Purple photos: is my camera dead?

[autorelease]

I've had a Canon PowerShot SD800 IS for nearly three years and it's handled all my abuse (moderate exaggeration) like a champ.

Today I turned it on and found that the image preview on the LCD, and therefore the photos taken, were practically monochrome with a strong purple tint. It's not the screen; photos I've taken previously show up fine in playback mode. I tried all the white balance settings, and no fancy color effects are on.

Is the image sensor dead, or is it fixable in some way?

If it's the former, I need a new camera. As much as I want a DSLR, I need a tiny camera I can just throw in my pocket or backpack. Any recommendations?Good low-light/no-flash performance and manual shutter speed and aperture would be a plus.

 

[jared_kipe]

Often when things like this happen, it is that a cable is slightly ajar in the camera. Let someone who is comfortable opening and working on small electronics give it a look over.

 

[FX120]

Yeah, it sounds like your camera is shot.

About the closest you can get to a SLR, while remaning compact are some of the new Micro 4/3's cameras, but even those aren't something you'd want to toss into a back pocket.

IMO one of the nicest cameras in the PnS range right now is the Powershot G10, or even the G9.

Panasonic also has some *very* nice and pretty inexpensive PnS cameras out right now in their lumix line. Their relationship with Leica has really worked out well. The LX3 is a superb camera.

 

[gkarris]

I've had a Canon PowerShot SD800 IS for nearly three years and it's handled all my abuse (moderate exaggeration) like a champ.

Today I turned it on and found that the image preview on the LCD, and therefore the photos taken, were practically monochrome with a strong purple tint. It's not the screen; photos I've taken previously show up fine in playback mode. I tried all the white balance settings, and no fancy color effects are on.

Is the image sensor dead, or is it fixable in some way?

If it's the former, I need a new camera. As much as I want a DSLR, I need a tiny camera I can just throw in my pocket or backpack. Any recommendations?Good low-light/no-flash performance and manual shutter speed and aperture would be a plus.

Your old camera's shot.

Olympus PEN...

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1461

 

[ChrisA]

Often when things like this happen, it is that a cable is slightly ajar in the camera. Let someone who is comfortable opening and working on small electronics give it a look over.

Like they told me in CPR class "Don't worry to much about hurting the person. He's already dead. You can't make it worse but just maybe better if you try.

Sounds like the green channel went out. Likely a micro size broken solder joint or a 2 cent part failed and shorted to ground.

Keep the camera. It's still a great memory card viewer. And a nice toy for a preschool age kid.

 

[autorelease]

I've heard good things about the G10, and I'm going to borrow one from a co-worker this weekend.

Out of curiosity, I might crack open my old camera and poke around in it with a soldering iron anyway.

 

[TheReef]

If it is dead…you might want to convert it to an IR camera by taking the IR filter from in front of the sensor out - when doing this photos appear pinkish (and foliage white), which won't make much use of the green channel anyway.