Olympus Expands March Recall of Overheating Infinity Film Cameras

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #06250) was formally reported on September 5, 2006. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Olympus Imaging America Inc., of Center Valley, Pa. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 1.2 million (24,000 additional cameras) units are affected, placing this recall in the million-unit bracket that typically triggers nationwide consumer alerts and retailer sweeps.

The documented reason for this recall is: A defect with the flash circuit in these cameras can cause it to smoke and overheat, when the camera is turned on. This poses a possible burn hazard to consumers. Distribution information was not included in the agency filing, so consumers should assume broad potential exposure until the firm publishes point-of-sale details. The remedy documented by the agency is: Consumers should stop using these cameras and contact Olympus for information on receiving a free repair or, if necessary, replacement. — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 6 were also issued by CPSC. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 20 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.