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I have a cannon PowerShot SX100 IS, purchased in June of 2008. I never even started using this camera until I had it for about 4 months and it worked fine for about the first 8 or 9 months. One day while out taking pictures of the family, I took the camera out and bingo! I get the "lens error, restart camera". Like most everyone else on this forum, the warranty was up and to ship the camera to Cannon for repairs would have run over $150. I had the camera sitting on a shelf for several months contempating writing Cannon a very nasty letter of the quality of their cameras when I decided to do a little web research on other modes of getting the camera repaired for a reasonable rate at least. I was surprised when reading that so many people have had the same problems with Cannon cameras. I have a Fuji Finepix camera that is at least 10 years old and has been dropped numerous times, yet still works perfectly. After reading the stories of people turing on the power button and tapping the camera with success, I decided to give it a try. The solution for me was to hit the power button and firmly tap around the lens housing in a circular motion. It took a few try's to get the lens to open, but each time I did the power button and tap, the lens would open more and more. Eventually the lens fully retracked and the camera is now working fine. So it would seem that something got jammed into the lens mechanism. I am amazed that Cannon is not offering more support since this problem plagues so many of their camera systems. You would think that they would change the contruction of their cameras since this problem is quite obviously a manufacturers defect. I wouldn't be surprised that all the people that send in their cameras to Cannon for expensive repairs, Cannon workers probably just tap the cameras and mail them back to the owners. Sounds like a nice money making scheme to me. Two things have come out of this experience for me. The first is that this website is an excellent resource and it saved me several hundred dollars in needless repair costs. Second, Cannon cameras are in my opinion inferior quality and I will never purchase or recommend another Cannon product. Thank you www.e18error.com, best of luck to Cannon camera owners, hopefully this website solves your camera problem. Please don't buy Cannon products ever again!
As everyone know, this problem really does suck when it happens. I have an SD900 that's doing this and I had an older camera that did this error years back. The two places that I know are good for help with these are www.camerasandparts.com or www.mcvr.com I'm furious because I needed my camera for this weekend trip. Oh well, that's life I guess.
I have had the Powershot S2IS for about four years. Everything has been great except today while taking pictures on my vacation to Germany, I got the E18. I didn't drop it or anything, it was totally random.
My Powershot A400 was disabled over the holiday season. Its been very reliable for over 2 years and tho its hardly state of the art now, i knew it as my own and saw no need to upgrade. A friend used it a week before Christmas to take a shot of me and her son. She pouched the camera without shutting it down and it was then dropped. I knew nothing of errors in it and found this site. Its working again thru a combination of tapping the real lower edge on a hard surface, GENTLY prying the lens barrel with a small, fine tipped screwdriver and new power cells. Lesson learned: always recover your cam right away when used by someone else to be sure it is shut down properly..
Hello!
So I have the IXUS 500, i was using it the other night and when a friend borrowed it, they opened the battery compartment and battery fell out with lens extended. After this i was getting the E18 message.
I read your instructions and to me it looked like the camera lens wasnt extending as far as it should have before so i switched the camera on, waited for it to extend as far as it would and pulled it a bit farther. The whole lens snapped back into place and now my camera is back in perfect working order!! Best day ever!!
THANK U SO MUCH FOR THE TIPS I GOT E18 MESSAGE & WITH YOUR HELP WAS ABLE TO FIX IT -HAPPY NEW YEAR
I JUST PUSHED GENTLY ON LENS IT SNAPPED BACK INTO PLACE WORKED 4 US
Malditas camaras
1º mensaje del año ^^
Yup. Happened to us New Years Eve. Sucks, but hopefully will be fixed.
I have a Canon Powershot S2IS camera for last 4 years now but recently it has started giving me E18 error. This error comes only when I am trying use to the zoom feature. The camera beeps a few times and then turns power off.
I have a Canon SD870IS and it just got a lens error for no reason. On New Years Eve too, I am so dissapointed. I tried doing the things here but none of them fixed mine, the front of my lens looks like it turned a little bit and I didn't even drop it. I'll end up having to get it fixed because I really like my camera. New Years with no pictures now, I'll have to borrow a camera because of this.
I have had my SD500 for 3 and a half years and everything worked great until Oct. when I got this notorious e18 error. It was actually awkward at that time since it happened during my vacation. It ended up that I bought a one-time shot camera and took 27 pictures only. (: When I got back from the vacation, I googled it and found this website. Quite a few people recommended CamerasAndParts.com, and I thought I’d give it a try. Honestly, I was a little bit worried about it since there were few negative comments somewhere else on the Internet. So I contacted the company and had a few emails back and forth with Christina at the customer service department. The impression I had with Christina was great, so I placed my order and sent out my camera on 12/1 and it was delivered to CamerasAndParts.com on 12/3. About a week later, it was shipped back to me on 12/15 and I got it before Christmas. It's like brand new and works great. As a matter of fact, the lens was replaced with a brand new one. It's a fabulous Christmas gift to me. During my experience with them, I worked with Christina at the customer service department and especially a service manager named Mike. Mike helped tremendously and followed up with me several times to make sure I can have the camera back for my Christmas use. I know it's hard to believe any online vendors these days especially when you send in your camera and money for a repair service. CamerasAndParts.com did a fantastic job for my case and I highly recommended the company to anyone.
E18-I have used this great camera for 4 years without a problem. Indoors, outdoors, well below freezing and super hot climates, never a problem. Then one day it failed to extend the lens, after another try it worked great, the a few more E18's, and not it will not extend at all, a few minor lens movements then E18. Seems like a like a gear failure in it's little transmission. Just bought a new Canon SX20, Hope I get better milage on this one.
Standing on the Perito Moreno glacier in Argentina and suddenly E18 on my powershot s70! I had the same problem several times during the years, but this time I coudn't fix it anymore. You can imagine my frustration!
I'm from Hawaii and brought my S1IS on a visit to Chicago in December. While there I had my first E18 experience. It seemed to be related to the cold because it happened several times while I was shooting outdoors but would always (so far,knock on wood, I'm posting from Chicago) clear after a while indoors warming up. I guess the cold somehow affects the lens motor. Just adding another bit of data to the collective knowledge base.
Hi Miriam. I read your posting with the situation, you're not alone as it happens to a lot of us and yes it's an awful feeling when it happens. Go to: www.CamerasAndParts.com to get it fixed and serviced. They're hands down the best for help with these Canons. If you look at their Complete Service Deals, that's what you'd want, just get the one for a lens error and pick your model. There are a few other good places to fix it but for a Canon, that one is excellent. While I'm here, does anyone know where I can get an underwater case for a powershot for not too much, the original Canon Housing is way too much. If anyone knows of a good aftermarket brand, please share your knowledge, thank you
My Canon PowerShot SD1100 beeps 4 times then displays "lense error, restart camera". Then it went dead. The lense cannot retract back. It just out of warranty. What do I do now? HELP!
My Canon Powershot SD1200 broke over the holidays, it got dropped and the lens error is now there. A piece fell off the front part of the lens and it doesn't look like an easy thing I can put back on or even fix the stuck lens problem. I've been devastated as I just bought the camera and I really loved it. Can anyone recommend a good place to fix this? I would so much appreciate any advice. Thank you
In the middle of a photo session, my Canon PowerShot S60 jammed in the open position. Recharging the battery had no effect. The camera played its little arpeggio, then beeped six times, then displayed E18 and nothing else. Visiting Canon's troubleshooting webpage was no help at all. Finally, entering E18 as a Google search term brought me here. I tried steps 1 and 2, to no avail, but when I tapped the USB port on my desk, suddenly the camera was responsive once more. When--if--Canon responds tomorrow to my e-mail request, I shall tell them that you good folks fixed what their website should have but did not.
My G9 showed 'Lens Error, restart camera'. It would not restart. I fixed this with some fairly robust pushing and pulling of the lens until I was able to push it closed and the cover slid over. On restart it worked fine.
I have a Canon Powershot A95 and the E18 message appeared while I was taking photos. I tried several of your suggestions without any luck and then decided to try tapping the soft covered USB port on the counter. To my surprise it worked! Thanks for your help.
I have a Canon G7 that I had a lens error message on. I tried the tips and nothing worked for me. I wound up using www.camerasandparts.com to service and repair the camera. I received it back last week just in time for Christmas. It came back wonderful, they did an excellent job. The bad news is that yesterday on Christmas Day it got knocked off the table and landed right on the lens, the front of the lens dented and it says lens error again, ahhhhhh, I was so mad! My question is do you think their warranty will cover this or they'd make me pay again. I literally only had the camera for a couple of days before the accident happened, I know it's not their fault but I'm wondering if they may cover it. Any thoughts on this, they have great Customer Service so I'm hoping they'll cut me a break. Any thoughts?
Thanks so much. I pressed on the lens and wiggled it until it popped back into the correct track and now it is working again.
Really appreciate the advice.
E18 message on Canon Ixus. Wiggled lens back into place and now works fine. Brilliant thanks. Will teach my children to respect equipment!
Power Shot A70, E18 message after owning and using since March 2003 (paid over $400).
Read website hints, used air compressor - no help. Then rap to desk on usb port cover once and it worked. Thanks.
I have a Cannon SD960 S power shot camera, an eror appear that says lens error.
I tapped the camera a couple of times to the side and the camera started working again
Having just recharged the batteries for Christmas I found the E18 message and all the beeping and clicking symptoms people describe.
Some sharp taps on the hand of the USB port end while the lens was opening seem to have fixed it.
Thanks so much to all who shared this amazing remedy!
the lens is stuck in the "retracted" form on my sd200
We have two canon ixus cameras which both gave the e18 error signal within one week of each other. ?programmed obselescence?
I had an E18 error on my SD550. I tried the tips on this site and I ended up damaging something with my focus, not sure if I hit it too hard or what happened. I ended up sending it to www.camerasandparts.com and it just came back. Wow, my Canon is like new again :) What a deal that site has for help with these and they really know these Canon's well. If you try doing it yourself, don't hit it too hard as I got my lens to move but it messed up my focus. My camera's great again, I'm taking care of it now.
My lens was stuck just a little ways from fully retracted. It wouldn't go in or out. I tapped the camera firmly on the side, IT'S FIXED
This was really usefull. I own a Canon Digital IXUS 60. I knew there was grit in the lens from the sounds it was making before it stopped working alltogther. I simply baged it on the desk a few time on the USB cover side and its now works. Im off out to buy some compressed air to get the grit out totally. thanks
Totally wacked the lens and then pulled the lens out while turning the camera on and it worked! It sounded like I was breaking it further, but I didn't and it worked! Now it is time for xmas pics!
I have a Canon Powershot SD550. It is about 5/6 years old. Never a problem until today. The E18 message appeared. Could look at pictures but not open the lens. As per the awesome instuctions in this site, I "violently" and lovingly, of course, beat the lens on my camera and after about 15 tries, it opened and is fine! Phew....thank you fellow E18 peeps!
Thank you so much for the help. I totally fixed my camera thanks to your tips. I take really great care of my camera and was told it would cost me approximately $100 to fix as well as shipping and handling. Now I'm saving that money thanks to you. I needed it just 4 days before Christmas. Now I can take photos of my family when I'm home. Thanks again!!!
i have been using my Ixus 40 for four years. I never had such problem. Today I wanted to take some photos in the cold, when I got that e18 error. First I thought it is caused by the extreme cold, but thanks to this page, I am going to visit the "how to solve the problem" page.
I came to this site before because I have an SD870 Canon camera that had this lens error restart camera message on the screen. The lens looked stuck and actually twisted though I'm not really sure how it even happened. I ended up using camerasandparts.com for this. I just received it back yesterday and it came back amazing, it is totally perfect again and cleaned and serviced and all. That's a good place if you have one of these lens error problems.
We've owned a Canon S45 for about 6 years. It's never given us a problem, that I can recall. Last night, it started displaying the E18 error and the lens cover would not shut. I was fearful that we were going to finally have to retire our trusty point and shoot. Thankfully I found this site and was able to use fix our camera. In our case, I was able to tap the camera by it's UBS padded cover on and end table and now the error is remedied, at least for now. I'm very happy that it was this simple Thanks for your help!
I had Lens error message on my Canon G9 and I have sent for repair as it was still under the warranty and when they sent the camera back claiming that camera been fixed I switched on and still was Lense error...
I think its all in luck, damn Canon
Now I'm sending for repair again..
For a lens error problem, I'd have it serviced so I know it's working right. Try either CamerasAndParts.com or RoyalCamera.com or AdvanceCamera.com I know from some friends that all three of those sites are excellent. I've never actually used any of them but as a semi-pro photographer I talk to many friends and others in the forums and those three seem to be on top. Hopefully that will help, I wish everybody luck with this lens error hassle, I have an older camera that just started having this error.
I just "fixed" a Cannon A80 E18 by removing the ring around the lens, blowing on the lens and replacing the ring,
I have one of the original Digital IXUS cameras. A few days ago, camera started giving the E18 error after years of faultless performance. Camera would only boot up if I pressed ON button for 12 seconds or so. Lens would then extend but LCD screen stayed blank. After another 12-15 seconds camera would simply switch OFF, retracting the lens & showing "E18" at bottom left of LCD.
After some fiddling around I ended up swapping the compact flash card (32Mb) for the original 8Mb card which came with camera. Problem instantly went away. I found any other CF card would work perfectly, but camera refused to work with this 32Mb card, even after formatting.
Maybe a problem with number of writes to CF card? However pc and card-reader can still read/write to card perfectly.
I had E18 error and the lens was always left half out...
I did the twisting of the inner lense with some pressure when turning the camera on and EVENTUALLY it did the trick after hearing the click of the lense getting back into place.. I gave the side of the lense a blow too to clear the dust. Thanks! (However, the opening is a little unsmooth now but oh well! It's on it's last legs it seems)
Thank you to whoever suggested twisting the inner lens while powering on. My lens was stuck out with the same error message everyone else has. Took some muscle but worked!
Have an SX100IS, just out of warranty and has already been repaired twice under warranty. Just tried all of the suggestions here and got it working by getting my fingernail in behind the lens as I powered the camera on and helping to pull the lens forward. The lens then extended as normal and is working fine now.
The lens error has happened in the past with the camera in my pocket and in its case.
Hi Ernesto. About that vpatlanta place having your camera and sending it back still broken because you rushed them, I think that's crazy. They had it over two months and basically did nothing and then to give you that story is unacceptable. I'd be mad for sure. I need to get an S3IS repaired with an E18 error, do you know of any other place. I want it back as soon as possible but I'm aware it will take some time. There are some comments of people that used another shop and since it's been there for a few weeks, they freak out. I guess people think that when their camera arrives, the place stops everything and starts working on their camera right then and there. Some people are ridiculous and obviously have too much time on their hands. I found a site called UnitedCamera that looked pretty decent, I'm wondering if anyone here has dealt with them before? Please share you're experience if you have or if you can recommend another shop that's good. I'd like to get it off soon as I need it for an event on January 31st if possible. I'm thinking I still have enough time but I'm guessing Christmas will slow it down. A recommendation would be greatly appreciated.
Eva, I sent my camera to a place called www.vphotoatlanta.com and they had my SD700 Canon for over two months until I demanded it back. I got it back unrepaired and they didn't even return my money. They said I told them to return it back but they don't refund. Supposedly I was rushing them so they kept my money and said when I have more time to send it back and they'll fix it. I wouldn't do business there again ever.
After 4-5 years the E18 appeared, we've done nothing to harm the device. I just put it down on the desk to do something else. When I picked it up to start taking photos again, the E18 came up.
Grateful for the site being here as a guide.
As yet not fixed
I sent a camera to royalcameras.com for repair. Nine weeks have past and it's still not received back. They say it will be done soon but I keep hearing the same thing. Anyone here deal with them? If so, how long did it take. It's a powershot sd1000 if that makes any difference. Thank you for any help.
I saw that posting about camerasandparts.com camera repair site. I just came on here to share an experience I just had with them, my experience was actually excellent. My sons G7 powershot camera got dropped and it made the lens error problem come up. We used them and the camera came back really quick. I'd say it may have been with them for a week, maybe a day or two over. In my opinion that was good for a turnaround. Maybe I got lucky, I expected it to take longer but they were very quick for us. I'm sure problems come up from time to time but if I had another problem, I'd for sure go back to them based on how it worked out for me.
Check this out:
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-7593_102-0.html?threadID=363878
I had the E18 message for the first time today on my PowerShot SD550; after finding nothing at all in the camera user guide I Googled E18 and immediately came up with this site..... first remedy I used worked, gently tapping the USB cover on a hard surface a few times. A very useful site, I was prepared to go out and buy a new camera is mine is out of warrenty and I didn't want to hassle with lengthy and expensive repairs.
Hi, Bukie, I too used camerasandparts.com recently. I haven't got my camera back either after a few weeks. So I have the same concen as yours.
Hi, Burke, I too used camerasandparts.com recently. I haven't got my camera back either after a few weeks. So I have the same concen as yours.
I had a lens error message code on my SD1000. I sent it to www.camerasandparts.com and it worked out perfect. I just got it back fast and like new. If anyone needs help, they are great for these lens error problems.
My Powershot A460 has developed this error. The lens won't extend - there's no noise or grinding as others have described. I've tried all the fixes I've found but nothing has worked so far.
I have just fixed the E18 error on my Powershot A610. The problem with my camera was that the lens got stuck halfway out when switching the camera off. No amount of banging or coercing the lens in the camera would fix it, so I had to carefully take it apart! Now there are lots of little screws that hold the various facia's of the camera on, and suffice to say it took me an hour just to figure out how to expose the guts of the machine. But after my ingenious fix,(which i'll get to) I realised that you don't actually need to take all of the whole damn thing apart! What you need only to get to is the contacts on the base of the lens motor. The motor is situated on the right-hand side of the camera (when pointed at you) next to the lens body. Don't get confused with the flash capacitor which is situated on the right top of the camera (next to the flash bulb) I accidently touched the contacts of the capacitor with my screwdriver and got a BIG SHOCK! (but it didn't hurt it)
So if you've located the little lens motor on the right-hand side of the camera, all you then need is a 3 volt dc power source like a transformer, and poke carefully the positive and negative ends of the 3 volt transformer on to the contacts on the bottom of the lens motor and hold for a few seconds while the lens moves either fully out or fully in. Once its done this the camera should have cleared itself of whatever was jamming it.
This fix worked for me, but do so at your own risk, and a certain level of electrical repair competancy is required to be able to pull this off. But hey, if you're only going to bin it in any case it can't hurt to give it a go!
Oh, and once the lens motor has been freed you need to carefully re-assemble the camera, making sure all the screws go back where they belong.
Have fun! I didn't, the stress and the shock nearly killed me! BUT MY CAMERA LIVES ANOTHER DAY!
I have a Canon Powershot A80 which had an E18 error. Thanks to the information from users on this site, the camera is now working after giving it a good hard whack with the palm of my hand on USB side. I haven't been careful with the camera and it's been dropped and has probably gotten dirty, so it may not be completely fixed, but at least it takes photos now.
My Canon Powershot A95 worked great for about 3 years. For brief glimpses of time, I can still coax the camera to work but it is gradually, slowly dieing.
My E18 error is a little different from the descriptions I've been reading. Yes, when I turn the power on, the lens extends, there are several beeps, the lens attempts to retract, there is a clicking noise for several seconds, the E18 error shows on screen and the camera shuts down. On my Canon, the additional symptom is that the screen sometimes shows static before the camera shuts down. Often, the camera remains on and shoots pictures distorted by static. The distortions vary in intensity. The camera does sometimes recover as if it needed to warm up.
The best way to explain the degraded photo quality is to show some examples.
Light picture distortion:
http://nosepilot.com/PowerShotA95/Canon_E18error.JPG
Heavy picture distortion:
http://nosepilot.com/PowerShotA95/E18error_CanonPowerShotA95.JPG
Really pretty picture distortion:
http://nosepilot.com/PowerShotA95/CanonE18StaticImageDistortion.JPG
Over the last several months, the condition has been slowly getting worse.
It used to be that the camera would work properly in the manual or program setting of black and white.
I used to be able to warm up the camera by taking about 20 distorted photographs. Today I took over 100 photographs degraded by static. The camera recovered for about 5 photographs. It shot about 25 more degraded pictures then recovered for the last 40.
The Kodak I bought as replacement has it's own issues after several months of use. This must be the new way things work. Cameras can no longer be expected to work decades. They can no longer be expected to perform reliably.
I own the A 80 Powershot since years and are more or less happy with it. I was in Egypt last week when all of a sudden I got the E 18 error message. It was not in connection with sand or dirt but I was in a room this moment.
Got the E18 today on my S2 IS. Lens is stuck out and it makes a bunch of clicking sounds when I try to turn it on. After a few seconds, the clicking stops and the E18 appears. Not a big fan...and not sure what to do yet.
Just wanted to say how much I appreciate this site. I looked at the E18 Repair section and tapped my A80's USB covered part on my desk and to my surprise - it's ALL BETTER!!
Thanks much
Just encountered an E18 error. Has all of the "classic" symptoms. Just wanted to add mine.
Bukie, don't feel bad. I sent a camera to a place called cameraservicepro.com and they had it for over two months and it came back with a different problem, now they don't even want to back it up. I don't know that site you used for yours but it's probably a normal time frame for a repair, even more so since we're in the holiday time.
I have a Canon SD900 Digital that has this lens error. I can't believe how many others are going through this. Shame on Canon for not helping us with this problem. I tried the tips on this site but they did not work on mine. I guess I have a $500.00 paperweight if I can't get it repaired at a reasonable price. Good luck to everyone, this is very upsetting as I loved my camera :(
Hi Bukie. I too used www.camerasandparts.com for my Canon. Mine is an SD850IS that they fixed a lens error on. Mine got held for parts but it was only with them for under two weeks even with the hold for the parts. All in all, they did an amazing job, the camera came back like new. I had a friend who also used them for a power problem on another model, his was a bigger sized camera but I don't know the model of it. They only had his for a couple of days, he was shocked at how fast his came back. I'd say a few weeks is normal considering the fact that they're not only repairing it but they're doing all of the services on the camera too. I've heard stories that some shops can take months, I think camerasandparts.com is the best by far for these Canons. When you get it back, you'll be happy with their work, I would call them perfectionists on these Canons. As far as price with all of the services you get there and the warranty too, I think they're still the best deal by a mile. I'd definately use them again if I had another problem. If you ask for Andy, he's a Manager I spoke to and he can probably help speed it up. Best of luck, I'm sure you'll be happy in the end.
I've just tried switching on my new S90 and got "Lens error, restart camera" message. The camera is a little over a month old and I keep in my trouser pocket inside of the protective cover it was shipped in.
I sent my Canon G9 to CamerasAndParts.com to get a lens error repaired. They have had my camera for 4 weeks now. If you've ever used this company, how soon did they get it back to you? This seems to be a common problem and they are saying it's on hold for parts. I'm starting to think I'm getting ripped off. Has anyone had the same experience?
This message is a bit windy... I hope it helps someone. I have a PowerShot A95 (about 4-5 years). About 6 months ago there was a battery leakage problem (it corroded the battery contacts preventing the camera from powering up). I tried to scrape the contacts inside with a jewelers screwdriver to no avail). I bought a new camera. Last night I decided to try resurrecting the beast one more time. I partially dismantled the camera (eleven screws and some prying, pay attention to screw locations and length of each screw, write it down). I was able to pull the contacts (the bottom ones) out of the camera to clean and scrape the corrosion off. I then reassembled the camera. It powers up now! Unfortunately it displayed the E18 error code. I turned it on, the lens would come out a for few seconds, retract then E18 message, and turn off. I did this a few times and watched the lens barrel. The second ring would rotate counter clockwise as it was extending. So, as I turned on the camera I grabbed hold of the second ring and helped it turn ccw when extending, and clockwise when retracting. I did this a few times. Fin ally the lens clicked slightly and turned a few degrees more CCW. After this procedure the E18 error message went away and the camera works like it is supposed to, no more problems.
I purchased a Canon PowerShot A620 about 4 years ago. Up until about 2 months ago, the camera was working great. Then it started going through batteries like crazy. The next thing that happened was difficulty turning the camera on/off. The last problem before the camera died was I turned it on, heard a grating sound and the lens stuck open. MInd you, I have taken excellent care of this camera. Never dropped it, never exposed it to bad weather. I never got the "E18" error. It just quit working. To return it to Canon and have it repaired was going to cost $188 - half of what I paid for it. I tried all the recommendations to fix it. It is now sitting on my desk, in a pile. I'm so hopping mad at Canon right now. I will NEVER, EVER buy another Canon camera. The trust that I had for the company is gone.
Canon PowerShot SX110. Kept getting Lens Error. Tried taking a sharp knife and prying the lens loose. Eventually whacking it on the kitchen counter on the side where the USB cable inserts dislodged the stuck lens. It seems to be working fine now. I was prepared to ruin the camera when I whacked it. You have to hit it pretty hard.
Thanks so this site my cannon power shot a95 is working again. I did the hard tapping and imagine my surprise when it started to work again. I feel so cheated by cannon. I should of done my research prior to buying. Of course not exaggerating my camera started acting up within weeks of my extended warranty ending!
MY A470 HAS NOT BEING WORKIN FOR ABOUT A MONTH OR TWO, AND I KEEP GETTING THE LENS ERROR, RESTART CAMERA AND MY CAMERA DO NOT CONTAIN A RESTART BUTTONANY SUGGESTONS PLEASE?
I have an SD1200 and I had the problem with the lens error message. I tried smacking it and doing all of the remedies listed, no luck on mine. I used www.camerasandparts.com and they were great. I just got my Canon back and I'm happy to report it's just like new again. They serviced the whole camera and for everything included with the parts and shipping was $79. If anyone needs a hand with one of these errors, try that site. They just deal with powershot's and they are wonderful at that. I primarily spoke with Alex there but they all seemed to have excellent knowledge of these. Another good site I used in the past was united camera repair or something like that. They fixed a Nikon for me a while back but the better experience was definately camerasandparts.com I hope everyone gets through this problem, it was a real annoyance but I am very happy with it again. lots of luck :)
Fixed mine yesterday by smacking it against my dresser, lens side down. It had been broken for over a month and I got fed up with it - now it's working fine.
I got the freakin error message and now my lens is stuck out. I cant take any pics. This is horrible.
As I was reading posts about the E18 error, I was getting very discouraged... Then I came across the post which suggested to tap the camera on the counter. I kinda thought this was a joke, but I did it anyways, and I am still in shock, IT WORKS! Thank you so much for posting. I hope it helps others!
i have a power shot A1000IS.
i tried to push the lens inwards and it worked. but, when i tried to turn the camera on,the lens won't come out. and the camera says " lens error,restart camera". until then, i can't see any pictures in the camera.. i pressed all the buttons in the camera, but it couldn't work..Any help??
I smashed my powershot a70 on my desk and it totally worked! Who knew?
È ó ìåíÿ æ*ïà E18 ñ ixus 70 =/ Ïðîáóåì-ñ ÷èíèòü, ïðîáóåì-ñ...
I tried all of the options until I turned it on and twisted the larger lense at the same time and the problem was fixed. Thank you so much!
I have Canon PowerShot SX100 IS and the same error and nothing help. My lenss is inside. No drops or anything like this was happen! Sounds (from inside of lens) like something come out or gets lusse. Im thinking that my last help will be skrewdriver and i'll see what's going on inside.
After going sandboarding my Canon Powershot A40 would not turn on, and gave an E18 message.
I googled it, found this website, then tried the method of banging the camera on the rubber USB cover on the table gently a few times after pressing the on button. It made a slight grinding sound and gitteringly opened. Thanks!
I dropped my SD870 and broke the lens. From what I've been reading, this seems to be fixable. Can anyone tell me the best place to get this fixed. I called Canon and they seem much to expensive. Any advise? thanks
I bought Cannon's IXUS750 camera in Nov. 2006. It suffered E18 error in Dec. 2007, just out of the Warranty period!
I bagged it for more than two years. Last week, i took it to Cannon's official service shopi in Guangzhou,China. The workor's told me it would cost me at least 200RMB for solving the E18 error. I had leave the camera there and been waiting for the result.
OMG! I am soooo glad that I looked up help for the E18 error that I had on my Canon Powershot S30 camera and found this site. After reading other tricks that people have tried the gently whack with the hand on the side of the camera made my camera lens retract just fine and the camera work great again! This info is priceless. It saved me from throwing out the camera and going to buy a new one! Thank you thank you.
Hi Joe. I took your recommendation and just signed up for a repair service at www.camerasandparts.com I spoke to Shannon there earlier today and they really seem to know their stuff. I'm sending them a Powershot G9 that first had a lens error, restart camera error message. My husband was trying to fix the lens problem and now it has no power as it won't turn on. I've never dealt with them so hopefully they're as good as I've heard. After speaking with them today, I felt so confident it will be perfect. Thanks for the feedback Joe, by the way what kind of camera did you send them?
I went to Utah 11-13-09 on the way we stopped in Las Vegas. I had one too many drinks and dropped the camera from the table to the ground while it was on. I tried to turn it off and it went off but the lens wouldn't retract. I could view our pictures but I could not take any, even video. I get home and find this website. It was very helpful. I charged the battery, put the camera lens up on the desk, put a book on top turned it on and pushed down ever so lightly and it went down. I turned it off. Turned it on and it worked perfectly. Only issue i have now is that the lense cover is bent a little from where is hit the ground. Now when i turn it off it wont go completely flush because it gets caught on that cover. But i can run my finger nail around it and it will seat perfectly. Thank you for the info. I am way out of warranty and did not want to take it apart, upgrade, or have money to send it in/
...sorry the correct website is camerasandparts.com.
SOoooo happy I found cameraandparts.com. I am an amatuer photographer that recently became a victim of this dreaded problem. I tried all the home remedies but the problem only got worse. After reading the other postive reviews about cameraandparts.com, I decided to to give them a try (I had nothing else to lose). These guys know Canon cameras and so far my camera was returned like new.
Spotted E18 error message when camera stopped working, no longer under warranty so googled e18 error and found very helpful websites like this one!After a bit of gentle fiddling, lens finally retracted when I gave it a firm whack with palm of hand whilst pressing on button. Really pleased as have newborn baby photos of 6day old daughter on camera! Not a time for it to stop working!
If you're in the Atlanta area, go to vphotoatlanta.com they're not bad for repairs. If you're going to have to send it in, use camerasandparts.com for a Canon model, I'd say they're the best for these but you would have to send it in. There are a few more if you google for repair, all the best with it.
Don
My Digital IXUS 500 has been working great for over 5 years. howver, just as we were starting a hot ait ballon ride the lens does not retract. My wife gave it a slight push and now it doesn't extend when powered up. After 2 attempts to extend, 3 beeps we get the infamous E18 error message. I tired a few repairs that were suggested without much luck.
The directions worked beautifully on solving the Canon PowerShot A610's E18 problem. Thanks!
Hi Jim. I see you also had a great experience at CamerasAndParts.com I had a perfect experience with them too. My situation actually started off as a nightmare when I first sent my SD1000 to Houston Camera who kept it for over three months and did nothing. I demanded my camera back and it was returned still not working and in the same unopened bubble wrap I sent it to them in. I'd stay away from Houston Camera, they were terrible. I ended up getting it back and sending it to CamerasAndParts.com That site is the best for these problems on the Canons. Got my camera back in just over a week and it came back perfect, cleaned and working so perfect. I highly recommend that site as I see others here do too. Very trustworthy and honest people. I dealt with Shannon at that company and she was just terrific :)
I had the error that said lens error please restart camera. There are some places out there that can fix these and I had a very good experience with mine, no problems anymore. I found two sites, one was called www.camerasandparts.com and the other I found was www.royalcameras.com I chose www.camerasandparts.com through a recommendation. I spoke to Andy at camerasandparts.com and I was surprised to find out this is all they deal with, they really have incredible knowledge of these Canon Digitals. I also contacted Royal Cameras but I didn't get a response right away. When I called again, I spoke to a nice individual but I almost felt like I knew more about the problem than he did. They were a little more expensive and they just repair the broken part where camerasandparts.com actually installs the brand new original Canon part and it still comes out for less. My SD770 powershot ended up costing $79 for everything with the new lens and all the servicing for the camera and the shipping back to me. I'm sure Royal is also good but I picked camerasandparts.com since the parts where brand new and original and they really seemed to know there stuff on these Canon's, plus all the servive for the camera came included too. I hope this will be helpful if you need a hand with this error problem.
Powershot G9, two years old. As the lens was extending, I barely touched the side of it, slowing it down ever so slightly. I've tried all the tricks explained here, no can do. My first and last Canon after maybe 8 cameras, 4 digital ones. Never, EVER Canon again.
I purchased my Canon Powershot SD1100 in April 2008. I received the LENS ERROR message today (November 2, 2009) after taking a picture. It died for absolutely no reason and is only 18 months old! I'm livid. I'm on vacation and now I can't take sentimental pictures and I don't have the money to purchase a brand new camera...
Hi.
My camera has had NO problems for years (I purchased it in 2005 - as of time of writing its Oct. 2009)....and then today, when i was changing the battery, the shutter wouldn't close, and I got the stupid message! But now, it only lets me view pics...when i turn it off the lens stays out (noramlly pulls back and shuts off so it can fit in the camera case).
This made me $#@! angry...as I WAS PREVIOUSLY happy with my camera...but now it looks like I'll have to buy a new one (dunno if I'll purchase a Canon again)...
Anyway....that's all from me.
This is a great site, told me EXACTLY what I needed to know...
Peace,
-Al
PS A95 has worked great for years, now, nothing but E18.
We have a Power Shot S2 IS, it has recently started to get the E18 error and the lens does seem to be stuck.
My cannon power shot A95, has just started with the E18 problem, lens will not contract. I also had the black screen problem sometime ago but was repaired FOC by cannon even though it was out of warranty :)It's out of warranty so will have to try own repair for the E18 issue:(
Cannon A530 was dropped directly on the open lens, so I knew it was not sand or something stuck - so ruled out the tapping trick. When powering on/off, the lens did rotate out/in very very slightly. Since the impact was pushing it in abnormally, I decided I needed to get the lens back out fully, vs pushing it in even more. I took note of the direction of rotation of the ever so slight outward movement. Then I grabbed what little I could of the larger ring and powered it on and twisted the same direction - with enough force to "do something", but not to break it. I repeated this about 20 times, each time getting a little more lens out. Finally it just extended out all the way and continues to work after about 100 power cycles. Oh, and it still takes pictures. :)
I just fixed my Canon Powershot SD450 by following the tips on this web site. In my case, just simply rotating the larger and smaller lens sections VERY GENTLY fixed the problem - - the lens now retracts when the camera is shut off, and the camera is taking pictures fine again. THANKS SO MUCH
I have the E18 error with my Canon PowerShot SD400. My camera is not under warranty anymore. I will try to fix it myself following the explanations on this website. Thank you for this useful website.
I have owned my Canon SD1100 IS for less than four months now (purchased in July 09)before i came upon the lens error. I did not drop or shake the camera. I took a picture of my boyfriend, reviewed it, switched to shooting mode to take another one, and the error occurred. My Canon did not give the exact "E18: code, but after a little online research i have surmised that my "lens error" is the same as the E18 error. As most of the experiences also state, the CR reps at Canon refused to mail me a shipping label. Fortunately, the advice on this website was enough for me to fix my camera myself before having to deal with Cannon anymore, but who knows for how long this thing will work, since it has broken in only 3 months of use.
For a lens error, you can get it fixed for not much at all. Try either CamerasAndParts.com or UnitedCamera.com or AdvanceCamera.com I know those three sites are very good, I used CamerasAndParts.com because they are the only ones that I know give you a Brand New Original Canon Lens Assembly, not rebuilt and I had perfect results with them on another canon about a year back. They only work on canon powershot cameras and they include the service and they're still the best price, but either one of those three shops is good for these lens error's, good luck
Have the E18 "failure to launch" issue with my Canon S400. I'm going to check out the DIY answers before I go pay for repairs. Thanks to everyone for your feedback.
I have the canon powershot a560. Had my first lens error at 7 mos of ownership, sent it back still under one year warranty. 2 months later, same problem, $90 problem...I use a camera case 90% of the time. Very disappointed!
I have an CANON SD1000 and it has a lens retracting and power up issue. I was told to replace the battery and found a deal, 2 for $25. Got em today but it didn't solve the problem. Ironically a friend stopped by and said she has a CANON SD 900 and gave it to me to look at as I was interested in buying it. Lo and behold, it has a lens retracting and power up issue! It simply will not retracxt the lens and powers up for a few seconds before it rudely terminates itself. If there is a quick fix, will someone please tell me. If not, I will never buy another CANON product.
I had ours looked after at camerasandparts.com great experience, they installed the new lens and serviced up our canon completely. Try that site if you have an E18 error, that site will solve your problem. good luck
I too have felt the wrath of the E18 error. Lense comes out on turning on but displays the error. Won't retract back into the base. Thanks Canon. I've told everyone I know about it and now people with a canon camera are worried it will happen to them.
PowerShot S2IS. Camera is several years old and has had moderate use. Lens sticks in position, mostly extended, motor chatters for a while and then displays E18 and shuts down. Sometimes lens will move. Unrelated to type of battery used (new, old, rechargeable NIMH, alkaline or lithium primary). Disassembled and cleaned mechanism, gears of light contamination, no change in behavior. Cleaned motor speed/position sensor and wheel and all gears. Still no change in behavior. Camera takes good pictures but lens is sticking on operation of zoom as well, making camera more trouble than it's worth, mostly inoperable.
I have had a Powershot A470 for about 4 years, it has put up with being dropped (the top of the case is bent above the flash and viewfinder) and with being exposed to sand - I accidentally dropped the case on a beach, and never quite got all of the sand out.
Yesterday, however, out of the blue I got the E18 error. I looked at this site, and tried pressing on the lens lightly, then twisting it lightly (it was stuck part extended and making awful noises) and hey, now it's working great!
I don't believe this is a design flaw in canon cameras. I use Nikon DSLRs for wedding work, so I don't consider myself a Canon fan, but I've had a similar problem with a Nikon Coolpix 2100 digicam in the past, which I fixed by totally disassembling the camera and taking a bit of sand out of the gears. I had no idea how it got there in that case.
I think this happens to all makes of camera. Canon have just suffered from having an error code that applies to a range of causes which has led to people thinking it's the same problem.
If you want a reliable camera, don't buy a compact camera. By nature of their small size and cheap price, they are not engineered to the same standards of robustness that people seem to expect. They aren't sealed and dirt will eventually get in and cause problems. Buy a waterproof camera if you want to avoid this.
Same here for me. Less than 2 years old and now beeping, won't contract. Canon wants $200 to fix it and it cost $350 when purchased new. They will still not admit that they have a problem. Won't be buying another Canon again.
After 45000th exposure of my Canon S2 IS camera, the E18 error appears once a week.
E18 followed by shutoff on both shoot and playback mode. no lens movement, only the sound as internal motor tries to engage. have been very careful with it. but camera is now reduced to status of paperweight. a very expensive paperweight. nobody has a use for paperweights.
I have a Canon Powershot S2 IS. I got this E18 error message once when using the telephoto lens attachment. I did not drop or mistreat the camera at all. It was still under warranty, so I was able to send it back for repair. However, that was about one year ago and I had the error message come up again. I tried several of the methods listed here since I had nothing to lose and the mehod of actually pushing the lens seemed to work(for now anyway). Too bad Canon won't stand behind this issue. I like their optical products, but am leery about buying another camera from them now.
We had an E18 error as well on our Canon. We went to www.camerasandparts.com and had it repaired. We just got it back and it's perfect now. They installed a brand new original canon optical unit and totally serviced the camera. They even did the firmware update and everything including shipping was just $79. An awesome deal, amazing place to deal with. Just thought I'd recommend them if anyone needs help. They only deal with Canon Powershot's, no other brands. Those people really know their stuff.
Yep, happened to me. I have a PowerShot S50 that's about 6 years old. Stumbled across this site trying to fix it. Let's see how it goes....
Thanks for your great advice! Pushing down on the lense worked for me! I heard the "click" and my A70 is as good as new. Almost tossed it but now I have a great spare!
We had an expensive cannon camera that got inflicted with the E18 error. We followed all online guides on fixing it yourself, but nothing worked. We made the mistake of buying another Cannon and that one has died just barely past its one year warranty. It just won't turn on. We won't be buying another Cannon ever again. I really miss those 35 mm cameras, great quality, camera's last forever and the quality is great. Technology isn't always great after all.
Hello. I recently had the same problem. The "Lens Error, Restart Camera" Message is generally caused by an issue within the Lens Assembly / Optical Unit of the camera. The camera will require repair but not to worry as it's pretty painless. Just don't smack / hit the camera as many people say to do, that often causes further issues and can throw off the focus in the optical unit as well. Some shops will try to repair the existing lens in the camera and others will either install a used lens assembly or even a cheaper rebuilt part, I'd recommend staying as far away from a fix like that as possible. The best way to take care of this is to simply replace the Complete Lens Assembly with the Brand New Genuine Canon Part! This will completely get everything looked after and the camera will perform like new again! The website that Specializes in these Canon Digital Cameras is www.CamerasAndParts.com That is the only placed I'd get this looked after! I was so pleased with their work, and I know you will be too! For $79, they'll install the Brand New Genuine Canon Lens Assembly, plus they completely service up the camera as well. Return Priority Shipping is even included in the cost! If you use the link below, that will get you to the right place:
http://www.camerasandparts.com/coleerrese.html
During Checkout, use Promo Code: SAVE10NOW for an Instant $10.00 Off which is what makes the total only $79
I have error E18 - my camera goes black, flashes the E18 message, beeps, and then shuts off. This camera takes great pictures so this really stinks.
My teenage daughter was on a school trip to France and one of the sightsee was to the famous cabaret show in the Moulin Rouge in Paris. As no photography was allowed, they kept her Canon Ixus and upon return at end of show, the staff return but it fell to the ground. th eteacher who is pretty good in all cameras, having been on several school trips and handlong all sorts of camera situations, could not figure out the error and a panic phone call in the middle of the night to Melbourne in Australia did not help. Anywa, upon return, I saw the E18 error and a search on google revealed your site. I thought it is impossible to get a fix on digital cameras. anyway, treid all your options 1,2 and 3 but no luck. so last resort, option 4, pressed hard and heard the click and the lens in place. Voila, it worked and told my daughter who was suitably impressed with dad's maverick skill...but real thanks to your website and the simple and clear instructions. No need to harrassed Canon staff at all and I am a real happy camper, now.
Thank you for the helpful info. I checked the camera manual and of course no mention of an E18 error. I have had my power shot E80 camera for 5 years and have had no problems till this error. I was amazed that a little can of compressed air solved the issue. Thank you!!!! We are heading away in a couple of days and I was not looking forward to having to purchase a new camera.
I use to work at Canon and let me tell you a few things to help understand how things work. The Support folks are actually pretty nice people. They try to help as best they can. However, there is only so much they can do. If the camera is broken. Their ONLY option is to have you send it in for repair. I read the long story about the guy who talked to everyone about a refund. It was very entertaining. You need to understand that Canon makes a profit on the camera ONE TIME (when they sell it to the retailer). After that there is no money to be made. Not like a printer with ink. The camera division of Canon is very strict about refunds. The printer division is more flexible. The Camera division makes all the decisions about exchanges and refunds. The Support Center and Corporate Customer Relations (who work for the President of Canon) take the recomondations (mandates) from the Camera Division. Almost always will Canon turn down a refund request for a camera. Believe it or not the same is true with most all the cameras you will find from Nikon, HP and everyone else. My recommendation is to READ THE WARRANTY! You would be amazed how many people "feel" like they should get this or that. I would always refer back to the warranty. That is a legal and binding document. They are required "by law" to stand behind the warranty. Yes, it would be great if dealers went above and beyond the limits of the warranty. Sadly, most do not. If we ran businesses by how we fell, many more would fail. Someone needs to make rational decisions and those are the businesses who are successful. I may not work for the comany any longer but I am still a fan of Canon products. I have a Canon printer and scanner and digital camera I have had for 10 years now and they work great! Yes, I would love a new camera. When I am ready to replace any of these items I will consider Canon first, while looking at the others (LOL).
Thank you for the wonderful right up ..on how to fix the problem.
it worked ..i had to be a lot rougher with it to finally get it to work ..i tried the rapping on the table on the usb bit last...and bingo ..it now operates.
the lens was stuck in on this one.
it was a good find ...someone had chucked it away :)..their loss..my gain.
all the best.markj
I also have had my canon (sd900) and received my first lens error message. This camera is awesome. I tried taking the battery out, and well as the camera card to no avail. It did not work. I have taken great care of my camera over the 3 years that I've had it (special case, etc.)
Powershot A470. Bought it as an emergency camera (my xti failed!), and it lasted 4 days until I got the "lens error" message.
My Powershot A610 had a lifetime of ~17000 exposures, when it occured. Lens locked in extended position. After extensively (but gently) smacking, pushing, twisting it, it moved back to closed position and locked again.
Since I didn't want to access the CANON support, I decided to open the CAM and do it myself, using the Russian picture guide "http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/gdtster/album/25644/" as a reference. Dissassembling the components went well, disconnecting the cables was a bit tricky in some cases.
But: I did not open the "Black Tube", the optical unit, completely. Just opened the 4 screws and smacked and jogged the inner parts a bit, then closing it again. Reassembling the gearbox was a pain. Before reassembling the components, I applied a low voltage (~ half battery voltage) to the Zoom-motor to make sure it was moving again, and to reache the extended position needed to remount the optical finder.
Reassembling the components and the case was no problem. At the end, the camera was back at live ... Puuhhh !!!
Here are some tips:
- preserve the screws on sketches or pictures so that you will remember the location of each single screw
- Flash capacitor has High Voltage - discharge with 1K Resistor!
- Be gentle with flat cable connectors, some of them have a flap to unlock
Helo
I have a question:
-does anybody know, where can I buy lens gear for IXUS 50 (without lens)? Thx
Canon Digital Ixus 750, couple years old never any problems. My daughter dropped it from about a foot or two up onto a carpeted floor with the lens extended. Tried all the suggested fixes, still getting the E18 error :-(
Powershot A 560 and the same problem. Perhaps it may helps somebody in Germany if I mentioned the German text: Objektivfehler: Kamerastart.
Thanks for your support.
I have a Canon S30 and the E18 error occurred when the lens was out and the camera powered off because of a dead battery
I have a S50 which I've had for 5 years with no problems. The E18 solution of gently pushing down the lens worked great! Thanks
I just bought a A80 in ebay as broken. It had the Famos E18 failure ... HAD ... with this superbe webside I decided to try the bumping fix and IT WORKED!!! Wow! That was really an easy fix :o) Thanks for this summery of good infos!
Had the problem with my Powershot A75, followed the advice on this site, cleaned around the lens housing with compressed air and it worked immediately. Thanks!
It doesn't work on my Canon Powershot A75!!! I tried your methods and they don't work. I took of the big lens cover thing and turned the big lens around and it fixed the problem for awhile until the E18 pops up again when I turn it off or put the big lens cover again.
Afflicted camera is a PowerShot S2 IS. Bought new short while after they came out. Worked great for me until about a month or so ago. I have treated this camera like gold and never hit it against anything. Of course the wife uses it to take some baby pics and the next time I go to use it it starts to exhibit problems. Took a while for the E18 error to actually show up though. Soon after, viewfinder went black and camera would not respond. Googled and found some remedies. What initially worked was setting the camera to "TV" and popping the battery cover just after pressing the shutter button. This was rather hit and miss and would not last more than one picture and that would be dark and blurry. Tried the compressed air with no luck and finally resorted to striking the camera body against a hard surface. Surprise, surprise! It worked! I had to hit the camera on either side a couple times to finally get everything to clear up. I could actually see the view finder getting brighter and brighter and soon the little bit of half moon that was showing in the bottom of the viewfinder went away. Seems to have fixed the problem to about 95 percent of normal and I am happy again. Was not looking forward to paying someone to repair and did not want to scrap the camera to buy another camera. I am not holding this against Canon as the camera worked great for about 4 years and like I mentioned earlier, I do believe the wife did something to it and did not tell me.
Works like a charm! This is my kids camera and I'm keeping it going for them. You folks rock!
Had the E18 error. Followed the advice and ... success !!
Thanks !!
I got the E18 error while taking photos at the Castle in the Clouds in Moultonboro, NH. I stopped using the camera and found this website when I got home. I tried the steps on the repair page (batteries out, tap, blow out lens area) and now it works.
The camera has served me long and well, and I am not yet ready to put it out to pasture - thanks for providing this website!
had the e18 error...used the compressed air cleaning fix described and it works now. The lens does not retract all the way but if I assist it a little it works just fine.
I use S2 IS. I have the same E18 symtom as other people in normal operation. I bought it in 2005 and E18 happened in 2007. The lens can't work since then. After 4 months suffer with missing my important journey memory, I saved it back one night, and it survives until now. Because of warrenty, the way I revived S2 IS was:
1. Turn on the camera in shot mode and it will sruggle with noise.
2. Flip it up side down, make the bottom of camera upward.
3. Use fist to knock downward the bottom of the camera with "quick and deep" force. Increase the force carefully to minium the possible damage to the camera.
It revived at my fifth hit and retreat its lens. I guess the key track of lens is at the bottom side and it may get stuck when I zoom the lens in certain angle.
Last week, my S2 IS shutter can't close automatically any more, and all the pictures are over-exposured and white. Even in the dark place, the pictures also have horizontal white stripe. I think it may be enough for it to serve me 2005~2009.
Digital Ixus 55. Great camera, annoying error. Showed up from one moment to the next without any exterior conditions that would justify a lens block.
I have a Canon PowerShot S1 IS and it gives a E18 error very often. It only happens if I use the zoom; never as I only start the camera and make pictures without the zoom function.
Never worked in very dirty circumstances, but I have made (or at least tried) pictures in nature.
My next camera will of course not be a Canon.
CANON IXUS 500 FAIL
E18 error message. Lens is closed and will not open. Cant recall that anything out of the ordinary has happend to the camera.
I have an A70 bought in 2002.
After a year , I started to have an occasional E18 and the CCD error. By 2005, I found out by chance that Canon would repaired for free and indeed that's what happened when I contacted . I sent out the camera and came back repaired. The E18 error disappear and the blurriness in the images was gone. however, it didn't last very long and the camera started to have problems in situations where required a lot of focus adjustment and pics would come out in many instances out of focus and/under/over exposed. Occasionally, vertical lines would show up. I found that by squeezing the cammera at the time of focusing would remove the problem and the camera would take a normal pic. Now (Sept/09) the cammera started to give the E18 error again. I tried taking in and out the batteries and it didn't work. Then I hit the camera on the side where connection of the computer is and it did work. IT is working normally for now.
I am planning to by a new cammera and it will not be a Canon.
When turning my Canon A80 on, the lens moved out as usual, then it immediately retracted, beeping and displaying the E18. Thanks to the good advices on these excellent pages, the error disappeared after a few light strokes in the table, hitting the USB rubber pad.
My Ixus 860 started complaining about a "Lens error" a couple of days ago. I tried the commonly suggested fixes to no avail then guessed that the high-pitched mechanical noise might be related to the shutter that closes over the lens, not the gears that move the lens in and out of the body. I flicked my finger several times against the front surround of the lens, tried powering on again, and the camera started working fine again. I hope this experience helps others!
About a year ago my Powershot A620 started to make a grinding gear noise when I would zoom the lens in and out, sometimes resulting in the E18 error. This problem has only gotten worse.
The Canon site has estimated repairs @ $89. Since this is a well known issue and Canon won't take responsibility, I don't think I'll be buying another canon.
I have a Canon Powershot SD30 - Digital ELPH. I've had it for many years and kept it in great condition and just got the E18 error.
Had my camera for 2 years, E18 error, on vacation and terribly disappointed
Believe it or not, but with my Ixus v² I was able to fix the E18 error for the second time - after having had the same trouble 2 years ago - with the "banging nonsense" ;)
Due to my experiences, you have to bang it with the plastic leash on the left side on a book. Might work for you too...
Good luck!
I am having the same issue Black screen with error message and lens jumps up and down
The Lens Error started with my camera, a AS590 just 14 months old. Never had a problem like this with any camera. It was in a clean case, no sand or dirt possible.
Tengo este error en mi powershot s2is, empezó alentizandose el zoom y luego murió!
I'm having this problem with my powershot s2is...it started with a delay on the zoom...and now it's dead.
Ich habe seit heute das gleiche Problem. Fehlermeldung e18. Dabei habe ich die Kamera immer in einer Tasche gehabt und sie wirklich gut behandelt. Kamera: Powershot A95
I've had my A75 for a few years and kept it in the case and clean at all times. Today in Amsterdam while at Rembrandt's House I got the E18 code. It's happened before; always at the most inopportune times. Last time in Venice! I gently push the lens back in but it is hit and miss. Guess at this point, if I break it - oh, well. I am very disappointed in quality of this camera which originally sold at Costco for about $300. If I still lived in the states I'd take it back there. They are pretty good about returns and keep track of purchases in their computer system.
i just received this E18 message as well and I had this camera since 2005 in which I took excellent care of it.
My SD500 (5yrs old) started showing the E18 recently and recent photos have been out of focus,
tried taping and twisting but now the lens is stuck and the motor whirring!
Oh dear, oh dear, i feel a new camera may be calling. Now how about a digital SLR this time......?
I had a E18 error on my Ixus 80 IS ("Lens error, restart camera"). The camera was still under warranty, but Canon refused to repair for free because they found "traces of sand" in the camera. Canon let me 3 options: 1) Let repair the camera at my own costs (132 EUR) 2) Get the camera shipped back unrepaired for 40 EUR or 3) Let Canon kindly throw away the camera for free (!). I chose the second option and started dismanteling the camera. After having removed all possible screws without success, I found this link from Gadget on e18error.com: http://treasure.perjantai.net/~gadget/ixus/en.php, and realized I had missed the hole with the motor axle. So I rotated the axle as indicated by Gadget and assembled the camera. Now the camera is working again, so thanks Gadget and thanks e18error.com!
RE:Powershot A95. The fisrts one was trouble-free for several years but it was lost to a thief. Bought a used one from E-bay. Worked well for 1 year then the lens jammed. I tried everything short of disassembly so far. This one is totally dead. No response at all to power button.
I had the E18 lens error on my Canon Ixus 70 after going to the beach. I tried all tips (compressed air, tapping on USB side, etc.) but nothing worked. Then I decided to dismantle the camera to find the problem. I bought some mini screw drivers and opened the camera. After spending several hours, I found the problem was inside the lens, it was full of sand. I removed all sand grains in the cog wheels and in the lens and gently assembled the camera in reverse order. Camera is now fully operational again and everything is working perfectly.
If none of the described tips work, try the above. It's worth the try. You don't have to be an expert (I am neither). All you need is a set of mini screw drivers, enough light and a lot of patience :-)!
Digital IXUS 60 with a "Lens Error, restart camera" problem. (Same as an E18 error) I was able to partly dismantle the camera and free up the cogs in the gearbox (full of sand). Thanks for giving the tips and ideas!
I had received the E18 message a couple of times on my Canon S30 Powershot. The other times I charged the battery to full and it worked again. Today after about 30 photos, the camera just quit working and nothing helped. I read posts on this board and tried forcing the lens by turning to the right and pushing--did not work. I then followed the tip of tapping the padded end on my end table and it worked like a charm.
I have an ixus 85IS. Six month old, under guarantee. Lense froze extended and lense error message, black screen. Off to Canon repairer, refused repair 'sand in camera'. There is sand, they sent a pic, but useage was normal, and my 5yr old olympus still works fine and had much more use. Quoted £85 to repair. Contact Canon again, say repairer decision final. Crap. can't believe after all the rave reviews.
Thank you so much for your web-site that helped me repair my Canon PowerShot A520. I had dropped it with lens extended and got an E18 msg with lens stuck partway open. I tried the suggestions, but the one that worked for me was gently pressing on the lens on the side with the widest gap and the lens popped back in place. The camera works and that's what I'm grateful for.
Not sure if its E18 or not. I was at a wedding on 8/15. In the chapel taking photos when the LCD screen went to plaid(scrambled in all colors) and then the camera just shut off. It now will not go back on and the lens is stuck out fully extended. I changed the batteries, SD card, tried everything....nothing...it won't even turn on. Its a Powershot S5IS. Any help?
I got an Ixus i and after 3 1/2 years it went nuts. First, the menu buttons started to malfunction. When I press it, it runs by itself. And secondly, the E18 error. This one was the horror of all horrors! My husband kept teasing me that I made the wrong choice and it's time for me to buy a new digicam. Yup, I will buy a new one but not a Canon brand, ok.
My lens is stuck out in the error 18.
pisses me off. I haven't dropped it or been in sand. I keep it in a camera bag and don't use it that often.
Well I had the same problem with my SD 550 I tried to fix it with these instructions and it got worse so I went out and got a new camera and it is not a cannon and will probably not buy another, got the casio instead. Cannon is going to loose some good customers with this crap.
I have an A60, and the following method worked fine:
>>>Another method is to tap the padded USB cover part on a hard surface, for example, a desk. It sounds so simple, but very often in works.
<<<
I stumbled across this site and I think I can help many with this issue. First off, don't hit the unit. I did that on an SD500 and it did start working but it totally threw the focus off on the lens. I later found a site that warned about that issue. I had two cameras with the E18 error, I sent them to www.camerasandparts.com and they totally took care of them. Both cameras got Brand New Lenses and completely serviced up. I kid you not, they came back literally like new! All that site specializes in are these Powershots, here's the link and I'll list a coupon below that I used: http://www.camerasandparts.com/coleerrese.html
There's an Instant Coupon Code for $10.00 Off! The coupon was to have expired but it's still working as of today. During the checkout, enter promo code: save10now and that will do it. You get a Brand New lens installed and the camera gets totally serviced too. They told me they have a system where they connect the camera to and it adjusts the unit to exact canon spec, mine are both unbelievable amazing now, they perform amazing. Hopefully that helps, if anyone has questions please feel free to email me at: bigday7@live.com I originally got referred to that site from a guy who runs a tech department for a college. He swears by them, they are really the best answer for these powershots, good luck
i tried tapping the side thn the lens started moving and the screen was all blue with a few lines
No abuse or dirt - just stopped after one picture after years of use.
Ixus 700, tres años, bienvenido e18.
CANNON SD1000...awesome camera...had it for over 2 years...out of warranty and now the lens error that I googled and found out that it is a very common issue with the CANNON....never again will I ever buy a cannon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amazing! I tapped the padded side of the cover once and the lens moved a little. After pushing the lens in, shutting it and trying to reopen - it worked! Thank you!
This was a suggestion posted on the website.
Same E18 killed me and the reason was vapor I guess went inside. So I used hairdryer and vacuum on sides of the lens drum. It did not work for long time I keep turn on and off finally it worked. Keep On and OFF when you force the dry hair inside + use vacuum either it evaporates or dust sucked out.
i came across your site while looking for camera "out-of-focus" fix problems or something like that on google..Great site/blog you have and i thank you for helping me solve the problem: i put my Canon A430 on its back with the lens extented and then powered off so as to retract lens while i thumb pressured the lens down until a click was heard - tested & fixed!!
Oh thank you! I just fiddled with the lens and pulled it and it did click (thought I broke it, actually!) and IT WORKS! Such a huge relief because it is NOT in the budget to buy a new camera and I really like this one! Note to self: Don't Let Kids Drop The Camera Anymore!
my canon digital ixus 5oo showed the E18 error when i was on holiday. i must admit that the error might have occured due to sand, because i was on the beach a few time where i used my camera.
My Canon Powershot S2 IS is experiencing the E18 notification as described in this website. I have just contacted Canon via email and am hopeful to receive quick and satisfactory response. I also have a Canon Digital Camcorder and several years had a problem with that camera. Canon quickly repaired the camera and even paid for shiping so at this time I have respect for the Canon company. We'll see if they come through.
I have a Powershot A620, purchased Nov. '05. It's been banged up a couple of times before (I carry it in my bike jersey while mountain biking), but this time the front cover plate popped loose from the top plate. When turned on the lens made more clicking sounds than normal, and the screen stayed dark, except for "E18". I turned it on and off a few times, and found that if I pinched the body more or less into place, it would work some of the time.
I just now completed a partial teardown, and was able to refit all the body parts back to their normal positions,...and it works like a champ!
I love this little camera!
ps I'm on image # 13471.
I tried twisting the large part many times, but the only thing i hear is a jamming noise.
My Canon S2 IS stops with the lens blocked off while saving a video, appeared error 18 and now when turns on the lens go ahead and back, very fast, moving aprox. 1mm and after 15s stops giving the error message 18, the restart of each cycle it moves to 1 mm front, i can still watch the videos and see the photos, disassemble the camera, removed the gears and motor in the lens is working like a laundry machine fast and is going the same way that the gear in place.
Minha canon S2 IS travou com as lentes para fora enquanto gravava um vídeo, apareceu erro 18 e agora, quando ligo a lente fica em um rápido vai e vem e pára dando a mensagem erro 18,a cada reinicio desse ciclo ela avança 1 milímetro a frente, i still can watch videos and see the the photos, desmontei a câmera, liguei se as engrenagens, e o motor da lente fica nesse vai e vem rápido do mesmo jeito que com a engrenagem no lugar
thanks - got the error and forcing it shut actually worked. Bet that isn't in the manual
I purchased a Powershot A1000IS in December 2008.
It's worked great until today. This morning i took a 1.5 min video, put the camera down/turned it off. Then an hour later I wanted to take another shot.
I got the 'Lens Error. restart camera' message
How can 'sand' or 'something' obstruct a lens within an hour of me using it, in the exact same environment. I take prestigious care of my gadgets.
This is unacceptable Canon.
E18 on the A75. Either tapping or blowing air from CPAP solved the problem. Thanks
Thanks guys brilliant site I have a cannon Powershot SD1000 Digital Elph. Had a 'lens error turn off and power on again'.The lens had stuck in the open position. Tried all your tips, turning the large part nearest the body cleared the problem after a few clicks. Great help guys saved me a lot of hassle. Thank you.
I just tapped the camera on my desk on the USB end couple of times and it worked.
I think its the dust!
This tip helped me:
>>>Another method is to tap the padded USB cover part on a hard surface, for example, a desk. It sounds so simple, but very often in works.
<<<
Bought a Canon PowerShot A95 and used it for a year and now won't work because of E18 error. Will not buy Canon again.
Hi i got a very starange experience.. i am getting very blurred images on zooming and when i did 100% zooming the camera shut down without closing the lenses. it also shows the E18 error on screen
I just would like to say this morning I just simply turned my canon sd790 and I must have turned it on and off to fast the lens stopped half way to close and I tried to turn it off but to no avail I received the same error message.. so I most of your posts and what worked was the Force lens method which is turning the lens to the right while pushing it inwards with a bit of force Only do the pushing and turning like 3 times and dont push the lens all the way in wait a min and turn the camera on again and poof the error no more .. thank you guys for saving my camera and mostly still believing in canon to be a good brand
A40. Bought it in December 2002. Worked fine for 6.5 years (probably 15,000+ pictures) ! E18 in July 2009. Took 30 pictures on July, 28th, then, the next day, when turning it on, the lens wouldn´t come out, throwing an E18 !
Canon 2s Is not abused. Worked well for 2.5 years.Camera turned on Suddenly lens extends shutter freezes up. Internet suggested solutions unsuccessful. Contacted Canon ...would not fix for free.
A75. e18 on 2nd day of 10-day backpacking trip. No photos for 9 days in one of Earth's most spectacular places. Thanks Canon.
I started getting the E18 error message off and on the one day I was at Machu Picchu. Nice timing! The camera (Powershot A510) would work every few tries. By the time I got home, I kept getting the E18 error. Found this site and tried tapping the camera firmly on the rubber USB cap. It worked!
Tapping worked! Lens extinsion and retraction a little crunchy sounding (grit,sand)but so far so good.
We were using our camera out in the Nevada desert and got the E18. Now working to fix the problem.
My Canan A570 just died today. All I did was turn the power on,it take one shot..then the lens froze.
Its never been dropped or abused...tryed all of the suggestions to fixing it.. nothing works.Warranty is up too. I guess you're lucky if you can get more than a year out of something these days!
i have had my canon powershot i2is for just over 3 yrs and had no problem very trustworthy until today e 18 came up and lens is stuck . I would like to think I could buy another Canon camera but wary now.
I've had my Cannon A80 for over 5 years and it's never given me any problems until recently when I got the E18 message. After checking the manual and seeing my only option was to take it to be repaired, I decided to check out the web. Thank you for your wisdom. All it took was a tap on the USB cover and it works like new. I'm off to Hawaii next week so I'll take the entire list of fixes with me just in case.
I had an Ixus 70 for about 13 months. Got a 'lens error' message when on vacation. None of the 'fixing methods' worked. Took it apart but couldn't get past the lens mounting screws which are 000 size and very tight.
My Canon A70 was giving me the E18 error for the last year or so. I replaced it but recently decided to check it out. After monkeying around awhile, the display screen went out, so I sent it in and Lo and Behold, Canon sent it back fully functioning for no charge!
Nothing worked on my Canon Digital Ixus 80 IS, so i had to open and inspect it. Here is the fix with pictures:
http://treasure.perjantai.net/~gadget/ixus/en.php
Do exactly what everyone else did. I was persistant and repeated all the steps mentioned by the many others. I thank them for their ideas and was very persistant. It saved me $100 (just a quote for repair) and possible saved me from buying another expensive camera. Good Luck just repeat the steps mentioned.
My Canon A460 got stuck with the lens out and the Lens error - restart camera message. Followed fixya's suggestions 1 -4, tapped lens with palm, and it worked, but sounds terrible when retracting or extending. Camera is 2 years old.
Powershot A95. Lens extended and retracted, then made grinding noise, then screen said E18.
Pressing on lens ring and tapping side of camera did not help. Powered on camera so lens extended, then immediately popped out batteries so lens stayed extended. Wiggled and rotated both sections. Didn't feel anything pop into place, but that fixed it. Now camera works normal again.
I have an S50. Tried the compressed air - no luck. Tapped the USB - instant success. THANKS!
I have canon PowerShot S2 IS.
A few days ago the lens stuck and I saw E18 on the screen after the camera made some weird noises. I have this camera for about 3 years.
I've had a Canon PowerShot S3IS since April 2007 and earlier this year started experiencing this error. Now today it's happened constantly and I was not able to take photos at my daughter's playoff soccer game. I don't get the error number on the screen, but I see "Lens error. Restart camera." My lens makes a grinding sound when this error occurs but I don't know what could have gotten into it because I'm always very careful with it. I'll try the fixes here but I'm getting film for my old camera anyway.
I've a Canon A620 and will get either a beeping e18 error, a triple attempt by the lens to extend resulting in a half way extension then an inability to do anything until I open the battery door or an over-extension of the lens resulting in a ratcheting noise which also necessitates opening the battery door to reset.
S50 Powershot, bought about 6 years ago - worked fine until now. Got the E18 error whilst on holiday last week - tried taking out batteries, no luck. Next tried tapping the USB cover on the desk - amazingly it worked!
To the poster in Dubai - try the tapping thing!
I have canon power shot s21s camera.4years old.in last december it started showing e18 problem.I consulted with canon service center. They denied the e18 problem, and told me the optical unit should be replaced.It will cost more than the cost of my camera.I consulted with one of general camera service shop in my city at kolkata.India. They repaired my camera at one fourth cost of what canon asked. they replaced the motor which controls the lence to move forward and backward. Now my camera works fine as it was before.
Thanks to the simple service man and shame to canon service center.
Purchased Canon Ixus 80is 6 months ago, using it on holiday in Dubai when the lens wont retract back. Battery full. I think I have sand in in the lens component!
Have tried to forecefully twist the lens back in but to no avail (and the cover came off the front to boot!).
Any quick suggestions as I am on holiday?
I have a Cannon Powershot A80 which is about 5 years old. It has been great up until now when it started showing the E18 error. My lens did actually close but I had a blank screen. Tried replacing batteries but that didn't work. Now tried the sharp whack on the USB padded cover and it worked!!! Hopefully it continues to do so..
I have a powershot A95 and have been recieving this error. It's a toss up wether or not te camera will work that day. Haven't gone to Cannon for support yet since the camera is 5 years old.
Had the same problem with my IXUS 860 IS. Great camera, but I guess some sand or dirt got stuck between the moving parts of the lens which made it lock into position. After reading this website, the FORCE THE LENS method worked for me. First I tried to twist the lens back into position with my fingers, but it was fixed too tightly. So after reading that a little courage is needed to properly twist the lens back, I placed the small part of the lens between my teeth and voila, I twisted the lens back into position. It works again! Thanks for the advice!
My wife's cannon sd1000 camera recently showed the E 18 lens error message. I always thought the Cannon cameras were great, but after this experience and what I have read as far as standing behing their product I will never buy another one. I used to promote Cannon to everyone, but now I will make sure everyone knows what they are really about. They should repair this problem for free, and stop selling their digital cameras until the problem is resolved. There should have been a recall a long time ago. The solution I used to fix the problem is I used the attachment on out home vacuum cleaner and sucked on the lense area of the camera. At the same time I turned the camera on, and the lense came out like its supposed to. The lense makes more of a winding noise when you zoom in and out but it works fine. Cannon really should be ashamed and embarrased on how they have handled themselves. It doesnt take a genious to figure out this is a problem they need to fix, and help out the customers.
Advice No. 3) "to tap the padded USB cover part on a hard surface" worked with my Canon IXUS 50 ! Thank you so much for your instruction !! :-)
Today I got an E18 error code on my Canon PowerShot A620, simply while taking photos. I had not dropped it (altho I know I've dropped the camera in the past). The lens would not retract. What worked for me was a combination of things suggested on this website: twisting & turning the lens repeatedly while holding the power button got it to retract half-way. I then tapped it a few times on the table. Then I took the batteries out and replaced with completely fresh batteries. That did the trick to get the lens to retract all the way, and when I powered up again, the E18 code was gone, and my photos were there. Thanks so much for posting this info about the E18 code.
I have an old Powershort S45. The easiest method worked:
3) Another method is to tap the padded USB cover part on a hard surface, for example, a desk.
I am the owner of a Canon IXUS 50. I always took great care of it. Now it shows the e18 error without having been anywhere near sand or dirt...
I HAVE A POWERSHOT S80 AND THE SLIDING DOOR GOT COCK SLIGHTLY. I TRY TO REALIGN IT BUT AFTER WARDS GOT THE E18 ERROR. TRYING SOME OF THESE FIXES ON THE NET BUT MAY HAVE TO TAKE IT IN SOMEWHERE.
My E18 occurred when the fat TSA "security guard" in the Boston Logan airport dropped the camera when inspecting my bag. When I raised concern I was told to adjust my tone or be arrested. Since I was on a very important flight to a job interview in Phoenix, I couldn't afford to miss the flight. I have a pending law suit against the airport for neglect and my lawyer has sequestered the security film. Hopefully the E18 goes away after checking out the fix ideas, but they'll be buying me a new camera anyway . . . any suggestions?
I've been experiencing E18 error after 2 years of using the Canon PowerShot SD30..just lately, while shooting a graduation exercises, canon camera failed me to document a very important event of my pre-school niece. Its upsetting really! and for the ast months E18 error appears in my cam window more often.
We also have the E18 problem. The camera is Canon Powershot (I don't know the exact model).
Last night at the Jonas Brothers concert our Canon Powershot A80 displayed an E18 message. Needless to say we couldn't get the camera functional to take photos. The camera powers up, extends the lens and then retracts and displays E18. Tried removing the batteries, blowing air around the lens ring, etc to no avail. Frustrated. What do we do next.
Hi - I just got an E18 error message for my cannon Ixus 750, but gently manouvered the lens and took the battery out for 5 mins, it now seems to be working. Thanks for the advice.
I own a Canon Powershot SD890is Digital ELPH, that was purchased on April 15, 2008. I have used it off and on since purchase date. It has never been dropped or misused. I wanted to take some pictures during my 4th of July weekend, but when i powered up the camera the lens came half way out, the screen said "lens error restart camera"
I paid $357.00 for this camera when it first came out. Im so pissed that its passed its warranty. Anyone have any advice on what to do, should i pay $129+ or buy a new camera and if so which one or another brand like Sony, Nikon
I have an A80 that has E18 error. I have taken very good care of this camera. Upon investigation on the internet looks like a very common problem. Is Canon going to fix?
I have the Power-Shot SD450. Have had it for almost 5 years, began getting the E-18 error this past February. Thank you so much for free advice. All I needed to do was gently click the larger lens back into place. Thanks!
I've had my powershot for nearly 5 years. I just got my first E18 message today. I tried a few of the methods listed here but found the last method (pulling the large lense while turning it on) did the trick! Thanks for a 'free' method to fix this problem! So sad that Canon isn't standing behind their product better.
Unbelievable! The "forcing the camera lens" advice worked just as described. Thanks!
Got my S500 over 4 1/2 years ago and NEVER had any problems. The E18 message popped up last weekend after we had been using it all day. Found this website just now, gave the camera a few love taps on the computer desk and shes working again! This site just saved me a lot of hassle and $$$.
Just happened to us first time Wednesday at daughter's assembly; then today at son's assembly.
No obvious reason whatever
My Canon S21S gave the E18 error message this morning, after 3 1/2 yrs of perfect service. I am able to get it working again by manipulating the lens and turning it on and off, but as soon as I use the zoom, it freezes up again with E18. I'm afraid the lens mechanism is worn. So now it's either repair or replace. Which?
Getting E18 on my PowerShot S2-IS since 2 weeks ago. Lens is extended but it wont retract when I shut the camera off or turn it back on. I can hear (and feel) something inside the lens go click-tick-click-tick as if trying to move the lens but in less than a minute, I get E18 displayed on the screen.
I have the old but very dependable A70. I never had problems with it until one day I was taking photos near the Marina and it just STOPPED working. I switched it on and off soo many times, load and unload the batteries, but still I keep getting the E18 error.
I was already on the verge of getting another camera (how can a mother live without a camera?) when I decided to check on the net about error E18. I couldn't believe what I was reading till I gave my cam a gentle tap and started it again... and it's now working!!!! YEPPPEEEE thank you sooooooooooooo much for putting up this website.
SD 450 was 4 years old. Well taken care of. One day, turned on and E18 appeared. Lens would not come out.Took to camera shop, tried new SD card and battery. No Luck. Tried my battery and SD in newer camera, all worked fine. They tried to sell me a new camera. Went home. Found this website. Vacuumed. No Luck. Banged it really hard on the hard wood floor against the battery side and USB side. Turned it on and VIOLA! All works fine. Love the internet. Do you homework before believing the camera shops.
lens error SX100. The first two times I was lucky and the techies got it working. The third time and Canon SA could not fix it. Such an expensive camera and now just an ornament. Guess I will try to dismantle it...
Just fixed my SD790 IS that was reporting "Lens error. Restart camera" using info from your site. Twisting the lens barrel back and forth slightly fixed the problem. Thanks!
I am getting an E18 error. A small section of the lens is not level with the camera surface. I applied compressed air with no results. Cannot move lens in an fashion. Camera is not under warranty. Do I throw my workhorse to the wilds?
Thank you for the tips. Twisting the lense (rotating it back and forth somewhat forcebly) worked for my SD1100is after it was jammed in that possition giving me the 'Lens error, restart camera' message. From the sound it appears that I got some sand in there, so blowing it out with an air compressor could be a more permanent fix than the $150 lens repair they suggested at the camera shop today.
E18 error fixed. Tried the compressed air - no luck. Tapped it on the USB cover and voila. Think it was a combination of both but missed great shots of 4 bucks this a.m. as a result.
i am overseas and was hoping to have a relaible camera that works so i can take photos at my best friends wedding, however the other night i turned my camera on and the error message E18 appeared. i am ver dissapointed and greatly annpoyed now that my camera doesnt work. is it worth fixing?
Turned my A590IS on but the lens didn't have enough room to fully extend. Turned the camera off then back on and it has worked every since. Checking the camera status still shows E18 Zoom Lens Error but it works fine otherwise.
Literally sucked the lens stuck on my SD850 back into action with my vacuum :)
My kids broke the camera lens after only three days and I had to pay Canon Canada $125+tax to get it replaced. The lens gave me an error after only a few months and Canon this time replaced it free of charge as it was under warranty.
Fast forward another one year and the lens got stuck inside with the cover half open. Googled this forum and tried knocking, pushing lens, etc without success. Rather sceptically, finally used vacuum and out popped the lens. So fast that I had to remove the vacuum quickly, afraid that it might be sucked in. Switched on the camera and everything works fine.
Thanks guys!
I've got an old, SUPER abused Powershot A60. When it started giving the E18 error, I whacked it against the side with the usb cover. Now the lens extends fine again! The display shows odd graphical errors (the screen's ribbon cable is loose on-board) but it takes pictures fine! :) Thanks e18error.com.
Have an oldie Canon SD30. POS to begin with. Anyway, got the error, googled, and THANK GOD FOR THIS WEBSITE.
I thought I was screwed after reading other websites and forums, but with these simple instructions and tips it saved me anger...I would have thrown this crap to the ground in pieces.
Thanks for having this website available for us.
Bought a Canon SD 850 IS around a year go. Took the camera to SeaWorld. During middle of trip, camera did not work, pretty sure it was due to children playing in sand. Warranty expired around 2 weeks ago.
Camera lens were not extended, but the lens cover was slightly open.
Went home. Read websites. Did the following:
1) Turned camera on and off around 20 times - NO success
2) Recharge with Max battery - NO success
3) Tried to plug into computer hoping to use AV for more power - NO success
4) Banged camera in all different angles around 20 times - NO success
5) Took a vacuum cleaner and applied it to every single opening possible (lens area, AV area, battery area)
Then turned on camera while banging at the same time.
Fixed.
Vacuum + Hard whack = Saved $90 for repair.
After only a few weeks of using my Canon power shot the lens made an awful sound and would not retract. The "lens error" message appeared. I was able to get the lens retracted by turning the camera on & off, but now it cannot zoom. I will not buy any Canon camera now!
after gettig the e18 message my camera sat vacant for lyk a month and a half i literally wanted to take sum pics a minute ago so i google the cannon e18 message looking for a way to fix it not finding one.
i picked up my camera turned it on got the message it turned off by itself so without turning my camera on or opening the lens i blew on the closed lens
then without turning the camera on i manually seperated the lens cover and
blew on it
then i turned my camera on and it was working
My powershot 590is experience 'Lens error restart camera', when I restart the camera, the lens still remain inside and the camera switch off automatically. I wonder if anybody have the same experience or does anyone have any suggestion on how to fix it.
I have an S2 IS that has served me well for 3-1/2 years. I resuscitated it once after I left it in the rain for two days! I really hope I can fix this e18 thing. I don't know what happened -- my camera was in its padded case, but when I took it out the disk drive door was broken. Then I turned it on and got the E18. I must have banged or dropped it without realizing it, although the case is very padded so I can't believe it got THAT banged up. Boo hoo.
Thanks For This Site.
I got the Lens Error freezeup after taking pictures on a windy beach with my 14 month old Canon A720IS and that was the end of my vacation pictures.
[after viewing this site at home today] A firm bang on the USB rubber, after some unsucessful soft hits and hopefully not-damaging prying all over, allowed the lens to start working properly again.
Earlier in the day I checked out the newer cameras just in case, and avoided looking at ANY Canons.
I have a brand new SD780 IS and I just got the error message this morning. However, it doesn't say E18, it just says "Lens error restart camera". I'm unable to restart the camera, it's just frozen. I'm going to see if I can still return it and I'll go with a different brand. This is my second canon with problems. It's too bad because I loved how fast this camera was.
Thank you SO much for your advice. This is the second Canon A570 I purchased because of the lens error. Thanks to your website, I tapped it on the rubber USB part and it worked! I'm in the middle of a multi week road trip so it was so disappointing when this happened yesterday. I'm going to try it with the other camera once I get home. You saved me a lot of headache.
I had this error on my SD1100 after a little over a year of use. No sand or dirt should have entered as we keep good care of our camera at all times. I did try the banging and taking the battery out, but neither worked. I finally tried the canned air method around the lens area and this did the trick. I am hoping this will not happen again.
Many thanks for the helps, my 5 years old Canon Powershot A80 had since 2 days the E18 and I was tried with your No. 3. idea - I opened the USB cover and had simply shaked the camera to the table - and now the E18 was gone, I could make photos again! Fantastic! I hope it will be stable. Fine, that I found your homepage and could fix it. Thanks again!
One of my children recently drop my Ixus 40. After that the lens made some noise. Shortly after that the error E18 appeard, while the lens was fully opened. I wouldn't close anymore.
At first I tried opening the camera, but I didn't have the right screwdriver, so I tried hitting the camera with the site on my desk. And i worked. The lens still makes some noise, but I can use the camera again.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! We've had our Canon PowerShot SD450 for 4 years and NEVER had a problem with it until getting the E18 message. My lens was stuck open and I couldn't get it to close. When I turned it on it would beep a few times, show the E18 error message and then automatically turn off. Considering that I am pregnant and spending a lot of money on baby supplies, I didn't want to have to buy a new camera so I did a google search and happily stumbled across this site. I tried several combinations of banging the camera near the USB port, jiggling/twisting the extended lens, and pushing the lens back in. Thanks to Derek Graham, I was brave enough to try pushing it in and...(drum roll please)...it worked!!! I turned the camera on and quickly (before it powered off again) pushed the lens in firmly. It clicked and went all the way in before it extended again. Now it is working normally. Thanks again for this site!
When your camera e18's and won't work anymore let your annoying friends kid play with it and then when they won't want to repair it they will feel guilty for a long long time. That's a fine way to go for a great little camera!
I purchased a refurbished PS S400. It shows the E18 error. At first the lens extended now it doesn't. Another time when it would not function it only showed "Memory Card Error" on screen plus it erased my pictures.. What is going on????
If you cannot fix your Canon lens with either the E:18 lens error or "Lens Error Restart Camera" message we can replace the lens for you for usually $85 or less!
Check out our website and see if we can help!
Thomas
e18 error , first experience in 9 years, maybe 10,000 fotos, simply gently pulled on extended lens, rotated gently , clockwise and cclockwise,,, good as new, i protect my a70 from dirst, dust etc, its a precision instrument and one must take care of it.my only complaint is i started getting pink fotos, old batteries and old foto card. all good, i would buy another canon
hahahahahaha!!!!! Thank Google for bringing me here, and THANKS for whoever did this site! I forgot how I used to fix it by wiggling the lens, and I'll be darned, pressing around the lens just fixed the IS!!!!! I can't afford another camera this summer and I've been looking and haven't found one for my christmas list anyway! I should get a lot more shots from this one now. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
My S2IS just started the E18 thing. I've had 2 other less expensive powershots also develop the problem. LOVE the camera's. The less expensive ones just gave me reason to buy up a level....this time going to try and fix the problem, and if I can't, switch brands.
This Sx 110 IS powershot is my second canon in a row to receive this error.
I dropped my IXUS55 and saw this error. The lens wouldn't retract, when I turned on it would make a whirring noise as it attempted to retract the lens, but then failed and came up with the E18 message. After reading this web site I tried pushing and twisting the lens in as I powered on. After a couple of goes it made a click and went back in. Camera now seems to be working properly
Just received E18 message after changing the batteries on my PowerShot A620. Mysteriously went away after I let it sit a awhile stuck in the "on" mode and tried it again. This is the first time this has happened to me in the two years I've had the camera. Thanks for the website.
Almost one month without an E18 since my high tech solution of wedging the motor with cardboard.
But now...
Slow zoom still works silently no error.
Power on however is taking at least 2 trys to work with mild grinding noise.
Fast zoom appears so far to work ok but is getting noisy.
Just my humble opinion but:
Dear Canon, Nikon, <insert here> all other camera mfgs.
Why is it the law to force everyone to use this obviously monkeylike technology of using a motor to extend the lens and to control the zoom. If people are too lazy to strain themselves to flex their wrist and do it manually, they don't deserve to own a camera. Just make a camera that is manual on lens extension and power up and manual on zoom.
There. 99.9999999% of lens error problems solved instantly for any and all digital cameras, not just Canon. Since no motor would be involved, the price could be dropped by, um, lets say $100 and you would make more profit and regain your reputation.
My idea of the perfect camera for century 21 is to simply redesign an ancient pentax me super with a ccd, memory card, and the 2 displays to biew the image both in the viewfinder and a flat display on the back of the camera.
Is that like... entirely too complex an idea to implement?
All I know is my wrist never, ever, in a million years is going to suddenly go oops! E18.
The whole thing could prolly be fixed with some glue, a popsicle stick, and a drill. (alright, maybe a 555 timer to bypass the lens position reader) but removing that in the firmware would work just as well.
Now, I have to take it apart (again) for the (forth time). Canon, you really should be paying me for the labor and design engineering im forced into by your cameras.
WOW! I paid to repair it once before...I can't believe it was that simple to repair! All I did was grab the lens barrels firmly, and give a little twist...not too hard, of course, just enough to get them past whatever was blocking...anyway...thanks!!!
One note - I feel that this issue was caused by my camera inadvertantly turning on while in the case - causing the lens to try to extend when it can't...to avoid this, I always make sure to put the camera in display mode, rather than picture mode (I have an A95), so even if it comes on in the case, the lens won't extend...
Thanks for the help...and I hope my suggestion helps someone avoid it in the first place!
David
My Power Shot G7 developed a black dot in the upper left hand corner. I thought something was on the lens but it was inside so I had to send it in.Of course it was just out of warranty and I didn't have the "extended warranty"(why do you need an extended warranty on an item like this?)Anyway: $145 and when it came back-3or4 on/offs and E18!! I never had that problem before it was sent in to be"fixed". Sent back, returned with same problem, sent back returned with the same problem, got back 2 days ago, same problem. With the cost of the repair and the initial costs I am in for over $700 which is too much to lose by smashing the p.o.s.! Never buy Canon or never use their repair service (which they claim there are only two sites in the entire country that are capable of "fixing" it) My Spring photo shoot is ruined and all I have is ill temper. By the way none of the quick fixes work for this camera.
Excellent!!
I banged the SOB against the table near the USB cover and it works!!
Now I feel like I'm walking on eggshells because I can't trust the SOB.
Thanks Guys!!!
I have had three canon cameras, one powershot 400 and two sx100. They all got the problem of the lens being stuck.
I got the note that, while still under warranty, canon wouldn't repair my first sx100 unless I paid $100. I refused and I bought a new sx100 (in retrospect not so smart) I got the new one coincidentally, the same week as my broken one was returned. After 10 days, I get the similar probem with the lens being stuck, on my new one. Luckily I could return it and got most of the money back (<14 days).
In my frustration, I banged the broken camera a few times as posted on http://camerarepair.blogspot.com/2007/12/fixing-lens-error-on-digital-camera.html, and that actually solved it..
t
I bought a A410 some two years ago.The other day after replacing batteries the camera wouldnt start. I took out the little button cell that keeps the camera settings and put it back in again,then tapped onto the USB cover as proposed as repair method and the camera worked again.Never was exposed to dust and dirt.
PowerShot SD550. This is my first E18 experience. I tapped the USB cover against the edge of a desk and -- voila! -- problem fixed.
I have had #18 a couple of times on my PowerShot S45. All you need to do is use some subtle persuation to slightly move the lens back and forth in order to get it back on track. This will indeed fix itself and you'll be a happy camper once again.
I have a Canon SX100IS and got the "lens error, restart camera" message. Tapping the side of the camera (where the USB socket is located) against my hand solved the problem. Thanks a lot for the tip, great stuff.
a70
the lens extended and then retracted
method #3 helped
Powershot S50. #3 worked for me. I just tapped it on the rubber USB cover on its side a couple of times. THANK YOU!
I have a Powershot A590 IS and had the lens error. Thanks to solution #4, a little tug on the outer ring of the lens did the trick.
People seem to be frustrated because they think they take good care of their camera by keeping it in a case but I've read that cases accumulate debris and actually increase your chance of getting a lens error.
We have Canon PowerShot S60 for about 5 years and had never problems with it. few weeks ago we got this EE18 error. I try to find out something more about it.
I dropped my Canon PowerShot S410 when a tour guide suddenly picked up her pace in a cathedral in Cordoba. I bought my camera in the U.S. at Best Buy. I tried the instructions for pressing on the lens (using one finger and a thick lens cloth). It worked. Thanks!!! I thought I would have to buy a new camera.
I have just had the E18 error message from my Canon Powershot A510 which I purchased new from Best Buy 3 1/2 years ago. So far it has only happened once but, from what I've read, I should probably start saving my money to buy a new camera. It will be a cold day in hell before I buy another Canon product of any kind! That said, I was able to get my error cleared and my camera seems to be working fine for now. After reading that it was a lens problem I turned the camera on and immediately pressed gently against one side of the lens housing and then the other. To my suprise that worked. The lens extended fully and the problem seems to be fixed for now. Then I found the online repair instructions which I printed out for later use. Although my camera seemed to be working OK for now, I followed the instructions that describe how to check to see if there is more of a gap on one side of the lens housing than the other. There was a slightly larger space on one side so I followed the instructions and pressed down gently on that side until I heard a click. The gap is now even all around the lens housing.
The two things that bother me most about this whole issue is that, (a) the only place my camera has ever been dropped is onto my bed from about 10 inches above and it has always been kept clean and in it's case and (b) that Canon is charging its customers around $150.00 each for a repair service when they could have easily given instructions to those customers on how to fix themselves at home with no special tools or knowledge! They should be ashamed of themselves. Unfortunately I am sure they are not. Please don't buy anything else that was made by Canon. It is glaringly obvious that the only way to get their attention is by hitting them where it hurts; in their wallets. No that their reputation has been damaged I wouldn't be surprised if they either change their name or start selling their cameras under a different brand name so I plan to be very thorough in researching what I am buying from now on. I hope you will also. :>)
After being quoted £170 today I contacted the above site and Yahoo!!!!!!! The blower fix worked for me. All I used was my lens blower down the sides of the lens and body casing for about 2-3 mins and pushed the lens with the palm of my hand, this bit was a bit scary cos I pushed quite firmly and then click!!!!! and then it went all the way, a couple more on offs with the on off switch and everything was back to normal and £170 richer, well sort of,, cheers for the great advice......
Derek
After being quoted £170 today I contacted the above site and Yahoo!!!!!!! The blower fix worked for me. All I used was my lens blower down the sides of the lens and body casing for about 2-3 mins and pushed the lens with the palm of my hand, this bit was a bit scary cos I pushed quite firmly and then click!!!!! and then it went all the way, a couple more on offs with the on off switch and everything was back to normal and £170 richer, well sort of,, cheers for the great advice......
Derek
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