Panasonic Lumix FX8 - LCD screen broken

[tim_a_warren]

Neil,

 

Thanks for your comments. As you say, it is a real shame you had to perform "open screen surgery" on your camera, but hey - if it works and gets the job done, and you could use it on your hols, that's okay!

 

Myself, I've been without my Lumix over the Xmas period, and am obviously aggrieved over that. My Dimage 7i is a little too conspicuous to take to festive get-togethers, and makes a hell of an unsightly bulge in yer trousers!

 

I now have the problem of Panasonic UK wanting to inspect the camera, and the store I bought it from wanting the camera back as they have (grudgingly!) sent a new camera in exchange. After 2 months of hassle from the store and all of the research I have personally had to do (including this thread!)to try to prove that ther IS an issue with these cameras the store only replaced the camera as a "gesture of goodwill" - regardless of my consumer rights. Let alone the fact that I had requested a replacement of the FX9 as the FX8 has now officially been superseded TWICE since!

 

Not a jot of customer service - no upgrade, no throwing in a memory card out of goodwill, nothing - not a lot to ask of a reutble company, I wouldn't have thought. Just a grudging replacement and the attitude of "be thankful we've done that for you - it was a favour."

 

Technically, this was all I was after 2 MONTHS AGO, but after the hassle and inconvenience they've put me through, you'd think they would show a little more "good will" than they have - especially after the weight of evidence from this thread alone! Still, let this be a warning - think very carefully before parting with money when dealing with these people - consumer rights mean nothing to them as they see assumed "impact damage" as an indemnity clause against consumer rights AND basic customer service! I am not going to name names, but Kamera Direct/Best Cameras of St Helens, UK - you bring shame on yourselves and your industry!

 

Anyhoo, enough of my bleating, I will keep you all updated of any and all developments, and PLEASE: can everybody start getting active on this!

 

Don't forget - get the name not just of the Customer Service Departments or Managers at these stores; get the name of the Managing Director. Address letters with evidence (that's printed, webheads - good old-fashioned paper & ink!) to the Managing Directors AND also send copies to the Manager and whomever else you have been dealing with. Mention these people by name - you have rights!

 

This goes for writing to Panasonic also - check out their website, get the name of the Managing Director for your country and mail him PERSONALLY - not the Customer Service Division, they are just working office bods like yourselves and will not give you the time and respect you deserve unless you make it clear that you want action taken FROM THE TOP. If needs be, PHONE your local Panasonic Head Office and politley explain that you have a complaint that you wish to send to them in writing and require the name of the MD to address it to. Insist on the MD's name and address the letter PERSONALLY to them - do not get fobbed off other names.

 

Inevitably, your complaint will be taken up by the "head" of Customer Service, but your diligence and wish to be heard by the head of the company will underline your serious intent in the matter. Get all names of people you speak to and deal with and quote them in your correspondence.

 

Be firm, but polite. State clearly what your issue is and what resolution you wish to come to. Detail exactly what has happened - dates, names, occurrences - and refer them to whatever evidence you have got - and there is A LOT of that! Quote web links, but also print out and include all of the relevant evidence and information in your letter.

 

There is INCONTROVERTIBLE EVIDENCE contained in this thread and others that myself and other people on this thread have provided. USE IT! It is not good enough to say that Panasonic didn't take you seriously - there is enough weight in here alone to make Panasonic INTERNATIONALLY aware of this problem AND take positive steps to rectify this problem and maybe if we are lucky enough, give recompense to us dissatisfied customers.

 

I notice that we have a new arrival also - a big AAAAHHHHH! for the LUMIX FX-01.

Oh yes, the new, new generation of Lumix has hit the streets. Nice LCD screen on it, too....ooops!

 

Oh, and by the by - has anybody seen the rather dubious "Final Destination 3" yet? I saw it last night and congrats to the Panasonic Product Placement Department - the lynchpin for the whole film is....a silver FX8! I kid you not! See the film (at your peril!) and tell me seriously - IS THIS CAMERA CURSED OR WHAT?! Heh, heh..!

 

Keep on pluggin', guys and gals, and keep those updates comin'. We can really get some momentum going with this if we all focus, so let's get busy.

 

[walter_byrne_ii]

Hello...I am in the states and I too have this same issue. I found the part for $119 and am thinking about replacing it myself. Can those who answered here before that they did a self fix...explain in detail how it was done...in example...which screws I take off the camera etc...how to actually get into the camera to get the bad screen out and new one in? Any help would be really great!

Cheers,

Walter

[tami_howard]

Hey everyone!

 

Just wanted to give you all an update. I have received my camera back from the warranty service and my camera was fixed at no cost to me. It took only a few weeks for me to receive my camera back in working order. Please do not void your warranty by doing the work yourself. This is obviously a problem that Panasonic is addressing, even if they are not making it public. I was told by a representative at the store where I purchased the camera that the problem was from impact damage, and the warranty clearly states that physical damage is not covered. Therefore by fixing my camera Panasonic has admitted that this problem is a maunfacturer's defect. Please take the extra steps needed and get this problem addressed by Panasonic. Good luck everyone!

[tim_a_warren]

Hi Tami,

 

Great news about your camera - lets hope that the message is starting to get through to Panasonic! I just hope your screen lasts a little longer this time.

 

Walter, if the screen on your camera has genuinely died for no good reason it is not in your own interest to replace this yourself. As I have said earlier, not only do you invalidate your warranty and potentially damage your camera further, but this is also costing you more money that you shouldn't have to spend.

The more people do this, the less Panasonic get to know about this problem and the more people end up getting a raw deal from

the retailers & repair centres, and the manufacturers themselves.

 

If the camera has been accidentally damaged, then fair enough - replace the screen yourself or even claim for a newbie on your house insurance.

 

The subject of this thread is the evident flaw in this range - the

spontaneous failure of these screens due to a design/manufacturing flaw.

If your camera is a victim of this, then not only is it in your interest to pursue this with the manufacturer and your local retailer, but there is a wider issue here.

Many people have bought these cameras in good faith and have been let down by the quality of the product AND by the industry's lack of awareness and dismissive attitude toward this fault.

 

How many other people out there have accepted blame for a fault they didn't cause simply because they aren't aware of this wider issue?

 

As I have said previously, the information contained within this thread and its associated links great evidence to provide in our cases with these cameras and should be utilised fully - recorded delivery letters to the MD of Panasonic in your country including hard copies of the information contained herein, and the same to your local store.

Also send the same to your local consumer ombudsman, TV & radio station consumer affiars shows.

 

Unless we take a stand on this issue now, how many people are going to get screwed over by this?

My camera has been replaced, but I am still determined to get this issue recognised and sorted.

And what if the screen on my new camera goes again in a few

days/weeks/months..? I would like to know that I will not spend another two months debating the issue with camera-store managers and Panasonic Customer Service and scouring web forums for evidence to support my case.

 

On a more positive note, I am just beginning to remember why I fell in love with my FX8 to begin with - it is a joy to use and a great little compact camera. I am just a bit afraid to take it out and use it - it stayed in the box for a week and a half after being replaced!

Zoinks!

 

I am also guessing that people on this thread are members of other sites and forums out there - so can I request that people make reference to this issue on those sites also.

 

Start a thread and please include links and directions to this thread - we need to start getting this information out to a wider

audience.

Look at how many people have been affected on this site alone - and how many people haven't even seen this site? There is a true needle & haystack scenario here, so lets make the odds of finding this information a little better for other guys and gals out there.

 

Can we all please keep posting our updates on this thread also, and don't forget to post your pics on here.

 

The pictures of this pattern of damage are the most damning pieces of evidence we can have.

So many cameras with identical faults - evidence for all of us that cannot be ignored.

[julie_bouwens]

I've had the same problem... We've had our DX-9 for less than one month. (serial number

DN5JB24823 R) Today I pulled it out of the case, and found the screen damaged - on the

right hand side near the controls. I am relieved to find this site if I need to take up the

issue with Panasonic directly. I bought the camera from Costco, and when I called for a

copy of the receipt, they told me to not even bother with the manufacturer, but just bring

it back and they'll give me a new camera or store credit. So, (assuming they follow

through on that) three cheers for Costco! Here is another photo for your evidence gallery.

 

 

http://www.photo.net/photodb/member-photos?user_id=2098470<div></div>

[tim_a_warren]

Julie, thanks for your update - another case of identical screen damage! Glad to hear that Costco are so accomodating - if only other suppliers could follow their example. Even though you are getting your camera exchanged, any chance you could send a letter to Panasonic to make them aware of your issue, quoting your serial number and even some of this thread - especially the pics of other cameras and your own with their screen damage?

 

You say you had the camera in it's case - was this the official leather Lumix case? Mskes me wonder if the magnetic clasp on the front of these may contribute if the LCD is facing this? I always make sure my screen is facing away from this. Just another theory, but I'd be interested to see if this is another possibility.

 

Anyway, thanks for your comments Julie - it's good to know that this thread may be giving people some peace of mind!

 

T

[julie_bouwens]

Hi Tom,

 

Costco is wonderful and took the cheerfully took the camera back! (talk about creating

loyal customers) When I packaged the camera up to return it, I included a slip of paper

with this URL on it - but I'll try to write to Panasonic, too. Costco said no others have been

returned for this reason. The case I was using was an official Panasonic case that came

with the camera, but it wasn't leather. It was two padded pieces connected by elastic on

the sides. There was nothing inside the case that could have damaged the screen. I'm

now trying to decide if I want to give the FX9 another try, or switch to a Canon... I hope

you get your situation sorted out, too!

[francisco_pi__n]

Just wanted to let you all know that my brand new FX9 lasted three days before developing the now famous "cracked LCD". I always used a protective bag to carry the camera around and never ever dropped it. The appearence of the crack is similar to those mentioned previously. It seems that Panasonic really has a hot potato in their hands after reading your messages.

 

I will add a photo as soon as I get the camera back from the place where I bought it (www.rebelio.com), where they unexpectedly have decided to be of no help making me to blame for the poor quality of the camera.

 

I'll keep you all updated as things progress with Rebelio, Panasonic and the Spanish Office of Consumers. Good luck to all the unfortunate users of FX-X cameras who are out in the cold for now and please let us read your complaints in this page!. Thanks for being the first, Tim!

[louis_kam]

Your bad LCD experience leads me to move from the FX-- models to the new TZ1, among others. It seems the TZ1 has the menu controls placed further away from its LCD edge this time. Will this do the trick? Only time will tell.

[tim_a_warren]

Hiya Lumographers!

 

More screen failures...the list goes on and on..oh, dear!

I wish Panasonic would get thier products sorted out, cause I think I speak for us all when I say we love the little cameras. If you check out various forums for this range, you find that people do tend to get very emotionally attached to the FX*'s, possibly more so than a lot of other cameras.

 

Julie, please do contact Panasonic with your complaint, this is the only way we are ever going to get this problem resolved. And let this be a lesson to us all - COSTCO! Not just great prices, but excellent customer service, too. Glad to hear it!

 

Francisco - again, sorry to hear about your screen, and thanks for your kind words. I just wish we could have all met under better circumstances. I am in the process of starting a website dedicated to photography exclusively featuring the Lumix series. I'll keep ya posted - if Lumix is the road you are all going to still travel....

Still, best of luck with Panasonic and the other key players in Spain - don't forget to address your complaints to the heads of these places with the evidence from this thread.

 

Louis, I must confess I don't know much (anything?!) about the TZ1, but if the buttons aren't "touching" the LCD, then yes, it could be a winner! Please don't forget that these LCD failures seem to be in the small minority, although exactly how extensive the problem is, I guess we can't really tell.

 

I found an interesting user review of the FX8 on a website yesterday, by a "technician", and goes something like this:

 

"paululrich from TX: Engineering Review

 

Cons:

The left arrow button on the back is close to the screen. The screen housing is not supported very well. This combination means that every time I push left the LCD screen is deflected, which produces a ripple effect on the screen, and is not good for it. (Apparently, this can break your camera!). I will just have to be very sure not to touch the screen."

 

The url is "http://dcresource.pricegrabber.com/rating_getprodrev.php?masterid=11207600&id_type=masterid" if you fancy taking a further look.

 

This guy has not even had our screen problems, but has noticed the potential for these failures to happen just in his usage and testing.

 

Thanks for the updates, guys, and don't forget; keep those updates coming - keep those pictures coming - and perhaps most importantly: get those letters written to these companies.

 

Only we together can resolve this issue.

 

Tim

[beltran_simo1]

Hi,

 

I've contacted Panasonic Spain and they are reviewing the issue, since we found out a little "hole" on the right-most part of the screen, near the control panel. It looked like it was assembled badly.

 

I gave them the url of this forum, as this is a well documented database of other related problems.

 

 

Finally, I've contacted Francisco and posted this url on an Spanish forum, with the hope of finding other cases.....

 

Let's hope to get a favourable answer from Panasonic.

 

Thanks again Tim.

 

Beltran

[tim_a_warren]

Good work Beltran! Best of luck, fella!

 

Thanks for your update,

 

Tim

[eric_westerduin]

I just got my Panasonic Lumix FX8 for Christmas and I have the same problem as listed here. I always keep my camera in its case and the crack actually happened while the camera was sitting on my desk overnight, so obviously this is a camera defect. I was just wondering if �Bigston Digital Service" is openly fixing this problem yet? Thanks, Eric

[dano battista 3d ltd]

Dear All,

 

I have had the same problem. My screen has cracked on RHS, I assumed it had been dropped but now, thanks to this thread, I think otherwise. It is a real shame because it is such a nice camera. I am now considering upgrading to the LX1. I will persue Panasonic UK for a replacement right away and inform you of my progress.

 

Dano

[miikka_kotamaki]

Dear all,

 

I got the same problem after using my FX8 (bought in Switzerland) only

for one week. I was taking photos outside and when I came back inside

and switched the camera on to transfer the photos the screen was

cracked. Have a look at the attached photo - looks very similar to all

other photos posted here.

 

After using the camera outside I kept it in my inside breast pocket, so I would have noticed any external impact. Being sure that I had not

dropped or banged the camera in any way I started to search on the net

if anybody has had similar problems, and bingo - I found this thread.

 

I took the camera back to the stores where I bought it and they sent it to Panasonic Switzerland with a reference to this thread. Couple of

weeks ago Panasonic replied that the camera has received an external

impact and the repair of 394 CHF (I paid 399 CHF for the camera!) is not covered by the guarantee. I of course didn't accept this and requested that either the repair is covered by the guarantee or I will demand a full refund. I'll keep you updated as things progress.

 

Miikka<div></div>

[dano battista 3d ltd]

Dear All,

 

I've had a lengthy conversation with customer care regarding this thread and my camera-picture included (how many more are there out there like this?). The girl I spoke to whilst sympathetic stated that after speaking to an engineer, the lcd screen will not withstand pressure of more than 10KG, and that this could have occurred whilst the camera was in a pocket. I protested stating that this thread clearly demonstrated the screens are all breaking in the same place-near the control buttons, and sent a link to this thread. I have not heard back. It seems to me that the screens eventually fail after suffering from the cumulative effects of pressure caused by simply operating the camera, NOT from any excessive pressure or impact. I will now write to panasonic and of course keep you all informed.<div></div>

[dano battista 3d ltd]

Smaller photo<div></div>

[tim_a_warren]

Well, I've been away for a week and I've come back to a fair bit of activity...! Welcome guys - wish the circumstances could've been better, though.

 

I am glad that this thread is actually turning people on to the scale of this problem - if only everybody searched the web instead of meekly accepting liability, eh...?

 

Can I just reiterate at this point the importance of PRINTING hard copies of this thread and its associated pictures - yes, all of them!

And also follow the links to other sites included here ind print hard copies of them, too.

 

This may seem to be excessive, but in my experience companies do not follow threads when told about them - a hard copy is THE ONLY WAY to get the evidence to Panasonic. They told me they "could not find" this thread even when I suggested searching Google with "LUMIX WARREN". Try it and see where this takes you..!

 

So please print and post the evidence or it will go ignored - physical black&white is the only way to go and I GUARANTEE you will get a very positive response. Hell, Pano UK have just couriered my FX8 to their HQ for their tech guys to study the camera, and there is another months-worth of evidence on here!

 

I personally sent a 3 page letter and 36 pages of printed evidence in my letter and this yielded RESULTS. So PLEASE can we all start to do this? ;D

 

Also address these letters to the MD of your countries' Panasonic - NOT the Customer Service Dept, as they will not follow this through.

Phone up your countries' Pano HQ or check on their website and get the NAME of the MD for your locality and address it to them PERSONALLY. This will get you the right results and not the brush-off!

 

If you do get the name of the MD & send your evidence, please share your country and the name of the representative dealing with your case so that others may also address their correspondance to the same person for continuity.

 

And don't forget - if you are a member of another camera/photographic forum, please raise this issue there and provide links to this thread. Let's get this issue addressed!

 

Dano & Mikka - good work! As I say, please send hard copies also as above. They will have to take you seriously then.

 

At Panasonic UK, I have been dealing with Mrs Dorothy Graveling, if this helps.

I am obviously not wanting her to get spammed, as she has been most helpful, but there are enough of us affected in the UK to get this problem addressed properly if the same Panasonic reps in the same territories are dealing with this one issue.

 

Eric - please take this further with your local Panasonic. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain. You have spent a large amount of money in good faith, so the manufacturers have a DUTY to you as a consumer to investigate this issue and make reparations.

 

Just to say my replacement FX8 is, of course, impressing the hell out of me still. What a great piece of kit - so portable and such flexible controls, the results are always GREAT! I just keep my fingers crossed that this time I am one of the lucky ones whose screen stays intact! ;)

 

As I have said previously, I have had my faulty camera replaced - the hard work paid off. My hope with this thread is to get this issue recognised and dealt with at source, but we need each other to get this done.

 

Did anybody see Final Destination 3 yet..? The curse of the FX8..! Oh, boy..!

 

Good work people - keep those updates coming!

 

Tim

[argibson]

Update FX9 purchased in New York 1st.December 2005 lasted until 17th.January 2006 before familiar LCD failure another 49 days have now past and the file gets thicker.

MACK 5 year International Warranty not worth the paper it is written on, they eventually instructed me to obtain an estimate for repair from my nearest UK Panasonic Service Centre (Newark Video Services) who duly obliged after I had paid them a deposit of ﾣ30.00 and travelled a total of nearly 400 miles taking and picking up the camera personally, they inform me they have written instructions from Panasonic UK not to accept warranty claims on FX8 or FX9 LCD's. they also said the LCD casing needed replacing total cost ﾣ160.34.

This estimate e-mailed directly to MACK in USA who surprise surprise immediately said LCD not covered under warranty, after several further terse e-mails they asked me to send the camera for further review to their New Jersay premises (What do they take me for)

 

Following a lot of useful advice on this forum and eventually getting a response from Panasonic USA, sent camera plus photographs and all correspondence including copies of this forum etc.registered post directly to CEO Bigston Digital Service Illinois with copies also sent registered post to Mr Yoshihiko Yamada President and Chief Executive Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company Secaucus New Jersay, Mr Yamada or Yosdhi as he is more commonly known happens also to be a Main Board Director of Panasonic's Holding Company in Japan.

 

Royal Mail and US Postal Services confirm time, date and safe arrival of both parcels, I wait with bated breath. This is by no means an exhaustive account to date of my small FX9 camera I wait with baited breath for the next installment.

 

Alan Robb Gibson

[argibson]

FX9 Photograph www.photo.net/photos/argibson

[francisco_pi__n]

Hello All!.

 

I just wanted to update you about my current situation with my "new" FX9 after my previous message in this thread.

 

Eventhough I was initially pretty upset with the support I got from www.rebelio.com, after complaining I now seem to have found somebody as interested in finding a solution to my problem as I am. Thanks Carlos.

 

They are currently taking the camera to the Panasonic Technical Support Center in Barcelona to see where the problem is and all kind of information from this page has been included.

 

I'll inform you as soon as they reply, but I can't think of a negative answer from Panasonic after so many evidences of a design failure collected in this page and in the Panasonic Services around the world.

 

Until Panasonic does not give a definitive answer/solution/fix to all our problems, I'm not going to recommend this camera make to anybody and I expect Panasonic not to want everybody around the globe to know they make such delicate equipment.

 

My bad experience has made me think that I don't want a such a delicate equipment back in my pocket anymore. I want my next camera to be as sturdy as my "5-year-old & still-working" Canon Digital Ixus (SD100).

 

Thank you all.

[tim_a_warren]

Alan & Francisco - what good news that your issues have been taken seriously by Panasonic.

 

As you both say - we can all now only wait with bated breath for the outcome of this. I only wish there was some way to get these international branches of Panasonic communicating over this issue..

 

Congratulations for getting so far, and I hope this encourages other readers of this thread to take the same course of action - it is here for the benefit of us all.

Please use this resource to benefit your own case.

[john_graham2]

American Express covered my camera under their purchase protection plan, so I got my entire purchase price back. I was thinking of waiting now for one of the new Lumix's announced on the Panasonic website, but decided that perhaps I could follow Neil's example here and replace the LCD screen myself netting a working camera for a fraction of the cost of a new one. True to Neil's word, replacing the LCD was easy and straightforward. You remove the three screws on the sides of the camera and two on the bottom (the one on the silver side piece and the one near the back) and the back comes off, connected to the main camera via two ribbon cables. The larger ribbon cable pulls out. The smaller one has a small plastic peice that flips over and releases the cable. The LCD is in a small metal casing. You pry this off (the service manual states to warm it with a hair dryer first, though this was not necessary) from edge to center. The new LCD comes with a black double sided tape that you use to mount the new screen. Reverse the procedure to put the cables in (the larger one is difficult to get in, but not impossible) and put the back on. Done! The screen worked great.

 

Now for the problem. The kit also comes with a small plastic spacer that wasn't there before. Neil and I speculate that this is to prevent the possible flexing that broke the LCD in the first place (an admission of the design flaw?). Neil just put it somewhere near where the LCD will mount, but the instructions that come with the LCD, which are terrible, seem to suggest that it gets mounted on the underside of a circuit board that is two levels deep into the camara. Not having the service manual at that time, I stupidly managed to pry this board up, but at the expense of three of the micro wires that are part of a connector that attaches the top controls on the camera to main circuit boards. From what I can see on the circuit diagrams, the missing wires are the battery connetors, so the camera will not turn on anymore, and I will need to replace this top circuit board for $44US (backordered 2 weeks).

 

After this stupid exercise on my part, I got smart and found a service manual online for $10 and found out that by removing the thrid bottom screw (in the front) and twisting the ring around the lens a small bit counterclockwise, it comes right off revealing three screws. With these off, the front of the camera comes off and the top is easily removed. Then you are supposed to remove the lens assembly, making the circuit board that the spacer supposedly goes on more easily removed. A lot of work for a spacer that I can't even tell you does anything, as you really can't see it when it is in place.

 

I'll let everyone know when I get the new circuit board if that fixes everything. If not, then I will have a black camera back for sale with a fully working LCD already mounted in it. For others going on this oddesey, my advice is forget the spacer, or see Neil for where he put it, as it did not involve removing any circuit boards, and may, in fact work better. I just hope when I'm all done that it does not just break again!

[ben_monson]

Hi

 

Also suffering from the cracked screen problem � though my camera probably suffered some impact damage from my pocket � the crack appears to be in the same place (i.e. on the right hand side, in the middle, next to the dial � leaving a mark like a deranged squid). Looks similar to Julie Bouwens , mar 01, 2006; 12:18 a.m. photo.

 

I notice some people have managed to obtain replacement LCD screens. How did you manage this?

 

I have been told only authorised dealers can get (and fit them � at significant expense) making it only slightly cheaper than buying a new one.

[dano battista 3d ltd]

DEAR ALL,-IMOPORTANT PROGRESS IN THE UK!

 

I have just been contacted by panasonic customer services and they had my camera couriered to them yesterday for analysis. I will keep you all informed of the outcome.

 

Dano