Sordid happening inside my XF300 lens at DVinfo.net

Rodrigo Fajardo · July 5th, 2012, 07:00 PM

Not really one there are two and maybe three small white and nasty bugs walking inside my 4 month old shiny XF300. Maybe half a milimiter wide each one, and there is one bigger than the other.

At first i though it was a little white speck beyond the first glass, which made me feel really bad, but then it appeared and disappeared at times. I believed it was a little loose particle inside and hoped for it to get stuck to a side of the lens and give no more problem, but after a thorough check i found it to be a live blatant element walking over the second piece of glass, and then i found another one over the THIRD glass, i dont really know how the hell did they get in there because ive used very little my camcorder under healthy environment, kept in a dry and clean room.

To make things worst im now having a lot of work and i cant bring it back to guarantee at this time, i need help to kill or neutralize the vermin. Ive been thinking about keeping the XF300 in a freezer, maybe in a very hot place, using UV lamps, or even release some kind of deadly gas towards my beloved camcorder.

The XF was bought new from one of the most trusted video dealers in the USA, but at this time im not in the country.

Hope anyone can help me

Totally dejected...

Chris Soucy · July 5th, 2012, 08:24 PM

Sorry about your bug problem, sounds like where you're living is warm and humid.

The safest way to terminate the critters is this:

1. Get hold of a) an air tight (ZipLock?) plastic bag, large enough to hold the camera & b) a jar/ can of silica gel crystals, failing that a 1lb bag of dry rice & c) a sock or two.

2. Remove everything that can be removed from the camera (if you need the battery to activate the zoom / focus, leave it in) and open every compartment.

3. Put silical gel/ rice into socks and secure closed with something.

4. Put camera and socks into bag and seal, it must be completely air tight. Keep warm.

5. Over the next 48 hours pump the lens zoom and focus as often as possible - DO NOT open the bag to do so. The aim of this is to remove every last trace of moisture from inside the camera & lens.

6. After 48 hours minimum, put the sealed bag (with camera and socks still inside) into a freezer. Leave for at least 24 hours, more if possible.

7. Remove bag from freezer - DO NOT OPEN THE BAG!!! Leave for approximately 24 hours to come up to room temperature.

8. Remove camera from bag and see if you have dead critters.

My guess is that critters that thrive in warm humid conditions won't have packed for a trip to the South Pole.

Hope I'm right!

CS

Rodrigo Fajardo · July 5th, 2012, 08:41 PM

Hi Chris, thanks a LOT. Maybe the place i live could be humid sometimes but it is not warm, its cold. When you say put it in the freezer, do you mean in the place where ice is created or just the place where things keep cold.

Right now vermin is sleeping hidden somewhere in the lens, but lets say they finally leave this world, will i need to send the camcorder to service to remove the critters?

I hope they dont crap on top of the lens

Thanks again

Chris Soucy · July 5th, 2012, 09:58 PM

I mean the thing that makes ice, the colder the better.

Hmm, if it's not warm I wonder where the bugs came from, they usually only appear when it's warm and humid, and no, I have no idea what they could be.

Yes, I'm afraid that simply killing them isn't the end of the story, they'll still need to be removed if they've died anywhere visible on a lens and won't shift with a gentle tap/ thump.

Whether Canon will see it as a Warranty repair is a bit of a moot point, as they won't have been there when the lens was manufactured and are unlikely to have got there via the Dealer, so they may say it's something to do with user use/ storage/ whatever conditions and not their fault.

Best check the minimum stated storage conditions for the battery BTW, if the freezer is really cold it could be a premature death situation for it and a cost not to be sneezed at.

The reason for the silica gel crystals/ rice is to remove as much moisture as possible, as the freezer will cause any water vapour inside the camera to first condense as water, then turn into crystaline ice, not good if it happens to be between two components that aren't designed to have ice crystals trying to push them apart.

BTW, you'll get better milage out of the rice if you spread the uncooked grains onto a metal tray and put them into the oven at about 80 degrees Centigrade for about 30 minutes. Let them cool a bit and dump them into the socks, they'll soak up moisture like a sponge.

Good luck.

CS

Graham Bernard · July 7th, 2012, 12:28 AM

Hmmm....

Just how are you observing these "critters"? Through the LCD? Through the EP? Or directly from the FRONT, looking directly into the lens?

Grazie

Rodrigo Fajardo · July 7th, 2012, 11:39 AM

Looking directly into the lens i can see one in the second and another on top of the second piece of glass, they move so in this moment they are not showing, are hidden somewhere.

Do you believe the lens is going to be totally replaced or just opened and cleaned?

Graham Bernard · July 7th, 2012, 11:20 PM

Can you see them on any finished video or through the EP or LCD? When you say "walking" can you actually see legs?

Interesting.

Grazie

Rodrigo Fajardo · July 9th, 2012, 11:00 AM

Hi i have not been able to see them in any video as i was not interested in keeping sad memories. Yes they have small legs maybe 4 each side, are white and not so translucent as one might think. They walk, i saw them recognizing the ground, in fact recognizing the glass. I will try to post some nice pictures if they dare to go for picnic again. I was tempted to place my XF300 inside the microwave just to take revenge but..

July 5th, 2012, 07:00 PM	#1
Rodrigo Fajardo New Boot Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Bogotá Colombia Posts: 17	Sordid happening inside my XF300 lens Not really one there are two and maybe three small white and nasty bugs walking inside my 4 month old shiny XF300. Maybe half a milimiter wide each one, and there is one bigger than the other. At first i though it was a little white speck beyond the first glass, which made me feel really bad, but then it appeared and disappeared at times. I believed it was a little loose particle inside and hoped for it to get stuck to a side of the lens and give no more problem, but after a thorough check i found it to be a live blatant element walking over the second piece of glass, and then i found another one over the THIRD glass, i dont really know how the hell did they get in there because ive used very little my camcorder under healthy environment, kept in a dry and clean room. To make things worst im now having a lot of work and i cant bring it back to guarantee at this time, i need help to kill or neutralize the vermin. Ive been thinking about keeping the XF300 in a freezer, maybe in a very hot place, using UV lamps, or even release some kind of deadly gas towards my beloved camcorder. The XF was bought new from one of the most trusted video dealers in the USA, but at this time im not in the country. Hope anyone can help me Totally dejected...

July 5th, 2012, 08:24 PM	#2
Chris Soucy Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Fairfield, Dunedin, New Zealand Posts: 3,682 Images: 18	Re: Sordid happening inside my XF300 lens Sorry about your bug problem, sounds like where you're living is warm and humid. The safest way to terminate the critters is this: 1. Get hold of a) an air tight (ZipLock?) plastic bag, large enough to hold the camera & b) a jar/ can of silica gel crystals, failing that a 1lb bag of dry rice & c) a sock or two. 2. Remove everything that can be removed from the camera (if you need the battery to activate the zoom / focus, leave it in) and open every compartment. 3. Put silical gel/ rice into socks and secure closed with something. 4. Put camera and socks into bag and seal, it must be completely air tight. Keep warm. 5. Over the next 48 hours pump the lens zoom and focus as often as possible - DO NOT open the bag to do so. The aim of this is to remove every last trace of moisture from inside the camera & lens. 6. After 48 hours minimum, put the sealed bag (with camera and socks still inside) into a freezer. Leave for at least 24 hours, more if possible. 7. Remove bag from freezer - DO NOT OPEN THE BAG!!! Leave for approximately 24 hours to come up to room temperature. 8. Remove camera from bag and see if you have dead critters. My guess is that critters that thrive in warm humid conditions won't have packed for a trip to the South Pole. Hope I'm right! CS

July 5th, 2012, 08:41 PM	#3
Rodrigo Fajardo New Boot Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Bogotá Colombia Posts: 17	Re: Sordid happening inside my XF300 lens Hi Chris, thanks a LOT. Maybe the place i live could be humid sometimes but it is not warm, its cold. When you say put it in the freezer, do you mean in the place where ice is created or just the place where things keep cold. Right now vermin is sleeping hidden somewhere in the lens, but lets say they finally leave this world, will i need to send the camcorder to service to remove the critters? I hope they dont crap on top of the lens Thanks again

July 5th, 2012, 09:58 PM	#4
Chris Soucy Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Fairfield, Dunedin, New Zealand Posts: 3,682 Images: 18	Re: Sordid happening inside my XF300 lens I mean the thing that makes ice, the colder the better. Hmm, if it's not warm I wonder where the bugs came from, they usually only appear when it's warm and humid, and no, I have no idea what they could be. Yes, I'm afraid that simply killing them isn't the end of the story, they'll still need to be removed if they've died anywhere visible on a lens and won't shift with a gentle tap/ thump. Whether Canon will see it as a Warranty repair is a bit of a moot point, as they won't have been there when the lens was manufactured and are unlikely to have got there via the Dealer, so they may say it's something to do with user use/ storage/ whatever conditions and not their fault. Best check the minimum stated storage conditions for the battery BTW, if the freezer is really cold it could be a premature death situation for it and a cost not to be sneezed at. The reason for the silica gel crystals/ rice is to remove as much moisture as possible, as the freezer will cause any water vapour inside the camera to first condense as water, then turn into crystaline ice, not good if it happens to be between two components that aren't designed to have ice crystals trying to push them apart. BTW, you'll get better milage out of the rice if you spread the uncooked grains onto a metal tray and put them into the oven at about 80 degrees Centigrade for about 30 minutes. Let them cool a bit and dump them into the socks, they'll soak up moisture like a sponge. Good luck. CS

July 7th, 2012, 12:28 AM	#5
Graham Bernard Old Boot Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London UK Posts: 3,633	Re: Sordid happening inside my XF300 lens Hmmm.... Just how are you observing these "critters"? Through the LCD? Through the EP? Or directly from the FRONT, looking directly into the lens? Grazie

July 7th, 2012, 11:39 AM	#6
Rodrigo Fajardo New Boot Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Bogotá Colombia Posts: 17	Re: Sordid happening inside my XF300 lens Looking directly into the lens i can see one in the second and another on top of the second piece of glass, they move so in this moment they are not showing, are hidden somewhere. Do you believe the lens is going to be totally replaced or just opened and cleaned?

July 7th, 2012, 11:20 PM	#7
Graham Bernard Old Boot Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London UK Posts: 3,633	Re: Sordid happening inside my XF300 lens Can you see them on any finished video or through the EP or LCD? When you say "walking" can you actually see legs? Interesting. Grazie

July 9th, 2012, 11:00 AM	#8
Rodrigo Fajardo New Boot Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Bogotá Colombia Posts: 17	Re: Sordid happening inside my XF300 lens Hi i have not been able to see them in any video as i was not interested in keeping sad memories. Yes they have small legs maybe 4 each side, are white and not so translucent as one might think. They walk, i saw them recognizing the ground, in fact recognizing the glass. I will try to post some nice pictures if they dare to go for picnic again. I was tempted to place my XF300 inside the microwave just to take revenge but..