20 Most Recent Canon PowerShot S3 IS Digital Camera - Page 9 Questions & Answers

Lens errors are fairly common. Usually it's sand or grit interfering with the lens extension mechanism. Or the camera's been dropped with the lens extended. Or the camera has been powered on, but the lens had been blocked preventing its extension. Or the battery ran down with the lens extended ... Unfortunately, many cameras that fall prey to this can only be corrected by professional repair. But, here are some things that you can do that may correct it. They only seem to work for less than 40% of the lens errors, but if the camera is out of warranty, they're worth a try.

It is possible that you have a faulty card. Sometimes if you very carefully wipe the contact area on the card with a rag soaked with little isopropyl alcohol, it will clean off oils that can get on their from your hands and make contact again. You can also try taking a CLEAN pencil eraser and GENTLY cleaning the same area if the wipe doesn't work. If it still doesn't work, see if you can find a friend with a similar camera or a card reader to try the card in, before you go buying another card. It could still be the camera.

Connect camera to usb and power on the camera. Usually it will show external memory card data without need for installing camera software. You can install camera software come up camera cd and get the full advantage.

Hello

The problem is that the lens has become stuck in the barrel. There are some DIY solutions you could try, but the probability is that you will have to get it fixed by a professional.

Use these at own risk as it may further damage the camera.

Firstly , try connecting your ac adapter or usb cable.

Try holding the shutter button while switching on the camera.

Look at the lens , and if some of the lens 'circles' is misaligned or not concentric then try wiggling it (while holding camera lens down).

Try gently pushing or pulling the lens when it extends but this is risky as it may cause the lens barrel to slip out of its guidance system.

Another way to do this is to place the camera lens down on a hard surface and then power it up. Be sure to use a soft cloth or something similar as to not scratch your lens or casing. Let the lens push the camera up and down a few times and sometimes the little resistance provided by the camera is enough to get things going again.

Try hitting your camera near the lens on the body with the soft tissue on the palm of your hand.

Other than that , I would take the camera to a repair centre for a evaluation to see if it would cost more to repair than to replace the camera.

If it is still under warranty I would suggest you take it in before trying any of these steps and remove any off-brand batteries or accessories as some stores are really fussy about warranty repairs on camera's with non-brand accessories.

You can also have a look at THIS link.

Hope the advise is useful. please do not hesitate to let me know if you need any further assistance. Also, please be so kind to let me know if you found this helpful.

Regards
Andrea

Look into the lense while setting the shutter speed at a half second or so (slow enough for you to see the shutter open and close) and click the shutter release... you should see the shutter open and close. If you don't see this, then you may have a 'sticky shutter' resulting from lubricant seeping into the shutter/aperature mechanism and preventing the shutter from functioning as it should.(Common problem reported with the S2 and S3 cameras... and probably the S1 as well)

I have gotten my S3IS to take pictures by turning on the power, then opening the battery compartment door and reclosing it repeatedly until the shutter opens (from the power surge) and an image appears on the LCD.

After confirming the sticky shutter was indeed the problem, I pursued a more permanent fix.

Hello

The problem is that the lens has become stuck in the barrel. There are some DIY solutions you could try, but the probability is that you will have to get it fixed by a professional.

Use these at own risk as it may further damage the camera.

Firstly , try connecting your ac adapter or usb cable.

Try holding the shutter button while switching on the camera.

Look at the lens , and if some of the lens 'circles' is misaligned or not concentric then try wiggling it (while holding camera lens down).

Try gently pushing or pulling the lens when it extends but this is risky as it may cause the lens barrel to slip out of its guidance system.

Another way to do this is to place the camera lens down on a hard surface and then power it up. Be sure to use a soft cloth or something similar as to not scratch your lens or casing. Let the lens push the camera up and down a few times and sometimes the little resistance provided by the camera is enough to get things going again.

Try hitting your camera near the lens on the body with the soft tissue on the palm of your hand.

Other than that , I would take the camera to a repair centre for a evaluation to see if it would cost more to repair than to replace the camera.

If it is still under warranty I would suggest you take it in before trying any of these steps and remove any off-brand batteries or accessories as some stores are really fussy about warranty repairs on camera's with non-brand accessories.

You can also have a look at THIS link.

Hope the advise is useful. please do not hesitate to let me know if you need any further assistance. Also, please be so kind to let me know if you found this helpful.

Regards
Andrea

Here right click on the link below and click save target as to save the complete PDF user manual
http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/9/0900001319/01/PSS3ISCUGad-EN.pdf

This problem is so common that there's a whole blog about it here:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Canon_Powershot_Memory_Card_Error_Fix

It seems that the camera gives this error when it has problems reading/writing the card. The fixes they suggest there are to do with cleaning the contacts. It's pretty easy to clean the contacts on the memory card, but much harder to clean the camera. I don't suggest following the instruction to spray cleaner into the slot... that sounds like a recipe for getting it all over the inside of the camera!

I would start by cleaning the memory card's contacts. You can either use a solvent such as Methyl Hydrate (US) (= Methylated Spirit (UK)) and a kitchen towel, or you can actually rub the contacts clean with an eraser (US) (= rubber (UK)). It's probably worth looking inside the camera too, to see if any of the contacts are obviously bent in the card slot. I've seen that in a Nintendo DS which is similar. If a contact is bent, nothing's going to work unless you can get it back in place.

Hello

The problem is that the lens has become stuck in the barrel. There are some DIY solutions you could try, but the probability is that you will have to get it fixed by a professional.

Use these at own risk as it may further damage the camera.

Firstly , try connecting your ac adapter or usb cable.

Try holding the shutter button while switching on the camera.

Look at the lens , and if some of the lens 'circles' is misaligned or not concentric then try wiggling it (while holding camera lens down).

Try gently pushing or pulling the lens when it extends but this is risky as it may cause the lens barrel to slip out of its guidance system.

Another way to do this is to place the camera lens down on a hard surface and then power it up. Be sure to use a soft cloth or something similar as to not scratch your lens or casing. Let the lens push the camera up and down a few times and sometimes the little resistance provided by the camera is enough to get things going again.

Try hitting your camera near the lens on the body with the soft tissue on the palm of your hand.

Other than that , I would take the camera to a repair centre for a evaluation to see if it would cost more to repair than to replace the camera.

If it is still under warranty I would suggest you take it in before trying any of these steps and remove any off-brand batteries or accessories as some stores are really fussy about warranty repairs on camera's with non-brand accessories.

You can also have a look at THIS link.

Hope the advise is useful. please do not hesitate to let me know if you need any further assistance. Also, please be so kind to let me know if you found this helpful.

Regards
Andrea

Hello

The problem is that the lens has become stuck in the barrel. There are some DIY solutions you could try, but the probability is that you will have to get it fixed by a professional.

Use these at own risk as it may further damage the camera.

Firstly , try connecting your ac adapter or usb cable.

Try holding the shutter button while switching on the camera.

Look at the lens , and if some of the lens 'circles' is misaligned or not concentric then try wiggling it (while holding camera lens down).

Try gently pushing or pulling the lens when it extends but this is risky as it may cause the lens barrel to slip out of its guidance system.

Another way to do this is to place the camera lens down on a hard surface and then power it up. Be sure to use a soft cloth or something similar as to not scratch your lens or casing. Let the lens push the camera up and down a few times and sometimes the little resistance provided by the camera is enough to get things going again.

Try hitting your camera near the lens on the body with the soft tissue on the palm of your hand.

Other than that , I would take the camera to a repair centre for a evaluation to see if it would cost more to repair than to replace the camera.

If it is still under warranty I would suggest you take it in before trying any of these steps and remove any off-brand batteries or accessories as some stores are really fussy about warranty repairs on camera's with non-brand accessories.

You can also have a look at THIS link.

Hope the advise is useful. please do not hesitate to let me know if you need any further assistance. Also, please be so kind to let me know if you found this helpful.

Regards
Andrea

Hello

The problem is that the lens has become stuck in the barrel. There are some DIY solutions you could try, but the probability is that you will have to get it fixed by a professional.

Use these at own risk as it may further damage the camera.

Firstly , try connecting your ac adapter or usb cable.

Try holding the shutter button while switching on the camera.

Look at the lens , and if some of the lens 'circles' is misaligned or not concentric then try wiggling it (while holding camera lens down).

Try gently pushing or pulling the lens when it extends but this is risky as it may cause the lens barrel to slip out of its guidance system.

Another way to do this is to place the camera lens down on a hard surface and then power it up. Be sure to use a soft cloth or something similar as to not scratch your lens or casing. Let the lens push the camera up and down a few times and sometimes the little resistance provided by the camera is enough to get things going again.

Try hitting your camera near the lens on the body with the soft tissue on the palm of your hand.

Other than that , I would take the camera to a repair centre for a evaluation to see if it would cost more to repair than to replace the camera.

If it is still under warranty I would suggest you take it in before trying any of these steps and remove any off-brand batteries or accessories as some stores are really fussy about warranty repairs on camera's with non-brand accessories.

You can also have a look at THIS link.

Hope the advise is useful. please do not hesitate to let me know if you need any further assistance. Also, please be so kind to let me know if you found this helpful.

Regards
Andrea

HI,
The only thing I can determine looking at the camera, is that it may possibly be in the "Macro" (closeup) mode, or the "Super Macro" mode (closeup meaning inches away from the object).
On page 40 of the User manual it instructs which button to push and what the symbol looks like in the viewfinder. On many cameras if they are in the macro mode, it limits your ability to zoom, out or in.
Here is a link to the manual in case you need it.
Hope this helps you.
Best Regards,
Mark

wss.com/gds/9/0900001319/01/PSS3ISCUGad-EN.pdf">http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/9/0900001319/01/PSS3ISCUGad-EN.pdf

If you have downloaded pictures from your card to the computer the memory card needs to be reformatted to the camera it is being used in. The camera and computer firmware and software are not compatible, you might get away without formatting the memory card a few times but eventually the performance suffers to the point the camera can no longer find clean space to write to. As a rule once you download pictures the card needs formatting.

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My name is Bruce

Hi, I'm going to give you a link to a basic user guide.

http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&source=hp&biw=1224&bih=834&q=canon+powershot+s3+is+pdf+manual&aq=0v&aqi=g-v1&aql=&oq=Canon+PowerShot+S3+IS+PDF+Manual&gs_rfai=&fp=6a0673dc5c3f3912

It's a small PDF file which has a diagram on the correct orientation of the SD card and batteries I think the actual owners manual is lacking in these diagrams.
I think though that you are attempting to install the memory card the incorrect way.

Also I'm going to include a great diagram for the SD card locking switch that if in the wrong position won't allow your to format a new card to the camera.
Diagram


This should solve your problem don't forget to format your card to teh camera before using.

There's a diopter adjustment dial just to the left of the viewfinder. Turn that while looking through the viewfinder until the focus grid and the info at the bottom of the screen come into focus.

A stuck shutter is another common failure mode for digital cameras. 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, sometimes with lines, 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 so, please see this link for further info and a simple fix that may help.

Lens errors are fairly common. Usually it's sand or grit interfering with the lens extension mechanism. Or the camera's been dropped with the lens extended. Or the camera has been powered on, but the lens had been blocked preventing its extension. Or the battery ran down with the lens extended ... Unfortunately, many cameras that fall prey to this can only be corrected by professional repair. But, here are some things that you can do that may correct it. They only seem to work for less than 40% of the lens errors, but if the camera is out of warranty, they're worth a try.

"Lens error, "Restart" camera", means to try turning the camera off and on to see if that corrects the problem. Unfortunately, it rarely does.
Lens errors are fairly common. Usually it's sand or grit interfering with the lens extension mechanism. Or the camera's been dropped with the lens extended. Or the camera has been powered on, but the lens had been blocked preventing its extension. Or the battery ran down with the lens extended ... Many cameras that fall prey to this can only be corrected by professional repair. But, here are some things that you can do that may correct it. They only seem to work for less than 40% of the lens errors, but if the camera is out of warranty, they're worth a try.

Lens errors are fairly common. Usually it's sand or grit interfering with the lens extension mechanism. Or the camera's been dropped with the lens extended. Or the camera has been powered on, but the lens had been blocked preventing its extension. Or the battery ran down with the lens extended ... Unfortunately, many cameras that fall prey to this can only be corrected by professional repair. But, here are some things that you can do that may correct it. They only seem to work for less than 40% of the lens errors, but if the camera is out of warranty, they're worth a try.