Monday, August 20, 2007

Lights! Camera! Action!

On August 5, I celebrated my 8-year anniversary of quitting smoking. Sometime at the beginning of the month, I ordered my anniversary gift--as I have done every year since 'the day.' My gift to myself is always something that I WANT and don't really NEED. This year was no different. The gift I selected this year was a hockey jersey with 'my boy's' name and number on it: 51-Filppula. I am happy.

So, my girls had to listen to me go on and on about this jersey from the time I began thinking about getting it to deciding to order it and through the ordering process and the wait for it to be delivered. The day it was delivered, I decided to spare them having to listen to me again, so I was going to take a picture and send it to them. This would keep me from having to mention the jersey to them and them having to try to pretend any interest in what I was saying. :)

I pulled out the digital camera to take the pic and, wouldn't you know it, the LCD monitor was showing a distorted image. It looked very Dali-esque (The Persistence of Memory)--'melting' colors--except it was more geometric and not as rounded as colors in the Dali painting. I thought maybe the problem was with the batteries, so I changed those. No help. Then I thought maybe the PICTURE would be fine and it was just the monitor that was screwed up, but that wasn't the case, either--the pic came out looking like the image on the monitor.

Of course, my first thought is pessimistic: the camera is four years old, so it must be garbage. This led me to researching new cameras--one of which I found that would be a good replacement for the Canon. But, before I ordered the new camera, I decided to see if there was any way to fix the old one. Wouldn't you know it, there WAS a known problem with the CCD image sensor in some of the Canon cameras and that is what this seemed to be. (As an aside: this is the SECOND camera of mine to have a faulty CCD sensor. The camcorder (NOT a Canon) needed to be fixed for the same problem--that is why I couldn't use it for A's wedding last year!) This little bit of info led me to call Canon to find out how I could have the camera fixed.

I decided to use the toll-free number and contact support by phone. It usually is a quicker way to do things. Surprise of all surprises, my call was answered immediately by a real, live person! I explained the problem I was having and he agreed that it sounded like the CCD sensor. He took some info from me and said I would get the rest of the instructions for sending in the camera by email. This call took place late in the day on Friday. On Monday, I got an email with the instructions AND I got a printable address label to be put on the package. I was to send the camera in POSTAGE PAID and it would be fixed for free. All this for a camera that is four years old, that has been out of warranty forever, and that I paid less than $300 for. I think I like this company!

The camera reached Canon on Friday, so I am waiting to hear from them this week. I am very impressed with the service I received. Oh, and yes, I ordered the new camera. It will be here on Tuesday. And it ISN'T a Canon! (Ooops!)

3 comments:

  1. You'll have to let us know how you like it!

    btw - happy stop smoking anniversary!

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  2. I had my last ever ciggie at 6pm on Friday 19th July, 2002, having been a smoker for 33 years apart from giving up twice for a few months only. I know that if I were to start having a social life again and mixing with people that smoke, I would probably start again. I have no willpower these days at all, and I have been fighting with my weight ever since too. Both times I failed for the above reason, the second time after abstaining for 9 months, then I met my partner. If I hadn't split from him I would still be smoking, I know it.

    My friend Irene also had similar wonderful service from Canon over here with her camcorder, sounds like the same problem, way out of warranty too, and they fixed it free of charge, post paid. Nice to get good customer service these days.

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  3. sue: Definitely will be talking about the new camera, I'm sure! :) (Thanks for the congrats!)

    jan: I have always said that I CAN'T have even ONE cigarette, because I would start up again. (I smoked for 30+ years, too.) And if I ever started smoking again, I would die with a cigarette in my hand, cause I KNOW I would never quit again. I think this is the only thing that keeps me away from smoking.

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