R61 built-in Webcamera goes dark

[austkp]

Hi Peoples.

Trying to help out a friend who has picked up a second-hand R61 which has had a copy of Win7 Professional installed over the original OS (Vista I think).

Her problem is that the built-in webcamera starts off OK but after a short time goes very dark.

Her room is not very bright and the laptop is usually being used in the evening in limited light but I can't think of anything that could be causing it to work fine for a while and then suddenly change like this.

After going dim a restart always brings it back to the "good" mode of operation.

Would be grateful for any pointers.

Kieran

[RealBlackStuff]

Sounds more like failing cam hardware.
This can be fairly easily replaced: http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-IBM-Lenovo- ... 0265936252
But before you go that way, try and switch on a light in that room, then see if things improve.
Don't forget that these are tiny pieces of cheap, mass-produced electronics.
If they sell them for $29.- shipped, they are worth probably $1.49 or less.