Why is my Canon SD500 emitting smoke from the flash?

[@dam]

Hi guys. I just moved to the desert. While house shopping, I noticed a burning scent. Later, I noticed that it was coming from the flash of my Canon SD500 compact point & shoot. Has anyone else ever had this problem? Is it going to fail on me soon?

Thanks
-@dam

[coldrain]

instead of asking us, why not just contact Canon? Don't you think a smoking camera already is a camera failing? I do not think you have to wait for it to fail :p.

[@dam]

because it is no longer under warranty and I don't feel like paying for support.

[jcon]

Either pay for the support or pay for a new camera. I think those are your only choices with a smoking camera no longer under warranty!

[cdifoto]

Just stop using flash if you don't want to pay for a repair. You'll be even more limited with its use but it's better than nothing, right?

[nedwardss]

Hey @dam,
I have the very same problem.
I got the camera only about two months ago so I'm taking to the vendor asap.
I'll let you know what happens.
Have you had any resolution to this?
N

[BonjiB]

The flash on a camera is a very powerful device and along with all that light it emmits a certain amount of heat. It's possible if the surface on your flash is crudy that it's just oils or something else unsavory burning off. Try getting some plain old rubbing alcohol on a papertowel or something and cleaning the surface of the flash off real well and see if that doesn't at least help. Does it smoke even on the first use or do you have to rack off a few shots before it starts smoking?

[OandG]

The same just happened to me and with the same model of camera - the 7.1 megapixels SD500. I bought it (used, but apparently in mint condition) yesterday. Soon after, I was trying it out at home, out of doors.

After a few pictures, I turned the zoom up to full to photograph a dark corner of the yard. I was holding the camera a foot or 18 inches in front of my face. When I pressed the shutter, the flash went off - which was not unexpected, seeing that the subject was a dark corner - but the flash was exceptionally bright, especially so because I noticed it even though I was standing in full daylight. Also the flash made a louder noise than I'd have expected - a bit like the noise of an electrical arc. Simultaneously I saw smoke rising from the camera.

I took another shot to see if it would happen again. It did. This time I saw that the smoke was coming from round or near the flash window. So I stopped using it (though I did download the pictures to my computer & they all seemed O.K.) & took the camera back to the store the following day i.e. today.

They tried using the flash several times, but didn't get a repeat of the smoke or of the extra-brilliant flash. However, they are a very reliable shop and they refunded my money.

I wonder - is there a defect in the design of this particular model?

O & G

[mresman]

My SD550 smokes as well. I just sent it to Canon, who gave it to engineers to evaluate, not onlythe service department, andthey could not reproduce the problem.

They suggested that dust collected inside of the flash unit and ignited when a heavy flash was used. Makes sense.

They told me not to put my SD550 pocket camera in my pocket - too much dust!

Fortunately it is under warranty, unfortunately I cannot return it for a refund. :(

I have never had a smoking flash before. I expect Canon did not seal the flash compartment well enough.

[OandG]

Did Canon re-seal the flash compartment or do anything else to make sure the camera wouldn't smoke again?

If they didn't, and the best they did was tell you to keep it free from dust, it sounds like a pretty poor way to honor their warranty.

O & G

[czarl]

Hi guys. I just moved to the desert. While house shopping, I noticed a burning scent. Later, I noticed that it was coming from the flash of my Canon SD500 compact point & shoot. Has anyone else ever had this problem? Is it going to fail on me soon?

Thanks
-@dam

You'll be glad to hear that my camera is doing the same thing (occasionally for about 6 months).

You won't be glad to hear mine is on warranty and on its way to Canon (after going through FutureShop)....hopefully they are sending me a shiny new camera.

[BowerR64]

My A70 does it only when the flash is on the max setting. I agree it could be dust of its just a quick burst of heat and its kinda burning the air around the bulb.

YOu have to remember the cap that discharges into that flash bulb is around 300-400 volts. Thats alot of freakin power for that little tiny flash to handle.

[OandG]

Interesting! A couple of weeks later I was again in the shop where I'd returned the smoking SD500 & asked it if had smoked again (it didn't on the day I returned it). They said they'd persisted using the flash - and that while it didn't exactly smoke, it did begin to emit a strong, acrid burning smell. So it's been sent to Canon to see what they'll do about it.

Since then I've bought a used SD400 on eBay. I'm hoping it won't exhibit the same problem.

[PixBySullivan]

I was at a wedding this holiday weekend and my camera was emitting streams puffs of smoke with each picture. :confused: People around me could smell the burning and it took us all a sec to realize it was the flash. I even waited an hour to use it again and it still smoked. :( I have been reading your replies and am very puzzled why CANON would place a flash in their camera that would do this. I have used may different digital camera and have never come across this type of problem. A burned out flash, maybe. Yet, a flash that starts to burn its casing/ wires or other after multi use?! What kinda horse poop is this? Thats like some one buying that new PS3 and the dealer or manufacturer saying- "yeah, if you play it too much than the drive will start to smoke." Cameras are suppost to be able to take multipule pix and... yes... use the flash. I've used those Kodak easyshare cameras and taken picture after picture for sometimes ten mins. Never any smoke or burning. Just a filled up disk and drained batt. Sorry for the rant, but am I the only one who thinks this is re-d*ck-ulous.:mad: I understand that there is so much a company can be responsible for- but please. Maybe a big note on the packaging that says do not use flash more than once every 2 hours.:D mmmm... no one would buy the camera.(Its not even in the trouble shooting area.) Maybe they didn't know. Oh well. So much for factory tests.

[czarl]

Well my camera finally came back and Canon was going to replace the flash, but I guess they ran out of time and shipped it back broken?

At any rate, it was out for more than 60 days, so FutureShop automatically replaces it.

They are supposed to match feature for feature, but the SD500 is a 7MP / 3x zoom camera and they replaced it with a SD630 6MP / 3x zoom camera.
I am still trying to convince them to replace with a SD800 (7 MP / 4x zoom)

Wish me luck !!

[OandG]

I woudn't want an SD 630 either, but my reason is that it doesn't have an eye-level optical view finder, whereas the SD 500 does.

I would never buy any camera that didn't have an eye-level viewfinder of some sort. The SD 630 is absolutely not in my estimation, an adequate replacement for your SD 500.

I think you're entitled to a full refund. But that may be difficult to get - my one and only experience with Future Shop (several years ago) convinced me never to buy anything from them ever again.

[mikedmiethe]

I am having the same problem! I hope that the power shot sd 500 dont blow up in my face cannon wont replace it!
So if someone gets hurt from using the power shot sd500 well you can ges what I will do i dont have the money to by another one If I would have knowen nthis camrua would last only 5 years i would not bought it :mad::eek::(:confused:

[Paradox]

Only 5 years? It's a cheap camera, not a car. Consumer electronics go out of date very fast so aren't designed to last particularly long. In some cases they are designed not to last very long, and I imagine cheap compacts fit into that category for all manufacturers these days. Google 'planned obsolescence'.

On another note, if you've used the flash a fair bit over the period of course it's going to die. The flash is a very small component and frequently has a large quantity of energy dumped into it, it's going to wear out. Complaining that it's failed after 5 years is like being irritated at having to replace your light bulbs once in a while. Oh and it doesn't channel enough power to hurt anyone, so luckily you won't be able to sue anyone over it.