Issue With New DBK21AU618

[Scooter]

Hi Folks – long time no post but have lurked on the odd occasion since the last post. Not really had the gear out much in the last year or so (been busy and away etc.) but I ended up grabbing a DBK21 to have a play with. Decided on the DBK as I couldn’t be arsed with filters etc. and really just wanted something to view the planets/moon with a live view (and something that I could guide with when using the DSLR).

Anyway so I get the other half to buy the DBK from Bintel and they send the DMK. Great if I wanted the DMK for $30 off but I wanted the OSC so I send it back at my expense and finally get the DBK. Open it up and test it quickly last night and there is a bloody dead pixel (I think).

Not happy – wondered what my options are and if anyone else had similar issues? Been really busy so not had a chance to call Bintel so thought I would ask peoples experiences here? With the cap on the unit it is a bright white spot in mono and blue in color. Not even sure if it is dead pixel but it is in the same place yesterday and tonight etc. With the cover off and in color with the change in colors it seem to change color but is allways different to the surrounding pixels so it stands out (i.e. not stuck on one color). Is that a dead pixel?

[asimov (John)]

Yes, I received the same camera with a dead pixel as well. Actually it has two but luckily both are close to an edge. Apparently it's a common thing to happen with these newer, more sensitive chips, but how much truth is in that, I don't know.

Suffice to say after a stack, it is not noticeable at all so I wouldn't worry about it too much. I would however, have a small whinge to BINTEL & ask for a replacement. Where is your dead/stuck pixel? If it was dead centre I wouldn't be overly happy..

[Scooter]

Hi asimov - it's pretty close to the middle. Will try and call Bintel today or tomorrow I just wondered how others had gone. I had a quick look on the IS website on the night I opened it and the IS guy on there said dead pixels were rare and the camera should be returned , as I said I wasn't sure if mine was a dead pixel but assumed so. Maybe I should have kept the Mono - been a bit of a hassle so far what with needing to do the swap to get the right thing and now this obvious pixel issue.

[asimov (John)]

Lol. It's kind of funny to me that a guy from IS said this problem was rare. Perhaps I have had bad luck over the years...I still own 6 CCD webcams & 5 of them have dead or stuck pixels. In each case I was concerned UNTIL a did my first stack with them. I haven't thought about them since, even though I see these pixels every time I use it/them.

If I was going to be fooling around with single shots from these webcams you can be certain I wouldn't own a cam with any pixel problems as I would have returned them all. Seeing as I stack thousands of frames though, the problem becomes null & void. Have a look at any of my planet images to put your mind at ease over this.

There is a very good possibility of returning the camera, receiving a perfect one, & then it developing the problem 3 days later, 3 weeks later or 3 months later. After saying that it may not develope at ALL.