Sony Recalls 350,000 Digital Cameras

TOKYO : Japanese electronics giant Sony Corp. said on Thursday it would recall 350,000 Cyber-Shot digital cameras worldwide because the metal coating could peel off and scratch the user's hand.

The affected model, the Cyber-Shot DSC-T5, was released in September 2005 and is no longer manufactured, the company said.

"The coating did not have enough adhesive strength, so it may peel off and curl up, hurting a user's hand," said Sony spokeswoman Ryoko Takagi.

"We have received over 30 reports in Japan and several similar cases overseas that users had paper cut-like scratches," including one person who complained a piece of coating got stuck under a finger nail, she said.

Some 66,000 of the cameras covered by the recall are circulating in Japan and the rest overseas.

Manufactured between August and October 2005, the cameras have serial numbers from 3010001 to 3081200, the company said.

In November last year, Sony announced a voluntary recall of eight types of Cyber-Shot digital cameras due to a possible glitch with the image sensor.

Last year the electronics giant was also hit by recalls of millions of its laptop computer batteries for fear they might catch fire. - AFP