20 Most Recent Canon PowerShot A610 Digital Camera - Page 6 Questions & Answers

Much more likely that it's a stuck shutter, especially for your model camera. How many tries did you give the fix? Some people stated that it took at least 15 repeated tries before the shutter opened:
http://camerarepair.blogspot.com/2009/05/simple-fix-for-stuck-shutter.html

When all else fails try the manual:
http://www.emerson.edu/media_services/upload/PowershotA620.pdf
Eric

Try a mode other than auto, and turn off the flash. Then try taking a picture. Did it work? If so, then your flash is either shorted or burned out, or the flash safety circuit thinks that the camera is open. If the flash is burned out, then professional repair is required, as a flash change-out is not trivial (Call 1-800-OK-CANON).

However, it's more likely to be only a break in the safety circuit. Many Canon cameras use some of the screws in the camera case to serve as a means of detecting if the case is open (and thus disables the flash to prevent shock). Examine all the screws around the perimeter of your case. Are they all there and tight? If not, tighten loose screws and try moving and replacing any missing screws with one of the others that are still there.

It has faulty CCD chip. When nothing displays in camera mode but playback works ok, the image chip is bad. Repair should cost you arond $125-175. Check Canon's website and see if this model is serviced at free at Canon for CCD chip service advisory. Company updates service advisory list time and time. Good luck.

Defective CCD. Just happened with our A610 as well. Oddly enough just had our Canon ZR85 camcorder repaired about 1 month ago (for free) due to this same problem. Sounds like Canon isn't as forthcoming with the A610 tho. We called today and they said $100+ to repair or replace, but the following link seem to indicate that if you're persistent you can get them to fix for free. Now the battle begins ...

http://forums.cnet.com/5208-7593_102-0.html?forumID=58&threadID=243034&start=0

Water and electronics do not mix. It may not be fixable. :(

This blog post outlines repair procedures for stuck lens covers. An A400 is used as an example. But for the A610, you might want to extend your zoom all the way out before removing the camera's batteries. Note that the A610 has four shutter leaves instead of two, so pay particular attention how they're assembled if you remove the lens ring. Also you'll be applying the ring loosening rubbing alcohol around the barrel's perimeter instead of the front as shown in the procedures. One other thing, try not to get any alcohol on the lens itself:

http://camerarepair.blogspot.com/2007/11/repair-of-stuck-lens-covers.html

Good luck, and remember to do this only as a very last resort (try the other listed procedures first). Oh, and if you do decide to try the repair, please post how it went.

this one may help

http://www.fixya.com/support/t2166708-black_screen

I went to "System Restore" and selected an earlier date. It worked. Don't know what caused the problem.

I've never used a "program" to download my photos, and I've been able to download them on any computer whatsoever. Plug the mini-B into the camera, then plug the USB into your desktop while it is off. Turn the camera on with the switch in View mode. Turn your computer on. Go to Windows explorer or My Computer. Your camera should show up as if it were a data drive with an icon of a camera. Double click that icon and you can view photos at will. Right click any photo to save, or use pull down menus above to save multiple photos at once to other drives.

Depends on how old your water ingress problem is.

If it is a recent problem, half fill a bowl with rice place your camera in it and cover the entire phone is rice, bury it.

Rice is hygroscopic and will absorb moisture from the camera.

No guarantee that will work though. Corrosion doesn't need much convincing to get going.

i had a similar problem with a canon once, some cards have to be pushed in very hard, (not fast, just hard) it seems like it cant go, but push very hard and it should click in

Have you tried Canon customer support? If the camera is new[ish] you may get it fixed under warranty. A repair price will be high. You could just gently push it back. Or compose your picture to miss that side of the image

If the screen stays dark at all other times except during playback mode, then i have the same problem. Canon troubleshoot site said that it was a fixable problem if its what they think it is. Like 90 bucks just to look at it though. And if its not what they thought, there would be additional charges

My camera stopped working some time later after being dropped.
If you are brave (or desperate), try this... I found it was not too difficult to open the camera up. Take all the screws from the bottom, sides and under the card and usb, and inside the battery compartment. They are all different lengths so keep some record of what goes where. Then I made sure the multiway connector underneath the top was firmly in place. That was all I could see that I could fix myself. And what luck! when I put it back together it worked.

No luck so far. some idiot copied an pasted my posting as a solution. thats it so far. if ya figure it out let me know

I wouldn't recommend taking this camera apart unless you are quite skilled with electronic repair. Even then camera lens assemblies are somewhat of a specialty area. So I guess the answer to your question is yes they are difficult to repair. A good camera repair shop should be able to help you for around $70.

what is the operating system oy your computer?

There is a vertical position switch on these models. Probably needs to be replaced.