Canon A530 lens cover

A stuck lens cover is a fairly common problem, but it is normally easy to fix. A single grain of sand jamming the cover mechanism is normally the culprit, and you want to try to dislodge it: 1) Try blowing lots of compressed air around the lens cover to clean the mechanism. Or use a hair dryer for a few seconds (don't want to heat up the camera). Use no heat mode if possible. 2) Slide a thin strip of paper between the lens cover shutters and the outer support ring. Work it around 360 degres to clear out any debris that may be in there. 3) With the lens barrel extended and pointed downward, tap the lens barrel with a pencil while you extend and retract the lens by powering the camera on and off. Repeat the above three steps several times. If repeated tries don't work (keeping in mind that it usually does), it then may be necessary to open the lens barrel to access the lens cover mechanism.

You can open the lens barrel up to fiix the covers, but only as a very last resort. The above procedures normally work if you try them enough. But for those particularly nasty stuck mechanisms, here's an example repair on a Canon Powershot A400 (do this at your own risk, and it will void your warranty).

easy fix. yo turn it on and then very lightly tap the lens cover or push it out. then you should clean the lens because the dirt or dust on the lens is stopping the lens cover.

If your camera is still under warranty, the best thing you can do is to take it to the nearest official Canon repair shop and Canon should fix it for free.

If your camera is out of warranty, or if Canon refuses to repair it for free (happens sometimes if for example they suspect the camera has not been treated properly) you can try some of the methods listed here to repair it yourself. These simple methods have helped a lot of people fix their cameras.

Before trying any of the suggestions, make sure your Canon has fresh batteries and it is in recording mode.

1) Remove the batteries from the camera, wait for a couple of minutes, then put them back in and turn the camera on.

2) Try compressed air. With a fine tip blow off gun and dry compressed air (20 lbs) set the tip between the lens turret and the camera body and turn on the air while moving the tip around the lens. It should remove all dust and sand. Turn the camera on and it should function fine.

3) 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.

4) Try forcing the camera lens:

Turn off the camera. Place it on the back with the lens facing up and take a look at the spacing between the lens and the lens housing. If you notice that the gap is not even all the way around the lens, the problem should be easy to fix. This type of a problem usually occurs if the camera was dropped while the lens was extended.

Simply - VERY GENTLY - press down the lens on the side where the gap is the biggest. You should hear a "click" as it pops back into place. Try powering the camera back on.

If the lens doesn't extend at all or it extends, and then retracts again, do the following. Turn the camera off. Take the camera in one hand and with the other gently take one part of the lens and gently move it round in a circular movement. Do so with both sections of the lens. You will hear a "click" as it pops back in place. Power the camera on.

Another version of this fix would be to pull and twist on the largest ring of the lens while turning the camera on. Listen for a "click". If at first the focus seems to be off, turn the camera on and off and take lots of pictures, close ups and distance. Focus should slowly start improving.

5) If that doesn't work, there is an online guide for dismantling Canon cameras and fixing the E18 error. (NOTE: Try this only if your camera is no longer under warranty!) It is a great guide with pictures and it can be found here.

regards iversh
a very helpful rating is apreciated for answering ur query.....

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

My wife's Canon SD200 got stuck with an open lens and the E18 error. I opened the case and wiggled things and still nothing. Then, I turned the camera on and started tapping the edge of the lens casing with the magnifying glass I'd been using (need the battery and memory chip in place and make sure you've transferred pictures to your computer before trying this). Voila! The lens closed. But, of course, it wouldn't open and still gave the E18 error. Well, one good tap deserved another and Voila! again. It opened. After a few more iterations - and cleaning the lens casing each time, it was back to normal. The trick is the timing of the tapping. Just after turning on the power to the camera start tapping on the lens casing - not hard - just a light tapping. And don't tap on the glass lens itself -- you don't want to really break it.

Try blowing lots of compressed air around the open lens shutter to clean the mechanism. Or use a hair dryer for a few seconds (don't want to heat up the camera). Also with the lens barrel extended and pointed downward, tap the lens barrel with a pencil while you extend and retract the lens by powering the camera on and off. A grain of sand in the mechanism is usually the culprit, and you want to try to dislodge it.

You can open it up, but only as a very last resort. The above procedures usually work if you try them enough. But for those particularly nasty stuck mechanisms, here's an example repair on a Canon Powershot A400 (do this at your own risk, and be aware this will void your warranty):

http://camerarepair.blogspot.com/2007/11/repair-of-stuck-lens-covers.html

Are you talking about the shutter, or the lens hood/flap on the exterior end of the lens?
If you are referring to the shutter, yes the other solution would be correct. But in doing that you will will spend more than you did for the camera itself. It is NOT a free repair!
If you are referring to the exterior lens cover, I have have the same issue with my A530 & have found that I just need to lightly brush the flap back with a fingertip & it will open. It is a hassle, but the alternative is again to spend money, and lose the camera to to shop for several weeks. So I deal with the minor hassle.

The "E18" error code indicates an error that involves the lens unit or lens cover. The grinding noise you hear-to my regret- means that len's mechanism is malfunction. This type of problem could be fixed by professional only.

I had this happen to a camera of mine a while ago, and I don't think there is a lot you can do except call Canon to see if they'll fix it or get a new camera, but before you do that, you could have a go at taking the whole camera apart and checking out how the lens works to try and see what's going on. Some gears are probably out of place. If you're lucky, you might be able to put them back.

this would be because there is something stuck in the lens..could be the rubber protection stuck not enabling your lens to pop bback into position.i tried gently tapping the lens an gently twisting it to enable movement in my lens