Canon A95 stopped working with lens open

Lin, I'm afraid you are right. The camera should work on 4 AA Alkaline or NiMH rechargeable batteries. They give about 1,5 V maximal. The Li iOn batteries, almost deliver 2 V each. 4 x 1,5 (6) or 4 x 2 (8) gives a difference of 2 V. that is almost 33% to much.
But before you panic, Please first check if the contacts in the camera are clean and shiny. You can clean them (if necessary) with a dry cloth or cotton swab. Don't use anything sharp in or close to a camera.
Then insert new alkaline or NiMH barrettes, as shown in the manual and switch it on.
If it still does not work, contact a Canon certified repair centre and tell them what you did with the batteries and ask them if the camera is worth repairing.
Success

Hi

Do you get a E18 in the bottom left on the camera screen before the Canon PowerShot A95 switches off?

If you do see this error code then the problem could be because dirt or sand has got into the lens mechanism.

Firstly you should contact your local Canon repair centre and Canon may fix it for free. If this fails you can try the suggestions below, but you do so AT YOUR OWN RISK as this could make the problem worse.

Make sure the batteries are new or if you are using rechargeable batteries they are fully charged.

a) Remove the batteries from the camera, and unplug any USB cable. Wait for 5 minutes, then put them back in and switch the camera on.

b) Try using compressed air with a fine tip. Use between the lens turret and the camera body and turn on the air while moving the tip around the lens. It should remove any dust or sand. Turn the camera on and see if operates correctly.

c) Another, slightly unusual method is to gently tap the padded USB cover part on a hard surface. Amazingly this does sometimes work.

d) Lastly, you can try and force the lens back into the camera. With the camera switched off place the camera on a surface with the lens facing up - look at the spacing between the lens and the lens housing. If it is not even all the way around the lens VERY VERY GENTLY press down the lens on the side where the gap is the biggest. Hopefully you should hear a reassuring "click" as it pops back into place. Try powering the camera back on.

If these suggestions do not work then you are looking at a professional repair.

David

Hello there,
The E18 error is related to the LENS not able to retract fully. If it is still under warranty, I would advise you bring it to the nearest service center. This is to avoid further damages. Otherwise, you can try a few things below.
There are a couple of things you can do.
1. Turn it on and then off. Spray canned air around the lens.
If trick 1 will not work out, try this.
2. Make sure the battery is fully charged. Turn on the camera and then give it a couple of firm whacks on the side. Make sure nothing is blocking the lens and wait for it to fully retract.
Let me know how it goes.

Sounds to me like your CCD was damaged. The CCD is the "chip" or "brain" of your camera, so to speak. The only way to fix this is to have the CCD replaced. But first you should find out about the cost, which may be similar to buying a new camera.

hello, here's a link to the user manual for your canon a95
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a95-review/index.shtml

If the lens is buzzing and followed by an "E18" or "lens error" message then the lens will need to be replaced. If no message appears you may just have flat batteries or even a single bad battery can cause this. Try getting some good quality disposable batteries specifically for digital cameras. If all is well with the new ones, invest in a new set of rechargeables.

Try to reset your camera using a command in the set up menu. An error message followed by turning itself off, usually means lens jam. Replace the lens.

That Was So helpfull i thought i had to buy a new camera until i tried that thank you so much

Defective mechanism, a stucked mechanism is present. camcorder are smart it can detects error and shuts down itself for safety. earlier models dominoes the defect if the user is not quick enough to react when something goes wrong with the camera. You need professional service to fix it.

I'd suspect a broken ribbon cable connector latch where the keypad matrix ribbon connects to the main board.