Sony NEX-7: good problem to have, and my options

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howard
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p.1 #1 · Sony NEX-7: good problem to have, and my options

Hi, greetings!

This Christmas I got an unexpected present: a Sony NEX-7 mirrorless camera with a 18-200 lens. It is lightly used (about 2000 clicks) and was given to me by my friend who is a business person who is not very picky with pictures (this is an important point, read on).

Now this is a beautiful camera and I am sure it is a capable one too. Unfortunately, after taking some pictures, I realized that it has a problem: in all the pictures there is a thin vertical line (about 1 pixel wide). The line is perfectly vertical and appears in exactly the same location in all pictures, the only exception being when the background is of a uniform color (e.g. blue sky), then the line disappears.

I post the following pictures to illustrate:

This image is copyrighted by the owner

After some thinking and posting on another forum, I've concluded that there is something wrong with the sensor and/or the circuitry in the camera. My reasoning is that: if this was a scratch on the lens, or even the sensor, it wouldn't be perfectly vertical. I also inspected the sensor and the lens and both seem to be scratch-free.

Since my friend did not give me the receipt or the warranty card, now I have a problem (albeit a "good problem" to have): what are my options now?

Should I send it to Sony for repair at my own expense? I do not know how much this would cost ...
Or maybe I should just sell it or trade it in; I am sure it is a fine camera, but for me who's used to SLRs, it does seem to be a different beast ...
Or is there a way for me to manually "map out" the pixels on the vertical line?

Like I said, this is a "good problem" to have; a free camera is a free camera

and I am not complaining. But I do appreciate your input as what I should do now.

Thanks in advance,
Howard

Dec 25, 2012 at 01:51 PM

Paul Mo
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p.1 #2 · Sony NEX-7: good problem to have, and my options

I'd decide how much it was worth to me - whether or not I wanted to keep and use it - and then I would decide if I wanted to foot the repair bill. Would I get, for example, $150 worth of use out of it; if that was the cost of repair?

Dec 25, 2012 at 02:23 PM

carstenw
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p.1 #3 · Sony NEX-7: good problem to have, and my options

Presumably the friend still has the receipt. Get him/her to send it in for you.

Dec 25, 2012 at 03:15 PM

Mescalamba
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p.1 #4 · Sony NEX-7: good problem to have, and my options

RMA via him. Sensor replacement is very expensive.

Dec 25, 2012 at 11:32 PM

Shutterbug2006
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p.1 #5 · Sony NEX-7: good problem to have, and my options

I think that cam was only released in January of this year, so it would be eligible for warranty service provided you can give them a copy of the dated proof of purchase.

Dec 26, 2012 at 09:10 AM

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