




What can I do to fix this?

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  1. Remove the batteries and wait a few minutes
  2. Try pressing and holding the Menu, Function, Function Set, or OK while turning on the camera, or otherwise find a "factory reset" option.
  3. Try turning the camera on without a memory card inserted
  4. Place the camera flat on its back and turn it on while holding down the autofocus button, to try to cause the camera to attempt autofocus while the lens is extending
  5. Blow compressed air in any gaps around the lens — or use a shop vac
  6. Use a thin piece of paper or a needle to dislodge any visible bits of grit
  7. Gently tap the camera in an attempt to realign jammed mechanics or dislodge particles (obvious warning: could cause further damage)
  8. Gently push or pull the lens barrel, as a last resort (again, potential for further damage).

The blog post goes into more detail on these ideas.

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I own a PowerShot A495 and recently the lens was stuck in the fully extended mode. Each time I tried to power up the camera I got "Lens Error, automatically shutting down - Restart Camera" - and it would turn off.



After removing the batteries and SD card and letting the camera sit overnight, I replaced the batteries and card in the morning. I then powered on the Camera and while holding the Function/OK key and the Shutter Button, I gave the extended lens barrel a couple of face-down light taps directly on a hard desktop. I was truly ecstatic to hear the lens motor whirl and to see the lens barrel retract.




My Powershot S100 had a similar problem. Beep beep, "Lens Error", shut down. I definitely didn't drop it because I was holding it when it happened. And I didn't get sand in it (as far as I know). It was just a year after I bought it so Canon wouldn't fix it. Even though they have a recall notice, my serial number wasn't within the range specified on their site. I've owned several Canon's before but no luck getting any support from them after warranty is up. They do reject you very politely to their credit. If you google "lens error s100" you actually see that this error happens quite a number of times. I think that's surprising, considering this camera was $420 purchased new.

Out of desperation and abandoned by Canon, I decided to fix the thing myself. I ordered a replacement lens assembly from eBay, and a lot of little screws later I had a working s100 again. It was amazing, I felt like some kind of genius and bragged to all my friends. Unfortunately that only lasted about 2 weeks. Then, even more surprisingly, beep beep, "Lens error".



Seems like a similar issue to this question





