I have a Canon PowerShot S2 IS and all of a sudden I cannot get an impage in view finder nor the flip lens. Any suggestions?

If you want to look through the viewfinder, you must turn off the screen.
Save battery power as well.

this means there is a problem with your lens system. If Lens system seems ok then problem may be with the CCD/CMOS repairing which will be pretty costly and will need a expert hands to fix it.

A stuck shutter is another common failure mode for digital cameras, but especially so for the S2 IS. The symptoms of a stuck or "sticky" shutter are very similar to CCD image sensor failure. The camera may take black pictures (for shutter stuck closed), or the pictures may be very bright and overexposed, sometimes with lines, especially when taken outdoors (for shutter stuck open). To confirm a stuck shutter, put the camera in any mode other than "Auto", and turn the flash OFF (you don't want to blind yourself for the next step). Next look down the lens and take a picture. You should see a tiny flicker in the center of the lens as the shutter opens and closes. If no movement is seen, then you likely have a stuck shutter. If so, please see this link for further info and a simple fix that may help.

When the big LCD is black the view finder will turn on, right?
You need to replace a new hinge unit. Here is similar solution
How to fix an intermittent display LCD on Canon PowerShot S5IS

There appears to be an issue with the S2 IS after two years.  See the reviews on Canon's website: http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&tabact=DownloadDetailTabAct&fcategoryid=322&modelid=11368#ModelDetailAct

If yours is two years old then you are probably out-of-luck.  It would probably cost more to repair than to simply replace.
You can at least save your photos by removing the memory card and reading the files using a memory card reader on a PC or MAC.

Your camera has the know issue of Stuck shutter, whichhappens after some time (weeks or months) thata camera is notused.

Unfortunately the repair of it requires a complete disassembly of the camera, including the lens, fix it, and then put back together everything.

Definitely requires th skills, tools and experience to do it, so it's recommended that a professional camera repair center is performing this type of repair.

If you look for a reliable and low cost repair service for it, you can look in ebay for such repair services.

Example, look for seller ID Great_items_2004 or with the keywords "Shutter black S2".

Best regards,

I won't say this is a solution but to prevent the lens retraction E18 message which seems to be common with Canon zoom lenses, I put the extension tube on mine. Sometimes I put a polarizer lens on it but usually I just leave it on to protect the lens when it is on. I have dropped it (on the carpeting at home) and never had a problem. If you have a Canon with a zoom lens, get a lens hood for it ASAP!! My wife's A520 has one on hers too. No problems.
There are lots of other places on the web with suggested fixes. Keep looking and keep enjoying this camera. Merry Christmas all.

problems optical zoom canon PC1130

see http://www.fixya.com/support/t295396-canon_s2_black_screen for a fix

Sounds like you have a bad CCD. You can try contacting Canon to check out your options on how to get this repaired. Unfortunately the S2IS is not on their CCD recall list of cameras.