Just got the TH55, odd thing about the camera

[mocca]

I just picked up the TH55 and test the camera. There is a problem with the camera (I think) under some light condition. For example, I sit in my office (right now it is about 6pm so it is getting dark outside) with fluoresc light (white). Now whenever I take a photo with the camera kinda paralel to the light (just put the TH55 vertical), I see strange blue artifacts. The artifacts are similar to what you will see when the lens of the camera is not clean or touch by finger. The thing is I know that the camera is clean (I check and clean it myself) so WTH happening to my TH55? Can anyone with TH55 test their camera and let me know your result please. To test it, very simple:

1) goto a room that have no sun light (or minimal since it is the most obvious without the sun light).

2) turn on the light in the room as normal.

3) Take photos with the clie vertical, i.e., like you normally hold the clie, (don't have to be vertical but it is the most obvious in this position). Now look at the screen, pan around the room and you will see some angles produce these artifacts (kinda like when you use finger to wipe the len).

Is this some kind of defect of the camera? or is it just the characteristic of the lens? This is really wierd since I own several digital camera and haven't seen something like this before.

Mocca

[UFG]

The main differences between the camera on the TH55 and a digital camera is, besides resolution, the fact that the TH55 uses a CMOS camera sensor while most digital cameras use a CCD sensor. The CMOS sensors are cheaper and allow more flexability, but the quality is nowhere near as good as CCD. Go do a search on Google or something about CMOS vs CCD cameras.

[Ptah]

Post pics plz. We want to see for ourselves.

[contempt]

Another oddity is the camera takes about 2 seconds to sense the lighting conditions around it and then display them properly on screen. On my NX70, it took only about half a second at most. I'm not sure what's causing that delay but I also noticed after performng a hard reset, it took almost three times longer to startup then my NX after a similar hard reset. I can't imagine the slower processor causing that though.

[mocca]

I went back to exchange the unit and it is definitely very wierd. I show it to a guy in the store and he can see it too. Wierd. Anyway, the new one doesn't seem to act the same but have two dead pixels!!!! Grrrrrr.................. BTW, I cannot install the palmdesktop for clie. Anyone have problem install this from the supplied cd? This is the first time I have problem install Palmdesktop. It say something like it cannot find runtime script???

Mocca

[rldunn]

Mocca, I think you're jinxed. But, speaking for the rest of the TH owners, thank you for having all of these problems so we don't have to deal with them!! ;)

On mine, I didn't have blue camera artifacts, dead pixels, and my Palm Desktop for Clie installed fine (after I deleted my previous Palm Desktop for Clie). Does your PC have an OS that is supported?

[mocca]

I have WinXP Pro and I have never have any problems with installing Palmdesktop before. This is really wierd. The installer doesn't seem to work and keep telling me that it cannot frind the installshield run-time script. When I try to manually install it, it stuck and I mean totally stuck. This unit have some really wierd stuffs. I will be back to the store tomorrow to exchange for a new one. I begin to loose faith in Sony QC now. Really wierd.

Mocca

[lspivack]

UFG,

The Canon Digital Rebel and 10D digital SLRs both use CMOS sensors and are known for wonderful image quality. Now the one in the TH55 may not be so good, but I don't believe there's anything inherently wrong with the technology.

LJ

[mocca]

Ok, I just exchange mine with a new one. Good new is the screen is perfect and I can install the palmdesktop fine. Now the problem is the camera. I think it is inheritly a problem with the lens used in the TH55 camera. It is hard ot explain but I will post a picture later once I get it fully charged. The problem is obvious when you point the camera to somewhere bright and then you can see the center area in picture have wierd blue streaks. Some may be worse than another but I will test it more tonight.

Mocca