Lens cover Even when I slide the lens cover open as far as it will go, the camera lens does not extend and the camera still says "lens cover" closed.

It is either bent or has grit and dirt in between the slides. Try using canned compressed air, such as you use to clean a computer keyboard with, to blow air between the slides. If that does not work, even though you will have to be very careful, while the lens cover is closed put a single drop of WD40 on the cover and spread it with a Qtip over the entire cover surface. Holding the camera, front facing down, try turning it on and off several times. If that frees the lens cover, turn the camera off and wipe the surface of the closed lens cover with a soft tissue to clean the WD40 from the surface. Make sure then that your lens is clean before using the camera. If the lens cover is bent, then none of this will work.

Hi

Thanks for using FixYa. With the camera closed and off point it straight up (lens towards the ceiling) and hit the power button while holding down the shutter release. When the camera opened, it immediately tried to focus for the picture it was told to take, and apparently it forced the lens to move.
You can also try blowing compressed air around the lens cover to clean it. Now slide a thin strip of paper between the lens cover shutters and the outer support ring and move it around 360 degrees. This will clear the debris stuck there.

With the lens barrel extended and pointed downward, tap the lens barrel with a pencil while you extend and retract the lens by powering the camera on and off. Repeat these steps several times to resolve the issue.


Please do accept the solution if the issue is resolved or else revert for further assistance.


Thanks

Rylee

A stuck lens cover is a fairly common problem, but it is normally easy to fix. A single grain of sand jamming the cover mechanism is normally the culprit, and you want to try to dislodge it: 1) Try blowing lots of compressed air around the lens cover to clean the mechanism. Or use a hair dryer for a few seconds (don't want to heat up the camera). Use no heat mode if possible. 2) Slide a thin strip of paper between the lens cover shutters and the outer support ring. Work it around 360 degres to clear out any debris that may be in there. 3) With the lens barrel extended and pointed downward, tap the lens barrel with a pencil while you extend and retract the lens by powering the camera on and off. Repeat the above three steps several times. If repeated tries don't work (keeping in mind that it usually does), it then may be necessary to open the lens barrel to access the lens cover mechanism.

You can open the lens barrel up to fiix the covers, but only as a very last resort. The above procedures normally work if you try them enough. But for those particularly nasty stuck mechanisms, here's an example repair on a Canon Powershot A400 (do this at your own risk, and it will void your warranty).

A stuck lens cover is a fairly common problem, but it is normally easy to fix. A single grain of sand jamming the cover mechanism is normally the culprit, and you want to try to dislodge it: 1) Try blowing lots of compressed air around the lens cover to clean the mechanism. Or use a hair dryer for a few seconds (don't want to heat up the camera). Use no heat mode if possible. 2) Slide a thin strip of paper between the lens cover shutters and the outer support ring. Work it around 360 degres to clear out any debris that may be in there. 3) With the lens barrel extended and pointed downward, tap the lens barrel with a pencil while you extend and retract the lens by powering the camera on and off. Repeat the above three steps several times. If repeated tries don't work (keeping in mind that it usually does), it then may be necessary to open the lens barrel to access the lens cover mechanism.

You can open the lens barrel up to fiix the covers, but only as a very last resort. The above procedures normally work if you try them enough. But for those particularly nasty stuck mechanisms, here's an example repair on a Canon Powershot A400 (do this at your own risk, and it will void your warranty):

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

may need to replace the screws in the door or even tighten them up

I fixed this problem on my Fuji FinePix A303 (though it took some hard work).

The problem:
Camera Lens Cover stuck open or stuck closed.
Power on, and get !LENS COVER error.
Lens fails to extend.

The solution:
Short answer: The motor driving the lens cover is weak and eventually breaks down. I manually open the cover now. This took a manual modification to the camera (and some work).

1. Take the camera apart. See here for details, and be careful around the flash, as you'll get a nasty shock otherwise! http://www.mathematik.uni-marburg.de/~haim/focuserr.htm
2. Once you can see this, you're just about there:

3. Take off the battery cover (in the picture above).
4. Wrap a wire around the sliding pin for the lens cover, and drill 2 small holes through the black structure underneath the battery case, and then to the outside. The wire goes from the pin to the outside via the two holes. You should be able to manually open and close the camera cover COMPLETELY now with the wire.
5. Reassemble the camera (actually, you can test that it's working when it's all apart, if you're careful).
6. To operate the camera now, close the shutter first while off. Power on the camera, and very soon after open the shutter all the way by pulling on the wire (from step 4). This basically mimics the action of the little lens cover motor. If you timed it right (you have about a second margin), the lens should extend and everything functions perfectly.

It would have been nice to have been able to simply buy a new motor, but that would probably be a pain and cost some money.

Hope this helps!

Matt Van Dyken.
http://mattvd.googlepages.com

A stuck lens cover is a fairly common problem, but it is normally easy to fix. A single grain of sand jamming the cover mechanism is normally the culprit, and you want to try to dislodge it: 1) Try blowing lots of compressed air around the lens cover to clean the mechanism. Or use a hair dryer for a few seconds (don't want to heat up the camera). Use no heat mode if possible. 2) Slide a thin strip of paper between the lens cover shutters and the outer support ring. Work it around 360 degres to clear out any debris that may be in there. 3) With the lens barrel extended and pointed downward, tap the lens barrel with a pencil while you extend and retract the lens by powering the camera on and off. Repeat the above three steps several times. If repeated tries don't work (keeping in mind that it usually does), it then may be necessary to open the lens barrel to access the lens cover mechanism.

You can open the lens barrel up to fiix the covers, but only as a very last resort. The above procedures normally work if you try them enough. But for those particularly nasty stuck mechanisms, here's an example repair on a Canon Powershot A400 (do this at your own risk, and it will void your warranty):

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

tuen on camera then press display a few times. it sounds like the display is just turned off. the lens system should be open.

well the problem it´s on the switch that turns on the camera that is located under the lens cover.... this swith is glued to the front cover and lots of times gets unglued, u need to remove the lens cover by removing 2 screws on the bottom part of the lens cover, after that just pull the switch slowly and glue it. don´t use 3 seconds glue use a more viscose one. good luck

I know this is an old post, but for those who want to fix it themselves: try blowing lots of compressed air around the open lens shutter to clean the mechanism. Or use a hair dryer for a few seconds (don't want to heat up the camera). Also with the lens barrel extended and pointed downward, tap the lens barrel with a pencil while you extend and retract the lens by powering the camera on and off. A grain of sand in the mechanism is usually the culprit, and you want to try to dislodge it.

You can open it up, but only as a very last resort. The above procedures usually work if you try them enough. But for those particularly nasty stuck mechanisms, here's an example repair on a Canon Powershot A400 (do this at your own risk):

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