Problem with Sony A200 images

[NickCroker]

Hello!

I'm new here, so hopefully this is the most suitable forum to try and get help with a technical problem.

I'm very much a beginner photographer, but I've had a Sony Alpha (an A200 to be precise) for quite some time. It served me well and without incident until I went to India on holiday a while back. When I returned, I noticed that quite a few of my images were displaying a bright line through them, always in the same place. This shows up in both portrait and landscape (down the left hand side on portrait, and across the bottom in landscape).

Anyway, as I had no idea what was causing this (the camera hasn't suffered any damage etc), I sent it off to Sony describing the problem and hoping they could sort it out.

Sadly, Sony have just returned the camera to me today, having charged me £30 to tell me that they can't find anything wrong with it.

Whilst I fully acknowledge that I'm no expert, and could be doing something that generates this problem, I'm not convinced. I've attached a sample image to show you what it's like; can any of you hazard a guess as to what's causing this, and (a) how I might rectify it or (b) if I should be going back to Sony to give them more information and get it sorted out?

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide!

 

[Yv]

If I were to hazard a guess based on that one photo, that looks like a shutter curtain problem, a cross section is getting more exposure than the rest as if the shutter elements are parting where they shouldn't.

However - is this happening on every photo? Is it with just one particular lens, or any other patterns to it you have noticed? Also, did you send this and any other sample images to Sony with the camera?

 

[NickCroker]

Thanks Yv! Whilst I'm not an expert, I did think it was something connected to the shutter. In answer to the questions you asked, it doesn't appear on every photo, but it's on quite a few of them. I only have the kit lens, no others, and I can't see anything in the data for the images that necessarily points to a pattern of why this might occur.

I didn't send any images to Sony because (a) I thought, seeing as it seemed to be a shutter problem, that the engineers would be able to detect and fix it easily, and (b) because they didn't ask for any, or provide any sensible way of sending them in.

So I guess my next move is to see if Sony will discuss this further and look at the images I have. I'd appreciate any further info or tips that you - or amy other users! - may have, though

 

[Nod]

I would send an e-mail to Sony with a few examples of the problem as attachments, probably with a copy of their "nothing wrong with the camera" note. I'm another of the opinion that it's a shutter problem - probably the second curtain bouncing at the end of the exposure. If there's a specific shutter speed (or range thereof) that causes the problem, tell them - they might then be able to replicate the fault.

 

[NickCroker]

Thanks for the tips, folks - I've been in touch with Sony and they've asked me to email in a couple of examples of the problem, which I've now done. Hopefully things can move forward from here.

I'm annoyed, though, that I've gone through the rigmarole of spending £30 and sending the camera to them, only for it to come back unfixed, leaving me to chase it up with them directly.

If they'd been more helpful at the beginning, and given me some way of sending sample images to them then, perhaps this could have been avoided!

Still, thanks again for all your assistance here!