Search Engine

Use the below search engine to narrow your search within the blog.

And don't forget to also visit our YouTube channel!

Camera Repair Search Engine

Custom Search
TRANSLATOR TRADUCTOR अनुवादक TRADUCTEUR TAGASALIN ÜBERSETZER

TRANSLATOR TRADUCTOR अनुवादक TRADUCTEUR TAGASALIN ÜBERSETZER

Saturday, May 30, 2009

A Simple Fix for a Stuck Shutter

For those of you owning Canon A400 series (A400 through A490), please see this link after trying the below troubleshooting steps, as you may also be experiencing a broken shutter ribbon cable.
A stuck shutter is a common failure mode for digital cameras. Unfortunately some model cameras experience this more than others. I won't say which but you'll likely notice in the comments section which cameras these are. The symptoms of a stuck or "sticky" shutter are very similar to CCD image sensor failure. The camera may take black pictures (for shutter stuck closed), or the pictures may be very bright and overexposed, especially when taken outdoors (for shutter stuck open). To confirm a stuck shutter, put the camera in any mode other than "Auto", and turn the flash OFF (you don't want to blind yourself for the next step). Next look down the lens and take a picture. You should see a tiny flicker in the center of the lens as the shutter opens and closes. If no movement is seen, then you likely have a stuck shutter.

If you did see movement, then you are possibly experiencing CCD image sensor failure. As mentioned, the symptoms of a stuck shutter are very similar to CCD failure. If you own a Canon or Sony camera, please see the following two articles instead as your camera might possibly be eligible for free repair:

Canon CCD advisory article

Sony CCD advisory article

Unfortunately, actual mechanical repair of a stuck shutter is labor intensive as the mechanism is buried deep inside your camera. If the camera is out of warranty the cost of this repair is usually very high, and may be more than the value of the camera. Would not recommend trying to open your cameras to repair this yourself, as it's very unlikely that you'll succeed. However, there is something simple that you can try that might unstick it, albeit it may be only a temporary fix. Also would not recommend that you do this on a perfectly working camera, as I'm not sure what the power interuptions may do to the camera. As usual, only think of doing this procedure as a last resort for a camera that repair cost is out of the question, and as such the camera would otherwise be set for disposal:

Step 1. Turn the camera on. Also turn off any features that may be a power drain to the batteries. You want all available power from the batteries for the following steps. Turn off image stabilization if your camera has that feature. Put the camera in any mode other than Auto, and turn off the flash. Also turn off the LCD screen (press the DISP or DISPLAY button).

Step 2. Move the camera to any mode that will give you the longest exposure time without flash. For many Canon cameras this will be shutter priority (Tv) mode (for many Canon A models the wheel with AUTO,M,Tv,...). For some of the Canon SD models this is also known as "Long Shutter Mode" (select the Moon/Stars icon).
For cameras other than Canon, set the camera so that it will take the longest possible exposure, usually 15 seconds (15"). Many cameras may not have shutter priority mode (Tv). Instead, put the camera in manual mode and turn off the flash. With these settings, try the fix in a darkened room, opening the battery door immediately after taking the picture. The darkened room without flash should give you a prolonged exposure, hopefully giving you enough time to conduct Step 4 while the shutter is trying to move.

Step 3. Take a picture.

Step 4. After 7 seconds open the battery door for a few seconds and then close it again. The intent is to momentarily interupt power during the exposure time. Note that you may also open the battery door immediately after pressing the shutter button if your camera is not capable of taking 15 second exposures.

Step 5. Repeat the procedure until the shutter becomes unstuck. One person reported on Fixya doing this 15 times before his shutter became unstuck.
Supposedly the power interuption while the shutter is trying to open can "jog" the shutter open. Some people have reported success with this method, and they noted that it required many tries.
Step 5a. Alternative Fix (use caution!). Please use common sense and care if you decide to try this technique, as there is some obvious potential for further damaging your camera with this step. If the above five steps don't work after many repeated tries, several readers have reported success in jogging the shutter open by tapping the camera against a wooden surface.
Step 5b. Alternative Fix b. If 5a scares you, others have reported success with an alternate method of merely extending the lens and then gently tapping around the extended lens barrel with a pen or pencil. Every once in a while check down the barrel to see if you notice lens flicker when taking a picture. If none noted, continue tapping. I have personally repaired two different Canon SD1000's by merely gently flicking the end of the lens barrel with the tip of my index finger while taking a picture.
Gently Tapping Around the Extended Lens Barrel


Anonymous reader of July 25th offers two more Steps:
Step 6a: In a very dark room to open the camera's iris, switch back and forth on the selector dial from picture taking mode to playback mode. Keep switching back and forth between modes until the shutter opens. Gently tap on the lens housing with a pencil or pen while conducting these cycles.
Step 6b: Again, in a very dark room, place the camera in shooting mode and then open and close the battery cover. No need to place the camera in Tv mode or set to 15 second exposure. Any shooting mode will do while you open and close the battery door. Keep repeating until the shutter opens. Gently tap on the lens housing with a pencil or pen in between tries.
IMPORTANT, Post-Repair Step: If you succeed in fixing your camera, note that this may also be only a temporary fix, and you may be required to do it again. To minimize this potential, place the camera in "Continuous Shutter" mode, and take a large amount of pictures continuously to attempt to lubricate the shutter (you can delete those pictures later). Also, try to use your camera more often as another preventative measure from reoccurrence.
Note that cameras with shutters that are stuck open (overexposed pics) can be particularly difficult to repair with the above techniques. But I do know that Step 5b can work for both stuck open and stuck closed shutters (of those SD1000's that I've repaired, one was stuck open). Hopefully you'll be lucky too. But if not, it may be time to consider retiring the camera.
Finally, please comment below whether you succeeded or not with this technique along with your camera model. Also note how many tries you gave it. If you know of another method, please also report that here.

551 comments:

«Oldest   ‹Older   201 – 400 of 551   Newer›   Newest»
Anonymous said...

I go the shutter to work again on my bf's A620 but it always get stuck again for some reason. Did you guys experience the same thing? Or are we just unlucky?

TJ said...

I am jealous of all the people this is working for...I've tried about 30 times on my S2IS with no luck... :-(

Won't buy a Canon P&S again, given their refusal to admit this is a manufacturing problem...

John From Spok said...

Thanks for the tip on the stuck shutter. The camera hasn't worked in probably a month or so...Read all your steps. I set the camera to M>Mode and that was the only mode that I actually saw the stuck shutter....open. I held the image button down the shutter opened. While still holding the button down I opened the battery slot - Release the image button. The power died and the shutter stayed opened. Powered it back up and everything is fixed. Tried movies, several still shots, etc....Thanks again - JH

Unknown said...

Had the stuck shutter problem too with a Canon PowerShot S2 IS. It was fixed on the first try.
Thanks for the tip!!

pandagirl37 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I have a Canon S2 IS, worked on the first try with only a 1 second exposure! Thanks!!

Eric Vincent M. David said...

guys, listen to this. i will share something with this problem. My canon ixus 75 is also experiencing this problem this past 2 days and i just do also the tutorial here in this blog many many times, about 16-18 times but unfortunately, still did not fix. and suddenly, i saw a blog to clean the lens with an air brush to solve this problem. unfortunately again, i don't have air brush so i think that it is only an air that is the solution so i just blow an air on the lens with my mouth on the lens attached. i blow and i blow then oh yeah! it is fixed. i am so overjoyed with this solutions guys, try it! and again, the lens was malfunctioning. :(

Unknown said...

I have the Canon ixus 750 and the shutter was stuck open. I tried both method but still nothing happened. the strange thing is, when I use max zoom, the shutter work again, but stop working immediately after i start zooming in. Can anyone know this problem please???

Camera Repair said...

Zinzin,
The internal shutter control flex cable can also be the cause of this problem for certain cameras. It seems to be a fatigue issue with the cable, especially if the camera owner uses the zoom feature quite often. As example, here's someone who disassembled an A430 to discover the same issue. Unfortunately, there is no simple fix for this particular problem, other than replacement of the ribbon cable (a non-trivial task as one of you discovered).

CR

Unknown said...

I did try to remove the lens out of the body to see if there is any broken ribbon or anything loose. The thing i found out, but not sure if it cause my problem, is that in the smallest tube of the lens ( mine has 3 tube) there is a bend rubble ring. When i zoom in (max zoom), the lens( i dont know if its the right word, sorry man) slipped above the rubble ring, and the shutter worked. but if zoom out, i can see the rubble ring again, and the shutter stop working. I am not sure about this which is the right cause of the shutter problem or not, but can not dismantle the lens, since it is too complicated for me to do it. AND WHEN I PUT EVERYTHING BACK TOGETHER, THERE IS ONE SMALL SCREW LEFT !!! OMG

Anonymous said...

Powershot CanonSX100 IS... lens got stuck open, because it was in my pocket while unicycling. Tried your fix about 10 times turning on and off with the memory card out and the camera plugged in.. . no avail. Then I started getting more aggressive with the camera, forcing the shutter open with pressure. Finally doing everything above at the same time fixed it, but I ended up stratching the lens a little. I don't notice the scratch in the pictures but the camera is about 5 years old, so it's probably time for a new camera.

Anonymous said...

Tenacity is key with this fix. I see several posts stating it didn't work.

I had tried steps 5 and 5a several times over the past year before reading this article. I know a fair amount about cameras and thought my S2iS was suffering the CCD issue.

After a long Friday night at work I was lounging about the house and thought I'd give it another go...... no luck. So I turned to the internet and found this article. I decided I would try till the batteries died, and then resort to open aperture surgery.

30 minutes later, I am writing this post with what appears to be a fully functional Canon S2iS.

I would add that a combination of long exposure and gentle to moderate taping on a 'soft' solid surface may do the trick for the stubborn camera. I was a bit rough on mine, but I figure "It's not working now, so what if I break it more".

Kudos to 'Camera Repair' for offering his knowledge to the public for no fee. If only the manufacturer wold offer the same quality of service, and they are charging good money for repairs.

Thanks!!
Prazbotta

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for helping me fix this. I actually put it on video as the TV mode didn't seem to take a long enough exposure and that worked immediately. I am so glad to have my favorite camera back.

Anonymous said...

A stalwart Canon customer here (most of my peripherals are Canon). I was really shocked at the plague of problems beset Canon camera owners.

I own a PowerShot A610 and it took the second try (the first one sorta worked but it was super dark and then the screen went black again). I tried again and then the entire lcd was clear and I saw exactly what I was taking a picture of. I've had this camera for years and I've taken some great pictures with it (impressed some people for the age of the camera).

Thanks for posting this fix. It was really concise and very helpful.

Anonymous said...

Canon Powershot S2 is went black. Tried your fix & took 4 tries to bring back. thanks

Unknown said...

Thank you! I just tried this fix (opening the battery door) on my Canon PowerShot S3 IS, and it seems to have done the trick! Even if it turns out only to be a temporary fix, I can always try this trick again. Thanks for saving me an expensive repair or replacement!

Anonymous said...

We had the same problem on a Canon Powershot SD-750. I tapped it lightly on a magazine sitting on a table to give it some cushioning and the camera came on again! Fantastic. Thanks for sharing this.

Anonymous said...

I would never have thought to just tap my Cannon SD750 on the table but it worked like a charm! Cannon said it would cost $99 plus shipping to fix the problem and I was already looking into buying a new camera. I had the dreaded black screen and thought for certain it was the CCD image sensor. Had I not found this blog I'd never have thought to consider the idea that the shutter was stuck. Your tips here quickly showed me what the problem was and the person who suggested the tapping on the floor deserves a big fat kudos.

Love the blog!

Ted said...

I have a Canon PowerShot S2 IS...

Tried all those steps about 20 times including tapping. Nothing works. Haven't used the camera in quite a while. Perhaps dropping it from shoulder height???

Anonymous said...

Also worked on my Canon A610 after 5 tries and some whacking between hands (towards batteries side).
Is easy to see shutter not opening, it opens every time you half-push the shooting button. If nothing move inside the lens, you have the shutter stuck!
Thanks for help
EmB

Anonymous said...

I have a canon IXUS 70 and after taking it on a rollercoaster (I know, idiot) I realised the shutter had become stuck. I tried your technique a few days after it happened and did it around 40 times! Unfortunatly it didn't appear to have worked. I left in on the table for an hour or so and when I came back to it it was working as though nothing had ever gone wrong. I don't know whether it gave it a much needed jolt but I'm so pleased that my camera is finally working again.

Anonymous said...

Hi,
My Canon S2 IS sticky shutter problem was fixed using steps 2-4 about 7 times. You helped me determine that the issue was a sticky shutter. Thank you very much for the help.
SA

Anonymous said...

Thank you very much for sharing this information.

I have a Canon A630 I bought for $270.00 in 10/2006. The shutter was stuck~ using your information here and about 15-20 tries I was able to get it unstuck. :)

I had called Canon and was told I could send mine in to them for repair (at my cost) or I could buy a refurbished A1100 IS for 79.00, a SD 1200IS for 99.00 or another SD? 120 for 129.00

This will be my last digital Canon I will ever own.

Anonymous said...

Spoke too soon..Anonymous w/A630

Seems it still sticks... dark and out of focus esp w/zoom.

Sure hope I have better luck with the Kodak Z981.

Anonymous said...

Thank you very much for posting this. My Canon S2-IS was having this problem. It worked after the third try. Lucky for me I found this blog. Thanks Again.

Anonymous said...

I have the Canon S2IS, the first problem was the famed E 18 lens error. After being very persistant with Canon and I mean Very ,they agreed to a one time courtesy repair . the camera is just 2 yrs old. I got the camera back a few weeks ago,Ive taken approx, 10 pictures which were great, then the Black Screen appeared. Once again arguing with Canon who says theyve never heard of this either. I decided to try the TV mode/open battery case and after about 6 tries it worked altho the pictures seem to be grainey. I can almost notice the image on the LCD moving' I did get a UPS form Canon but Im sure it will be a $135 fix or the You can buy a refurbished one for $175... Ill Never buy another Canon product

Anonymous said...

HI,

Thank you SO much for this fix! I have a Canon PowerShot S2 IS camera; your explanation of the problem (shutter stuck closed)was a tremendous help. I was able to fix it using your method and it only took about 6 or 8 times before it was working again. I was so very relieved! I love my camera and I was very worried that I would have to spend a lot to either get it fixed or get a new one.

Thanks again!

K

Anonymous said...

I've got an almost like new Canon S3IS Powershot (out of warrenty) that a friend gave me because they couldn't get it to take photos (black images). Canon quoted them a fairly high price to check and repair the camera. They were going to throw it out and buy a new unit. Luckily they threw it my way.

I ran through your stuck shutter routine over three or four dozen times while sitting in front of the t.v. watching the news... IT WORKS!!!! Wow, thanks for that. It's like a bloody miracle!

Anonymous said...

Hi I have the Canon A620 and your fix worked after about 5 or 6 tries. Thank you so much. I love my camera and thought I would have to replace it. Keep up the good work!

Camera Repair said...

Anonymous,
I have an A620 myself. It's my "baby". Glad to have helped :)

CR

Anonymous said...

Oh, awesome: this worked on the first try with my Canon Powershot A620. I've been having this problem off and on for a few months and it usually resolves itself after a power cycling a couple times, but it was good and stuck this evening -- until I tried this trick.

Anonymous said...

Great job! Thank you so very much for this site!

Here's my story:

Have an older Canon A560. Had not used for quite awhile, and turned on to find a black screen, with all the icons and the startup screen, but no image underneath them. Did not matter the settings, no image. Problem occured with or without an SD card, and with new batteries.

Was about to give up on the camera but decided to research possible fixes on the net. I love the internet - the amount of collective knowledge on things like getting a camera to work again is astounding!

So, at first I thought I had the bad CCD problem, even though my camera was not listed in Canon's service advisory. Then I found this site.

The test for stuck shutter is great. Never occurred to me that the shutter was stuck, since the camera makes a noise like a shutter click when taking a picture, even though the shutter is not firing.

After confirming the shutter did not move, I did the power cycle thing about 5-7 times. Gave up and started taping and alternating powering on and off. Sometimes tapped around the extended lens with a pencil eraser, sometimes rapping the camera gently against a desk from different angles.

Still nothing, and mounting frustration, when I went back to the power cycling. I did it more carefully, using the steps below, about 15 more times. Gave a tap or two in between, and tada! It worked. I think the power thing did it - I probably did not need the tapping - in fact, I am glad I didn't damage anything by tapping on it, as I did it firmly a number of times (and with lens extended, which you mentioned was a bad idea for the Canon A430 above).

Steps to fix A560:
1) Follow instructions above
2) As the blog author says, Set to Manual mode, turn off flash, go dark room or point to a dark place.
3) This is key (I think): Immediately after pressing the shutter button, when the red and yellow lights near the viewfinder flash, fully open the battery cover, don't just move the latch for the batter cover (which turns off the camera as well). This is awkward on this model, but can be done with two hands if you position it right. Before, I only moved the latch cover a few seconds AFTER pressing the shutter (trying to time when the shutter should open). I think the approach of immediately opening the battery cover after pressing the shutter and initiating the picture taking sequence on the camera worked better.

Anyway, do not give up if it does not work right away! And try some trial and error. I almost did give up, and would have tossed out a perfectly good camera!

Thanks again for this great site!

Anonymous said...

I have a Fujifilm FinePix S1500 with a locked shutter How can I fix it? (its zoom out wont go back in)Should I just change the mainboard and the lens will that be easier?

Unknown said...

I have a canon powershot A1000.
My little son took my camera out the case and presses the power button see the lens extends but at the same time he presses it down, while it was still extending. Now it reads lens error please restart.When I re start the camera the shutter extends halfway goes bk in and the lens does not close.Can you offer any suggestions which of your fixes i should try first?

Thanks in advance.

Kim F said...

The company I work for has a Kodak EasyShare P850 camera. About a year before I came to work for them, it stopped working and Kodak told them it would cost more to repair it than what it's worth. So my company just bought a new camera and had this Kodak sitting in a closet for the past 3 years. I want to try and repair it if I can. The camera will not power on. I bought a new battery for it, charged it, and when I turn the camera on I can hear a small switch-like noise that sounds like something tried to turn on but didn't. Nothing at all will turn on. I read your posts and tried everything and still nothing. Any more ideas?

Anonymous said...

I have a Kodak C633 with the stuck shutter producing black pics. I tried taking pics and opening the battery door about 10 times. It hadn't worked yet, so I tapped on the lens & barrel a couple of times with my fingernail, and it opened! I 'spose I need to use my camera more often now. Thanks a lot! ~S~

Anonymous said...

I have Canon PowerShot A470 Camera.
Whenever I take a picture, it's either fully white(overexposure) or have white horizontal lines on the pictures.
When I take picture in Dark Room with Flash it comes clear.
Also Camera has not problem to shoot a video.
(Shutter Stuck open)
any solution of "Shutter Stuck open"?

Camera Repair said...

Anonymous with the A470,
Recommend trying the pencil tapping method described for Step 5a. I've had particular success with that technique for problem cameras with both stuck open and closed shutters. Some times it takes a little persistence. Be sure to come back and let us know how it works for you.

CR

Anonymous said...

Hello, I am "Anonymous" with the A470.
Thanks CR, I tried your all methods (5a) but not success...but still "shutter stuck open", please tell me Is CCD of my camera is damaged.
I can make videos clearly without overexposure.

Camera Repair said...

Anonymous with A470,
No I wouldn't suspect the CCD if you're not seeing movement of the shutter. Try looking for this movement as mentioned in the article. No shutter movement = stuck shutter.

One other possibility might be actual damage of the electrical flex control cable running to the shutter. This can occur with point and shoots that have had their zoom function used a lot. A little flexible cable can fatigue fail as seen in this Fixya article. If this has occurred, repair would be difficult or costly. In that case, would recommend that it's time to shop for another camera. It's difficult to diagnose and repair a fatigued shutter cable (you need to strip the camera down pretty deep, very costly for professional repair, and not recommended for inexperienced repair).

Would recommend instead to reconsider persistence and patience with the pencil tapping method. It might not be a fatigued cable, but just a particularly nasty piece of gunk jamming the lens. Tapping might not work today, but give it another try next week, with a fresh set of batteries. Who knows, you might get lucky.

CR

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I had the saem problem with my Canon S2 IS -- a sticky shutter. Following your instructions, I fixed it. Thank you so much. It took me and my wife +15 times. When it was fixed, the first several pictures were not clear, but after several shots, it is O.K.

Anonymous said...

Hello, I am "Anonymous" with the A470.
Thanks CR for your detailed reply...
Yes I can see the movement in shutter or flicker.(but pictures are coming OverExposed and with white lines)
Its mean CCD Sensor of camera has failed.
please tell me which part will be replaced of camera? is this only CCD Sensor or Hole Optical unit of Camera.
(This problem happened when my friend was trying to take a picture of Car's front glass which were directly reflecting to sun at very sunny day.)

Camera Repair said...

Anonymous,
If you can see movement (flicker), then yes it is NOT a stuck shutter. Next you should check to verify that you are indeed in Automatic mode, and not in one of the other manual or special scene modes. If you are indeed in Automatic mode, and it's still taking overexposed pictures, then you're correct to suspect the CCD image sensor. You might want to contact Canon to see if they'll honor repair of this, even if not under warranty, as such a failure is rare with their newer model cameras. They might just offer to fix it. But if not, sorry to say that actual cost of repair will likely be more than the value of the camera. Replacing the CCD is costly due to the time (labor) involved. The CCD is buried deep inside the camera, attached to the rear of the lens assembly (optical unit). Sorry that I couldn't be more positive in this case.

CR

Anonymous said...

Hello CR, I am Anonymous with A470.
if you don't bother my final questions are that:
1. If the CCD Sensor is damage then why videos are being recorded clearly without OverExposed.
2. And also if I take the picture in Dark Room with "Flash On" then photo are taken very clear without horizontal line and without overExposure.
Thank

Anonymous said...

Thanks a lot, that power interruption during exposure open worked for me!!! :)
My camera model is Canon Powershot S2 IS and I had to try it about five or six times before it worked.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, thanks, thanks! Canon S2 IS. About 7 times fixed it.

Anonymous said...

The shutter of my Canon S21s is now unstuck! It took about 5 tries. Thanks so much for your help.
Lynn

L said...

I have a canon powershot a610 and everything on is black. The display screen, when I take pictures, etc. It was working perfectly fine about 2 monthes ago and just recently I discovered this problem. I can change modes and adjust things but I don't understand that all. I tried your method many times and it did not work. I don't know what to do!

afogu said...

It worked!!

On a Canon Powershot A95. After not less than 30 times cutting off power supply, tried to tap softly with a pen too... It did the trick!

MAKro said...

Hello and thanks for posting this solution. It worked for me too at the 4th try.
I'm using a Canon S3 IS.

Anonymous said...

I have a canon A640 , with the stuck shutter issue, have used the first method several times and it works for one use then goes back to stuck. then after getting it unstuck I put in rapid fire mode and that seems to have cleared the shutter for now.
Thanks for the help.

glenn said...

i had a stuck shutter on a Canon S2 IS. your solution worked on the third try!!!!!
originally, i thought that it was a CCD problem - i think the S1 IS had CCDs with a flaw that Canon fixes for free. but not the S2 IS.
thanks, you saved me at least $140 - probably more because i would probably have opted for buying a new camera.

Marcio Bueno said...

Excelente dica!!! Tenho uma Canon S2IS e também funcionou, la pela 20a tentativa! O diafragma abriu!
Economizei R$1.100, ou seja, nao vou mais jogar fora!!!
(GREAT-worked for me in the 20th try and it won't be retired anymore)

Camera Repair said...

Estou feliz que isso te ajudou a corrigir o problema com a câmera :-)

Anonymous said...

My father in law's Canon S2 camera had a stuck closed shutter and steps 4 & 5 cured the problem on our third try. THANKS VERY MUCH! My S2 has 20,000+ pictures taken and no problems but if it does I'll know what to do to fix it. Thanks again.

dgamlath said...

I have a Canon A470 and the problem it showed was "white" pictures and horizontal bars appearing. When I went to get it repaired, I was told that the "ribbon" (Shutter Flex Cable?) MIGHT HAVE broken (without even opening the camera) and would need a full replacement of the lens, which is costly.

I tried the method of "long shutter-->shoot-->open battery cover midway" (20 tries) without succeeding. (Later I learned that this might not work for open-stuck cases).

Just now I'm trying the "pencil tapping" method, still with no luck.

What I need to know is whether this type of "lens-stuck" problems is possible for Canon A470 model, or could it be a "ribbon failure".

Eager to see a reply.

Thanks.

Dewmini Gamlath (Sri Lanka)

Anonymous said...

I have the S3 IS and had to try this fix. Thankfully it worked because Canon's customer care told me they were not aware of this issue with S3 IS cameras even though I told her I found a number of websites where people were having this problem with the S3!!! One as early as 2007 so that says a lot about Canon customer care if within 5 minutes of searching, I could find a problem as early as 2007. I'm sure in the last 3 years they've had more people reporting this issue with the S3. Of course, they offered me the $139 labor charge plus parts to repair it! Yeah, in there dreams! If the camera eventually quits working all together I will not buy another Canon just because they don't acknowledge the issue when it's blatantly obvious a number of their camera models HAVE THIS PROBLEM! I was so high on Canon and this camera...right up until this denial of any issues today when I emailed customer care! Shame on you Canon!

Anonymous said...

This was Canon's customer care answer to my email when I commented that I've seen a number of people reporting the black screen/view finder issue with the S3 IS model that I was experiencing. Guess nobody at Canon googles the issues their customers have with their cameras!!! Or maybe they think they can feed us a load of you know what!! I wonder how many people they've gotten to pay $139 labor charge (if no parts are needed which will be added to the $139) while Canon did this fix you have posted here or how many people fell into their "customer loyalty program" and paid nearly $200 MORE for a refurbished model with a 90 day warranty!!!!

Canon's Customer Care email response:

"Thank you for your reply. Since I cannot verify the accuracy of that
information, I would hate to comment incorrectly on that matter. I can only verify and comment on personal experience from what I’ve seen and any information that Canon has provided to me. Based on that
information, I can honestly say that there are no known issues with the product. Canon USA has made no announcements regarding any "known
issues" or "defects" with the S3 IS camera. This camera has not been
recalled, and no service notifications were issued for this model."

Camera Repair said...

Dewmini,
Unfortunately, the internal shutter control flex (ribbon) cable can also be the cause of this problem for certain cameras. It especially seems to be a problem with the Canon A400 series. It seems to be a fatigue issue with the cable, especially if the camera owner uses the zoom feature quite often. As example, here's someone who disassembled an A430 to discover the same issue. Unfortunately, there is no simple fix for this particular problem, other than replacement of the ribbon cable. Sadly, it would likely cost more than the value of the camera to fix professionally.
CR

Anonymous said...

I have a Canon IS2. I apparently had a stuck shutter. Thanks to you, I tried it several times (over 5, but I stopped counting) I got it to work again! I was worried I was going to have to buy another camera and am leaving on a trip tomorrow, so I defintitely am very grateful and appreciative for the great service you provide. :)

Anonymous said...

This methods is work for me for Canon A620 in a few times. Thank you so much.

Tum (Thailand)

Dai John said...

Hi There this is Dai John in Wales. I sent my son-in-law's Canon S2is off for estimate. Was £197.40p. Refused the job-had camera back this morning-tried your system of repair-success. Camera now fully working. Thanks for the advice and a camera that works and nearly £200 saved.

Unknown said...

Uh oh... I tried to open the battery door while making a photo, but while i did the camera kept on beeping until i fully opened it. I turned it on again and all my images have become corrupted... It said "unidentified image" and the first picture became a question mark.

Anonymous said...

It seems to have worked for many S2 IS owners, but not for me. After 45-50 tries, I "forced" the dreaded E18 message by tapping it a bit too hard. I've never liked this camera. Nonetheless, I'm glad so many people were able to benefit from the advice offered here. SLRs are the only way to go.

joim said...

sony cyber shot carl zeiss vario tessar 8.1 I drop my camera and after reading your blog I realize the shutter was close I used a 5a method I bang very gently againts the wooden table once every side and I had it open thanks

joim

Anonymous said...

My camera (S5 IS) failed after I'd taken more than 200 pictures in that session alone, and I'd taken several hundred a couple of weeks prior as well. So the "lack of use" theory doesn't seem to apply here.

I use an AC connection, and initially thought the "open the battery door" would be accomplished in my case by unplugging the DC IN from the camera. No, that just powers off the camera, not what you want. Finally, I figured out that opening the battery door is what I should be doing as well. When I do, the camera emits a high-pitched tone, which I haven't heard others mention, but I'm assuming that either means it's an S5 thing (seems like most of the accounts here are for other cameras) or they just didn't think it needed to be mentioned.

I've tried that at least 50 times now, no luck. Tapping around the extended lens. No luck. Tapping against a solid surface, tapping against a mattress, tapping against the heel of my hand, no luck.

I was going to go with the eBay guy (whose price is now up to $60), but since he says he accepts payment only after the camera is working, it does sound to me like he's probably just going through the (usually effective, apparently) steps listed here. A local camera shop says they'll replace the shutter with gen-u-wine Canon parts for $135, which seems like it should be guaranteed to work, so I'll probably do that.

I gave it the old college try, and I appreciate that it's worked for dozens of people (probably more; there are dozens of people who took the time to post), but it doesn't seem to have worked for me.

Anonymous said...

Fixed my Canon A610 that was doing the "black screen/black picture" thing with the advice listed here - worked on the second try. I was thrilled to say the least. Thanks!!!

Anonymous said...

Canon Powershot S2 IS. Was all set to buy another camera & found this blog. Stuck Shutter fix worked on 3rd try. Thanks!!

Anonymous said...

i have a canon sd1200 and i dropped it on the floor and it had a stuck lense. my dad fixed it but now the shutter wont close, i get pictures, but when i turn off the camera the shutter doesnt close

Camera Repair said...

Anonymous with the SD1200,
Think that you really mean that you are experiencing a stuck "automatic lens cover". If so, please see this other article on this blog to correct that problem.
CR

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much this cure worked straight away with my Powershot S3. Very grateful for your help.

Anonymous said...

I had this Canon S2 IS for several years without any problems. I haven't used it much since last summer and recently wanted to take a picture and came up with the black screen. Took me awhile to figure out that I should look down the lens and check the shutter. Sure enough if was stuck. Thought I was in for an expensive repair until I searched to see if anyone else had that same problem and hoped for a fix. Boy was I surprised to see that many cameras with the stuck shutter. Tried the 15 sec option and worked the first time. Hope it continues working and won't be a continuous issue. Thanks for your help.

Anonymous said...

I had this Canon S2 IS for several years without any problems. I haven't used it much since last summer and recently wanted to take a picture and came up with the black screen. Took me awhile to figure out that I should look down the lens and check the shutter. Sure enough if was stuck. Thought I was in for an expensive repair until I searched to see if anyone else had that same problem and hoped for a fix. Boy was I surprised to see that many cameras with the stuck shutter. Tried the 15 sec option and worked the first time. Hope it continues working and won't be a continuous issue. Thanks for your help.

Anonymous said...

Posted too quick. It will work for a time and then shutter stuck again. One minute it works and then acts up.

kitty b said...

I have a Canon SD750 that worked great until I took it to a very humid beach and the next day I just got the black screen, so I thought the CCD image sensor was the problem since in the past that was associated with humidity/high heat.

After reading your post I took the camera out into the sunlight so I could see perfectly down into the lens and sure enough the shutter wasn't moving at all. After making sure my battery had a full charge I followed your steps and opened the battery door in the middle of the shot. There was a high pitched sound until I closed the door and once I did that I heard a louder than normal clicking of the shutter and I was back in business on my first try.

The best thing about this, besides having my camera working again, is that I've discovered great new things about my camera since I had to download a manual to figure out how to get it into long shutter mode. (Mine didn't come with one.) There are so many things I'm excited to try out with this now -- so many settings I never new existed and some I sadly thought they just didn't include with this model.

So thank you for the newly working camera and the newfound knowledge!

wuland said...

help me please,
my camera canon digital A series, (unfortunately i forgot the number.
it's been broken and it cost so expensive to fix it. it cannot capturing a picture, though it sounds like it can shoot, but the picture that should have been taken are not available, but the LCD still can show the picture.
I have asking to the service agent in my country, but it cost a lot and they asked me it would be cheaper if I would like to change it with a new camera and pay for the new camera.
I dont know what to do.
i hope that you would help me how to fix it by my own.thank you.

Camera Repair said...

teteh lia,
If you've tried these steps, and you are sure that it is not a stuck shutter, then please see this other article. Check to see if you're camera is on the list for a possible free repair for the CCD problem.

CR

Camera Repair said...

teteh lia,
To save you trouble searching for the advisory, here it is for your region. And here's the follow up advisory concerning discontinuation for the older models.

CR

avocadokiwi said...

Thanks a ton! I had no idea what do when my camera started acting up or what the problem was. Thanks to this article, my camera is functional again. Who knew it was such a simple fix? This is a prime example of the internet at its finest.
I have a Cannon hv10 camcorder, and I put it in night mode and set it to take multiple shots. It worked after three or four tries.

wuland said...

Hi,
thank you so much for your help.
i've check to my camera, and the article that you gave.
my camera is powershoot A430. and i can't find the type.there is A400 and IXUS 430.
last night i tried to turn the camera on, and it's was still can turn on and the lcd is fine.but i dont know why the camera cannot capture the picture.it sounds lke it had capture a picture.
but the picture is not exist and never been capture.
i've been trying to check them to the official service agent in indonesia.but they said it caused electrical problem, it may caused if I used to put the camera near tthe electronical stuff such as a computer.i didn't get it.because if i had to transfer the pictures, i have to put the camera near my computer.

Camera Repair said...

teteh lia,
No, the A430 is not on the list. Have you checked to see if your camera's shutter is stuck as mentioned in the article? Have you looked into the front of the lens to see if you notice any movement when taking a picture? If you do not see any movement, the shutter is stuck. The problem could be mechanical or electrical. If mechanical, you may be able to fix it yourself. Turn on the camera. Next gently tap several times on the lens barrel with a pencil. This might open the shutter. If after many tries that doesn't help, then the problem is likely electrical with a broken shutter control flex cable. Sorry to say that cost of repair for that problem would be more than the value of the camera :-(

CR

wuland said...

Thanks for your assistance RC, i looks more electrical.cos it don't have any problem with the mechanical.well, then i will save my money for the reparation.
thank you so much for your help for such an amateur like me :)

Unknown said...

Thank you for the fix. It worked only for a while, then I sent my Canon PowerShot S2 IS to the factory for evaluation and they repaired it for free! Got it back today and it works perfectly.

Chris B said...

Many thanks for the fix. Worked on the 3rd try.

Unknown said...

These guys do a great job of helping seniors with digital cameras: http://www.modernseniortech.com/digitalphotos/digitalcameras.html

ToneScott said...

Hey Man,
My Canon S2IS developed the same issue. After trying your technique about 10X, the image came back blurry. 2 more tries did the trick.
Thanks so much!

AudioProNow.com

Anonymous said...

Tapping the lense on arm of chair while taking pictures worked. Thanks a million!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I tried all of these fixes but nothing worked.I have a Canon Powershot SX110 IS by the way. I agree with everyone who is very disappointed with Canon. Anyway, the camera was going to go in the bin tomorrow so I thought there was no harm in bashing it around a bit. I hit it off the palm of my hand as hard as I could and kept doing it. Amazingly, the shutter freed and it's working fine! I think that the answer, if all fails, is to be rough with the camera.Don't be afraid,if you've tried everything else,knock it around a bit.

Anonymous said...

Original 300D Digital Rebel.
Shutter stuck.
I ended up with my finger forcing the mirror open, and then with a plastic stick move the shutter open.
I then put the camera in burst mode, and set the resolution to its lowest, so as to make it burst faster.
It actually got it loosened up, and it's working again. I still gets stuck once in a while, but it appears I can get it loose again by knocking the camera upside on my hand relatively hard, if not, on a hard table a little more gentler than knocking against my hand.

Thing is, my camera is at its end of life. I either squeeze some more life out of it by knocking and jiggling it, or else I throw it away right now...

Gavin Quail said...

Hi, My canon Powershot s2 IS had black screen when taking pics. Did the opening the battery door while shutter open and it worked on and off after about 30 tries. I had to jam closed the sensor for the batter door open before I got any change - it seems that the sensor cuts power and stops the "surge" thats needed. To keep it working I did the same loss of power but with AC(mains power input)...that seemed to keep it working after 1 try. Thanks a million for the advice

yanling said...

Hi, I'm using a CANON IXUS 110IS Idk what series is that under but it has the problem of a stuck shutter and thus, takes overexposed photos with two much white and takes brightly lit photos in the dark. It fixes itself after awhile and then the problem happens again. Now, the problem seems to be stuck and idk to do. Do advise

EverCurious said...

I have a Kodak Easyshare DX4530 and none of these simple fixes worked in my case so I got adventurous knowing I might cause permanent damage....and got lucky.
1) Turn camera on to extend lens.
2) Remove batt.
3) Gently pry off the len's top cap that has the logo.
4) Using 2 tweezers, 2 scribes, snap ring pliers or other device that acts like a spanner wrench and begin to unscrew the front lens.
5) There may be resistance because of a sealant used to keep the lens from rotating, but that breaks free.
6) After about 10 turns, the lens will come free.
7) NOW BE VERY CAFRFUL
8) Look down into the lens assembly for a small gray colored peg. It may be centered inside of a larger hole.
9) VERY GENTLY touch it with a toothpick to move the gray peg leftward out of that larger hole.
10) You should begin to see the shutter open.
11) Replace the front lens being very careful to start it evenly to avoid cross threading it.
12) Replace battery.
13) The shutter is likely free, but now your camera is unable to focus well.
13) Place camera in video mode and begin to rotate the front lens using the same tool you have been.
14) You should find a sweet spot where the camera can now focus on its own.
15) Use a low grade glue, like Elmers or serviceable Loctite and place a very small amount near the threads to keep the lens' position.
16) Replace the top cap with logo using a very small amout of good adhesive (you may have to do this again, so don't permanenly attach it).

Anonymous said...

I have a canon is 2s and THIS WORKED!! THANK YOU!! I would like to add that I used the burst mode also...after trying the battery thing about 20 times!! I hope it stays!!! You saved me 150$ thanks agian!

Anonymous said...

Peter try the burst mode after light tapping this worked for me

Anonymous said...

I have a Canon Powershot A540. I took a picture in August. When I picked it up about 2 weeks ago, there was no image on the LCD monitor. I can see through the viewfinder. It takes pictures that are completely black with the date on them. I found your website and thought I found a solution but it is not working. I tried disrupting power too many times to count. When I open the battery door, it turns the camera off with the lens extended. I have to push the on button. The lens retracts and then extends again. I also have to turn off the display again. I tried tapping it, but nothing happened. It there anything else I can try other than dropping it from shoulder height. Just kidding but I am getting very frustrated. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Have a Canon Powershot S2 IS. Tried taking photo and opening battery door. Took about 4 times and it came on. Had to go through this process about 3 times before the fix stayed. Works great now, I'll remember this one! Thanks much.

Jorn D said...

fixed the stuck shutter problem by dismantling the entire camera & lens assembly. it took me 2 hours to fix it and reassemble it again.

The shutter plates itself have 2 holes, one for a fixed pin, and one for a moving pin (provided by a small elektro magnet)

the moving pin was no longer in the holes, probably due to a combination of mechanical shock & to much space between the top of the moving pin and the lid of the assembly

Ale said...

Hi,

I did it 3 times and now the camera is working. Thanks!!

Ale said...

THANKS!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Hi, I have a Kodak DX4330 with the black image problem. I can confirm the root cause is broken wires in the flexible cable within the lens assembly. I'm trying to source a spare cable with no success. I will try and repair the wires, but due to the design flaw, these wire flex very tightly with the lens and I'm sure they will break again.
Rgs, Jol

Anonymous said...

Canon S3 IS - the power off fix worked for unsticking my shutter after about 8 tries. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

hi
I have same problem of s2is . I tried follow your suggest. I try 5 time it work. Thank you very much.
From Thailand

Anonymous said...

I have a Canon PowerShot SD700 IS with what looks very much like a stuck (close) shutter. I have tried at least 30 times the process with power interruption - with no success. Tried the tapping, with increasing force until I gave up with no improvement. Is the 700IS prone to sensor defects too (I do however see no shutter flicker)?
Mathias

Anonymous said...

I have a Canon SD700IS. I bought it used and it worked ok in the beginning, except every now and then it took the pictures either too dark or too light. Then about 2 months ago I turned it on and no display, I tried everything to get it to work.
With Christmas approaching I dug out this camera to see if it would work and of coarse no such luck. So I browsed the web for any ideas on how to fix it and found this site. I tried the fix mentioned over 100 times, took over 200 continuous pictures, tried tapping it with a pencil while turning it on and off over 50 times and eventually I got so mad after messing with it for 5 hours that I bounced it off my floor in frustration. Nothing worked, still no display.
I finally decided to try a different approach and thinking that it may be dust or dirt preventing it from opening I put the lens in my mouth, sealed my lips around it and blew as hard as I could, then while still blowing I turned the power off, then back on again blowing into the lens again as it was coming out. As the fog cleared from the lens I noticed some light in the display and after a few seconds I had the shutter open and the display working.
I then took a bunch of pictures and all came out great, but that fix didn't last long. When I turned the camera off and then back on again I had no display, so I tried the blowing thing again and again, but still couldn't get it to work. Until I did it one last time and presto the shutter opened, only it wasn't because of the air it was because I had slightly interfered with the lens coming out when I was trying to blow through it. So I turned the camera on and off until I had no display again, then turned it off, and with the lens facing up at me, I put my finger in front of it while turning the camera on and creating a slight resistance on the lens mechanism I got the shutter to open.
I then turned the camera on and off many times until the shutter stuck again and then tried the finger interference and the shutter would open. I tried this solution over and over again with about a 75% success rate (timing and pressure are important, sometimes it took a few tries to get it just right)but I always got it to work.
Now I know that this way isn't good on the lens mechanism, but if you can't get your shutter to open any other way I would recommend trying this.

Rosie said...

I have a Canon S3IS that I just love and was devastated when I tried to use it one day only to find a black screen and viewfinder. I figured it had something to do with my shutter and desparately looked online for a solution. When I found this link, I tried the solution and it worked the first try!!! THANK YOU very much for this post!

Anonymous said...

Thank You for your excellent hint. I followed your diagnosis proposal and decided, the problem in my A610 was a stuck shutter.

So I followed your instructions involving long time exposure and removal of batteries, and it worked on the third attempt.

Great blog! Thanks again!

Anonymous said...

I have a Canon S2 IS. The night I found this website, I tried both methods to open the shutter. Even after 20 times, it still didn't work. Then two days later, I tried again. After the second try, the shutter opened up! Now the camera is working just great! Thanks a million for your tips!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tips. The sticky shutter on my Canon S3 IS responded to the repeated power interruptions while snapping long exposures. Probably took a dozen or so attmepts.
I then shot off a couple hundred snaps at fast shutter speed (forcing a wide aperature). Hopefully, this issue will not return.
I've had my Canon S3 IS for about 2.5 years but it is not used extensively, just holidays, special events, etc. It will sometimes sit in the bag (with dessicants) for a month or so until the next event.
Frankly, I expected better from a Canon product. Not likely to consider them when I am able to afford a DSLR to replace the S3. Was very happy with the camera (until I would be able to afford a DSLR) until this happened. Not so happy now.
Thank you very much for the tip. I spent over $340 for this camera and am in no position to replace right now. You really helped me out. Thanks again.
Walt

Anonymous said...

Hi, i had this problem with my canon S3 IS... i was about ready to throw away the camera when i found your blog. I tried your suggestion in the tv mode several times in a darkened room but no success, then i just put it in the night shot mode when i was in the living room and repeated your instructions about 20 times as quickly as i could...lo and behold it now works perfectly!
I just wish i had found this blog yesterday when i was at the christmas markets in munich and it was snowing...:(
Thank-you so much, you had saved me from buying a new camera!

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much! I have a Canon Powershot S2 IS and I couldn't figure out why the screen was black in photo mode. The manual offered no help whatsoever. I found your blog, tried the Tv mode at 15 seconds, and unstuck it pretty quickly! I was trying to convince my husband to buy me a new DSLR for Christmas, so now there is no need :( but I am very glad to have this working again.

Eric said...

Step 5a worked!!!!!!!!!!!!!Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!!!Christmas Day, noontime, took camera out and used for first time in a while and LCD did not come on black picture on PC. DESPAIR, as I did buy camera on craig's list, albeit it did work beautiful on day of purchase but put camera away that same day and did not use for quite a while until Christmas day, 2010. At exactly 3:05 p.m., 3 hours after discovering the problem and researching the internet and coming to this article, step 5a worked. I am truly grateful for all's help. Merry Christmas everybody and God bless you.

Anonymous said...

hi, tried the fix method 1, and it works in 4 times. canon A610, thanks.

The Oracle! said...

Thanks.

Had the same shutter issue on the Canon S3 IS.

Had to set to Tv Mode and set exposure to 15 secs to get it going while performing the battery change.

Regards,
Raghav

Unknown said...

I own a Canon PowerShot SD960 IS and am still having difficulties getting the shutter to open. I've tried all techniques suggested at least 30 times and am still not seeing any progress. I accidentally dropped it but everything was fine for about an hour taking normal photos. Then the shutter unexpectedly wouldn't open again. It's been two weeks now. Any suggestions?

Anonymous said...

Hi,
I have had the same problems with a Canon S2 and tried steps 1 through 4 and it worked on the first try.

Thanks for the excellent post!

Anonymous said...

Older Canon Power shot A620..

Didn't think this was going to fix it. Even hit it hard a few times but around the 10-12th time with the bet door it started working again!!


Thanks much!!!

Anonymous said...

Hey,
The shutter on my Canon S3 IS was stuck closed, but it got unstuck after just one time opening the battery door. Thanks for the information!

Unknown said...

Thanks, it's work as follow your direction....keep flicking with step 1 thru 5. Don't give up...pic. well.

Anonymous said...

i just tried tapping the shutters with my finger a few times and it worked, a huge relief.

---BUT IT STILL SAYS "LENS ERROR 1211" every time i turn off the camera. is this a problem??

Camera Repair said...

Anonymous,
Check the gaps around the lens barrel for any foreign material like sand particles. If you notice any, try gently removing them with a small sliver of paper.

CR

Anonymous said...

Canon A610 - shutter stuck closed.

Few tries with opening the battery door gave no effect.

Tried several times to knock a little around the lens while making a 15 sec photo - no effect.

The last time I made a photo (to try to open the shutter, but as always it stayed closed) and while doing this I opened the battery door. Then I knocked gently the lens from all sides (as the battery door still opened) - of course nothing happened.

After closing the battery door the shutter got unstuck, and I could normally use my camera!

Thank you all for helping!

Anonymous said...

One more thing!
On the Canon A610 - it is actually not a "shutter" as a photographer would understand it. It is a small plate sliding in front of the CCD. It is not used for determining the exposure time!
It is still closed, if you have the display closed or LCD shut off... It is still opened, if you see on the display what is in front of your camera. It closes shortly on each taken photo (no idea why).

I experimented a little with opening the battery door on different situations and think, the "shutter" has no spring, so no "normally opened" or "normally closed" position. I think, it needs power to open (then stays opened without power) and again it needs power to close (and then says closed without power).

So it seems to have no sense to shut off your display or close the LCD while trying to unstuck it by opening the battery door...

The "shutter" will try to open if you make a 15 sec photo. If it does not open (stuck), and you open the battery door it will even not try to close it!

I think the best way to make many tries to open/close the "shutter" is to close the LCD or switch it off, and then try to focus many times (half depress the shutter - not to take a photo). On each try the camera will try to open and close the "shutter".

I'm not a camera specialist of course, so try all described methods ;)

Anonymous said...

Your fix worked on our Power Shot S3IS after about 6 or 7 tries! Thanks so much!!!

Englishman in Ankara (Turkey) said...

Great! My Powershot A620 "failed" yesterday much to my disappointment. A quick search revealed your page, after a few attempts at the power interruption method (got bored after 4 attemps!) decided to try the mechanical method.

The third attempt at flicking the lens (on maximum zoom) during a 15-sec exposure solved things!!!

(a tip for exercising the shutter afterwards - remove the memory card beforehand and you won't have to delete any photos!)

Thanks again for this excellent blog which has saved my (life?) patience on more than one ocassion. But I'm already thinking about reting my trusty machine which has passed the 60,000 mark - don't think it'll be long before it completely gives up the ghost!

Unknown said...

Great! Your solution worked as expected and my Canon PowerShot A630 is working again! Thank You so much!

Kurt said...

SD1000 fixed using the tapping method while on 15 second exposure. It went back to being stuck closed, tried again and it seems to be in perfect working order. Greatly appreciated site!

Anonymous said...

I have a powershot S3 IS,mine had this problem, so I tried it, it took 8 times and it worked!! Thank you Thank you!!
I had my camera for at least 5 yrs and this was the first time this has happen....I did it in the TV mode, turn off Display and flash. Fresh batteries too.

PeggyD said...

Had to respond. After trying the 'fix' for my S2 IS about 50 times, I gave up and began to shop for a new camera. I gave it one more shot at the end of the day, this time turning the video camera on and off (no battery door open or jarring) VOILA! it worked! Thanks SO MUCH. You just saved me $$$.

Michelle said...

I just fixed my new aquired Canon S3IS doing this - on the 12th attempt! Thank you so much!
michelle

Anonymous said...

I wonder if this works with my SOny Cyber-shot DSC-V1. I don't hear the shutter closing at all. As if it's not present in the lens assembly. I was starting to think that my CCD has gone bad but my other camera which is a DSC-S650, I can hear the shutter doing it's job. Gonna try these fixes. :) Thanks :)

Liviu Aileni said...

Canon Powershot SX100 IS - Success!
Same issue with the sticky shutter. Tried about 10 times and did not make it. But after I tapped it with my finger and was still not working, I hit it against a wooden surface while taking the pic and it got unstuck! Thanks a lot for the suggestions.

Anonymous said...

my A620 problem seems to have been a stuck shutter. I tried tapping, banging, and power-interruption. It came came unstuck after about 20 power-interrupt cycles.

Unfortunately, it has gotten stuck again several times.

Anonymous said...

HI,
I'm Mark from Philippines... I have a Canon power Shot A470... Same cases like the others, Stuck Shutter.. I tried all the alternate ways of fixing it using your instructions. No luck.. I've been doing this for several hours, nothing seemed to work.. not sure though if i'm doing it correctly... please help me... thanks..

Anonymous said...

My canon a470 had the same problem. I had try to fix it as prescribed, but fail to unstuck it. I'd tried up to 100 times, and the shutter still stuck. Since the camera warranty is out and the cost of repairing is too high. So I decided to tear up the body myself then found out the cause of the problem.

The thin ribbon cable that connecting both shutter mechanism to the main board had been snap or broken off.

Anonymous said...

Stuck shutter on my Canon PowerShot S2 IS. Followed the steps and it worked after 5-6 tries, saving me loads of money!
Thanks!
Fran

Anonymous said...

Have a Canon Powershot SD630 that had a stuck shutter. I charged the battery up, turned everything off in the camera I could, including flash. I set shutter on continuous shoot. ISO speed slow (80 or 100)and in a low light setting, I held down the shutter release button and started tapping the camera all around he body as well as the lens area at times. I used a small plastic bottle, but hit it pretty hard. After a few taps, the shutter started working occasionally, and eventually started to shoot continuous, but still stopping once in a while. I allowed it to shoot until the battery ran down or the card was filled up. Re-charged the battery and did it again for another 2 to 3 hundred shots until it was shooting regularly and smoothly. This was last night and today the camera has worked flawlessly. Hopefully it will keep doing so. Can't believe this fix worked. Thanks Sooo much.

Anonymous said...

My wife has a Cannon PowerShot A540 which we use only occasionally. I tried to use last Friday but the screen wouldn't show anything. I tried taking some pictures, but everything was black. I tried your fix by setting the selection wheel to Tv and it worked the first time! I snapped off several pictures and a short movie and everything worked great. Thanks for the help!

Mark

Anonymous said...

Have a Canon S2 IS your fix worked after 6 or so attempts.

Thanks!! You're the man!

Kim said...

Worked on 7th try. Awesome!!!

Kim said...

I posted already success after 7 tries of opening the batter compartment with a canon powershot s2is. however the camera auto shut off while i was figuring out how to put it in continuous mode to exercise the shutter. It stuck again on powering back up. It unstuck after 3 tries. Then shot 100 pics just fine. Moral of story. figure out how to shoot continuous before beginning or disable the auto shut off. Thanks again my father in law will be oh so happy

Anonymous said...

I know that this is outdated, but thank you to the person who also had the SD 750 model. I'd been trying to almost an hour of following the above method to no avail. Then, following his/her advice, i whacked it against a wooden table, and good as new! (hopefully it lasts...)

Anonymous said...

extremely useful tip. my canon S2 IS is fixed with only a couple of tries. thank you.

Anonymous said...

Thank you soo much..My camera is back to normal now..Its working fine..I tried your method abt 20-30 times and it started showing the image gradually..Thank you!!

Anonymous said...

Awesome! I have a Sony Cybershot. It worked. Thanks

Timo said...

Thanks, this worked for my Canon S2 IS. Second time the problem arised I noticed that just opening several times battery door when in photograph mode does the same trick.

Timo said...

Thanks, this worked for my Canon S2 IS. Second time the problem arised I noticed that just opening several times battery door when in photograph mode does the same trick.

bojan said...

Thank you! :)
Canon S2 IS. Opening the battery cover while taking a picture under a long exposure worked on the first try! (although it scared me a little because it beeps continuously when you start opening the cover)
In the past when shutter wouldn't open turning the camera off and on couple of times would do it, but today it acted really stubborn. Luckily, I found your post...

Anonymous said...

Hi,
Have a Canon S3 IS with a stuck shutter. Image returned after two tries.
Thanks for the help,
Will

Anonymous said...

Just a simple tap with my finger while taking a picture worked perfect. Thanks

Yi said...

Have S3 IS. Stuck shutter. worked with power and Tv trick.

It kept happening, so I have do it every time. Tried to take a lot of shots in sports mode. Seems not help.

Thanks for the trick anyway.

Unknown said...

Weeeeee! Thank you so much for the advice - I did the long exposure shutter power disconnection dance for awhile with my SD750 and got fed up enough that I started banging against a wooden door jam. While I was examining the damage I'd done to the paint, the screen displayed an image again!!

Anonymous said...

I have a canon S2IS with a stuck aperture, I found the responses on this blog very frustrating as there is such confusion amongst posters over what is a shutter/aperture or ccd problem, it is clear some people are reporting successes with one problem when in actual fact they had another problem.

Camera Repair said...

Yes,
But those reporting success by fixing themselves were repairing a stuck shutter/aperture. The only fix for CCD failure is professional repair. Although Canon will repair CCD failure for free for certain models of their cameras.

CR

Anonymous said...

Hi, Thank you so much, it worked, I followed the steps and opened the battery door after taking pix, after 2 or 3 times it is working !!!on my canon s2is.

Anonymous said...

Use the video setting!!! I tried the TV and the moon and stars and got nowhere. About 15 tries. Then I thought what would keep the shutter open? The video would stay open wouldn't it? Yes! First try! Canon Power Shot S3IS purchased in 2006.

magdur said...

Thank u very much, this method really was successful. My S2-IS has been laying on the shelf for about 2 or 3 months because of this black screen problem. canon service demanded 100$ for fixing. as soon as reading this tip, on the fourth or fifth trial i got the view of outer world on the screen. May Allah (God) bless the guy who shared this method :)))))

[turkish: cok cok tesekkur ederim, harbiden ise yaradı! benim s2 is siyah ekran probleminden iki-uc aydir rafta yatiyordu. canon servisi 150 TL istemisti bu basit tamir icin. bu sitedeki metod ile (pil kapagini acip kapama) dorduncu veya besinci denememde siyah ekran duzeldi ve dis dunyanin goruntusu ekrana geldi.. allah razi olsun...]

Anonymous said...

HI, thanks for the tip. I have tried this with my Samsung S500 that has its shutter stuck open - but it doesn't seem to have helped.

I tried the second option of banging it against a wooden surface and that seems to have helped a bit. But I think its possibly time to upgrade as the camera is about 5 years old.

Staffan/Sweden said...

HI
Had a sticky shutter on a Canon S3IS and after trying the fix 3 times it worked perfect.

Thank you very much.

Anonymous said...

Had the same problem with my Canon G11, and the above method worked on the 5th try. Thank's so much!

Anonymous said...

Tapping around the lens column when fully extended worked for me! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Worked like a charm on my Canon S2 IS. Last picture in the memory was from 5/21/2010, one year tomorrow and we have been unwilling to spend the money to repair it. I just happened to stumble upon this fix and it worked perfectly after the second try! Thank you all so much.

Anonymous said...

You rock!!!! Just fixed my beloved Canon S3 IS using the battery door/banging on the desk method. Took 10+ tries but well worth it! Thanks so much for the help!

Amitava said...

My Canon Powershot A430 has a problem of Stuck shutter but i failed to repair with the said method.

Amitava said...

Hi CR Can you help with any other option? I've not used the method of banging it on any wooden object. Shall i try that?

Camera Repair said...

Amitava,
You can give it a try, but I'm not optimistic that it will help your particular model camera. The Canon A400 series (including the A430) seem to be particularly vulnerable to failure of the shutter's control flex cable (a very tiny cable inside the camera).

Please see my posts above for the dates May 4, July 9, and Aug 4 (all in 2010). Also see this link to a Fixya article that describes the flex cable problem in detail. Am sorry to say that if this cable indeed has failed, the cost of repair would be more than the value of the camera. Wish I had better news :-(
CR

Anonymous said...

Hi,
I have the same problem with my Nikon Coolpix S210. When I look down the lens, I see a small movement. I tried this fix five times or so, without luck. Any other ideas? Thanks anyway.

Camera Repair said...

Anonymous with the S210,
Please verify that your camera is actually taking black pictures. Try downloading them to your computer to see if the files do indeed show up as black pictures. If they show up fine on your computer, then it's simply a problem with your LCD screen (you've accidentally turned it off, or you have a loose ribbon connector inside the camera). But if they're black on your computer, AND you're seeing shutter movement, then you're likely experiencing CCD failure. In this instance, would recommend that you contact Nikon directly to see if they'll help you. CCD sensor failure is rare these days, and some vendors (not all) will honor a repair of such an occurrence for free. If Nikon's no help, last option is a new camera, as CCD repair is very labor intensive / costly.

CR

Anonymous said...

I have a canon ixus 870 is, have same problem with sticky shutter. Tried the above simple fix and IT WORKS!!!! Save me $$$$ for repairs... Thanks you so much!!!

Anonymous said...

It worked after 20 times... thanks so much...

Don said...

I have a Canon A590. 20 or so tries of interrupting power didn't help, nor the lens tap during long exposure. Finally, tappng the camera on the desk during a run of auto-repeat worked!

My guess is the tap had to come just as the shutter was trying to open. Suggest setting image size down to minimum (1/3 MP) for fastest repeat time.
I ran a hundred or so exposures on repeat mode after it started working. I hope it lasts!

Anonymous said...

You rock, camera god! Worked on the first try on TV setting. Canon S2 IS. Reading other posts, it may reoccur, but I will know what to do.

Thanks very much.

Tore

Anonymous said...

Holy smokes! Worked on try number 3 for Powershot A620. The first time any sort of google search has worked for me. I was ready to dump the camera. Thanks for the help!

Anonymous said...

Hi thanks for the info I have an old S2IS that I'm not planning to give up just yet, I had a stuck closed shutter I had to try about 10-20 tries to force the shutter open, but now it is stuck open and your 5 step method is only forcing the shutter to open. Any suggestions for me ???

Anonymous said...

DavidB in Adelaide South Australia.
Many thanks for your much appreciated advice re the stuck shutter remedy. My Canon Powershot S2IS had this problem and I was going to retire it. Tried the mentioned fix around a dozen times and it suddenly came good. I shall try and use it more often to prevent it freezing up again. Cheers.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for your advice. Your trick to fix the sticky shutter on my Canon S2 IS worked after about 4 goes. Saved me the $150 plus the hassle of packaging up the camera. Your article also causes me to think I need to use the camera more often (I can go months without) - so I will take it out for a run around the block more frequently!
Does anyone know if Canon is currently offering courtesy repairs on this one?

karen h said...

Have a Canon SD1000. I tried the battery door method about 20+ times and also the tapping against furniture method. Was about to give up when I finally started slamming the left side of the camera (while looking thru viewfinder) against my hand and taking a picture. The LCD image finally showed up! I work at an elementary school and had just sent a different SD1000 to the electronics recycling company last week and now I wish I hadn't. Thank you SO much for taking the time to post these repairs!

Anonymous said...

Black LCD/pictures. Isuspected CDD failure. After googling on this error, i found your page. Sticky Shutter on Canon S3 IS. Worked after 4-5 door batery open.

Your the best, man !
You saved my camera/money/time !

Angela said...

Yet another S2IS.. Good thing I turned it on to test it before gifting it to my dad! Fixed the stuck shutter after some gentle (and then more frustrated and not so gentle) tapping and about 30 power interrupts. It seems to be normal again. That'll teach me for leaving it unused for a full year! Hopefully it doesn't recur when my Dad gets it.. I'd feel terrible for giving him something unusable.

THANK YOU!

Angela said...

So.. I posted last night that I fixed my S2IS for my Dad. Turns out that, while it takes pictures.. now the shutter does not close all the way. Over exposure, grainy pics.. nothing seems to shake it out of this funk. Literally.
Thanks for the good advice, but I think this one's a goner.

Anonymous said...

I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC - FX12 I had a stuck shutter. I tapped it 5 times and it worked!! I am back in business taking pictures. Thanks

Anonymous said...

I had the same problem with the sticky shutter on the Canon S2 IS.After more then 20+ tries the shutter opens and camera worked. Many Thanks!!!!

Anonymous said...

July 20, 2011
Canon SD700IS
Bought non-functioning for $20.
Suspected stuck shutter. Tried "fix" 4-5 times. Success! Thank you!

Anonymous said...

In reference to this post:

http://camerarepair.blogspot.com/2009/05/simple-fix-for-stuck-shutter.html?showComment=1262484067709#c8898808938111799339

The repair they do involves taking the camera apart and physically cleaning off the shutter parts. Yes, they are priced low, but do a great job. (S3IS owner)

Anonymous said...

Sorry, the permalink for the previous post didn't show up right. I was referring to the post mentioning www.bsodpowershotrepair.com being too cheap for the repair.

Camera Repair said...

I don't normally tolerate ads in the comments of my blog, but I'm going to leave this apparent ad up for now as I'm curious. The cost of repair is indeed remarkably low for the amount of labor that would be involved. But the eBay 100% feedback is hard to argue against. I just hope that they're not simply using the fix techniques listed here in this article, and actually physically disassembling the camera to correct this (as stated in their ad). If so, then it is indeed a bargain. Note that I will be vigilant on comments to this particular article. Also if shilling becomes even slightly suggested (as some other camera repair companies are infamous for), I will remove all related posts.

CR

Michelle B. said...

Excellent! My Canon PowerShot SD1000 Digital ELPH (P1228, No. 4623402078), purchased July 2007, recently quick working at the worst possible time -- shortly after the birth of my first child. It started showing only a black screen when in Picture or Video mode. Fortunately, after going all through the Canon customer service group (who generously offered to pick it up for free and assess it for free) and their tech help group (who, after a limited number of basic attempts to help fix, including "turning the Display" on/off, determined it was broken and that I could only either send it in for repair by them or they'd offer me a discount on a new camera), I first tried the extended-lens "tapping" recommendation, skipping the entire first recommendation about power-interrupting a long shutter-open photo. While in a Menu mode on the screen, all I did was turn the camera to Video mode so that the zoom would extend out the front (Picture mode would also extend it too), I gently flicked the last, innermost telescoping zoom section about a half dozen times all the way around the end of the lens/zoom tube, switched the camera to Picture mode and the LCD lit right up, no longer showing a black screen. I immediately started taking 20-30 pictures to "lube"/loosen the shutter up more. It continues to work fine, which is pleasing, since this camera it awesome and has performed flawlessly until this happened.

Thank you very much for this truly helpful blog and its tips on an easy self-fix for an apparently common, but not severe, problem.

Anonymous said...

Excellent site. Fuji Finepix E900. I took a hard fall with the camera in hand and have shutter stuck open (heartbroken). After some pretty hard taps during long exposure I'm now getting intermittant success. Just for curiosity -- what causes the wavy lines (when the shutter is stick open)and why does the movie mode work fine? THANKS.

PJ CHRISTIAN said...

JUST WANT TO SHARE:

I also have this S2 IS SHUTTER problem, but last night I figure it out what cause it to stuck... After 4years of not minding the problem because of the repair cost amounting to

200$ at Canon Service Center "under exposed-optical unit replace", and after figuring it out

for almost 8hrs (back ache, cramps, eye strain) finally I repaired my S2IS. :)



WHATS THE PROBLEM?

It's the lubricant they use in the lens guide optical mechanism..

There are 6 optical guide that are lubricated, these lubricants tends to travel to the mechanism part of the shutter,

Why I say or tell or even confirm these, because I open my camera up to the optical assembly

and I found out that theres a LIQUID(lubricant) in the SHUTTER flex that made it stuck, so I clean it with a cotton buds, SHUTTER FLEX is now DRY and moving freely.

Even though I lost 1 small spring at the optical guide after removing the lens (I replace it with a spring from the back of optical assembly), three fine screws that are not returned to its slot (I don't know where are those slot, I can not remember anymore because of so many fine, coarse, tiny, small, medium, long, flat head and round head SCREWS) my CAMERA IS

WORKING BACK TO NORMAL now. and I'm happy with it... Four sleeping years of my S2IS....

The hardest part I encounter is assembling the optical mechanism, it's very very very very tricky work. Tiny little things that are falling but with a very special thing doing in the zooming department... Four hours of figuring out where the h**l is this little tiny GOLD came from.

Worth the hardship I've done.......

To those of you who want to repair there S2IS please be carefull with these one tiny stainless steel ball and spring at the lens guide ( I lost the spring and I only found the steel ball and used another spring)

I won't recommend it to those who don't know what to do... TAKE YOUR OWN RISK DOING IT.


Sincerely,

PAUL JULIUS CHRISTIAN ZAMORA, ECE

Anonymous said...

EVEN EASIER FIX FOUND! I have the Power Shot S2 IS and was having the shutter stuck closed problem. Do both these fixes in a very dark place so the shutter will open all the way. I found that if you keep switching the "power" dial from shooting mode to playback mode, the shutter will work properly, keep switching it between modes until it works. Another way is to turn the camera on to shooting mode then keep opening and closing the battery cover. If these fixes don't work, try GENTLY tapping on the lens housing with a pencil at the same time you are cycling the power on and off by either of the above methods. Setting the exposure to 15 seconds and taking a picture is not required, it does not affect the shutter, it manipulates the iris. Hope this helps, and thanks for the original fixes which led to these easier fixes.

ravi said...

I have Canon SD1000. For me 5b method worked after trying 5a more than 50 times. Now the camera takes pictures. but I am not able view scene in LCD while taking the photo and it is visible only after clicking it. What should I do to correct this.

Camera Repair said...

ravi,
No problem. You just accidentally pressed the DISP button on the back of your camera. This turns the screen off to save battery power (you would then use the optical viewfinder in its place). To turn the screen back on, just press the DISP button one more time. It's great that you were able to fix your camera!

CR

Adam said...

Hi, I have a Canon A540 with a black screen. I have tried several times but with no luck in getting it to work. I haven’t used this camera all that much about 600 to 800 pictures taken. I am very disappointed with Canon. I have owned tree and this will be the last one I get. Just bought a Sony, Cyber-shot Digital Camera H70 this time around. It’s awesome. Thank you for the tips, I was praying it would have worked. Cheers.

Kyle Mackie said...

helpful site. Thanks. unfortunately, my 20+ tries at your fix haven't solved my isue. Canon Powershot S5IS.

Chad Nelson said...

I have a Canon A610. I did the TV method and took the batteries out right after pressing the button. It only took two tries. I'm so glad you take the time to help others out. Now I can pay it forward. Thank you friend.

Chad

Anonymous said...

Thanks. I had this for canon ps s3 is..within 2-3 trials of fist method opened it..

Anonymous said...

fantastic!got my kodak c913 working again after a stuck shutter.messed about for an hour or so with it then realised that with nothing to lose,a few whacks off the floor gradually released the shutter back to normal.who knows..?it could be a permanent fix.many thanks.

Anonymous said...

Used the hitting technique after i couldnt really understand the other and managed to unstick the shutter on my kodak c913. thanks for the advice was getting ready to throw it!!

Melanie Arabsky Ledger said...

THANK YOU! I had no idea what the problem was, but had found by accident that turning my Canon S3 IS camera off/on lots (sometimes a tedious number of times like 50) would finally get the screen to display an image, or sometimes it wouldn't.

However, a quick google found your solution and opening the battery door fixed it FIRST TIME. I am sure it will happen again, but so happy to have this little trick in my pocket!!!! THANKS SO MUCH!!!!

Adnan said...

Thanks a lot, I got my canon S3 IS working by putting it on Tv with 15" shutter speed, just had to repeat the step twice to free up the shutter

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I had the sticky shutter problem on a Canon S3 IS. Setting the exposure time to 15 secs (on manual setting, taking the shot and opening the battery cover solved the problem. Splendid fix - thanks very much!

«Oldest ‹Older   201 – 400 of 551   Newer› Newest»