Camera lens in jammed?

Hello

The problem is that the lens has become stuck in the barrel after dropping it. 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 center 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.

Hope the advise is useful.

Regards
Andrea

According to Sony, storing the camera lens-down in a warm area for an extended period (a week) can help re-lubricate the retractor drive in cases like this.

This camera seems to have a predisposition to lens retraction problems. Try some gentle nudging, Even a small piece of debris can jam the mechanism, so it might just need a little push or pull.

Hi,

Is the lens totally stuck? Does it even move a little? Did you try to power cycle the camera?

Hi,

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. If the camera is still under warranty, before trying any of these, please please first contact your camera's maker to see if they'll cover the repair, or to determine how much they'll charge for the repair. Who knows, you might get lucky. But if they quote you a number that's higher than the value of your camera, you may want to consider the following methods.

Place the camera flat on its back on a table, pointed at the ceiling. Press and hold the shutter button down, and at the same time press the power-on button. The idea is that the camera will try to autofocus while the lens is extending, hopefully seating the lens barrel guide pins in their slots.
Blow compressed air in the gaps around the lens barrels with the idea of blowing out any sand or grit that may be in there jamming the lens. Other variations include blowing with a hair dryer in “no heat” setting, or sucking the gaps with a vacuum (careful with this one).

Thank you!

If the lens on the camera is stuck out, look to see if it's a little crooked. If it is, try to gently straighten it. If it still won't retract, try to gently push it in as you turn the power on.

Hi,

Are you able to gently move the lens?

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 ...

Here's some things that you can do to try to correct it. They only seem to work for less than 50% of the lens errors, but if the camera is out of warranty, they're worth a try:

http://camerarepair.blogspot.com/2007/12/fixing-lens-error-on-digital-camera.html

Some of these cameras that have a lens that extends use gears to extend the lens. The gears can strip or get clogged with fine debris and jam the lens. Usung good quality rechargable batteries NOT ALKALINE will usualy have the power to drive the lens.

Ask yourself, how many cycles do you have on the pack? could the pack be weak and not power the camera fully?

Have you tried pushing firmly in on the battery while you power it up? If the camera will not power on with the door open, try and fold a small trip of paper and sit it between the battery and the door. This might push in on the battery enough to better the connection and solve the issue.

If the battery is fine then you may have a lens problem. The lenses can be jammed easy, dropped or an impact when extended is all it takes.

Try the procedures in this tip.

I had this problem and managed to fix it. The camera was dropped on a stone floor and the zoom error was present every time it was turned on. A ring or other piece of the lens was bent or damaged, in my non professional opinion. A profesional repair is my advice. However you may try my fix at YOUR OWN RISK.

Switch camera on, when zoom extends, but before it closes down due to zoom error, gently but firmly push lens back in. Drop batteries for camera to reset itself. Repeat, if necessary.

My camera now operates fully and when the lens extends it now no longer makes the slight grinding noise.

Good luck and remember at your own risk.