My camera keeps zooming in all the way on its own and then locks up. I have to shut it off and restart it every time. It's getting to be a real pain.

Its time to get a real camera or a younger husband goodluck smiles

Move the slide switch on the side of the camera.

Try these steps.

Digital cameras require lots of power. Bad electrical contacts can cause lots of problems so battery and camera contacts must be cleaned properly. Batteries may be fully charged, but will be viewed as low if contacts are not really good. The LCD screen is a low steady load, but when lens extension, optical zoom, focus, and flash charging are added in the capture mode; the load is very heavy. Bad contacts make cameras do strange things like making bad pictures or shutting off with the lens out.
Do not overcharge.
Reset by removing power up to one month is the ultimate non-physical repair for DVD recorders and other software using digital devices. Digital cameras reset to original settings if batteries are removed. Time required varies with function and camera, but try one minute. Check display and setup menu for non-auto functions and date/time. Remove extra memory to eliminate this as a possible problem. Insert fully charged batteries and restart the camera.

Don't think you'll have to send it in for repair. How old is your battery? Keep in mind that it isn't meant to last for more than a year or two, regardless of how often it is used. A camera will automatically shut down if its battery power is getting low. This usually occurs when the camera is doing power intensive actions, such as zooming (it uses a motor). Anyways, Amazon has some generic options for you if your battery may be over-the-hill:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_p?url=search-alias%3Dphoto&field-keywords=kodak+m1033+battery

hi...The transmission system that moves the lens in and out has a problem with it's gears. There is most likely a gear or an actuator that has fallen out of alignment and is getting stuck at a certain point as the lens comes in/out.
There is some disturbacnce of the lens arrangement  that is preventing the lens from coming in/out.
Any of these symptoms above could trigger the camera to shut itself off to protect itself from further damage. 
thank u rate me!!!

i had the same problem, i shut the camera off, hit the cassette door a few times (not kidding) and when i turned it on it was fixed. the zoom bar will not show on the camera screen, but it won't keep zooming in by itself!! i had gotten this advice from people who had a similiar problem with the elura 60's models, must be a problem across the board.

It will only lock the lens in the 50mm position (for storage and carrying) or past 100mm (to keep the elements from making contact when using a tc).

I have the same problem. I have no fix in rec mode but if it happens during playback; press menu and select the zoom options. You don't have to pick any but just keep the menu displayed on the screen. I do this while recording the tape to my DVD recorder and it solves the locked zoom problem. The menu display does not get recorded.
This zoom problem is a big pain. We should start a class action suit against Canon. It started within a year of ownership with mine. I bought a Panasonic recently and haven't looked back.
Panasonic doesn't have the slick Canon marketing/packaging but it is a much better machine.

The LCD goes dark after the camera has been inactive for a time, to save battery. When that happens, you can easily restore the LCD display by half-pressing the shutter. If you want to, you can turn this off by selecting menu-setup-SleepTimeout and turn it off. (I don't recommend it, though, as the LCD always on will drain your battery).