Yup. The title says it all. From the gritty noise when the lens would zoom, I'm pretty confident that there's sand in it - and the last time I turned the camera on, the lens got stuck in the open position and there it stays. Now it won't fully turn on (says there's a lens problem and to restart the camera - then shuts itself off). Do I dare take it apart and try to clean it myself? It's still in warranty - but I would imagine that that isn't covered... I'm against sending my camera somewhere for 6 weeks if it can be avoided. I love it and used it constantly before this little incident.
suggestions?
Thank you in advance!
I did try this, actually - and it helped a bit - and then, I suppose more sand shifted around and now it's totally stuck. When I turn it on, it does not even sound or feel as if the lens is trying to move - the sound and movement seems to come from deeper within the camera.I did try this, actually - and it helped a bit - and then, I suppose more sand shifted around and now it's totally stuck. When I turn it on, it does not even sound or feel as if the lens is trying to move - the sound and movement seems to come from deeper within the camera.
AnonymousJul 12, 2008
yup i went to the beach today and had the same thing happen... this is a relatively new camera for me and i love it... i'm afraid to try anything to fix it..yup i went to the beach today and had the same thing happen... this is a relatively new camera for me and i love it... i'm afraid to try anything to fix it..
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133 Answers
Re:
Best advise i can give you is to get an air canister at your local walmart or whatever store. use the tube and get in the little cracks with it, try to move the lens in or out a LITTLE while you spray so it loosens the sand enough for the spray to move it out.
looks like no camera for you for about 6 weeks sorry, remember to send it with reciept requested, sorry again,looks like no camera for you for about 6 weeks sorry, remember to send it with reciept requested, sorry again,
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Sounds like while you were fixing it, you crossed a thread somewhere. For the focus to be out on both manual and auto is a give in. All it takes is the finest spec of sand or... bogey to get wrapped up in the threads...and it's night nurse. You can try putting it in Manual Focus Mode, rotating the lens slowly till you hear or feel resistence...then you'll get a better idea of where you're at. If there's resistance, it's crossed - if there's a gritty sound, a piece of sand or snot is throwing out the barrels.
Basically that will be extremely expensive, and probably not worth it. Resign yourself to the fact that the camera is fubar, and replace it with a newer model. Remember NOT to get sand in this one.
i read the manual, and they recommend bringing it to a service center, after turning it on and off. Sometimes sand gets stuck in the lens, or sometimes the internal button cell battery goes dead which would disable the zoom. If you feel confident in your component abilities, crack it open and replace that battery.
Sounds like there is some issue with the lens mechanism. Most probably something
like a grain of sand fell into the cogs in the zoom mechanism (been
taking pictures on a beach? ;). Dirt gets into the mechanism through
the gaps between the zoom barrels and the camera body. One tiny grain
of sand is enough to cause the lens mechanism to jam or malfunction. Unfortunately,
this is a problem with pretty much all compact zoom cameras. Usually
there is not much you can do with this. First thing I try in cases like
these is gently tapping the camera to shift whatever might be blocking
the mechanism. If unsuccessul, then only way I know to fix this is
completely stripping the lens to clean it or swapping the lens with one
taken from another camera ("donors" available on ebay ;). If you are
not keen on tinkering with your camera I would suggest selling it on
ebay - TZ3s with lens mechanism issues still fetch pretty good prices. Sorry if this is not much of a help, but unfortunately there is no easy fix to this one. Good luck, Raf
If you mention "ticking clock" sounds, then most probably something like a grain of sand fell into the cogs in the zoom mechanism (been taking pictures on a beach? ;). Dirt gets into the mechanism through the gaps between the zoom barrels and the camera body. One tiny grain of sand is enough to cause the lens mechanism to jam or malfunction. Unfortunately, this is a problem with pretty much all compact zoom cameras. Usually there is not much you can do with this. First thing I try in cases like these is gently tapping the camera to shift whatever might be blocking the mechanism. If unsuccessul, then only way I know to fix this is completely stripping the lens to clean it or swapping the lens with one taken from another camera ("donors" available on ebay ;). If you are not keen on tinkering with your camera I would suggest selling it on ebay - TZ5 with lens mechanism issues still fetch pretty good prices.
From repairman's point of view I can say that TZ5 / TZ3 (same lens design) are much better in in terms of "resisting dirt" than various other manufacturers. They are very well made and relatively easy to dismantle and fix. This is most probably the reason why even broken ones still sell quite well on ebay.
Of course, you might get unlucky with most robust piece of kit :(
Well, hope this helps. Good luck with your TZ5. Raf
You have sand or some other small particles trapped between the moving parts of the lens. But I don't recommend you to try to clean it! Because you need to disassemble the camera and if you don't set the lens as exactly as it should be, the images will be blurry forever!
Sounds like the camera is trying to focus if you hear sound when pressing the shutter halfway down or zooming. If the noise is a scraping or grinding sound, you might have debris stuck between the cracks of the lens and the camera body. This happened to me after i dropped my canon sd550 on the beach just once and it never recovered. Next to water sand has got to be one of a camera's worse enemy.
Also, the lens might be cocked a bit which would prevent the camera from focusing and zooming smoothly. Try gently adjusting the the lens. Sometimes the slightest imperfection in the lens will throw everything off. Good luck!
It sounds like your lens's focus element is stuck. Given the events you describe it is possible that a grain of sand has worked its way into the focus motor's gearing and jammed it up. Normally the small motor moves the focus optic in and out to achieve proper focus, if its movement is limited or completely jammed you will experience blurry pictures.
The camera will have to be disassembled and the sand cleaned out to restore normal function. There are repair providers you can find online who can work on your camera.
David Millier
Advance Camera Repair
I did try this, actually - and it helped a bit - and then, I suppose more sand shifted around and now it's totally stuck. When I turn it on, it does not even sound or feel as if the lens is trying to move - the sound and movement seems to come from deeper within the camera.
yup i went to the beach today and had the same thing happen... this is a relatively new camera for me and i love it... i'm afraid to try anything to fix it..
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