Power issues with Sureshot

[playinghooky]

Hi

I have a Cybershot DSC-P72, which I have been using infrequently but quite successfully for a few years.

I have used both rechargeable and non-recharge batteries in the past with no problem, but now my camera won't work in camera mode with recharges at all, even when 100% newly recharged, and will only work for a small number of shots with a pair of non-recharges.

It's not the batteries that are the problem, I'm sure, because Duracell ones show how much juice is still left, and they are still nearly fully charged when the camera stops working with them.  It acts as though the batteries are dead, when they plainly are not. 

I've checked the terminals and they are all clean and undamaged.  I've done a reset in case I've turned some functionality on that requires super-amounts of charge, but that's made no difference.

The power will only successfully turn on when the switch is set to Setup or the setting that lets me view the pictures in memory - unless as I say the batteries are non-recharge and brand new.  In which case I can take maybe 3 or 4 shots (without flash) before the camera turns itself off and acts as though it has completely flat batteries.

I'll be really upset if there's no solution to this, because although I've had it a few years it has always been well stored and carefully used and I doubt whether I've taken more than a couple of hundred pictures with it.

Does anyone have any clever suggestions please? 

Many thanks in advance

Cathy

Message was edited by: playinghooky

[Mick2011]

Hi Cathy, welcome to the Sony Forums

Those older AA battery cameras do eventually become very fussy about residual battery power. Basically the camera can't perform important power-hungry tasks like retract the lens with insufficient battery, so it's programmed to switch off long before the batteries lose all their charge.

I believe there's something in the camera firmware that governs this safeguard and it can become slightly corrupted by using different battery types. You can try a couple of things but tbh I can't quite recall if the second one is possible...

First, remove the batteries for a couple of days, preferably longer, to fully discharge all residual internal power. Then re-insert a brand new pair of alkaline batteries and power up.

If that doesn't work, it may be possible to format the internal memory.

Let me know how you get on and I'll try to find out the internal format procedure in the meantime.

Cheers

Mick

[playinghooky]

Thanks Mick, I'll keep my fingers crossed for a solution because as I said, this camera has hardly been used and should be good for many years yet.  I've removed the batteries as suggested, but tbh I'm not hopeful about that because I don't store it with batteries installed for fear they'll leak.

So - if you can't find out the format procedure, or if as you fear that is not possible, is my camera then useless just because I've used different battery types and confused the firmware?  I have to smile when you call it an "older" camera.  The slr I had before this digital one was over 40 years old and still worked fine....

Thanks for your help.

Cathy

[Mick2011]

You should try a 'new' SLR, they really rock

If you've stored the camera you've clearly had the batteries out for a good while, so that's not going to help.

If it's possible to format the internal memory, you should be able to do so the same way as you would format a memory card. In this case, remove the memory card and turn the camera on, then press the Menu button and navigate to [set-up] and you may be able to select [internal memory tool], or get an option to format the internal memory. If you do, you'll get a warning, press to ok that, then switch off, insert your memory card, power up and see if it's any better.

I'm hopeful this will be possible but apologies in advance if it's not, or if it fails to do the trick. I described the camera as 'older' purely because of these power-based foibles which seem to have been an unforseen side-issue with AA battery use. All 'modern' compacts use rechargeable lithium cells to get around the issue you've come across. Unfortunately a great many fell into disuse as a result.

Good luck

Mick

[playinghooky]

Hi Mick

I've been right through the setup and can only find a memory card tool, nothing about internal memory at all.

Does this mean that I might as well throw this camera away?  Has Sony not come up with any sort of firmware download that would help?  It seems a bit rough to pay £100 (I'm guessing as this was a present) for a camera and then find it's useless because of a design flaw and the fact that the manufacturer didn't issue a firmware fix.

I'd be happy to return the camera and pay for "repair" rather than throw away what is in effect a perfectly good camera with a bit of corrupted software.  Is this possible please?

Thanks

Cathy

[playinghooky]

Mick - if you are a Sony employee would you be kind enough to answer my previous questions about whether to just throw my camera away or whether I can return it to you for a firmware fix/upgrade please? 

If you aren't a Sony employee, then thank you for trying to help.

Regards

Cathy

[Mick2011 · Accepted solution]

Hi Cathy

Sorry I didn't respond, but it's entirely your decision what you do with the camera. It may be possible to repair it, but the repair will likely exceed it's current worth. It may have sentimental value, in which case a repair may be justified.

I'm not a Sony employee, but I do help with the support and admin of these forums for Sony. The forums service a user support community: if you would like to contact Sony with your concerns, you'll find the relevant details here.

Sony's repair service is linked under 'Support' at the top of the page; alternatively have a look at this sticky.

Best wishes

Mick