
Phillip of Seguin, TX on Oct. 15, 2007
My failed camera is a Fuji Fine Pix S7000. The CCD circuitry failed. I live in a high humidity and heat environment in central Texas. I contacted the Fuji Repair Department On October 15, 2007 and the telephone assistant will not provide any specific information other than telling me just to send it in to them.
I carried the camera to Fujifilm's camera repair center in San Antonio, Texas (Havel's Camera Service). Havel's Camera Technician examined the camera and within one minute explained to me that the camera was failing because of a known defective CCD imaging circuitry problem. He explained that the CCD in question was sealed in epoxy that dries in high humidity and high heat areas. When this happens, humidity is allowed to reach the CCD and imaging circuitry and it corrodes the circuitry. The CCD circuitry then fails. He suggested that this has happened to several brands of digital cameras and that they should have used glass to seal the CCD circuitry in.
There are known product recalls on many models of digital cameras including Fuji digital cameras. There is a classs action suit against Canon and another manufacturer for this problem but I am not sure Fuji is included.
At that time, I was informed that the repair bill is $275.00 plus to fix this problem, although it should be replaced free of charge!
When I contacted the support person at Fujifilm USA on October 15, 2007, I was treated very arrogantly by a female assistant. First, the person I spoke with was rude and evasive, told me I was talking too loud ( I have a hearing problem left ear) and she was not helpful. I mentioned all the recalls and she would not comment.
These companies are ripping consumers off and they should make good on their products. Especially since consumers were paying huge dollars$$$. My camera cost in excess of $700.00 when I purchased it.
Not only will I never purchase a FUJI product, I am probably going to avoid any purchase of digital cameras because I have learned that these corporations are not ethical and will lie to consumers and consumer protection agencies.
I have owned that camera for a bit less than three years when the CCD circuitry failed. The technician at Havel's told me it was the imaging circuitry. When I suggested CCD, he responded, Yes, CCD circuitry.
I don't know who to turn to, but I should never have to pay for a defective part or labor to replace it. I am agreeable to shipping costs but that's it.
I have lost $700.00 and now, I'll have to replace that camera because one is frequently required. That will require an outlay of another $400.00 or more to purchase another camera. If I have to fix the defective camera, I can expect to pay $330.00 with shipping and insurance to fix something that I didn't break and should not have failed. It is a defective camera with defective parts. I will lose several weeks of ownership during this ordeal.
When I purchased the camera from Ritz/Wolf Camera in San Antonio, Texas, I asked the salesman if the camera would be suited for indoor AND outdoor use in Texas during all seasons. He agreed it was a great camera. I agreed to his full sales price based upon the fact that it would be usable and fit for my stated purposes. Today, the camera will not work because humidty and Texas heat destroyed the CCD. Nobody mentioned the problems the other models were experiencing and I found other S7000 cameras with the same failure via Internet searches. My camera failed with the same problem experienced by several different brands of cameras and Fuji cameras.