Help Please - my new Samsung D85 camera

ShowmetheMoney

I recently bought the Samsung D85 from Comet for £79. At first it was all ok, but then things started to go wrong.
I would take a photo and then go to view it, and message would flash up saying "no image". No matter how many times I tried to take photo, and on various settings, it didn't seem to store the image. This was with an empty 1GB memory card in the camera.
Then when I tried to take photos, the camera would just lose power, the LCD screen would go blank and the lens freezes open (even with new set of batteries)
After these probs, I went to Comet and swapped it for another D85, thinking it was a one off faulty camera.
However.... I am having the same problems with the replacement camera, and I have only taken 15 photos.
Am I doing something wrong or are these not very good camera?
If anyone can give me any advice, that would be appreciated. Also, if anyone knows of a similarly priced camera (with the automatic face recognition feature), I would love to know.
Thank you

Davfos

I bought the same camera from Comet. It's very good for the price but it eats alkaline batteries! Now using NIMH batteries which seem a lot better.

mike.tovey

ref samsung d85 i am having problems with my camera lens ie lcd screen going blank and lens freezing open intermittent fault under 1year old it has been ret twice with no fault found my guarantee is up 12nov any ideas

TheFlyingGerbil

You need to use rechargeable batteries. Sadly alkaline batteries DO only last 15 photos in a digicam before displaying the problems you mention.

spidab

What you need is LITHIUM batteries I have the same camera and can pop 2 of these in and they last months
We have just had a baby and are snapping all the time so the camera has plenty of useage

malc_b

Had exactly the same problem I think. Symptoms are: turn on D85, lens comes halfway out, camera says battery low and shuts off. Tried different batteries and finally bought brand new 2700mAhr NimH. Still did it.

Comet have repaired it(lens barrel replaced) but still failed (not in the home or for the odd photo, only when you really need on a day out. One day went out locally, failed again, later that day was working again with the same batteries.

Doesn't the manual say must use NimH and not alkaline or am I thinking of another camera? NimH have a lower resistance I think.

Chris_Genius

ShowmetheMoney wrote: »

I recently bought the Samsung D85 from Comet for £79. At first it was all ok, but then things started to go wrong.
I would take a photo and then go to view it, and message would flash up saying "no image". No matter how many times I tried to take photo, and on various settings, it didn't seem to store the image. This was with an empty 1GB memory card in the camera.
Then when I tried to take photos, the camera would just lose power, the LCD screen would go blank and the lens freezes open (even with new set of batteries)
After these probs, I went to Comet and swapped it for another D85, thinking it was a one off faulty camera.
However.... I am having the same problems with the replacement camera, and I have only taken 15 photos.
Am I doing something wrong or are these not very good camera?
If anyone can give me any advice, that would be appreciated. Also, if anyone knows of a similarly priced camera (with the automatic face recognition feature), I would love to know.
Thank you

I had the same problem with mine. Fine for eight months then it would lock up. Sent it back to Samsung under warranty. Big surprise: They sent it back saying they had tested it and it was fine. On trying it again, it was just the same.
Not good enough for me so I set about a fix. I tapped into the battery compartment and added an extra external battery. So it's now running at 3.6V on NiMHs instead of 2.4V and it loves it. It now runs absolutely perfectly evertime. It looks ugly but I don't have to buy a new camera now. The D85 is excellent (if you have the technical know how tomodify it!)

Chris_Genius

malc_b wrote: »

Had exactly the same problem I think. Symptoms are: turn on D85, lens comes halfway out, camera says battery low and shuts off. Tried different batteries and finally bought brand new 2700mAhr NiMH. Still did it.

Comet have repaired it(lens barrel replaced) but still failed (not in the home or for the odd photo, only when you really need on a day out. One day went out locally, failed again, later that day was working again with the same batteries.

Doesn't the manual say must use NimH and not alkaline or am I thinking of another camera? NimH have a lower resistance I think.

The D85 can use NiMHs (low internal resistance) or Alkalines High internal resistance. You setup the chosen type in the setup menu. The camera doesn't like either. My conclusion is that it needs more power to overcome the obviously poorly designed power control circuitry. I had 2700mAh MiMHs freshly charged everytime. Pointless. Samsung repair centre? Pointless. My own repair: one extra cell velcroed to the outside of the case - Perfect.