shot goes dark (and won't flash no matter what)?

Which mode - full Auto or Camera M?
Are you in single shot or continuous?
Does the first shot always fire the flash?
How long are you allowing between shots?
Are you sure you never experienced this before the camera went back?
And did they replace the lens on your camera or replace the whole camera the last time they had it?

[sean_in_singers]

John,

Which mode - full Auto or Camera M?
Auto
Are you in single shot or continuous?
Single Shot
Does the first shot always fire the flash?
If needed
How long are you allowing between shots?
Sufficient time for the flash to recharge
Are you sure you never experienced this before the camera went back?
Never; 3K shots and haven't had this problem
And did they replace the lens on your camera or replace the whole camera the last time they had it?
Just the lens; body is the same.

Cheers
Sean

[Jon]

How long is "sufficient time for the flash to recharge"? What happens if you wait twice that long, say?

[sean_in_singers]

It's not a flash recycle issue. It has happened right after a shot where no flash was fired. I'll try to post a series of shots somewhere with EXIF to explain better. It is almost like the shutter/aperture are set as though expecting the flash to fire, however it doesn't and I end up with a dark shot. In one photo it is 1/800 at f2.8, in heavy shadows. There's no way unless a flash pops with that.

Cheers
Sean

[hrhhhh]

Hi Sean

Your thread on the darkening LCD is a long time ago now, but I'm experiencing the same problem on my Ixus 800. Did you ever resolve it, and if so how?

Malcolm (mjh_taylor@hotmail.com)

[muudzis]

Recently my camera has similar issues. At first I thought that it depends on what the camera see at the time of power on. If its pointed at bright sky, then all photos after that (even in shadows) ar really dark. But then I had similar issues with flash. The photos with flash ar really dark except the very little highlihted flash reflections. It seems that even if the bright area of something is very small on the image - the camera still tries to adjust to that bright spot instead of whole image.