A stuck automatic lens cover is a fairly common problem, but it is normally easy to fix. A single grain of sand jamming the cover mechanism is normally the culprit, and you want to try to dislodge it: 1) Try blowing lots of compressed air around the lens cover to clean the mechanism. Or use a hair dryer for a few seconds (don't want to heat up the camera). Use no heat mode if possible. 2) Slide a thin strip of paper between the lens cover shutters and the outer support ring. Work it around 360 degres to clear out any debris that may be in there. 3) With the lens barrel extended and pointed downward, tap the lens barrel with a pencil while you extend and retract the lens by powering the camera on and off. Repeat the above three steps several times. If repeated tries don't work (keeping in mind that it usually does), it then may be necessary to open the lens barrel to access the lens cover mechanism. But before attempting that, first read through the user's comments below for additional non-invasive tips that may work for your particular situation. Especially pay attention to Jeff's tip, several people have had success with it.
The lens cover mechanism is usually accessible for many cameras without needing to open up the camera case. Before starting, a reminder that I hold no responsibility should you damage your camera or worse. These repairs are intended as last resorts on expired warranty cameras that would otherwise be tossed. In the example outlined in the following link, we'll fix an inoperative lens cover on an old Canon A400:
And here's two excellent tutorials for those with slightly more complex four leave lens covers. A Canon A530 and a Canon A1000 are used as examples (hope you don't mind me including the links xscrewdriver).
And finally, found this fix that was particular for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 camera. It's simple enough and worth giving a quick try even if your camera is not a Panasonic:
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192 comments:
I have an adapted repair method recomended to me by a coworker. Point the camera straight down into a vacuum hose (while the vacuum is on) and tap it around the insides. This will help to suck the dirt out instead of pushing it in further like compressed air might do. I also turned the camera on and off constantly while doing this. Good Luck! The camera I fixed was a Canon Powershot A520
Great web site, using info learned I just fixed an old Canon IXUS lens cover - it was jammed by a small plastic screw having fallen out inside. The silver lens cap just prised straight off with fingernails, and snapped back in place after the fix. The only thing to watch was that the cover parts are spring loaded - once the cap is off they do fly. Cheers
The fixya link for the Panasonic camera worked in seconds (after having tried the hair dryer and compressed air methods). Thanks for the help!!
Jeff - your vacuum hose idea was ingenious! It worked incredibly well on my Canon DMC-FX33 (which we had taken to the beach and obviously taken on a few sand particles) - freeing the lens in seconds with no damage whatsoever. The satisfaction of the fix (not to mention the money and time saved on a professional repair) almost made the whole experience of a jammed lens rather enjoyable. (almost)
My Panasonic DMC TZ-3 returned to normal after applying your vacuum cleaner method.
Tnx.
my dog bumped into me and made me drop my camera with the lens extended about 3- 4 feet of height, the lens are tilted to one side and the screen just says "turn camera off then on again" but it wont work. i cant take it to repair shops because im eleven by the way the camera is a sony cybershot, dsc-w30 with 3x zoom
PLZ I NEED HELP
by the way is there any way of me fixing it without my parents finding out?
theyve been trying to get a camera for my birthday wich is in a couple of weeks since i love photography and if they find out theyll call me irresponsible and ground me and never let me even touch another camera again
i would't be able to handle it
PLZ HELP!!
My daughter got sand in her Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W70 (now obsolete) and the lens barrel would not extend.
I used the vacuum cleaner method and this sucked the lens out into it's working position. I had to repeat this several times before the sand was fully dislodged and internal motor could extend the lens unaided. I saved £100 repair cost or £130 replacement.
Thanks for the tip!
just by using a thin piece of paper & holding the camera downwards I was able to fix my problem. Great website! Thank you!
thanks for the tip! since I dropped my Panasonic DMC-TZ3, after giving the extended lens a good squeeze, the lens covers started working again...after some finagling.
For stuck lens covers on Canon A70,A75,A85 etc the 'silver cover' carrying the canon lens description, and which is attached to a black plastic base, is removed by turning approximately 10° clockwise to release small catches. You may turn it just by the friction of your fingers (or a strip of rubber placed on the cover) if lucky, otherwise perhaps by means of a rectangular 'peg' to fit in the opening - but be careful not to damage the lens! It will also lever out, but that risks breaking the catches.
The shutters need to be CLOSED (lens in) for reassembly.
Thanks foxy for the great pointer! I had been using pins to push open the catches, but had never thought to simply rotate the front plate. Thanks again! I'll try to make a pictorial covering this for the next stuck lens cover I get.
CR
I own a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 - I'm very happy with it apart from the common problem of the lens cover and barrel jamming.
1. lens cover jamming due to first part of the barrel sticking- first instance due to dust I think and relatively easily fixed by (this sounds weird I know) rubbing alcohol applied on my (clean) fingernail and inserted around the edge of the barrel - I didn't have access to a source of compressed air
2. second instance was more serious due to a drop - the barrel only partially opened, and didn't close fully either. When I switched on the camera, the lens would extend almost to its fullest position and would the move in and out until coming to a partially closed position. Camera displayed the error message: 'please switch off your camera'. Horrified, I tried the rubbing alcohol trick, tugging on the lens to pull it to its full extent - none of these worked.
Finally tried a more physical approach. Turned the camera off - barrel retreated partially- pushed on it with increasing pressure- et voila - it eventually clicked back into place , and the lens cover closed properly. Switched it on, but still had the same problem as before with the lens extension- switched on and off a few times- in the off position I repeated the pressure on the closed barrel. Switched on: I pulled on the lens barrel so that it extended to the maximum extension - tried the rubbing alcohol step again. Repeated about twice more -and it works. the amount of pressure I applied was more than I though the lens could deal with (I was fortunately wrong) -applied with the palm of my hand. I think the barrel is slightly damaged, as it sounds slightly 'clunky' as it extends, but it's taking pictures again
Thanks to the website for giving me the confidence to try this out
catherine
Really awesome website!! Didn't know you could repair your camera on ur own!! :)
I'm not sure how to repair mine though. I have a canon sd750 which I've always handled extremely well. However, since a month the barrel and the lens cover refuse to open completely. I've switched the camera on and off multiple times hoping that it would start working again. I don't see any error messages. The playback/review works well. No problem there.
Any ideas on what could be wrong with it?
Gene,
This post might be more applicable to your problem.
CR
the vacuum hose trick worked perfectly... I called a repair shop prior to doing this trick and they quoted me 120.00 in labor plus parts..did vacuum technique and in 2 minutes lens was unstuck and camera back to working like new again....
Jeff--THANK YOU SO MUCH! My 2-year-old got a hold of my Canon PowerShot A720 and the lower lens cover wasn't covering the lens. The vacuum trick worked within two minutes. I'm going to remember this one!
I use a Powershot A560, and the lens cover has been unable to move itself ever since I used a dry tissue to clean the lens - I imagine a tiny piece of the tissue went inside the mechanism. I tried using the edge of a sheet of paper, a thin copper wire, and a very powerful vacuum cleaner to try and get it out, all to no avail. Then I googled the problem and found this site. I really didn't want to disassemble the camera as it is not mine, but after taking a look at this post I realized that I can take the silver ring off the end of the lens with just my fingers. The mechanism is also a lot less exposed at this point than the A400 in the picture which made me feel safer about it. :D After blowing air forcefully into the mechanism a couple of times, the lens cover is now working like new, and the silver ring popped back into place without any messy gluing needed. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge! :) Without this site I'd still be manually opening the lens cover every time I wanted to take a picture, getting my fingerprints all over the lens! :S
Thanks! Blowing around the lens cover allowed it to work. You saved me from having to use the warranty service!
omg :O thank you so much. i panicked like crazy when i realized the lens cover was stuck. i tried everything, it worked with the piece of paper after about 5 minutes?
thnxx.
Here's problem...how easy is it to replace the camera lens cover. I have two Canon A620's - one that the lens is stuck which I am going to sacrifice for parts (after I try the vacuum cleaner to clear it) and another camera which has a broken/missing lens cover. Is it difficult to replace the lens cover? HELP!
okay gang...gave it the old one-two with the vacuum cleaner. The lens fully extended but that was it... so guess it will become the parts camera unless somebody else has something to try. And still waiting for anyone to tell me if it is possible to replace the lens cover myself. Thanks.
Thank you Jeff for your insight and caring to share it sorted my camera...saved me a whole bunch of Benjamins..espeacially at these time...
Vacuum cleaner worked on my Canon HV20 camcorder too! Genius! I'm on vacation with my family and lens cover stuck and I was SOL for videoing the 2nd half of our beach vacation! Did a google search and found this website and your ideas and it worked like magic! THANKS! Not only did you save me hundreds of dollars but also allowed me to continue capturing priceless moments on video of my family vacation!!
I have a Canon A630 and the top-left part (out of the total 4 "curtains")of the lens cover would not close when the camera was turned off.
The vacuum trick worked for me the first time, but when it started acting up again, the vacuum trick popped a small spring out of place the second time I tried, so I HAD to open it up to fix it...
If you're going to open up the A630 (and probably later models), note that you DON'T NEED peroxide or something as such: THERE IS NO GLUE! Just turn the top silver part clockwise and try to lift it.
*** BEWARE!!! ***
I've never seen springs so small and it took me about 10 minutes to figure out how it was supposed to work; I have delicate fingers and the springs were a torture to put back in place (tiny pliers were no help at all)! The worse part was trying to put the top cover back on the camera lens: it kept popping the curtains out of place... it took me about 1½ hour!
Now the top cover is back on, but not as tight as it used to be... and the problem only seems half fixed since I sometimes have to slightly "tap" the top cover for the curtain to fall back in place. So if you're thinking about doing this yourself, either be VERY patient and delicate, and don't expect miracles... or forget about it!
Cheers! ;)
Thanks to Jeff and the original author of the article. I have a Canon A710 IS and the lens cover would only occasionally close (like less than 10%). Sometimes it would close about 1/2 way. Sometimes 1/3 of the way. Or sometimes not at all. So first, while it was in the closed position I took a swab of alcohol and cleaned the exposed blades carefully and the surrounding area. Just on the theory that maybe something sticky was jamming things up. Then, while the blades still were closed, I used the vacuum. Then I powered the camera up to retract the cover. Then I vacuumed the lens opening with the blades fully retracted. Then powered down at which point the blades only closed halfway. So I used the vacuum on the half-closed lens opening. I was a little scared as the force of the vacuum was pretty powerful and I thought it could suck up the delicate blades. But nothing bad happened. I did this for a few more times. And voila! I'm getting 100% success now when powering down the camera. The blades now always close all the time. So maybe there was a little bit of dirt stuck somewhere in between the blades.
At any rate, I'm a happy camper. Thanks again.
i dropped my kodak v1073 on the lens. the camera turns on and makes the sound, but then turns off again. the lens is stuck in the out position. i tried the can of compressed gas duster but that didn't work. any thoughts?\r\nThanks
Vacuum trick worked for me! Thank you so much.
I have a GE A735 camera which had the lens cover stuck half open after my toddler son threw sand around on the beach. I have just tried your vacuum hose trick (after many other attempts to unstick it) and it worked first time! Many thanks.
Thanks to your blog my Sony DSC-W70 was saved from the trash can! A thin piece of paper just did the job. Thank you very much.
My friend's Sony Cybershot S650's lens cover got stuck by sand when we went to the beach and half of the lens cover won't close. Many thanks to your blog it's back to normal now! I'm so relieved! Keep up the good work helping other people. :)
I have got a camera... Powershot A470. The problem is when i turn it on... the screens turns white and than it shuts down. While this process the Zoom lens get stuck at half with the open shutters.
Spot on: the paper trick enable the shutter to close once again.
Thanks.
I just dropped my camera on the lense, the lense wont zoom to 3x and the focus is messed up. IDK wat to do. this is the second time, i dont want to buy a new cam, and i dnt want to tell my parents that i did it again. SOMEONE HELP PLEASE!
anonymous, who dropped the camera. Your looking at the wrong article for the problem you describe. View this article instead, it may or may not help (you got a 40% chance). Either way, good luck!
CR
Hi - I have a Canon SD400 and the lens cover "wings" never open all the way when I turn the camera on, and never close all the way when I trun it off. They will open/close by hand though.
I took the ring off, but I do not see any springs in this model. There are posts on the back of the "wings" that appear to go into holes around the lens. Does anyone have a diagram that shows exactly how the small posts in the "wings" need to be placed back so that it works correctly?
Thanks very much, great blog!
I am SO glad I found this blog! I am so thrilled that the repair method here helped me fix the stuck lens cover on my Canon Powershot A620. It took me under ten minutes total time. I used all three methods mentioned above, except used a vacuum cleaner hose instead of compressed air. After doing all three things once, I repeated the one using a thin piece of paper. Next thing I knew, I turned on the camera and the lens cover opened perfectly! I have to admit, I was doubtful that these recommendations would work, but they did!!! Thank you so much...you saved me much frustration and $$$. You mentioned that keeping your camera in a case is a bad idea due to the lint and fibers getting into the lens cover and jamming it. I had just bought a new case which fit quite tightly--probably too tightly--around the camera. I'm not sure whether I should truly blame the new case, but I think I won't be using it anymore just to be safe.
Owing a Sony Cybershot DSC-P93 with the lens-cover stuck everybody was telling me it should be the gears. Opened up the camera, checked the gear-box, but all was ok.
So here is a hint from my side: If the lens comes out, but the lens-cover seems stuck or loose, it is probably not the gear-box.
Just like the canons' you can take off the silver ring on the smallest lens-part. It is just stuck into place, no glue, no screwing, just a little bit force (I actually just used my finger nails to get it off).
Then you probably notice the 2 covers, which rotate on a small exposed pin. In my case the covers came off the pin and I just had to gently put them on the pins again. I cleaned them with alcohol first, just to make sure there were not particles in there, which could cause them to be stuck again.
Lo an behold, my old trusty Sony is now fully functional again.
Difficulty of this repair: novice
Gutts needed: some
Thanks for your tips, more welcome. If needed I am willing to do it again and take some photos.
Jeff's method--sticking the barrel downward on top of a vacuum hose--for fixing lens cover that wouldn't fully open was brilliant. worked in seconds and is obviously much moree efficient than blowing air.
I have a Sony DSC-P72 and my lens cover was stuck closed after having the camera in my pocket on a hike. All I did to release it was to turn the camera on, pull the batteries (so the lens would not retract) and then put my fingernails under the little siver ring on the end of the lens. I pried all the way around and presto my lens cover popped open. I put the batteries back and turned on the power and the lens cover works perfectly.
THANK YOU JEFF! I know you posted that >2 years ago but it worked like a charm for my Kodak EasyShare CD82. It was only 3 months old but the lens cover was stuck halfway. Stuck it in the wall where the central vacuum plugs in, turned it on and off and shook it around and voila! Repaired in seconds. Thanks again!
One more - an A520 - the little lens cover has bugged me for three years and I stuck it down the vacuum hose and cycled it about 5 times and now it works :-)) Way cool - Thanks! - Mark
Brilliant tip using the vacuum cleaner. It took a few minutes to work but my Samsung P1000 camera is now working fine again.
Many thanks, you have saved me from either an expensive repair or the need to buy a new camera.
I have a Nikon Coolpix 5000, the lens cover opened partially a couple of times then simply didn't open at all.
I can open the bl***y thing by hand and it moves freely.
I suspect that some of the inside mechanism went bust...
I was in a hurry to take some pictures, so I taped open the lens cover and could do the job. The camera was switched on and off a few times and never coplained to have the "eyelids" kept open à la "clockwork Orange".
Would it be a sensible option, insteado of risking to break something in disassembling the camera to use simply some loctite to keep the cover permanently open?
OMG! I've tried so many ways listed to fix my lens (including opening the lens & cover which I'm not sure if it helped except a black piece fell out)...after stubborn determination I kept apply pressure to gently force the lens to retract completely & freaking worked!!! (canon sd800is) this website is a lifesaver!
This worked great on my A530. had it fixed in under a minute. Thanks!!!
Hi there, I have a ricoh gx200 which was giving me problems when the lens would not go back inside the camera. I tried some of the methods here, including paper and tapping lightly and it responded by going back in the camera, but now telling me to remove the lens cap. It now will not come out at all (camera seems to operating fine by the way apart from this). Any clues for how I can sort this/remove lens to check out the grit inside? thanks.
On my old Canon a10 the cover was sticking due to Coke spilled on it. I used a Q-tip & Cigarette lighter fluid to clean it. After cycling on & off several times, it works fine.
I have a canon a520, but our lens got stuck retracted and not extended. I tried the vacuum but did not work. Any other ideas? Thanks.
You might try slipping a thin piece of paper or plastic between the barrel extensions and moving it completely around the lens cylinder. Then see if the power on process works. If not go back to the vacuum method, tapping the edge of the vaccum hose (plastic hose is best) against the lens barrel to dislodge any further obstructions. Other than that, I leave it up to the experts.
Thank you so much!! I tried everything, and it seems that blowing with sharp breaths helped most. Great website!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! My teenage daughter came to me with her broken pink sony camera. It was a BIG problem for her! Especially since she's going to a concert this weekend and HAS to have it. I saw that the problem was that the lens cover was stuck. I googled troubleshooting for the problem and found your page. So glad that I did. I went out to the shed and got out the shop vac. It took a few tries but eventually it worked! You saved the day and made me the hero of my daughter's day! I can't thank you enough for that :)
Your pencil trick worked like a charm! I usually don't take the time to comment on things, but this is an exception haha :D
Thanks so much!!!!!!
Thank you all!! The paper strip trick worked a treat on my panasonic DMC TZ5
Stuck shutter/lens cover...wouldn't retract completely when camera turned on.
Sliding corner of a piece of standard typing paper around lens fixed it!
Thanks for the tip!
thank you so much for this blog! i just wish i would have found it wiht my last camera :/ but i fixed this one with the paper thing and the vacuum!! thanks soooo much :)
I have a Panasonic DMC-TZ5, which I dropped while traveling. The lens opened and closed, but the covers would not slide in place over the lens itself. I read the suggestions on this site, found opening the lens, taking out the battery, then sliding a fingernail under the slightly bent-in middle ring fixed my problem. Thanks for this web site, I would not have known what to try without the guidance in the many messages.
Dave
thanks a ton
My camera got soaked in soda :(. It wasn't turning on AT ALL. then a friend told me to open it up and try to clean it with acetone. I did and then it turned on and was working fine except for the shutter and the lens. I soaked around the lens in acetone and waited a couple of hours but now the lens is just extended out and stuck. Everything else works it just won't snap the picture and lens is stuck. What can I do?
My DMC-ZS3 was recently dropped in fresh water while turned off. I immediately took battery out and dried it out over several days in a warm oven and camera and battery work fine EXCEPT there is a stain in the middle of the inside of the lense. Any ideas on how to take the lens off and remove the stain?
My DMC-ZS3 was recently dropped in fresh water while turned off. I immediately took battery out and dried camera out over several days in a warm oven and camera and battery work fine EXCEPT there is a stain in the middle of the inside of the lense. Any ideas on how to take the lens off and remove the stain?
Hello, I have a canon rebel xti with a zoom lense ( not canon. While on my tripod the camera got knocked over. Fortunately it was in the deep grass and the camera appears to be fine though the zoom does not want to extend or retract without help. My guess is it is bent and was hoping for advice on if it can be fixed. Thanks!
Hi guys, can't believe this website even exists, what a great idea.
Soo my problem - I have a panasonic Lumix DMC-FP1 and absolutely love it, it is perrrfect. However, usually, you slide the lens cover down and the camera turns on, but now, i slide it down and get nothing? So have to turn it on by the power button which works successfully. Then, i get an error message on the screen that says "PLEASE OPEN THE LENS COVER" but the lens cover is already open? I have tried compressed air and the hairdryer.. Any other suggestions?
I tried the paper trick - with a clean, fresh piece of fine paper. And now my lens is all foggy!! Not going away!
Help!!
then the vaccum cleaner on blower or a hairdryer on low, should dry up the moisture.
then use a vaccum cleaner on blower or a hairdryer on low to remove the moisture.
k,
Also check to make sure that you didn't smudge the lens with your fingers and its oils. If so, you can clean it with lens paper and using your breath on the lens for a little cleaning moisture.
CR
when i droped my camera while using it , the lens got stuck and would not open and the camera wouldn't work .I just thought I broke it. I have a Kodak easy share camera so, I used the paper method and found that it would go around the lens and then stop in a certian area which then helped me find out that were the paper stoped at was were they problem was. Something metal was in the way and so the paper wouldn't go pass it and I took a real small flat screw driver to dislodge what ever it was that was stuck inside the lens and was stopping it from opening up. after a few trys I finally got the peice out and i guess if fell to the floor as i was holding the camera upside down as I tryed to get the object out . and it was real small so i never got to actually see it after that. but i could see there was something metal looking there when i used the paper to go around the lens . Wow, I am so happy this worked ! I was worried about having to buy another camera with no money to buy one right now ! plus my camera is fairly new got it last year and no warranty ! Anyway after i got the peice out it started working and the lens can move in and out now and I can take pictures ! Thank you so much and glad i found this site I was blessed to find it !
I have a Sony Cybershot Cam DSC-W35. I tried applying pressure to the larger lens it worked and had a display several times but the lens won't go in. I never tried the vacuum and blower since I have none of these. And now, its gone back to its broken state. The lens i fully extended and won't go in and keeps on displaying Turn the power off and on again. Please help!
I am having the same problem with my Canon A560. I will try the suggested methods and let you know my results...so far, the paper trick has not worked. So, it is on to the vacuum cleaner..
your stupid method sucks and it made my camera worse u piece of $hit. thanks alot
did we guarantee results? user beware...it was free. what do you expect for free?
Actually, the above anonymous post did not come from me. But as mentioned in the right hand "Please Read This!" column:
"WHAT YOU READ HERE IS NOT PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. Most of the posts and comments in this blog come from amateur repair hobbyists (INCLUDING MYSELF). Take the advice with a grain of salt. YOU MAY ACTUALLY MAKE MATTERS WORSE by following what you read here. "
I am sorry that the fix didn't work out for your particular case. But please keep in mind that it has worked for some others as seen in many of the above posts.
CR
Hey people!
I found an Olympus E-10 camera,according to the web it was made in 2001 and was actually an excelent camera back in the day.
There is only 1 big problem everything works except the shutter.. it seems to be stuck when i try to make a picture i just hear a light *Click* like the shutter cant close up like it should do. Any clues?
Greetz,Robbert
I found recently on a Canon A620 which has a lens shutter that one half of the shutter was stuck under the lip of the lens opening. Using a small tweezer, I was able to dislodge that half of the lens shutter and it has worked perfectly ever since. this may be your issue too, but then again maybe not.
Robbert,
Recommend reviewing the May 10, 2009 article on this same blog site titled "Simple Fix for a Stuck Shutter".
CR
I have a Sony Powershot and the paper trick fixed my camera! I tried blowing it out but it didn't work, but I dtuck the paper on the inside and outside of the camera and it works like a charm! THANK YOU!
The lens cover (metal ring and a few movable parts that close when the lens retract) of my Canon IXUS 80 fell off. the camera is working fine and takes pictures perfectly but I am concerned that it will get damaged by moisture/particles entering the mechanism or scratching the lens. I am tempted to buy a new camera but wanted to check if it is possible to replace the missing parts.
Alice,
If you don't mind the cosmetic look of the camera, everything should be fine. The lens is sealed. But you will need to worry about finger smudges, and keeping the lens clean. Talking about getting a new camera, have to admit that I've been tempted by some recent deals on refurbished SD780 IS going for under $120 (that's a NICE camera).
CR
Jeffs vacuum cleaner trick worked a treat on my Canon Ixus 970. The lens cover lifted out by a mm or so which was a bit disconcerting. It didn't vanish down the tube and clearly this released the dust as it now works perfectly.
my canon a470 had a little spring broken!! i tryed all the cleaning methods in vain. after i opened it i saw a little rusty spring out of place. i managed to put the same spring back in place but a little stiffer. it works like a charm now !!
Thanks! Vacuuming fixed my stuck lens cover problem.
This is a great post of fixes!! I have a Panasonic FX-01 that the lens cover would not open. I could open with my finger nail gently pushing down on the bottom cover. It seems like it was out of alignment or cockeyed. Also, it seemed a bit sticky. While it was close, I took a q-tip and some rubbing alcohol and cleaned the cover. I then used the paper method, #2, and went around the edge, sliding the paper between the outer casing and above the lens cover. That did the trick! Brilliant!!
My daughter has a Canon Powershot. She's taken so many photos with black edges because the two grey lens covers don't fully retract.
Someone mentioned here that he attempted to clean the grey lens covers with alcohol. This gave me the idea to do the same (after I'd tried paper and vacuum tricks). I used a piece of fabric spectacle lens cleaner to rub the grey doors. The grey doors extend to cover the lens, but if you pull at each door slightly (using a small bit of finger pressure) you can make them go beyond their normal limit. This exposes a part of the door that is not normally visible and it was here that I found a black glob of gunk which I rubbed off with the cloth. Please take care when you do this.
Success! Thanks everyone.
I just saved about $200 by using the vacuum trick! I tried everything else...but that did it! Thanks!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! I used both the hairdryer and vacuum cleaner method on my Panasonic Lumix and it worked a dream ... just in the nick of time! I leave to go on holidays tomorrow!!!!!
Fantastic blog!
My Canon A510 lens cover was not fully opening (it would open 10% and the rest had to be opened with finger), although it was closing always 100% sure. I tried vacuum suction, Hair dryer, that didn't help. Finally I downloaded PDF from here how to remove lens top, I removed it with knife, and cleaned lens covers, assembled everything and it works fine!
the only thing I had to adjust was final detail-lens top which you remove first when trying to dissasemble - a gap had to be left of about 0.5mm between lens top and barrel, otherwise the pressure of cover becomes too strong and problem returns.
Lumix TZ7 lens cap not opening when turned on. Two internal screws hold the lens cap assembly on. So I pulled the entire lens apart to find that one of the two springs in lens cap assembly were broken.
One spring opens the four leafs. The other closes them. A protruding 1.5mm lever on adjacent part rotates an outer ring to make either one spring act or the other.
The springs measures 1.2mm diameter, the wire is 0.25mm and the closed length is 2mm so they are teeny.
I located a kind of similar TZ3 service manual freely available that taught me about the little triangles that should line up when parts are seated properly when reassembling lens. It also taught me how to release the ribbon wires by lifting black clips.
To 'fix' the problem, I swapped the spring over using a needle so now the camera opens the lens cap when it turns on but doesn't close it when I turn it off. It will do until I can locate a new one. Prevent the spring 'disappearing' when you try to put it on as I did when I tried to reuse the broken one.
I blew dust off lens components by using a hand operated balloon pump. Wow instant clean compressed air.
It was a very finicky job and very scary and you need to have excellent attention to how things fit together.
Lumix TZ7 lens cap not opening when turned on. Two internal screws hold the lens cap assembly on. So I pulled the entire lens apart to find that one of the two springs in lens cap assembly were broken.
One spring opens the four leafs. The other closes them. A protruding 1.5mm lever on adjacent part rotates an outer ring to make either one spring act or the other.
The springs measures 1.2mm diameter, the wire is 0.25mm and the closed length is 2mm so they are teeny.
I located a kind of similar TZ3 service manual freely available that taught me about the little triangles that should line up when parts are seated properly when reassembling lens. It also taught me how to release the ribbon wires by lifting black clips.
To 'fix' the problem, I swapped the spring over using a needle so now the camera opens the lens cap when it turns on but doesn't close it when I turn it off. It will do until I can locate a new one. Prevent the spring 'disappearing' when you try to put it on as I did when I tried to reuse the broken one.
I blew dust off lens components by using a hand operated balloon pump. Wow instant clean compressed air.
It was a very finicky job and very scary and you need to have excellent attention to how things fit together.
Paper trick worked great, thanks!! I had a small wood chip deep in my lens cover o.0
I just repaired the sticky lense cover on my Fuji Finepix A820. The lense cover was not pening completely so on wide angle I would see balck areas on the lower left and upper right corners. I tried the tapping techniques etc but resorted quickly to prying off the lense cover. I had to use a bit of force but that worked as the cover had been spot glued on. I found the little slots near the screws where the return springs must be mounted. I pushed the little round black "pin" back and the cover opened all the way and upon further testing the shutter cover now returns fully to the open p[ostion when I turn the camera "on" and no black areas are seen - even on the wide angle setting. thanks for your help -- it basically gave me a bit of boldness to pry open the lense cover! if you want a pic of the exposed lense just let me know.
Hi, I've got a CANON A470, when I try clicking pictures during day or in sunlight, the pictures are completely white or too bright, whereas when clicked in dark with flash, pictures are fine however with horizontal lines. Can someone advice? PLS!!!
I got a $10 Sony DSC W-30 Cybershot on the internet in the hopes of fixing this exact problem, so my daughter can use it as her first digital camera. So far, I've achieved some success, though I'm not using any of these methods. Yup, I'm "getting my hands dirty" and opening it. This isn't recommended but for $10 I'm fine with giving it a go. When I first got it, the lens wouldn't work at all but now it's working sometimes. I may try the vacuum trick and see if I got anything inside the camera but I was very careful and had camera lens cleaning towelettes and such to clean components prior to putting it back together. It's a good thing I have time to work with this sucker... If the vacuum trick doesn't work, I'm diving in again!
First, I'm very glad that I found this blog. I read some of your posts and they were very helpful. Here goes my question. I have a Panasonic DMC-FX8. about 3 years ago, I put SDHC card by mistake and the LCD didn't turn on. But when I see the LCD carefully, I can see some of the bright object. I guess there is a problem with the backlight of the LCD. The camera works fine except that I can barely see the image on the LCD. I wonder if this can be fixed. Please give me a reply. Thank you for reading and have a nice day.
Check if the ring going around above the retracting lens cover is bent. My camera had a slight bend in this area and it was putting pressure on the cover. By simply extending the lens with the camera off/battery out and prying the ring up with a small Flathead screwdriver I was able to adjust the bend and fix the problem.
Solution with vaccum cleaner worked a treat! Well done with the advice and tips.
Thanks for the advice it fixed my olypus x940 which broke after a trip to the beach, I tried the paper round the barrel and then put a towel on a table and tapped the camera on it on all sides, this has worked and the camera is good as new!
Cheers!
My Sony DSC-H20 Copact digital camera states remove lens cap and power on again - lens cap is removed - Lens will not zoom or retract - any ideas?? - I have read all of the posts and will try them. The canera does power up as I can review my old pictures.
Honestly i'm amazed! thank you so much for saving me a trip to get my camera fixed!!!
I have a Sony Cyber-shot with 7x zoom, 14.1 mega pix. My cousin pressed the off button instead of the shutter button to take a picture& I believe her finger may have blocked/jammed the lense barrel from being able to close. However the camera was perfectly fine before hand.
Now when I turn on my camera it says "turn power off an then on again" however when I do so nothing changes and my camer makes a loud beeping/error noise. The lense will not close! It's stuck extended&open.
Plz help,Raquel.
Raquel,
Please this other article on this blog concerning fixing a lens error (sounds like that's what you're experiencing).
CR
Panasonic DMC-ZS3. Lens opens but focus motor grinds and then sticks resulting in camera turn-off. I fixed this by disassembly but it's not for the faint of heart or inexperienced mechanical person. After removing covers and lens housing proceed to remove the circular plastic cover of the lens housing. Be careful, motor and sensor screws must come out. The tiny focus screw threads have a tiny plastic washer that rides the focus lens back & forth. There was a burr on the washer that I removed. Reassembly is straightforward except for the difficulty of reinserting the inline cable connectors. Works perfectly now. Oh, be careful to leave some room for the washer to hunt - I left it slightly below middle.
Any tips on removing sand from a Panasonic Lumix TZ7 Leica lens? My daughter threw sand into the lens. It has gone into the lens cap and this is now jammed open. Ideally I would like to remove the lens cap. Thanks
yay the paper worked for me thank's so much if it attempts again I may go for Jeffs idea
Thank you!!! I just put my vacuum hose up to the camera while I was turning the camera on and it worked!!!! My camera lens now opens and shuts like nothing happened!
This is really great.. the thin papaer method worked for me.. :)
I used a piece of paper and it took seconds to fix the issue. Thanks
I have a samsung PL100 and one day when I was turning it on the lens cover refused to open. I can still push it open but it snaps shut again. I tried the vacuum idea but that didn't work, and neither did the paper or the tapping. Any ideas?
It's about a week under warranty but I would prefer to fix it myself so I don't have to send it away.
Thanks for this!
Mine got fixed with the paper thing and using the hair dryer!
Such a great help! THANKS
excellent! we were just about to resign ourselves to pay an exorbitant amount to fix the lens until i tried the paper and vacuum cleaner methods and the lens cover sprung back to life! thanks!
Be careful if you use Jeff's vacuum trick! Had some eyelashes in the closure mechanism, so the other methods didn't work, so I tried the vacuum and in half a second the whole lens cover came off and got sucked into the vacuum bag. Luckily I was able to retrieve the small pieces, including the springs from the vacuum and got it put back together, but I consider myself lucky. Camera was a Canon PowerShot SD970 IS. Now that I have seen the inside, for this camera you can rotate the cover in a counter clockwise direction about 5-degrees to unlock the cover (careful everything under that cover is spring loaded). Good Luck!
Hi
I have a Kodak easyshare C182 with a lens error 211. I tried the paper trick and it did retract however its still sticking and coming back with the error after I turn it on and off a couple times it resticks. I am going to try your vacuum hose trick to see if it will help ... but if it doesnt do you possible have any further invasive directions on how to replace my lens... i know how to get a new one ... and my husband is very computer savy so we think he could do it.
thanks in case you do!!
Betty in Maine
My Lumix DMC LZ5, which has served me well for five years, became stuck in the closed position after being dropped on the beach last weekend. Neither compressed air nor paper strip helped. Then I found the suggestion here about pointing it down into a running vacuum hose. I did that and voila, it opened!
However, with repeated opening and closing, and zooming in and out, it was still sometimes getting stuck. Finally, I applied some graphite lubricant (as suggested either on this site or some other, I don't remember) in the relevant seams, and now it seems to be consistently extending and retracting properly.
I'm not sure how long this will last -- my camera may be living on borrowed time -- but for now I'm happy. Thanks Jeff for the vacuum hose suggestion.
Sony Cybershot DSC-W80 .. Your paper trick worked. Did it 3 times and now I do not get a new camera .. Hubby says thank very much! So do I really as I do love this camera .. what a wonderful site!
I have a TZ5 and last year i think some sand or grit got stuck in the lens. Anyway, the lens wasnt focusing properly. I tried a couple of fixes and voila, blowing into the lens worked...for a couple of months. It has now been almost 8 months and i havent been able to use my camera. It has the same original problem and now none of the fixes work. Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Thank you so much for sharing these repair tips with us. My husband and I were on our honeymoon and one morning in Big Island we found our camera shutter stuck, just like the picture you posted. We didn't want to have to buy another camera so we persistently tested out your techniques. The vacuum-paper-tap technique worked!! We are so grateful for this wonderful website!
Canon VIXIA HV30:
Lens-cover mechanism stuck, won't start, audible attempt of worm drive to open covers, after three times camera has error message and won't record.
Canon wants a lot for repair, cheapest quote was still around $75 including shipping. So I did it myself. I could not get the drive to work after taking everything apart and using compressed air (compressor, not can!) to clean everything.....flimsy design on Canon's part to say the least. I ended up REMOVING the plastic shutters completely, put everything back together and called it a day. Works beautifully, I found a plastic screw on lens hood with cover on ebay, much better solution and never have to worry about a sandkorn or whatnot to paralyze the otherwise mint camcoder. Really poor design, just like other Canon products (BG-E2N, G11 etc).
Never had any issue with Pentax gear, could be luck.
My wife's Sony Cybershot seemed hopelessly stuck. Tried paper trick with no luck. Tried the vacuum trick with a shop vac and works like new. Now I just have to catch my wife before she buys a new camera she's been eyeballing!
Jon in California
OMG!!!you saved me!!! i thought my camera wouldn't work... i love you!!! thanks to you i learned how to fix it :)
SOMEONE HELP!
I'm a teenager who borrowed her friends camera which is a ---- Nikon Coolpix S3000 and my little cousin dropped it and it banged the floor 3 times. Now the lens is slated and the camera itself will not turn on/off and will not go on. BUT the light is still on giving me that little bit of hope I have left.
I tried the vacuum trip, it hasn't done anything yet.
help!? And I don't know what "paper" method you all are talking about. Help. ):
aiyana,
See this other article in the blog "Fixing a Lens Error on a Digital Camera". Good luck!
CR
PLEASE HELP!!!
I have a Pentax Optio L50, and it was dropped indoors. The lens will not extend. When I turn it on, it makes the noise as in it is turned on, but then since the lens won't extend, it shuts back off. There is no sand or anything stuck in it, as it was dropped on the carpet. I've tried to pull the lens open with my nails, and still no luck... PLEASE HELP !!!
Anonymous with the L50,
See the post and link above yours for "Fixing a Lens Error on a Digital Camera". Recommend going through all 7 steps, and also maybe trying a vacuum cleaner to help extend the lens through suction.
CR
I thought it was "gunk" on my TZ5 Panasonic and lightly used WD40 on the top, and it worked only a little. I saw the idea of using a small piece of paper and the hair dryer method and BINGO! worked like new. thanks all.
I just tried this out with my canon ixus 105 - and it worked!
I have a Panasonic DMC-TZ3 with a lens cover that was stuck open no matter if the camera was on or off. I have another repair method that was easy and safe. Start with the camera on so the barrel is out. I could see the edge of the bottom of the cover & took a piece of scotch tape, slid it on and gently pressed down so the tape adhered. With the tape there, turn the camera off and tug on the tape so the lens will close. Doing this allowed triggered the top to come down and close completely. There is a tab on the bottom 1/2 that fits into the top so be sure that they fit properly or it will not work. Good Luck!
Thanks so much for putting this up. I did what you said and fixed my camera, I thought I had lost forever! Thanks!!!!
Thanks!! DD was plying with my lens and got it stuck - the card trick worked!!!
The piece of paper trick worked like a charm! I have to post my thanks for this blog!
Phenomenal! Thank you all so much for your information. My DCanon Powershot A720 had a stuck lens cover and I was debating over the advisability of just starting over with a new camera, -considering the cost of repair - and that is really upsetting because it takes great pictures and I just hate that it often costs more to fix things than buy new, and that is a true shame! What waste! In any case, the vacuum trick is truly ingenious, and all is well again! THANKS!
Thanks so much for this helpful blog!! The lens of my Canon SD1000 got stuck and I was hesitating to get a new one. Your paper method worked like a miracle. It's functioning perfect now. You saved me money and brought me joy and sense of little achievement of DIY. :-)
My camera barrel is jammed , it is straight , im sure there is nothing inside the barrel , but the camera makes noises whilst trying to turn the camera on .
PLEASE HELP !!!!!!!
I tried extending the barrel and then i tried pushing it so the camera lens is leveled but unfortunately it won't budge , there has been alot of noises when i try to turn it on and i own a canon digital ixus 65 , 6.0 megapixels , im getting fustrated , been trying everything
Please help its important !!!!!
thanks
I had a Panasonic DMC-TZ5 where the shutter seemed to be stuck in limbo, would not fully open or close. It would close if force gently, but would not fully open on its own (leaving a sliver of plastic in the top and bottom of pictures).
Around and on top of the shutters is a "ring" of plastic. What I did was take a small flat-head screw driver and gently pulled up on this plastic while the shutter was closed. Worked like a charm afterward. :)
I got the idea after seeing the following, more mutilating, approach: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmPsxMJFXOA
Hi there i have a samsung DigimaxL60 and my camera beeps 3 times then turns off the lens dosent pop out once what could be the problem?
I used the suggestions posted here, in the order presented, on a Canon SX200 that developed a sticky lens cover after a trip to the beach. Each application of a suggestion improved the lens cover operation. The "tap while operating" was the last one needed. Thanks so much, you bloggers!
Worked great for panasonic tz5. Thank you very much. Now my daughter has a camera to take back to USA with her!
Thanks for post! I used some card stock and it did the trick for my DMC ZS5!
Thank you so much for the vacuum-repair tip - my Nikon Coolpix lens doors would not open all the way, and after using the vacuum hose, they now work perfectly again!
Both methods (the original post's and Jeff's method) helped tons!
I'm still trying to get the camera lens on my Sony DSC-W350 to close all the way (just a sliver left), but both methods have helped greatly! I'm currently charging my vacuum (it's a handheld portable) to continue Jeff's method.
I am so coming back if my camera has anymore issues.
Thanks so much!
Succeeded from the first attempt at the very first step!(PS A560)
Thank you guys, you make our live easier!
:)
Mihail
I got sand in my sony cyber-shot DSC-H70 and the lens would no longer open when turned on, instead it made a sad little noise as it struggled to do so and then the message "turn off and on again" appeared on the screen. I tried using a cigarette paper to loosen the sand particles but to no avail. In the end the Hoover won! It took a while,perhaps 5 minutes. I switched the camera on and off and held open the lens cover as I did it and throughout the process. So relieved I can't tell you! Thank you!!!
Just tried the vacuum trick on my lumix with a jammed shut lens cover (99% sure it's sand)Just held it near the nozzle and after 3 seconds - bingo! Thanks so much :-)
The vacuum hose fix is GENIUS ! Took me all of 10 seconds to fix my Kodak Easyshare Z1485 IS camera. Good as new now, thanks so much !
My finepix fujifilm camera lens would not fully open. I followed the advice of rotating the outer lens, in my case to the right, and the problem was fixed. Thank you !!!
Just used your site for my Samsung WB600. Tried vacuum which didn't work but then tried bit of paper around the cap edges. Used a thin plastic and it's all sorted - thanks so much I love my little camera
Jeff's idea just worked for me. Sam
Canon A510 - stuck lens covers and wonky springs
Thanks for the advice here. My aging Canon PowerShot A510 had a stuck lens cover, so I did as advised and swept under it with a piece of paper. This fixed it but shortly afterwards it stuck again. Turns out that either in doing the fix or perhaps wiping the lens with a cloth, I bent one of the tiny springs that shut the lens flaps so the end of the spring was pointing outwards, and the lens cover would not close fully. So with the help of several comments here I did the following:
With the camera on and the lens out, take out the batteries so the lens doesn't retract.
With a penknife, pry off the silver ring that has the lens description on it, starting at the inside and working around in a circle.
Pry off the black ring that keeps the mechanism in place (there are little springy tabs around the side that you can press in with a penknife to make this easier).
Note carefully where everything goes for reassembly (I would say "Take a photo" but for obvious reasons this may not be possible).
With a tweezers carefully pick out the four black plastic flaps and arms.
I then pulled out the bent spring and straightened it using two tweezers (well, nearly straightened it). Then with a bit of jiggery pokery and careful tweezer manipulation, put it back.
I then reassembled everything up to and including the black ring and turned on the camera again.
The lens stayed shut in both on or off mode, which was a bit worrying. But then in On mode I forced the flaps gently open and they sprang open and voila, it all works again.
One final piece of advice that I think is important: If you are doing the paper trick or cleaning your lens with a cloth or tissue, do it very carefully and ANTICLOCKWISE - otherwise you may snag those little springs and end up with the problem I had.
Thanks for the advice on this site, thanks to you I may now get a few more months or even years out of my trusty A510 :)
A sticking lens half cover on a Canon 220 HS compact turned out to be caused a very slightly depressed main body above the lens which was preventing the lens cover from fully closing, but which could barely be either seen or felt.
Solution was to judiciously ease a fingernail under the body at the depression and carefully lift it slightly - job done!
Take great care when doing so however and good luck
My camera Kodak Z950.Fell while taking macro.Lens stuck.With gentle push the lens assembly went in but lens cover remained open.Phone starting up then nothing happens.No error shown on screen. How to rectify
The lens cover on my Sony Cybershot DSC-P73
was sticking when powered on or powered off. This was remedied by spraying silicone lubricant onto a cotton bud (Q-tip) and carefully applying ied to the closed lens cover.
Chalk up another victory for the vacuum method!
Thank you, Canon Coolpix S6000 trying all other non-invasive methods without success.
Another victory for the vacuum method. Got sand in my G10. Tried tapping and shaking and an amazing amount of sand (I hadn't dropped it, I think it was just what was on the wind) fell out but it still didn't work until I tried the vacuum. Thanks.
Ha ha 2nd camera repaired today thanks to your site!
Bought a used Canon A530 for $10 for my almost 4 year old son, and was told the lens cover doesn't open fully and I'd have to tap it to spring it open. At home I noticed a slight indentation on the front of the lens ring, indicating the camera had been dropped or banged. Initially I thought a part of the inner leaf was jamming and gently moving it with a dental tool seemed to work, but not for long. Today I got to this site hoping to find an easy way to open the lens cover and fix the internals. Thinking I'd try the vacuum method, but not wanting to go through all the trouble of getting the vacuum and searching for the hoses, I instead sucked hard a couple times, for good measure, on the fully extended lens (after all, if it was a speck of something jamming the mechanism, it couldn't possibly hurt me), and it worked! Of course, I was concerned about breath moisture getting on the lens, etc., but I was sucking, not blowing. Thanks for the website, and good luck to all!
In publishing my comment, before I had a chance to react, I noticed I had omitted at the very end "and good luck to all!"
Mind adding that for me?
Thanks,
David T
Unfortunately, the lens cover started sticking again, so I began removing the silver-colored outer ring with the lens fully extended using a razor blade. Creating only a small gap from prying the ring resulted in the shutter working correctly, which indicated something inside was probably rubbing or not set correctly.
I then very carefully removed the black plastic piece that covers the moving parts using a dental pick, and found that one of the secondary shutter pieces wasn't hooking its spring. The blow to the front of the lens by the original owner probably knocked it loose.
In rebuilding the shutter setup, I also determined it is much easier to reload the springs and four shutter leafs with the lens fully retracted, which puts the pieces in the most relaxed state. I used tweezers and a dental pick. The black cover piece snaps in place fairly easily once aligned and one side with a springy bend inserted into the barrel. The silver outer ring presses on snugly.
Now the lens shutter works beautifully!
Hope this helps others needing to get to the leafs and springs to fis the opening and shutting of the lens cover shutter..
Carefully prying it open with a flathead screwdriver did the trick for me. Tried compressed air and vacuum first to no avail.
AMAZING! After two hours of reading what some brainy tech guy had written about how I would need to take my camera apart and replace millimeter sized parts with new ones..... I stumbled across this blog.
WOO HOO the vacuum trick fixed the shutter problem and for the 1st time I have actually found helpful DIY information on the internet!
What I did: Powered the camera on and off (zooming in and out each time) putting the lens directly into the vacuum hose and gently tapping it around about 3x!
Thank you so much for posting the info and helping us all out!
ps. sorry about my extra long comment (I've never blogged or commented before) I am just ecstatic that I found a way to fix it!
XOXOXOXO
SARAH
Thanks for the website and the encouragement to try repairs. I had an unresponsive closed lens on Canon Ixus115 HS. With the AV cable in, and having tried the paper strip clean, nothing worked until I moved the switch from Auto to Manual. Then the lens came out partially, and after a gentle pull, it seems to be working fine now.
Thank your for your generosity in making this webpage, unknown sir!
I had the same problem. I opened the lens cover and blew it clean, which worked fine. Then I dropped one of the little tiny (1/10") springs that hold the shutters closed. Does anyone know where I can buy one of these tiny springs. The thieves at local camera repairs want $150 to $250 to replace the spring, which can't cost more than a dollar or so. Les@Pinter.com
Hi guys,
Thanks for this really helpful page! In my case (Canon Power Shot SX220), I eventually realized that the problem was not a grain or sand or anything, but a dent in the thin metal cover plate that lies around the lens cover. I just inserted my fingernail under it, slightly bent the plate forward and the problem was fixed!
Just found this site while trying to find a fix for a Canon PS SX120 IS lens cover sticking issue. While unable to find info on this particular unit, I was inspired to dig in, knowing I had nothing to lose especially after being told the repair would be more than the replacement cost.
After carefully prying the cover cap off and removing the cover pieces and springs, I was able to clear away all dirt and debris from the tracks and movement, eventually restoring all normal cover function. Reassembly was tedious, and took a while but the camera is back in service.
Thanks a million for all the input, it saved the day! Les
used the vacuum trick on a Fuji T300 worked first time....Many thanks
thank you sooo much!!! my son borrowed a handycam from his uncle and the lense cover got stuck!we took it to repair shops and they said it couldn't be repaired but thanks to your suggestion I fixed it in no time!! and we were saved from embarrassment!!thankyou so much for the amazing tips!!!
The lens cover on my Canon Ixus 310 was stuck due to a dent in the lens surround (probably knocked something whilst in my pocket). I extended the lens, took out the battery, then pulled the front cover plate off with my fingernails (where it joined the plastic lens barrel body). The cover mechanism sprang off into my lap (two pieces). I straightened out the cover, replaced the pieces and it all looks good now. Thanks for the tips here.
I have always persisted in finding easy household ways of fixing technical problems like these. Jeff's vacuum cleaner method worked like a charm. Thank you so much!
The lens cover on my Ixus 310 did only half open. The vacuum house trick in combination with cleaning in the gap between the lens compartment and the lens did the trick and the cover is fully operational now.
Thank you :) A small piece of paper pushed around the lens of my Panasonic did the trick (after my 2 year old played with it and got it stuck open)
Thank you for the advice! I had spent ages trying to get my lens out on one of my Sony DCS-H10 camera's by turning it on and off? I tried your tip, face the camera down and tap it whilst turning on and off? three goes and it release I could see two tiny specs of grit on the side ofthe lens when it eventually popped out :)
I went directly to the suggested vacuum method with my Nikon Coolpix S6400 which has a multi-blade lens closure. It wasn't closing completely when I turned the camera off.
With the vacuum running and the lens held very close to the hose opening, I turned the camera off and on about three times and "bingo", it cleared the problem.
Thanks,
Mike
I have a Sony Cybershot that we got second hand but really like. It stopped working halfway through our vacation in Hawaii. I didn't drop it or anything, but a tiny bit of sand got on the back. Thought the camera was toast. All I did just now after reading this page, when I turned the camera on I pulled on the lens as it tried to extend. I tried this several times, and now it seems to be working. Didn't even need the vacuum cleaner, so far. I wish I had googled this page WHILE I was on vacation! Luckily we had several cameras with us. But I lugged this one around as a glorified paperweight for half my trip. Thanks!
I have a Nikon CoolPix P7000 that I had taken with me on a deployment to Afghanistan. It's such a dirty and dusty environment.
A few months into the deployment, the shutter cover refused to open all of the way up without being manipulated with a light tap from the tip of my finger.
This field expedient fix has been used for years now, but I've grown tired of botched pictures that have a small black wedge at the top and bottom edge of the picture, from when I forget to tap the shutter.
I used the suggested vacuum method, with my Dyson DC40. With its reputation for suction, I carefully held the nozzle a quarter to half of an inch away from the extending lens. I then cycled the camera on and off, multiple times.
On the fourth cycling of the camera, the nozzle bumped into and made full contact with the extending lens housing. All of the air was coming from within the lens housing, going into the vacuum hose.
Startled, I pulled the hose away and examined the camera and the shutter was undamaged. So I moved the hose closer and cycled it again, twice more. I pulled the hose away and cycled the camera again.
The lens cover opens completely up again!!!
Thank you for the wonderful advice.
My Lumix DMC TZ2 fell into some sand in 2011. Since then the lens cover has been sticking. The vacuum cleaner method solved the problem within seconds. Amazing. Thanks Jeff.
Thank you Jeff the vacuum trick worked amazingly well on a Cannon SX260! So pleased with this solution ....
I have a Fuji Finepix A820. The silver band ring on the front of the lens
mechanism is easy hit (flattened), and the lens cover shutters no longer close.
I want to dismantle this silver band ring to bring it to its original shape.
How can I remove this band ring ?
Thanks a lot and congratulations for useful items
I had the same problem. none of the suggestions worked. It seemed like it was sticking at the corner, so I rammed a credit card in the corner and then pulled it out, while pulling up. Basically, trying to bend the metal corner up. That did the trick.
Regarding an ELPH 300 HS - after much consternation and patience (and following about thirty minutes of trying) I just managed to remove and then reinstall the lens ring (the flimsy light-gauge aluminum cover that protects and conceals the tiny springs and blades of the lens closing mechanism), bend it back into shape and then reinstall it. Removing it resulted in the springs and blades becoming unseated so that was what took so much time to put back together. Now everything is working fine.
However, I have a question: What exactly holds the ring in place? With the ring off I noted several dollops of what looked like pressure sensitive silicone adhered to the inside face of the ring (or perhaps its heat sensitive glue or some other?) but was not able to discern any other other obvious mechanism that holds the ring in place. Now that I've had the ring off but have successfully reinstalled it, I'm worried that it will easily fall off in the future. Should I use a hair dryer to gently warm the ring with it installed on the camera and when its warm then apply light force to press (and therefore adhere?) it down onto the lens body? Is there something else I'm missing? Could it really be that those little dabs of whatever the material is is all that holds the ring in place (and that I don't therefore have to heat the ring at all to otherwise adhere it)?
I look forward to responses and am very appreciative of this post!
And, for crying out loud, whatever happened to simple removable lens caps?
Here is how I fixed the problem and it's an unusual solution.
The first thing I did was browse the internet hoping that another P7000 owner had found a solution. Unfortunately I didn't find one although I did find a solution for sand that gets in the way of this type of lens cover. Use a small strip of paper between the blades to remove the sand grains.
So I tried the paper strip and a can of compressed air but the problem remained. I thought about the problem for a while and then wondered if the blades needed some form of lubrication. I didn't want to use lubricating oil as dust will stick to it and I certainly didn't want any oil on my lens. Then the solution came to me. I had used graphite powder to lubricate one of my door locks. So here is what I did.
I used a small strip of 600 grit sand paper, about the width of a nail file, which I then gently moved between the blades. Please do not use any sand paper less than 600 grit.
I didn't have any graphite powder so I used a pencil and rubbed the lead against the sand paper. (Pencil lead is made from graphite)
I left the powder on the sand paper and gently moved it under the blades.
When finished I had to turn the camera on and off three or four times before the lens cover worked properly again. I used the caned air to gently blow out any excess powder and then I used a lens cloth clean any dust off the lens.
Here is how I fixed the problem and it's an unusual solution.
The first thing I did was browse the internet hoping that another P7000 owner had found a solution. Unfortunately I didn't find one although I did find a solution for sand that gets in the way of this type of lens cover. Use a small strip of paper between the blades to remove the sand grains.
So I tried the paper strip and a can of compressed air but the problem remained. I thought about the problem for a while and then wondered if the blades needed some form of lubrication. I didn't want to use lubricating oil as dust will stick to it and I certainly didn't want any oil on my lens. Then the solution came to me. I had used graphite powder to lubricate one of my door locks. So here is what I did.
I used a small strip of 600 grit sand paper, about the width of a nail file, which I then gently moved between the blades. Please do not use any sand paper less than 600 grit.
I didn't have any graphite powder so I used a pencil and rubbed the lead against the sand paper. (Pencil lead is made from graphite)
I left the powder on the sand paper and gently moved it under the blades.
When finished I had to turn the camera on and off three or four times before the lens cover worked properly again. I used the caned air to gently blow out any excess powder and then I used a lens cloth clean any dust off the lens.
Thanks. The paper trick really worked and I never would've considered it as a solution.
Yes - hooray - just tried the vacuum cleaner idea and solved my problem! Lens now covering over again on my IXUS. Thanks all. Great tip!
Thanks. I had dropped my Nikon S6300 on the beach and the lower 2 of the 4 leaves wouldn't close. Persisting with a thin paper strip for a while did the trick.
After trying the above suggestions, I still couldn't unstick the lens cover on my Nikon Coolpix L29. So I simply pulled the problematic cover out. Obviously it's not the perfect solution, but better than having a dark shadow on all of your photos!
Hi
My problem was a Ricoh GRD 1, lens would not extend. I had been at a beach so tried the vacuum to no avail, what finally worked was running a 'mint flossups'' around the edge of the lens while turning it on and, hey presto, out it popped. The tooth cleaner worked well because it has a fine tapered point. Best of luck comrades.
Had received a second hand Panasonic TZ20 via courier and was disappointing to discover lens cover stuck in part open position - tried the vacuum method and it worked first time .. but user beware, i hadn't considered the the effects of strong suction as the camera lens was sucked semi violently against the hose .. Luckily nothing was damaged .. thankyou now i dont have to get into an awkward return to seller for refund and who is to blame conversation..
I own a cybershot DSC W200 The Vacume worked wonders , Thanks for the tip
The lens cover on my Nikon Coolpix S9700 wouldn't open. I tried blowing with compressed and sucking with my vacuum (good tip that!) but neither worked. I then saw Foxy's hint about just rotating the front plate. I tried that and found mine unscrewed extremely easily and came off - without losing either of the two very small springs. The leaves were still stuck and I forgoing the temptation to just use the camera without any lens protection, gave each of the leaves a gentle lateral tug. Sure enough, one of them had jammed but a little more firm pressure released it and the rest fell into place. Still not sure what caused it to jam in the first place, but I fitted the plate back on and it's as good as new. How simple! Thank you Foxy.
Thank you for the tips on repair. It worked! Woohoo
Hello, I am Tomi from Croatia, i was reading those coments and one guy said that it has to vacum the lens in order to repair the constant open-close loops on camera and he was right i vacumed it firstly with medium vacum force while coninuously pressing on/off button, lots of tiny peaces of dust, even peaces leafs came out, and then it worked, anyway i think its only temporary solution as for complete clean you need to dissassembly the camera completely....
vacum cleaner is the camera saviour and in the future keep your camera in a box or small camera bag...
my camera was sony cybershot W530...
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Many thanks - my Canon SX280 HS lens cover shutters were not opening fully nor closing properly. I tried the vacuum, but no joy. I tried the paper, but no joy. I tried the hairdryer and it worked. Had to do it again a minute later, but it all seems to be working well now.
Hi...after converting my Nikon S3500 digital camera to full spectrum I accidentally touched the capacitor while putting the case back on. Such a stupid stupid mistake and I cannot believe that I did that but now I am getting a message that the battery is drained even though the batteries are freshly charged. At first I was able to take a photo and a short video before the battery message popped up but not so much now. Did I ruin my camera or is there anything that I can do to correct this. Never will I make this mistake again. So stupid. Thankfully I bought this camera used knowing that I was going to convert it to full spectrum myself but I still hope that it is salvageable. Thank you so much.
The lens cover on my Lumix DMC T23 was stuck open. I tried the paper method, to no avail.
I tried Jeff's vacuum hose trick. The end of the vacuum hose fitted nicely over the cover. I tried several times, a few seconds each time, getting the cover to half close. I was wondering whether to perservere - was the suction distorting the flatness of the plates? I tried a last time, and eureka, the cover suddenly worked perfectly once again.
There must have been a tiny piece of grit in the cover, and the vacuum eventually sucked it out.
Many thanks for this site, and the contributors.
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