Canon G9 wont power on. Time bomb
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009 | Author: admin
So my G9 stopped working this weekend… It was working fine all day when I went back to turn it on it just wouldnt (I recharged the battery hoping it would be the cause of the problem….but it wasnt). So after searching the web and finding lots of other people with the same problem I stumbled upon:
http://www.myfixtips.com/blog/digital-camera/who-killed-my-g9-133.htm
Canon G9 defect
Canon G9 defect
This great guide basically shows that the G9s were assembled without using screw lock gel to keep the screws from loosening. So if you have a G9 for over a year chances are that there are two screws inside the camera that are hanging loose and will soon fall and shortcircuit your camera’s DC or main board.
I dis-assembled mine using that guide and found the same exact thing pictured on the guide. One of the screws was still attached (barely) the other was inbetween the circuit boards and had already short circuit my board. I emailed Canon tech support and havent heard back from them yet. It seems that people that sent the cameras back for repair get charged ~$250 for this. It seems crazy that a manufactor design flaw that is in effect a timebomb is not covered by a recall. I’m a long time Canon user and the handling of this will affect my opinion of further purchases/recomendations of this brand.
The Canon G10 is basically the same design…. will it be affected?
**UPDATE** 6/18/2009
I sent it in, and explained the problem (out of warranty) they wanted to charge $180. After speaking with an manager they said they would fix it free of charge without a warranty on the repair.
Canon handled my concerns and was able to help me. I really appreciate the service and will continue to support them by purchasing/recomending their products.
**UPDATE** 11/02/2009
My G9 died again last weekend same symptoms, same problem… I called then again and they want $150 for the repair which sounds crazy for a flaw that was never addressed. I’m really disapointed with Canon and the next upgrade I will switch to Nikon over this. I cant support a company that does not stand behind their products/customers.
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Thursday, 6. August 2009
My G9 is not powering on and I suspect the same problem. I am checking with Canon prior to opening up the camera. I also noticed screws missing from the tripod socket. Does yours have these missing? The first 5 digits in my serial number are 63213, is this close to yours?
Thanks…Paul
Friday, 7. August 2009
Hi Paul, I’ll check on the serial later today.
Mine was missing one of the screws from the tripod too… (they replaced it)
Chances are that its been shorted out by the same defect. If you giggle it can you hear anything loose inside? mine did but yours might not.
Sunday, 9. August 2009
I did take the front cover off and I can see a loose screw on the board http://twitpic.com/d3m4q. I am going to send it in to Canon.
Sunday, 9. August 2009
Just let them know its a known defect with these model camera’s. If they want you to still pay for it ask to speak with the supervisor and explain that you’re a loyal Canon customer and they should comply with the repair. The manager I spoke too was understanding.
Wednesday, 26. August 2009
Dear Sir,
I am a student from India, being impressed on your approach to rectify your Canon G9 camera, I look for your support to solve a similar problem of mine. The loosened screw being a design problem which you have convinced them to get your camera free serviced. But for the same problem Canon people are not agreeing to serve free , even with your reference. Here they want the response reference from canon which was sent to you. If that is seen they will consider my request to service my camera also free .
Could you please mail me your earlier correspondence from canon which will convince these people to consider my case. Seeking your immediate response please.
Wednesday, 26. August 2009
Hey Oisik, sorry to hear that…. all I did was copied the report from the site and emailed it. Once the repair center received the camera they sent me a bill so I called and spoke to a manager and we reached an agreement. Its a clear fault on the camera as long as you can provide them with other cases they should be able to see the problem. But this does not mean they will fix it for free.
I really hate to see Canon screw customers that paid top Dollar (Rupee) for the top-end compact camera.
I wish you luck…
Monday, 14. September 2009
I sent mine to the Illinois service center and received a note saying it was going to cost $149 dollars to repair. They said they have not encountered many of these problems, but that they would repair mine at no charge, since it was only a few months out of warranty. I did not have to mention that I have been a long time customer (S50, G9, D30, 10D, 20D, 40D and 1DMiiN). This was my first issue with a Canon product and they handled it well.
Monday, 14. September 2009
Thats great Paul I also sent mine to the Illinois center and I also mentioned my laundry list of Canon stuff (10D, 20D, 40D, 5dmkii, “L” lenses and EX flashes…) I guess that makes a difference.
Cool I’m glad it worked for you too…
I’m contemplating opening mine again to make sure the screws have been locked correctly…
Wednesday, 24. March 2010
I used the camera repair services of CamerasAndParts.com recently and was very pleased with the service that I received for the problem described here. The technician who did the repair work called me and explained the whole process and what was needed. He explained my options and the nature of the problem. He also explained that he would do some additional adjustments for free, which would likely make the camera take better pictures than when I first got it, since he would adjust the camera settings precisely to the manufacturer’s standards, instead of allowing for a margin of error, which is how the cameras are sent out new. And then, finally, he was sympathetic to my unique circumstances—departure for Iraq, etc.—and upgraded their postal return for free. In the end, though, I got the camera back much later than I had been told was likely, which was a disappointment, though understandable in light of the holiday rush for camera repairs. I would gladly use the services of CamerasAndParts.com again and want to recommend them to the readers here.
Wednesday, 24. March 2010
How much did they charge you? was it a G9?