problems with new a75

[kaido]

I just got a Canon PowerShot A75, which I really like. My friend has one and after doing some research I decided to buy one. However, I have two problems with it:

1. The backlight has two very noticable lights on the bottom. They shine up from the bottom like two little flashlights. I don't recall seeing this on my friend's a75, is this normal? Here's a (bad) picture of it:

http://www.kaido.net/temp/backlight.jpg

They are much brighter in real life and are very prominent in low-light situations. My mom has a cruddy Kodak digital camera and her LCD is way better than this. A75 owners - does yours look like this?

2. The camera started making a funny noise when the lens is used, such as when the camera starts up, shuts down, or tries to focus. It didn't do this at first. I muted all the sounds and it still makes it. It sounds like something is grinding, in a bad way. For example, when the camera is first turned on, the lens comes out, and once it's fully out, it goes creak-creak. It doesn't sound too healthy, but maybe I just never noticed this on my friend's camera. I recorded the noise with my headset. This is what it sounds like with the camera sounds on and the creak-creak and grinding noises. I turned it on, let the lens come out and sit for a second, then shut it off. Here's the link:

http://www.kaido.net/temp/hi_temp/canon.wav

If these things are normal, please let me know, otherwise I'll RMA it on Monday. Thanks!

[kaido]

Ah, found this thread:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=53655

I think I'll exchange it.

[link26]

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=54721

check out my thread. I started to have weird noises on mine after about 7 months.
Mine doesn't sound as bad as yours though....

[kaido]

thanks, that's good to know. I'm going to exchange mine tomorrow (bought it off Newegg). The camera hasn't been out of my house, no exposure at all, just happens to be a bad one I guess. I remember reading that one motherboard manufacturer allows for like 1% error or something, which I though was small, but it turns out it's thousands of motherboards that are just dead. It's just the nature of electronics -- good, broke, or soon going to be broke, lol.

I really like the A75 tho, so I will definately do an exchange. I was playing with shutter speeds and taking pictures of water from the faucet, got some cool "frozen water" type shots. Nice to have a camera with options :)

[Zekevarg]

I experience exactly the same sounds. I cannot remember if the camera made the same sound 3 weeks ago when it was new. The sound does not worry me that much; after some experiments with the zoom I found that the sound seems to originate with the AF-system. No problems with speed or bad pictures, I guess I'll just continue using the camera and see what happens.

I did however notice that the outmost lens barrel is slightly loose and can be wiggled sideways about half a millimetre, this gets worse if the barrel is extended to maximum zoom. Are your lens barrels equally loose?

I do really enjoy using the a-75 :-) Hope mine's not broken.

Cheers, Zeke

[snappychic]

My A75 has those 2 little lights at the bottom of the screen but its not very noticable I hadn't even noticed until I read your post. As for the clicking noise. That is the camera focusing when you zoom in and out. If you notice, when you hold the shutter button half way for the camera to focus it makes the same sound. I contacted technical support just out of curiousity after reading another post and they said those noises are perfectly normal and you shouldn't worry as long as your camera is functioning properly.

Much luck to ya!

[Pugdaddy]

I have the same deal with the 2 lights and the noise but that lens being loose doesn't happen on mine. It doesn't wiggle at all. That doesn't sound good, Zeke. Better get that checked out.