My Panasonic DMC-TZ3 lens cover gets stuck and won't open completely. It has been getting worse. If I CAREFULLY assist it, it will fully open. I don't remember any trauma, such as dropping the camera. I've had it almost a year and a half and the problem started about 6 months ago. I am going on a big trip in a week and need a reliable camera. Thanks! Bradley

Lens covers are delicate things. A bit of dust or dirt inside and the the springs can't do their job. When cleaning doesn't work, to repair this I remove the lens cover and shorten the springs by cutting off a bit and then reattaching them. A small bit of mollyd to lubricate helps too. never use oil or silicone.

Try these procedures.

Hi,
Do you mean the shutters which protect the lens? If this is the case, are you able to carefully open them by hand? If so, there is a chance that a bit of dirt is preventing the shutters from opening. You might be able to get rid of the dirt by carefully sliding a bit of paper (I find yellow post-it notes perfect for this) in between the shutter and inside of the lens to shift the possible dirt. Also, you can try putting a minute drop of isopropyl alcohol (used in lens cleaning fluid) in between the shutters and the lens assembly so the possible dirt dissolves - then try to carefully open the shutters by hand. I don't recommend using any other alcohol/liquid for that.

Other than that, it's an absolute pain to get to the shutters to fix them properly on TZ3. Basically, the lens would need to be almost completely stripped-guide to do that would be beyond the scope of this site :)

Good luck,
Raf

You can refer this guide, fix it DIY
How to fix a sticky lens barrier on Canon A530

See my solution to this common problem on other questions from those with same problem.

If the camera is powering on as indicated by a normal screen, you can sometimes coax out the lens by rapping the camera against the heal of your other hand, or a hard surface covered with a cushion, like a double with towel.

The idea is to try to free it up without damaging the camers. This problem is common on cameras if dropped or have a few years on them. It is even more common for the Lens Cover on the TZ3 to behave this way. If it is the plastic lens cover that won't open, you can coax it open with a toothpick and if it closes again, I would just carefully pull this plastic cover right out and as a manual plastic cover that will fit the lense.

In any case, it is getting dated by the TZ5, so an alternate is to sell the defectic TZ3 on Ebay and buy a newer TZ5, new or used, on ebay to replace it. Reparmen buy popular cameras like the TZ3 to fix and resell them. If you have everything that came with it, including the box, it is probably worth $40 as is.

Common problem with TZ3. You can try to lub lens cover using graphite lub. Use it sparingly and after lens works, wipe off excess with dust cloth. Be sure not to get any on lens itself.

If lub doesn't work, you can pull out the lens cover altogether and find a manual lens cap the will fit.

The other option is to sell it on ebay to a repairman in a auction and replace it with another working used ones. Keep your accessories and by a used one cheap without accessories.

You may be able to free up what is hanging lens by rapping the camera smartly against the heel of your hand, or on a harder surface covered you a cushion of two laps of bath towel. Do not rap the lens itself of course.

If this does not work, you can try puffing a small amount of graphite lube into the two shelled sections of an extended lens and get it to retract and extend a few time. If this works, wipe the extended lens down good with a dust attracting cloth. Graphite lub is used because it does not attract dust, making a friction problem even worse over time, like oil based lub do. Graphite lub is available at any HW store in a small plastic tube made to squeeze, expelling (puffing) a small amount of fine graphite onto a precise locations.

If none of this works, sell your camera to a repairman on an ebay auction, and replace it with a working used, refurb w/warranty, or new one from ebay. Prices are cheap because the TZ3 has been replaced with the newer TZ5, and millions of TZ3s, an awesome camera I own, were sold. .

This is a common problem with TZ3s. Power the camera on, then puff a little graphite onto the lens cover and coax it open with a tooth pic. Do this, powering the camera on/off till lens opens normally. Add little more graphite if necessary, but sparingly.

Graphite is used because it is extremely slippery, but will not attract dust like an oil will. At the same time, it is black! so you don't want to use anymore than absolutely necessary make lens work. Even then, check to be sure lens itself is clean after, and wipe carefully with an Eyeglass lens cloth only if necessary.

Another option in to remove the lens cover altogether by just pulling the leafs out of the camera. Another option is to sell your working but lens cover problem to a repairman on ebay, and buy a good TZ3 or TZ5 on ebay used, refurbished or new. Good prices if you bide your time.

Don't put in your best bid to the very last minute of the auction. In the mean time, put a camera you are interested in on your MyEbay Watch list and set a reminder alarm on your cell phone about 5 minutes before the auction is to close, then if the price is still good, enter your best bid 30 seconds before the end of the auction. Refresh the auction page on your PC to keep track of the bidding right up to the last 30 minutes so you can see the last remain bid and if it is worth outbidding on this camera. Again, if you are not in a hurry and bide your time, you can get a great buy. There are plenty of these cameras sold every day.

The TZ3 has a design problem with their new automatic lens cover, ie, manual lense cap on TZ1 was illiminated on TZ3.

Make sure your lense cover is completely retracted in front of the lense. If not, nudge it fully opened and see if this solves you problem. If it does, contact Panasonic with your problem. If not under warranty, tell them you want them to fix 'their' problem on your camers. Google it on the net and see how common this problem is.