I have a year-old Sony DSC-P51 digital camera which has stopped working, and is prohibitively expensive to send in for repairs, even under warranty. It seems to be in working order, except that when you’re in picture-taking mode, the screen shows only black (actually black with static, if you look closely). I can display pictures already on the memory card, but any new pictures I take end up all black, so it’s apparently not just a problem with the preview or a defect in the screen.
I’ve already tried resetting the camera, recharging and changing the batteries, turning the power on and off, switching modes, etc. Sony online tech support and Google have been unhelpful. So, has anyone here come across this problem and fixed it? (I know, it’s a long shot :()
I don’t have an answer to your problem, but you may want to register and ask here on the Main Board. The people on that forum know a lot about Sony digital cameras. I think a couple people who post there also do repairs at a much cheaper price than what Sony charges.
Q.E.D.: The Sony warranty, for whatever reason, only covers parts. They charge for labor on repairs no matter what - thus, if I were to send it in to be fixed, I’d still be out $140. Might as well buy a new camera at that rate.