[Keith_R]

Hey all, I purchased my first digital camera on Monday, a Canon A530. I purchased a case to go with the camera and took it for it's first it's first outing yesterday on my trip to Disney in Orlando. The camera preformed well and seems to be a nice camera that is capable of a good picture.

However, one minor thing that is bugging me is that since yesterday I've noticed two spots on the inside of the LCD screen. The spots don't show up in pictures on the computer but are definently there on the camera. I can't tell if it is dust inside the screen or if the LCD is possibly defective. If the LCD screen is turned off than the spot show up as two white dots. What does this sound like, dust or a defectve LCD? can I fix it myself or is it worth exchanging my camera for another one? Thanks!

[Jude Faelnar]

I am not an expert on this but if I may hazard a guess, the problem you are describing might be "lit pixel" phenomenon.

This is discussed here.:

Quote:

There are two phenomenon [sic] which define a defective LCD pixel: a "lit" pixel, which appears as a red, blue and/or green dot on an all-black background; or a "missing" or "dead" pixel, which appears as a black dot on all-white backgrounds... The "lit" pixel phenomenon, more common than "missing/dead" pixels, results when a transistor occasionally shorts on and results in a permanently "turned-on" (red, green or blue) sub-pixel. There are some possible corrective measures, such as "killing" a transistor using a laser during the manufacturing process, however, this just creates black dots, which would appear on a white background. Fixing the transistor itself is not possible after assembly. Turned on or "lit" sub-pixels are a fairly common occurrence in LCD manufacturing and do not, in and of themselves, mean that the finished panel will not deliver a high quality image.

If its bothering you enough, I'd have the unit replaced.

[Scott Kimball]

If the camera is actually powered down when you see the "white dots" - I would not suspect stuck pixels. Dust is more likely, and would generally appear as dark spots when the LCD is on, and light spots when it is off.

Usually, the plastic face of the LCD is attached with a low-tack adhesive. The actual screen lies behind. It isn't uncommon for dust to get sandwiched in between during assembly.

Where the camera is brand new, you could try and take it back to where you got it for an exchange - though they may not accept that minor a blemish as a defect.

In no way am I suggesting that you do this, as you may damage the plastic screen cover more by trying... but a small suction cup is often all that is needed to pull the cover off. You could then clean and replace it. Given the likelihood of damaging the plastic cover, you may not want to bother - or be prepared to order a new cover from Canon (they provide replacements for some of their camera models for around $10). I would check on availability for your model before attempting a fix.

-Scott

[Keith_R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Kimball

If the camera is actually powered down when you see the "white dots" - I would not suspect stuck pixels. Dust is more likely, and would generally appear as dark spots when the LCD is on, and light spots when it is off.

Usually, the plastic face of the LCD is attached with a low-tack adhesive. The actual screen lies behind. It isn't uncommon for dust to get sandwiched in between during assembly.

Where the camera is brand new, you could try and take it back to where you got it for an exchange - though they may not accept that minor a blemish as a defect.

In no way am I suggesting that you do this, as you may damage the plastic screen cover more by trying... but a small suction cup is often all that is needed to pull the cover off. You could then clean and replace it. Given the likelihood of damaging the plastic cover, you may not want to bother - or be prepared to order a new cover from Canon (they provide replacements for some of their camera models for around $10). I would check on availability for your model before attempting a fix.

-Scott

Thanks for the info, what you're describing sounds more similar to what I'm experiencing rather than stuck pixels. From the sounds of it this is a pretty common problem and could probably happen to another camera if I were to exchange this one for a different model.

I don't like the sounds of trying to fix it myself so I will probably either exchange the camera or just keep it as is. I'm really enjoying it though and it seems to be a great camera despite this minor blemish.