Digicam Vendors Replace Faulty Sensors

Sony and four other digital camera makers have announced plans to replace faulty image-sensor devices found in more than a hundred different models of digital camcorders and digital cameras.

The affected image sensors, called charge coupled devices (CCDs), are used to capture an image for a digital camera or camcorder. Light passes through the lens of a camera and strikes the CCD, which converts the light into electrons. In the case of the faulty CCDs, the sensor does not capture images normally.

Images Distorted

"When the product is used in camera mode, the LCD panel and/or electronic viewfinder exhibits either a distorted image or no image," writes Yoshikazu Ochiai, a spokesperson for Sony, in an e-mail alert about the problem. "If adhesion on the bonding face which connects semiconductor chip and [the] package's terminal comes off, the above-mentioned symptom occurs."

More than 100 models of cameras and camcorders, as well as one personal digital assistant manufactured by Sony, are potentially affected by the fault, Ochiai said. Model numbers of the affected cameras vary by region.

The affected CCDs were manufactured by Sony between October 2002 and March 2004, Ochiai said, adding that not all of the CCDs produced during this period are defective. Sony is offering free repairs for cameras that display the symptoms of the faulty CCDs.

Customers who are concerned whether their camera may be affected should consult the Sony Web page for their region to determine whether their specific model may contain a faulty CCD, Sony said.

Canon, Konica Minolta, Nikon, Fujifilm Affected

Sony is not the only digital camera maker to face the problem of faulty CCDs. Canon, Konica Minolta, Nikon, and Fujifilm have also announced plans to replace faulty CCDs in their cameras. In statements posted online, all four companies describe symptoms like those caused by the faulty CCDs used in Sony's cameras and offer to replace faulty CCDs for their customers.

The root cause of the problem is not immediately clear. Not all of the affected CCDs were manufactured by Sony. In the case of Fujifilm, some of the faulty CCDs were manufactured by Fujifilm while others were not, said Mizuki Itou, a spokesperson for the company in Tokyo. She declined to comment on the reason that the CCDs did not operate properly or who the company's CCD suppliers were.

Canon spokesperson Suzanne Ueda said her company found the faulty CCDs were mostly limited to models sold in Southeast Asia and the problem had been exacerbated by high temperatures and high humidity. She declined to comment when asked which company had manufactured the faulty devices.