My Nikon Coolpix L12 camera goes through batteries very quickly. Like 20-30 minutes of taking pictures with no flash. Is there any way to fix this problem?

This is a serious problem with Coolpix cameras. If it is still under warranty then take it to a warranty repair facility for Nikon.
If it is not under warranty you could try removing the battery for a few minutes, put it back in and try the camera again. As a last resort before tossing the camera out.....CAUTION DOING THE FOLLOWING MAY RESULT IN PERMANENT DAMAGE TO YOUR CAMERA, DO THESE AT YOUR OWN RISK.... Other remedies that may work would be to gently tap on the sides of the camera to see if you lens may be stuck in a certain position. Or, you could gently and slightly twist the lens back and forth.... VERY GENTLY though. This may free up the lens and allow it to work.
I hope some of this works for you and good luck.

is the auto focus lens working properly?

No. The camera records, does not stream.

I actually just fooled around with mine because it was doing the same thing. It will only flash in the scene mode, but not the normal quickshot mode. i noticed under the camera symbol on the screen said BSS and i went into the menu and clicked on BSS and turned it off b/c it was on and that worked finally.maybe u can try it, if its the same situation.

can be fixed usually a lose ribbon cable. reasonable repair cost

Hi - You can download the manual by clicking the link underlined in blue below:

COOLPIX L12

See page 88



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Informatica

Hi,
I know some of the common things for the digital camera. I want you to try these.

-------->If the built-in flash does not function, then the camera may be set to Auto and will only flash when taking pictures in poorly illuminated environments.
-------->Set the camera to the Forced flash setting so it will flash regardless of the surrounding brightness.

IMPORTANT: If the Forced flash setting is already enabled and the flash is still not working, then the issue may be due to another camera setting. Even if the Forced flash setting is enabled, the flash will still not work in the following circumstances:

* When shooting MPEG movies
* When set to the Twilight mode
* If an external flash is connected


The information above should resolve your issue. However, if the issue still persists, you can try resetting the camera to factory specifications.
Some cameras have a RESET button built into them or a menu option to reset the camera to the default settings.
Refer to the instruction manual supplied with your camera for specific information regarding the availability of a RESET button or menu option to reset the default settings. Otherwise, continue with the manual reset procedure below.

1. Turn off the camera.
2. Ensure the camera is not connected to an AC power adapter.
3. Remove the battery from the camera for 15 seconds.
4. Reinsert the battery.
5. Turn on the camera.

If all the above fails you, then i doubt that Impact damage would have caused the flash not to work.
But i know you are not going to like this solution. No other way , you have to contact Nikon service centre for repair.

i hope this helps to fix your problem.
Thanx for using fixya.
Cheers.

Throw it in the bin!

after i take a picture on my nikon coolpix the screen goes black for about 30 seconds before you can take another picture.

I don't know if I have the very same problem with my old nikon Coolpix E44600. I may go through the pictures I have already taken but when I try to take a new one, just as I shoot I get the message the "battery exausted" message and the camera shut down.