20 Most Recent Canon PowerShot A720 IS Digital Camera - Page 3 Questions & Answers

Couldn't find a firmware upgrade for my Canon PowerShot A720. Tried putting a piece of rubber under the spring on the lid to make it tighter and it helped because I can take more pictures before I get the dead battery message (even thought they aren't dead). I bought the Duracell that you can check the charge on because I'm sure I've wasted dozens of batteries by now.

Digital cameras are very demanding on batteries, for example if a new alkaline battery doesn't work long in a camera, the same battery will often work fine in other devices such as a flashlight. The newest high quality rechargchables work great.

Set the My Colors mode to "B/W". See the instructions in the "Shooting in My Colors Mode" section of the user guide (page 107 in my copy). If you need the user guide, you may download a copy from here.

Set the My Colors mode to "B/W". See the instructions in the "Shooting in My Colors Mode" section of the user guide (page 107 in my copy). If you need the user guide, you may download a copy from here.

See the "Shooting Close-ups (Macro)" section of the manual (page 65 in my copy). If you need a manual, you may download a copy from here.

See the "Shooting Close-ups (Macro)" section of the manual (page 65 in my copy).If you need a manual, you may download a copy from here.

Hi,

I had this on mine. If you pen the battery compartment door, you will see a piece of plastic labelled "CR1220". You can pull this out and replace the little CR1220 battery that it holds. That ought to solve your problem.

I think you immersed camera in water. This might have damaged corroded contact of LCD supply line and PCB.

You may order the part from here.

You may download the manual and more from Canon's A520 support site here.

Have you tried NOT connecting your camera to your computer?The best way to download pictures from your camera to your computer involves removing the memory card from the camera and plugging it into a card reader (either built-in to the computer or connected via USB or FireWire). This is likely to be faster than connecting the camera to the computer, and won't run down your camera's batteries.Once the card is plugged in, it will appear to your computer as a removable drive. You can use the operating system's drag&drop facility to copy pictures from the card to the computer's hard drive, the same way you copy any other files. Or you can use any photo cataloging program such as Picasa.As to why your USB connection isn't working, there are a lot of possibilities. You may not have the right driver. If you're going through a USB hub, you might try bypassing it and connecting directly. There could be something wrong with the cable. There could be something wrong with the computer's USB port. There could be something wrong with the camera's USB port.The main reason camera manufacturers include a USB port on their cameras is not so you can use it to transfer photos. They put it there because other manufacturers put one on, and so the marketing department insists they do so as well.

The best way to download pictures from your camera to your computer involves removing the memory card from the camera and plugging it into a card reader (either built-in to the computer or connected via USB or FireWire). This is likely to be faster than connecting the camera to the computer, and won't run down your camera's batteries.Once the card is plugged in, it will appear to your computer as a removable drive. You can use the operating system's drag&drop facility to copy pictures from the card to the computer's hard drive, the same way you copy any other files. Or you can use any photo cataloging program, such as Picasa.

SD and SDHC cards have a slide switch along one edge. The position farthest from the metal contacts locks the card, protecting it from writes. The position nearest the contacts unlocks the card.

You can download the software from the Canon Website:
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=183&modelid=15657
Choose the Drivers and Downloads tab and select your OS.

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

Fixing a Lens Error on a Digital Camera

This has to be THE most common failure mode for a digital camera. Some common error messages that might show up on the LCD's of cameras with this problem include "E18 lens error", or "lens error, restart camera". Some cameras might show nothing at all, but merely make a beeping noise as the lens goes out, then in, then the camera shuts off. Sometimes the lens won't even move.

The problem is actually quite common throughout all camera brands. 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. Believe it or not, one BIG contributor to lens errors is using a camera case. Sand, gunk, case fibers, etc... accumulate at the bottom of the case. These materials love to cling to the camera by electrostatic build-up from the camera rubbing against the side of the case (especially those cases with soft fibrous interiors). Once these materials work their way into the lens mechanism, that's all she wrote. I have many cameras, and NEVER use a case for this very reason.

A camera owner that suffers this problem may have no recourse for having the camera repaired. Many camera makers will not honor repairing this problem under warranty as they claim it is due to impact damage to the camera, or sand or debris getting into the lens gearing mechanism (neither of which is covered under warranty). The quoted repair cost is usually close to or more than what the camera is actually worth.

Fortunately, about half the cameras that suffer this failure can easily be fixed by one of the following methods. None of these methods involve opening the camera, although some have potential to cause other damage to the camera if excessively done. 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.

The methods are listed in the order of risk of damaging your camera. Thus make sure you try them in the listed order. And remember, these fixes (especially #6 and 7) should only be considered for a camera that's out of warranty, who's cost of repair would be excessive, and would otherwise be considered for disposal if unrepaired:

Fix #1: Remove the batteries from the camera, wait a few minutes. Put a fresh set of batteries back in (preferably rechargeable NiMH 2500mah or better) and turn the camera on. If that didn't work, try pressing and holding the Function or OK button while turning the camera on.

Fix #2: Remove the batteries, then remove the memory card. Then install new batteries, and turn on the camera. If you get an Error E30, it means you don't have a memory card installed, so turn it off, slip in the memory card and turn it on one last time.

Fix #3: Insert the cameras Audio/Video (AV) cable, and turn the camera on. Inserting this cable ensures that the camera's LCD screen remains off during the start process. Thus extra battery power is available to the camera's lens motor during startup. This extra power can be useful in overcoming grit or sand particles that may be jamming the lens. If the AV cable doesn't fix the lens error by itself, consider keeping this cable installed while trying fixes 4, 5, and 7 as a means to provide extra help to these fixes. But note that I DON'T recommend keeping the cable installed during Fix 6 as you may damage the AV port while tapping the camera. Reinsert the cable only AFTER tapping the camera.

Fix #4: 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.

Fix #5: 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).

Now we're entering into the realm of potentially damaging your camera in conducting the fix. There is definitely some risk here, so take care when conducting the following two fixes.

Fix #6: Repeatedly tap the padded/rubber usb cover on a hard surface with the intent of dislodging any particles that may be jamming the lens. Other variations include hitting a side of the camera against the palm of your hand. A lot of people have reported success with this method. HOWEVER, there is also some potential for damaging or dislodging internal components with this method, such as unseating ribbon cables, or cracking LCD screens.

Fix #7: Try forcing the lens. More people have reported success with this method than with any of the other methods. HOWEVER, there's obviously some potential for damaging your camera by using this method. Variations include gently pulling, rotating, and/or twisting the lens barrel while hitting the power button. Attempt to gently straighten or align the barrel if it's crooked or twisted. Another variation includes looking for uneven gaps around the lens barrel, and then pushing on the side of the lens barrel that has the largest gap (note pushing the lens barrel all the way in is NOT recommended as it may become stuck there). While doing any of the above, listen for a click that indicates that the lens barrel guide pins may have reseated in their guide slots. If you hear this click, immediately stop and try the camera.

You can download drivers for this camera from this link.

You will need to select your computer's operating system from the drop down box to get the list of drivers.

Hi,

Checkout this tip about digital camera error messages


Lens Errorfix for Digital Camera

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Connect the camera to a PC and download a few pictures. Or remove the SDcard and insert it in a USB card reader. If pics are black also it's a problem with the CCD chip and connected electronics.

If there's a clean picture it's a display problem. Display replacement is quite a micro mechanical feat - but can be done. Displays can be taken from dead camera's saving a few.