Camera image sensor defect ?

[Howie_S]

I just received brand new E-Prance 0803 purchased on Amazon (USA) and, in starting to configure the unit and test it, I seem to have a defective camera image sensor. There is a dark shape in the center of the image, that then sort of veers off and up to the right, gradually dissipating. It's there all the time, staying in the same place. I'm uploading a re-sized (smaller) screenshot of video and another with white marks to outline the area I'm referring to. I noticed the problem even on the tiny built-in screen, but taking a screenshot of video of blue sky was easiest way to show it here. (Needless to say, I verified the lens isn't dirty.) I'm leaning towards just a return/replacement on Amazon since they are good with such things.

I also am kind of shocked at how hot my unit gets (which came with firmware 20140507 V1.0) even when powered on inside an air conditioned room. I know the heat has been mentioned, but the metal edge of HDMI connector actually gets too hot to be able to touch! I have not even taken it out to the car, but I am concerned, living in Los Angeles, where summer temperatures are HOT and the sun beats down relentlessly.

Any thoughts or feedback in general would be most appreciated. Thanks.

 

[reverend]

That's possibly a hair or dust on the sensor - it's easiest to send that one back for a replacement - you could attempt to fix yourself but if the sensor is damaged you'd be taking it apart for no reason.

 

[Nigel]

I also am kind of shocked at how hot my unit gets (which came with firmware 20140507 V1.0) even when powered on inside an air conditioned room. I know the heat has been mentioned, but the metal edge of HDMI connector actually gets too hot to be able to touch! I have not even taken it out to the car, but I am concerned, living in Los Angeles, where summer temperatures are HOT and the sun beats down relentlessly.

Agree with it being a spec of dust, you could try giving it a good shake to see if it will move, doesn't really solve the issue though.

With regards to the heat, what memory card are you using?
If you configure it to not use LDWS and to turn the screen off after a minute then it will keep the temperature down a bit. The metal bits can feel hot even when they are not very as they conduct heat well. If you have an IR thermometer then you should find the case is around 47 degrees C at normal room temperature. Of course in the car, if it doesn't have a sun shade then it can get a fair bit hotter than that even turned off, especially in a parked car.

 

[Howie_S]

Thanks for the feedback! (The memory card came with the unit - 32GB class 6. I would have normally bought my own known brand name, but Amazon didn't have the right model in stock without the included card.)

By the way, the fact that metal conducts heat better is better case for how hot the internals of the cam are getting: The metal is connected to the circuit board, and the fact I couldn't touch it without (pain) means the inside of the cam circuit is "damn hot" - obviously the plastic case insulates hands from the *actual* heat, since it's not conducting the heat like metal, and won't "feel" as hot. I don't have an IR temperature meter, but I've had enough personal electronics to recognize when a device is getting "a bit too hot" for comfort. The manufacturer posting in this forum indicates a heat-sink is being added to all newly manufactured models -- I wonder how I can ascertain when those models will be available on Amazon ?

As for my unit with the hair/dust/defect on image sensor, I'm going to return it to Amazon. That's partly a reason to buy on Amazon, so one is not stuck with a defective product. I've only had it less than 24 hours.

 

[Nigel]

By the way, the fact that metal conducts heat better is better case for how hot the internals of the cam are getting: The metal is connected to the circuit board, and the fact I couldn't touch it without (pain) means the inside of the cam circuit is "damn hot" - obviously the plastic case insulates hands from the *actual* heat, since it's not conducting the heat like metal, and won't "feel" as hot. I don't have an IR temperature meter, but I've had enough personal electronics to recognize when a device is getting "a bit too hot" for comfort. The manufacturer posting in this forum indicates a heat-sink is being added to all newly manufactured models -- I wonder how I can ascertain when those models will be available on Amazon ?

Yes, the internals will get hot, there is a processor in there processing video data and storing 20 million bits per second and that bit of metal you can touch is only about 15mm from the processor - it should be at the same sort of temperature as the main heatsink in your computer, not the temperature of the computers case. If the plastic is hot enough to be painful then you have a problem but if its just the metal then it is OK.

Your camera probably already has the new heatsink, but the heatsink doesn't reduce the amount of heat being generated so the case should still be at the same temperature.

 

[Howie_S]

Thanks Nigel. I wrote to E-Prance to ask about the heat-sink and whether those units on Amazon would have them. My concern about heat is not about comfort or how it feels, but the stability of the unit while operating and longevity. Hopefully the heat-sink will dissipate the heat from critical components, thus improving the lifespan and reliability of the cam.