In a heartbreaking loss for the many consumers affected by faulty Canon cameras, a United States District Court judge in New York has decided not to allow a class action lawsuit against Canon.
"He (the judge) considered only the defendant's version," Richard Doherty, the lawyer who filed the case, said.
Doherty was seeking to file a class action case against Canon because many of their cameras have a number of known defects.
Probably the most commonly known defect is the E18 error. Every camera with a zoom lens feature has what is called a bellows claw. This part is essentially the gear that physically extends and retracts the lens.
Doherty said a piece that holds the lens, the barrier plate, is not large enough and can sometimes cause the bellows claw to malfunction, resulting in a stuck lens and a message on the LCD screen that says: "E18."
ConsumerAffairs.com has received over 60 complaints about Canon cameras failing. It is almost the same story every time.
"I bought a Canon Powershot digital camera to take family pictures and upload to my computer," wrote Lupe of Salinas, Calif. "I have had it for just over a year. It took great pictures and then one day I got 'e18' on the display screen. It will not turn on or do anything else. I emailed cannon and they want $155 to repair. This camera cost almost $300."
Canon cameras also have a known defect with their Charge-Coupled Device (CCD). The CCD is to digital cameras what film is to 35mm. It captures the light and converts it to a form that can be understood by a computer and finally, the user. Canon's CCD can sometimes yield blurred images or distorted colors.
In April of 2005, ConsumerAffairs.com reported that Canon's Asian website admitted there was a problem associated with the Sony-made CCD found in Canon's cameras. Canon still has not made this news public to U.S. consumers.
One other known issue is that the LCD screen found on the back of the camera is prone to breaking. Canon increased the size of the screen, but did not increase its support -- meaning it takes less pressure to crack.
To make matters worse, the case that comes with many cameras is often the cause of the LCD cracking. The case does not indicate which way the camera should be placed. There is a snap-on button on one side. If the user chooses wrong and places the camera LCD in the case facing the button, that button with the right amount of pressure can crack the screen.
Finally, Canon cameras also have issues with memory cards that store the photos.
When a digital camera takes a photo, it sends the image to a flash memory card for storage. If the photo does not arrive in the memory within a set time period, the photo is lost.
Some flash memory cards require more time than others. However, Canon has set their cameras to send the photo in 100 milliseconds, or one tenth of a second. Some memory cards require more time than this and thus, the camera will not work with those cards. Doherty said Canon has offered fixes for some of their cameras to fix this problem, but not others.
"I don't see any reason why it needs to be set that fast," Doherty said.
Documentation proves that Canon is well aware of the defects in their cameras, but is doing nothing for the consumers who purchased these cameras, Doherty, of Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates, a Chicago law firm, said.
"Canon has refused to stand behind the cameras, and offers consumers who paid approximately $400 for what they thought was a high-quality digital camera the option of a repair costing at least $150 or the opportunity to purchase a refurbished, used camera for $175," Doherty told ConsumerAffairs.com in November 2005 when he originally filed for class status.
Although Doherty has appealed the judge's decision, he said he does not know how long it will take before the appeal is considered.
What To Do
Canon-lovers, what are your options? Well, be sure to hang onto your purchase receipt. Keep a copy of your warranty. Keep copies of any repair records. And keep your fingers crossed. It's always possible you'll be one of the lucky ones who cameras don't experience any of these problems.
If your camera does fail, notify Canon in writing, citing this article and the numerous complaints on our site. File a complaint with ConsumerAffairs.com. Complaints filed with our site are made available to class-action attorneys, including Doherty.
If you are willing to spend a little time and a few dollars, head for your local Small Claims Court and file against Canon. Check our state-by-state listings to learn more.
Are there more reliable cameras out there? Maybe, but it's important to note that the internal workings of most digital cameras are pretty much the same, and are often manufactured by the same supplier. It's the optics and the "packaging" that differentiate one brand from another.
Digital cameras are arguably more convenient than film cameras and, while they are generally more expensive to buy, they may be cheaper to use over the long run, depending on what process you use to print your photos. But more reliable they're not, at least not yet.
For those can't-miss moments, it's still a good idea to keep a small film camera in pocket or purse. Nothing beats a back-up.
