Sony was hit in a class action lawsuit by a consumer who claims that the popular Sony a7 III has shutter defects that block the camera and force homeowners to pay for expensive repairs.
Law Street Media reports that the plaintiff, a man named John Guerriero, filed for class action in the Southern District of New York against Sony Electronics Inc. yesterday.
Guerriero calls Sony “the vanguard of the mirrorless camera movement because they are the most affordable full-frame system[s] in the market ”before accusing the company of denying warranty claims made by camera owners who had“ mechanical problems ”with the a7 III’s shutter.
“The a7iii is smaller, lighter and more durable than its DSLR counterpart, which contributes to its higher cost – approximately $ 2,000.00,” says the suit. “Unfortunately for many a7 III buyers, mechanical problems with the shutter have made the cameras unusable, as long as they don’t pay more than $ 500 for repair at an authorized service center.”
Sony claims the a7 III is rated for 200,000 shutter releases, but according to the process, many owners have reported shutter failures occurring long before reaching the 200,000 trigger mark.
“Numerous users report shutter failures far below 200,000, but between 10,000 and 50,000 for most users who have experienced this,” the complaint states. “Although the a7iii is generally sold with a one-year warranty, the shutter failure occurs at random, usually outside the warranty period.”
“The result is that buyers are expected to pay approximately $ 500 to $ 650 for the repair and replacement of the shutter mechanism.”
The lawsuit also states that because the camera’s shutter failure happens in a predictable way, it is due to a mechanical design flaw.
“The shutter failure manifests itself consistently,” says the filing. “Before the shutter failure, users report hearing an unusual shutter sound, followed by the screen turning black and displaying the following message: ‘Camera error. Turn it off and on. ‘ […]
“When a user removes the lens, the shutter is closed and locked. In most cases, the shutter came loose, as shown by the countless users of the a7 III who shared photos of their broken shutters on the Internet. “
There are several theories as to what is causing this specific type of shutter failure.
“This includes the observation that the shutter blade gets stuck on the front edge as it moves downwards when taking a photo,” says the process. “This is because the blades are positioned further ahead, so they ‘catch’ and are unable to move completely away.
“In addition, the material of the front curtain shutter has limited strength, causing it to break. In addition, the obturator is exceptionally susceptible to breakage by small particles, even dust, which can cause blade misalignment. “
Some Sony a7 III users are said to be turning off the front curtain electronic shutter (EFCS) in hopes of avoiding this failure, but this increases shutter noise and is less than ideal for photographers who have purchased their a7 III for photos silent – at weddings, for example.
Others who have experienced this failure have tried “do-it-yourself” repairs that can cause warranty claims to be denied.
Guerriero is now suing Sony on behalf of “all the citizens of New York who bought the a7iii cameras”, and among the things he is looking for in court are an injunction, damages / costs / fees and other measures.
(via Law Street Media via DIYPhotography)