All of a sudden and out of the blue, my Canon PowerShot SD1000 camera lens will not open. One second it opened and the next it did not. Just like that. Nothing happened to it, I did not drop it or smash it or anything. It just quit working.
My biggest complaint about the whole thing is that after searching the “Lens error, restart camera” message that my PowerShot SD1000 keeps spitting out, the troubleshooting suggestions offered by some seemingly reputable camera sites amounts to
- taking the battery out for a couple of minutes and trying to open the lens again, or
- banging the living hell out of the thing on a hard surface to see if that will knock some sense into it.
Seriously, the experts at the various camera sites that shall remain unlinked are unanimous in their advice that the best thing to do is to smack the side of the camera repeatedly on a hard surface and hope the lens error goes away and the camera lens opens back up.
Notice none of the experts suggest sending the camera back to Canon for repair. Apparently the issue costs about $200.00 for Canon to fix because Canon will look at the camera and declare that the camera has been “abused” and thus not covered by any manufacturer’s warranty.
Imagine that - “Abuse”. After following the expert advice on so many camera websites that tell me to pound the tiny SD1000 on a hard surface repeatedly, Canon might think I’ve abused my camera.
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I had the same problem with my Nikon and was about to buy the Canon until I saw this website. I sort of thought the pounding the camera repeatedly on a hard surface was a joke, so I took my dead Nikon and decided to try it as a joke, figuring it couldn’t hurt it anymore.. to my surprise, it worked! thanks
Liz on October 10th, 2007 at 3:46 pm | Link
I have a canon SD400. My shutter for no apparent reason stopped working. It made a funny noise when opening….then I closed it and couldnt get it opened. I emailed canon and they gave me the same answer they always give no matter the product, no matter the problem. Send it in for repair or buy a new one. Anyway, I was searching for a new camera….I found this site. I banged the heck out of my camera and what do you know, it opened. It still makes a funny noise so I am not sure how much longer it will work…but it is working now. THANKS!!
Stacey on October 14th, 2007 at 8:19 pm | Link
I got the same problem with Canon SD1000. This is 5th canon camera and got this error for the first time. Guys, first I thought you were joking about the banging. Anyway, Instead of hard surface, I shake the camera several times in the air and it opened up! Thanks.
Naimul on October 24th, 2007 at 11:03 am | Link
This happened on a trip to France and Switzerland, preventing me from getting photos of families and friends. I haven’t spoken to the camera shop, except to take it in the first time the issue occurred (and it did not reproduce). My Swiss friends call it the peut-etre-li — the little maybe maybe device, since sometimes it works. I would not buy another. Any suggestions for a different one. Btw, I only got the lens error report once. Sometimes it just doesn’t open or opens just a little bit, shuts, opens m ore, shuts, doesn’t open…you know the drill. Not worth the trouble.
jlockley on November 8th, 2007 at 11:12 am | Link
Same problem here. For no apparent rreason, it just stopped working. I tried everything suggested, but no luck.
Tom on November 14th, 2007 at 4:51 pm | Link
The lense on my Cannon SD400 suddenly stopped opening while on vacation in June. It has been sitting on my dresser ever since - Canon wanted over $100 just to look at the camera. After finding this site and reading that I should bang the camera against a hard surface, I gave it a try. It tottally worked. Thanks!
Sara on November 18th, 2007 at 10:43 pm | Link
I’m glad that everyone is having such great success banging the crap out of their Canon and rubbing the success in my face with a “thanks”.
My SD1000 still won’t open.
The lens on my Canon Powershot SD1000 is stuck open with a lens error!?
Jr on November 29th, 2007 at 9:21 pm | Link
same here! i thought banging the camera on a hard surface was a joke but tried it and it works now! the lens came out fine. great news to save money around the holidays..no new camera needed!
kay on December 9th, 2007 at 9:45 pm | Link
I keep trying to beat my lens open, but it isn’t working! Not happy, but I’m glad to see that it’s worked for so many people. I’m just worried about damaging it further (though … when it won’t open, the damage is pretty much done…)
Angi on December 13th, 2007 at 6:31 pm | Link
This error occurred with my last canon camera. I bought a newer version- the SD1000 to replace it. What do you know? Same error after 6 months. Nothing harmful was done to the camera. It is a shame the lack of quality with canons cameras these days. I love the image quality but I am skeptical about dropping another few hundred on something I’ve already had an awful experience with. Maybe I’ll drop/throw/swing/smack/bang my sd1000 one more time. So far though it has not worked and dissecting it looks too painful.
Melissa on December 27th, 2007 at 4:46 pm | Link
All digital cameras with telescoping lenses are vulnerable to lens error problems. But banging the camera is only one of several simple fixes. They do work for about 2 out of 3 cameras with this problem. Not sure if tc3 will agree to my posting the following link, but here they are:
http://camerarepair.blogspot.c.....amera.html
CR on January 2nd, 2008 at 5:32 pm | Link
I think I’ve set a record. I got a Canon PowerShot 650A IS for Christmas. I used it for one day and loved the quality of the pictures. I also tried it in movie mode but the sound only worked half-way through the movie and then there was no sound during the second half! I thought maybe I did something wrong or pushed a button I shouldn’t have, so didn’t think any more about it, but I went to take a picture today, and now the lens won’t open! I have done nothing to abuse the camera so I don’t want to bang it on anything. I guess I’ll have to take it back and buy something else, but it sure won’t be a Canon!
Judy on January 4th, 2008 at 12:38 am | Link
Cannon is a joke when it comes to standing behind there products!
There famous “E18″ error problem and there multiple problems with there Sony-made “CCD’s” they just will not admit they are wrong. I will never spend another penny on any Cannon product. For me it’s been an expensive lesson learned.
Manny on January 7th, 2008 at 3:52 pm | Link
Got the same LENS ERROR on my new SD1000. Tried the battery removal and pounding it on the side techniques but they both did not work. I then fixed it by following the following steps:
Turn off the camera. Place it on the back with the lens facing up and take a look at the spacing between the lens and the lens housing. If you notice that the gap is not even all the way around the lens, the problem should be easy to fix. This type of a problem usually occurs if the camera was dropped while the lens was extended. Simply - VERY GENTLY - press down the lens on the side where the gap is the biggest. You should hear a “click” as it pops back into place. Try powering the camera back on.
Good luck
Don C. on January 15th, 2008 at 11:01 pm | Link
I have been using my camera for about a month next week my lense is going out and zooming in but its clicking and when I go to shut it off it will only click and make funny noises so I tried slamming it on a hard surface and now my camera is scratched I tried waving it in the air and it won’t work please if you have any tips leave a comment!
Katie on January 20th, 2008 at 8:35 pm | Link
I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to tell me the “correct procedure for fixing a lens that’s stuck on my SD1000″. This is my 5th digital camera with similar problems and the ultimate sucess story is when I beat the hell out of it on the table. After only a few very substantial strikes it works perfectly. Canon needs to change their line of bull and list the CONSUMERS proven method for fixing their product. Returning a digital camera to the manufacturer is pointless. These are throw away products in their eyes.
Don May on January 24th, 2008 at 2:17 pm | Link
i was so disappointed to learn that so many people are having problems with their cameras…i’ve been in love with my SD1000 since i got it a few months ago. but at least i was able to get some good advice. my lens was stuck open. i thought it froze, as i was taking pictures of ice sculptures. the tapping trick worked for me…i turned it on, and before it could give me the error message i lightly tapped the body a few times against a table. problem solved…for now?
ryan on January 25th, 2008 at 11:42 pm | Link
So glad I found this page. I would never have had the guts to bang my Powershot A540 or to push on the lens but I did and it seems the latter solution did the trick. Thanks Don C.!
Matt on January 30th, 2008 at 3:00 pm | Link
i think it’s a great camera and i gotta admit it’s my own fault that the lens error occurred. i had it in a little case and threw it around such that the lens would open but get stuck in the case so it was stopped mid-open.
if it still doesn’t work tc3, place the camera on a flat surface lens up. if the lens area is not 100% level, push gently on it until it is. if you can’t tell which side is unlevel just guess.
then try turning it on.
it worked for me. ::shrug:: don’t forget to try the old nintendo method too. just blow on it and bang it on its side a couple times. there could be some dust or something in there jamming it up.
vida on February 6th, 2008 at 9:12 pm | Link
Yes indeed, it also worked for me. I smacked my sd 600 against the table and it now once again works. Note that it only began to work again when I smacked the lens side of the camera against the table. Hitting against the sides and bottom had no results.
Randy on February 16th, 2008 at 2:19 pm | Link
brand new G9 just use less than an hour with 20 picture took!!
suddenly the zoon lever not working any more, camera shows “lens error restart camera” then few seconds later you can switch off the camera the lens can goes back , switch on and off the lens functioning ok but just the zoom lever didn’t work and the msg keeping coming out while i use the zoom
took it back to the shop the sales req said i should dropped but i didn’t and they wouldn’t swapt another item for me.
they just send the camera to canon base for a exam…
Do I have a right to change a goods that i just used for half an hour?
lou on February 18th, 2008 at 11:59 am | Link
DUDE!!! i went to vegas and on my last night there when for the first time i was sober enough to take really good pics, lo and behold i got the “lens error” crap and my camera would open but couldnt focus and then the screen would go black….i banged the crap out of it since i figure i might as well since i am buying a new model anyways and yipppie!! it works now….sorry to whoevers out ther that this didnt work for…i am elated and i just had to thank this web site for the help!!
L:ilypad on February 27th, 2008 at 1:29 pm | Link
SD1000 here - only a few months old. I don’t abuse my camera and have never dropped it. I keep it in a very thick and well cushioned handknit pouch. I think perhaps a stray fiber of yarn from the pouch got caught in the lens.
I was scared to bang my camera on a table. So I debated it for a while, then I put a thick wool sweater on the table and folded it in half. I banged the bottom of the camera firmly (but not hard) once on the sweater and WHOOSH - the lens popped open!
Thanks to all the previous comment authors for giving me the nerve to do it!
Monica on March 5th, 2008 at 4:26 am | Link
Totally just banged my sd1000 on a heavy 25 lb dumbell, i just tried banging the camera at every possible angle, and what do you know, after about 50 whacks, she works again!
Cannon on March 9th, 2008 at 8:57 pm | Link
I have had my SD1000 for 2 months now and my problems started a month after I got it. First lens would be half open then it stuck shut and now its stuck open giving me the LENS ERROR RESTART CAMERA message.
It really pisses me off as I use my camera daily for work. This will be the last Canon I purchase.
sam on April 18th, 2008 at 11:19 pm | Link
So my camera spazed out and it did the whole “Lens error, please restart.” I stummbled upon this site trying to figure out how to fix it. “Hit it repeatedly on a hard surface” It worked. Thanks.
Melanie on April 26th, 2008 at 9:14 am | Link
Worse than the Canon SD1000 lens error problem, is they won’t fix it under warranty. I made the mistake of shipping my camera with the san disk card that had beach pictures on it. I got an email after shipping it to them that they wanted $100 to fix this $150 camera.
I called, they said sand poured out of it and they never heard of the lens error problem as being an issue with these cameras. No more Canon products for me. It is unacceptable for a major company to lie and not cover their warranty.
Read my story here:
http://www.lessnau.com/2008/05.....ty-repair/
John Lessnau on May 3rd, 2008 at 10:30 pm | Link
At first I thought the ‘bang your camera around’ thing was a joke. But it actually worked. And I think that’s scary. Especially considering we haven’t even used our camera much yet (we just bought a memory stick today, so we couldn’t take more than a few pics)…
I’m thinking of exchanging it, as it hasn’t been a month since we bought it…
kat on May 6th, 2008 at 9:35 pm | Link
Indeed, banging works. Seems sketchy, but hey, it’s fixed (for now)! This is actually my second Canon SD1000. The first one I had for about half a year before it was stolen and never had any problems with it. Whenever I had the lens error on that camera, it only took a restart of the camera to fix it. No such luck this time, hopefully this won’t be a repeating problem.
froeschele on May 7th, 2008 at 12:43 pm | Link
I was at a wedding over Memorial Day Weekend when the whole “lens-error” thing happened to my SD1000. It went on the fritz just when the blue-grass band started playing, moonshine was being passed around, and all of us LA/San Francisco/Detroit slickers were having a good ol’country time. Came home lamenting to my roommate the lack of documentation of the revelry, and he looked online and found this site. We read the testimonials, shrugged, then slammed the camera onto the desk. Good as new. No ****.
Deonna on May 27th, 2008 at 2:20 pm | Link
i broke my camera following the instructions given in the internet.
Kindly do not hit on the hard surface. if u do so, u will get a crack on the display as i got….
ippdiku
sd 1000 nalan virumbi
mahesh on May 29th, 2008 at 2:23 pm | Link
I canot thank everyone on this site enough for suggesting hitting the camera when the lens didn’t come out.. When I got the “Lens Error Restart Camera” notice on my camera, I panicked! It just wouldn’t open! I was so frustrated so I came and found the site, tried hitting it a few times (with my hand.. NOT on a hard surface), and IT WORKED!! I LOVE this camera so I was slightly disappointed when that error came up.. but I’m just glad it worked
I just hope it doesn’t happen again!!
Joy on May 30th, 2008 at 10:32 am | Link
This is the second Powershot A540 I had gotten for my daughter - the first one the lens stuck open and I returned it under warranty - this time the lens was stuck closed. I was a little squeamish about banging it on a hard surface, but I gave it a couple smart whacks on the palm of my hand and it works. Now only if I can teach the technique to her without her smashing it to smithereens! (PS - getting it to work again so simply made me laugh insanely for about 5 minutes. If nothing else, it’s apparently good entertainment and a way to blow of steam when you’re p***ed off at the stupid thing!)
jorzo on June 10th, 2008 at 2:55 am | Link
PS - I will probably NOT buy another Canon.
jorzo on June 10th, 2008 at 2:55 am | Link
unbelievable….whadya know? a couple of whacks on the couch…and boom…SD750 is ready to go! WOOHOO!
thanks for the help….i still can’t believe this….
kyla on June 15th, 2008 at 2:37 pm | Link
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE BANGING TIP! i really thought my camera went to waste!
Dianna on June 21st, 2008 at 12:43 pm | Link
Had the dreaded lens error on my wife’s Canon SD1000 with the lens stuck in the extended position. Went through the 7-step process and nothing worked until I whacked it (base side down on the palm of my hand. It took four or five whacks before it retracted. Fixed!!!
John on June 26th, 2008 at 7:38 pm | Link
also, nervous since i’m traveling in mexico now and didn’t want to send it in, i had my friend wrap my SD1000 in a t-shirt, bang it, and it worked–not too surprising after reading all these entries and I decided to contribute as well. (i had dropped my camera and attributed the lens problem to that)–but sure enough it’s fixed. gracias a todos.
mselainels on June 28th, 2008 at 2:50 pm | Link
same problem here! I am in japan right now and yesterday the lens error happened to me. I has happened before but usually fixes itself after a few minutes and some shaking. yesterday nothing would work so I gave up and bought a new camera. lo and behold today when i woke up i tried it and POOF magically fixed. I lost a day of pictures thanks to that thing, and a lot of money buying a new camera (which it turns out i dont like as much as the quality of the cannon despite the obvious lens issue)…argh i am frustrated
millie on July 2nd, 2008 at 12:29 am | Link
I see im not the only person whose had the lens error on my sd1000….. So the my lens is stuck out and won’t retract…. tried banging it on my palm and all i got was a bruised palm with a lens that won’t retract, but then i shook some sense into it and it worked good as new!…..
jconstant on July 3rd, 2008 at 10:22 pm | Link
I just had the same error on my SD100- camera, knocked it 1ns not too hardly on a hard surface(a book) and it was fixed.
Thanks for the help
Guy on July 14th, 2008 at 11:54 pm | Link
Guys, banging your cameras are a temporary fix at best for this problem, or at worse will cause other problems (like the guy who broke his LCD).
For those of you who do not want to hit the camera, or do and it doesn’t work, or you break something else on the camera, my company offers a low cost, fast repair service for the Canon SD1000 and other Canon models.
http://www.darntoothysam.com/s.....uck/Detail
Thanks and good luck -
Thomas Drayton
Owner and Founder of www.darntoothysam.com
Thomas Drayton on July 16th, 2008 at 8:11 am | Link
I have the same problem but when I took the back off of my A540 I could get the lens to come out. When I put the back, back on, the lens will not come out….tried it several times and this is what happens. What could be pinching the camera?
pat on July 20th, 2008 at 11:10 am | Link
Alright, This is ridiculous. I have been trying to fix this piece of s*** for 2 weeks. I took the camera, wrapped it one layer deep in a sweatshirt and pounded it hard on a sofa cushion twice. Works. I hit the side of the camera on the cushion if that helps anyone. GREAT TIP and I really dont think I risked hurting the camera at all.
Drew on July 22nd, 2008 at 6:11 pm | Link
OMG it worked. My camera was stuck open and making this funny clicking noise and wouldn’t close. (lens error - restart camera).
I banged it a couple times, tried to turn it on, same thing. Banged it again.. IT WORKED!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
Kat on July 29th, 2008 at 2:19 am | Link
My PowerShot SD1000 showed a lens error on the screen. It kept making an odd beeping sound and then lens would not retract. I went to a local camera repair place that told me it would cost $98 plus tax to repair the lense. I rejected the price, did some research online, and found this site. A few forceful taps to the side of the camera fixed the problem! Thanks everyone!
Kimberly on August 1st, 2008 at 7:11 am | Link
If this method does not work for you, you might not be forceful enough! I couldnt believe it actually worked. I was worried about doing more damage, but trying this was a better deal than sending it to Canon for $100-$200. The glee I experienced from this fix-it yourself technique was better than the glee I experinced when I recieved the camera for Christmas. Hopefully, I will have no other problems.
Thanks Again!
Tami on August 5th, 2008 at 5:25 pm | Link
I tried again and again and again to make my lens error go away - which I got after only two weeks of purchasing my SD1100. Firstly I tried tapping it lightly on the USB side, then I tried pushing in the lens, then I tried taking the batteries out (all suggested repairs on the internet). Tried again and again but nothing worked. So I gradually started whacking it harder (a good form of stress relief when your 2 week old camera won’t work). Only when I whacked it really, really hard, on the front, on to a hard wooden surface, did the lens finally pop out. I had virtually given up hope. How screwed up is this product? I’m happy it is working again, as it takes the most amazing pictures. Just a pity it is so unreliable.
Barry on August 9th, 2008 at 9:50 am | Link
I had the same problem this morning…read this page…gave it a few smacks on the palm of my hand…et voila! it reopens.
Rubeun on August 12th, 2008 at 10:43 am | Link
i had the same problem two days ago when i *hardly* dropped my canon g9 2 feet away from the ground. After reading through these posts, i thought this whole banging your camera was a total joke, but after 2 unsuccessful attempts at trying to return/exchange it, i figured what the heck - i’m going to have to pay a crazy amount to have it fixed if banging it doesn’t work anyway, so i did. I was a little leery at first, so i started off by shaking it in the air, then banging it on my palm, on the table. When that wasn’t successful, i did what one of the users who posted previously did, i wrapped it in a sweater and bang the living crap out of it on the sofa and VOILA, it worked!!
I am extremely floored that this method actually works!! Thanks guys!
sophia on August 12th, 2008 at 6:28 pm | Link
i had the same prob days ago and i happened to see your solution before i ship it back for fix. It works amazingly! Aften a few dozen side smacks with medium strength, the lens went in. I started the camera and then it issued the same error. After several other bangs, it operates well, and hopefully this will last for a while.
That is utterly amazing! Thank you!
Kaizi on August 15th, 2008 at 7:43 am | Link
My Canon Powershot SD 750 Digital Elph lens isn’t coming out. It just keeps saying “lens error. Restart Camera.” I try restarting and it does the same exact thing. I am getting frustrated and it never works. What do I do to turn it back on? This has happened to me many times before, but it starts working again. It has never done it for this long. What should I do? Please help me.
Olivia on August 17th, 2008 at 1:35 pm | Link
WOW! i tried banging it with my hand and it starting working again!!!!
Anyone who has this problem just bang it against your hand, it works!!! THANKS!!!
Olivia on August 17th, 2008 at 1:38 pm | Link
My 4 months old Canon Powershot SD 1000 Digital Elph lens stopped coming out today during birthday party. It just kept saying “lens error. Restart Camera.” Great! When I got home I found this thread of messages and tried shaking it. It worked right away without banging against any surface. Thank you very much!
Boris on August 17th, 2008 at 7:57 pm | Link
Yes!! Problem solved. I banged the bottom of my camera against the palm of my hand. It didn’t work at first. But since my camera has a full warranty I decided that it didn’t matter how hard I hit it since I was going to have to send it back anyways. A few more hard hits and now it works. All I can do now is hope it doesn’t get stuck again.
Andrew on August 19th, 2008 at 9:43 am | Link
canon sd1000 - lens error, restart - i took the technical approached and banged the heck out of it against a wooden desk, tried first on the bottom and no luck, then face first a few times and it opened right up! if anyone does not feel comfortable doing this with their camera, send it to me and I’ll happily do my best to not smash your camera to tiny little bits for $50…
steve on August 24th, 2008 at 6:04 pm | Link
I don’t believe this…… I thought that this site was a joke. This trick ACTUALLY worked. Not at first…and I had to bang the lense of the camera in a bit, but after about 10 minutes of shaking it and slamming it on the dest, the counter, my hand (ouch), and finally the floor, the thing turned on. It doesn’t look like it has been beat up either. We’ll see how long this lasts. Thank you thank you thank you all.
Michael on August 26th, 2008 at 6:37 am | Link
I have 2 of the sd1000 cameras with “lens error” messages. One is here at work in my drawer collecting dust. I fiddled with the lens and centered it as suggested above. Put a fully charged battery in and turned it on. It made a grinding noise and gave me the same error message. I wacked it on muy leg a few times(3-4) and now the camera works again! I turned it off and on many times and feel that it’s resolved! Can’t wait to try the one sitting at home now…
Lukeskytoker on August 26th, 2008 at 10:20 am | Link
I had the same lens error problem, lens stuck out making funny noise and then telling me (lens error-restart camera)
After no success with the battery trick, banging the camera and lens push, i simply threw the camera off my table fairly hard and it works again, thank you to the person earlier who suggested the desk trick
Dallas Reid on August 26th, 2008 at 2:24 pm | Link
My SD1000 was stuck with lens in extended position. No abuse, nothing happened that would have hurt it. I had used it just fine about an hour before.
After reading all the success stories listed before me, I tried whacking it on my palm. Nothing. Then I whacked it on our kitchen counter a few times on the base with the camera on. I heard a funny, muffled click and was worried, but miraculously IT WORKED! The lens retracted and is now functioning normally.
Don’t call Canon…. just wham it!
emily on August 30th, 2008 at 1:01 pm | Link
hahahhaha. so i took the battery out of my sd powershot 1000. it was still the lens error. then i hit it against my knee for a while, turned it on and it worked. hah never would’ve thought that’d work. thanks!
Tim on August 31st, 2008 at 6:34 am | Link
Of course like everyone else here my Canon sd1000 lens error. It was stuck in the open position. I too was nervous to bang the camera. My 6 year old son said Dad would be mad if we broke the camera (which he would be). I tried doing the battery thing to no avail but shook the heck out of the camera and now it is working. Phew!!!!!
Thanks for the advice.
Rita on September 1st, 2008 at 5:39 am | Link
Dropped the camera when i was about to take a picture, hit the ground on the upper right hand corner (near the flash). The lense is stuck out and will not retract. I have noticed that when you look at it from the side, the lense is uneaven: the final ring is slightly more pushed in on the bottom than at the top of the ring. Looking at the bottom of the camera, near the camera-mount slot, you can see that the camera has come apart slightly. I can apply a small amount of pressure to this gap and open it barely see the the inside of the camera.
When i turn on the camera, it makes a mechanical noise and retracts ever so slightly before it makes the cannon “power on” noise and shows the cannon blue screen on the LCD screen. Immediately after, the screen turnes black and makes a couple of beeps before it shows “lens error, restart” while it goes back to its fully erect and slightly crooked position.
I tried wiggling the outer ring while turning it on, as stated on another website and the lense retracted more than normal. To my surprise it turned on to the preview screen. So i switched it to the picture taking seting and it worked; however, it was VERY blurry. So I tried to focus by zooming out but it immediately gave me the lense error again. I have tried gently banging the USB pad and hitting against the palm of my hand but i really doubt that physical abuse will fix the slightly crooked 3rd and final part of the lense or whatever else is wrong with the camera.
Any advice?
Brian on September 2nd, 2008 at 11:40 am | Link
Powershot SD850 IS: Dropped the camera when i was about to take a picture, hit the ground on the upper right hand corner (near the flash). The lense is stuck out and will not retract. I have noticed that when you look at it from the side, the lense is uneaven: the final ring is slightly more pushed in on the bottom than at the top of the ring. Looking at the bottom of the camera, near the camera-mount slot, you can see that the camera has come apart slightly. I can apply a small amount of pressure to this gap and open it barely see the the inside of the camera.
When i turn on the camera, it makes a mechanical noise and retracts ever so slightly before it makes the cannon “power on” noise and shows the cannon blue screen on the LCD screen. Immediately after, the screen turnes black and makes a couple of beeps before it shows “lens error, restart” while it goes back to its fully erect and slightly crooked position.
I tried wiggling the outer ring while turning it on, as stated on another website and the lense retracted more than normal. To my surprise it turned on to the preview screen. So i switched it to the picture taking seting and it worked; however, it was VERY blurry. So I tried to focus by zooming out but it immediately gave me the lense error again. I have tried gently banging the USB pad and hitting against the palm of my hand but i really doubt that physical abuse will fix the slightly crooked 3rd and final part of the lense or whatever else is wrong with the camera.
Any advice?
Brian on September 2nd, 2008 at 11:41 am | Link
For my birthday one month ago I was given a Cannon Power Shot SD1100 - Just like the rest of the posts my lens froze and stopped working. After banging, at first softly but progressivly more and more hard, it finally opened up. Peice of crap…
Lyndsey on September 5th, 2008 at 10:20 am | Link
Just bang it on your knee a bit.
Use the same amount of force as you would shuffling a deck of cards, or “packing” a new box of cigarettes.
Shake a bit in the air.
But dont bash it about.
This is still a really great camera.
Good luck
Miguel on September 8th, 2008 at 9:08 pm | Link
heyy my lense is stuck open..and ive tried banging it every which way..but no cigar..does anyone know what restart your camera means…? is that even a thing to do..someone from may said they only needed a restart to fix thier camera before..anyone know what that means?
lauren on September 11th, 2008 at 12:46 pm | Link
This is probably not the official “restart” method but it worked for me after my camera stopped working altogether after getting a bit damp - not submerged, but enough to short out a brand new battery. Anyway, I remembered reading on a website about opening the entire case and removing the internal battery for a few minutes, then reinserting and reassembling. Sounds scary but it worked! I used one of those eyeglass repair kits with the tiny screwdrivers. This will probably void the warranty but if you’re beyond warranty who cares. Here are the instructions:
Remove the external battery. Otherwise, you could possibly cause a short.
Remove 9 screws in total: 2 from the left side, 4 from the right. side, and 3 from the bottom. Keep track of where they went - they are not all the same size and need to go back in the right holes. If you make a mistake it will be obvious, but you’ll save yourself time by being a little organized about it.
Gently pry open the case.
The internal battery is small (less than 1/4″ diameter) and round, located in one of the corners. Gently pry it out. After a couple of minutes, replace it and screw the case back together. I’ve actually done this several times with no ill effects. The first time I did it, I was so startled when it actually turned back on that I almost dropped it on a tile floor. Good luck!
JayeCO on September 24th, 2008 at 10:44 am | Link
oh wow, I had the same error msg with the same camera–slightly banging it really works!!! Thanks.
key on October 1st, 2008 at 8:03 pm | Link
dont buy canon camera any more because once it fall the lens error will come so if u buy also be carefull
sai prashnath on October 7th, 2008 at 2:37 am | Link