My Powershot SD950 IS will not turn on. When I depress the on button, a red light flashes and the telescopic lens comes out, but the LCD does not come on. We have recharged the battery and it still won't turn on. I'd appreciate any help you can offer troubleshooting the problem. Thanks, Chris

Hi,

Here is a tip that I wrote about How toget a Digital Camera Lens to work again

Steps toRepair a Digital Camera Lens
heatman101

Besides the auto-flash mode, you can select fill flash, flash off, self-timer, and nighttime-view with or without flash.
Press the MODE-SELECTOR BUTTON until the desired indicator appears on the LCD PANEL.
Fill flash and flash off modes remain selected after you take the picture. To cancel the selection, press the mode-selection button or close and reopen the lens cover/flash to return to the auto-flash mode.
Fill flash
When bright light indoors or outdoors comes from behind the subject (backlighting), dark shadows (especially on faces) may occur. Use fill flash to lighten these shadows.

1. Open the LENS COVER/FLASH to raise the flash and to turn the camera ON.
2. Press the MODE-SELECTOR BUTTON repeatedly until the FILL-FLASH INDICATOR appears on the LCD PANEL.
3. Frame your subject within the VIEWFINDER EYEPIECE.
4. Partially depress the SHUTTER BUTTON. When the FLASH/CAMERA-READY LAMP turns off and the fill-flash indicator on the LCD panel stops blinking, fully depress the shutter button to take the picture.

Flash off
When you do not want to use the flash, especially indoors where flash is prohibited, such as in theaters and museums, or when you want to take twilight scenes or distant subjects that are beyond the flash range, or capture the ambiance of existing light, use the flash-off feature. Use a tripod or place the camera on another firm support, and use high-speed film because the shutter speed in these situations will most likely be slow.

1. Open the LENS COVER/FLASH to raise the flash and to turn the camera ON.
2. Press the MODE-SELECTOR BUTTON repeatedly until the FLASH-OFF INDICATOR appears on the LCD PANEL.
3. Frame your subject within the VIEWFINDER EYEPIECE.
4. Press the SHUTTER BUTTON to take the picture.

Self-timer with auto flash
Use this feature to include yourself in pictures.

1. Use the TRIPOD SOCKET to attach the camera to a tripod or place it on another firm support.
2. Open the LENS COVER/FLASH to raise the flash and to turn the camera ON.
3. Press the MODE-SELECTOR BUTTON repeatedly until the SELF-TIMER INDICATOR appears on the LCD PANEL.
4. Frame your subject within the VIEWFINDER EYEPIECE.
5. Press the SHUTTER BUTTON. The SELF-TIMER LAMP will glow and then blink during the last three seconds of countdown.
   • To cancel the self-timer selection before the shutter releases, close the flash.
   • The self-timer automatically turns off after the shutter releases.

Night-view with flash
In this mode, the camera balances the flash and existing light exposure so you can take beautiful pictures of people at sunset or at night. Use a tripod or place the camera on another firm support, and use high-speed film because the shutter speed at night will most likely be slow.

1. Open the LENS COVER/FLASH to raise the flash and to turn the camera ON.
2. Press the MODE-SELECTOR BUTTON repeatedly until the NIGHTTIME-VIEW INDICATOR with flash appears on the LCD PANEL.
3. Frame your picture in the VIEWFINDER EYEPIECE.
4. Press and hold the SHUTTER BUTTON for 12 seconds without lifting your finger. Note: If you remove your finger from the shutter button before 12 seconds, the shutter will time out immediately.
   
5. After 12 seconds, release the shutter button to take the picture.

Night-view without flas
In this mode, you can capture the natural existing light of city-night scenes or fireworks at night. Use a tripod or place the camera on another firm support, and use high-speed film because the shutter speed at night will most likely be slow.

1. Open the LENS COVER/FLASH to raise the flash and to turn the camera ON.
2. Press the MODE-SELECTOR BUTTON repeatedly until the NIGHTTIME-VIEW INDICATOR without flash appears on the LCD PANEL.
3. Frame your picture in the VIEWFINDER EYEPIECE.
4. Press and hold the SHUTTER BUTTON for 12 seconds without lifting your finger. Note: If you remove your finger from the shutter button before 12 seconds, the shutter will time out immediately.
   
5. After 12 seconds, release the shutter button to take the picture.

The battery contacts are like little springs, as the camera gets jostled these can stop making good contact. Open the battery case and try force holding the battery against the contacts (You may need to hold a piece of metal across the bottom of the battery as you push) Then see if the camera comes on.

If it does, you may have to stuff, pull, or rig the battery to fit more securely.

Hi there, please relace the battery with new fully charged battery. After that is the same problem happens then clean the power button & clean the lens guide pin internaly. After that your problem will be solve. Thanks.

Might want to take a look at this:
http://canoncanada.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/11506/session/L3Nuby8xL3NpZC9FVFAyZDdCag==
My SD950 just refused to power on during a trip out west. Apparently a screw might have come out that prevents the camera from turning on. The repair is free-of-charge, even fro out-of-warranty period.
It is a beautiful camera: pictures are not too shabby, but the design is fantastic for a portable ...

Try this first before condeming the unit.

1. Turn off the power supply to the Digistat SCR (receiver unit)
and leave for 5 seconds.
2. Turn on power to SCR unit and check red light is on.
3. Press override button No.2 and check the green light comes
on and boiler fires.
4. Press & hold down button No.1 (Keep depressed), then
press No.2 and keep depressed. {The Red LED light will flash
a couple of times and then it will go out}
5. Now release both the buttons – {the two LED lights should
come back on}
6. Get the Digistat+2RF/+3RF unit and stand two metres away
from the SCR unit with the Digistat+2RF/+3RF unit in your hand.
7. Remove the battery cover and fit the batteries.
8. The Red LED light on the SCR will now flash for approx. 7
seconds.
9. This confirms that the radio signal is being sent and
received.
10. The Digistat+2RF/+3RF and the SCR are now successfully
linked by a dedicated RF address.

Hi The product you have given has Built-in flash with Auto, Forced on, Red-eye on, and forced off (Red-eye reduction On or Off).
There is a 1 1/8" diameter lens with a built-in lens cover that automatically opens and closes when the on/off button is pressed. Above the lens is the viewfinder window, flash and tiny (almost unnoticeable) microphone. There is also a small circle that has three functions: the autofocus assist beam, red-eye reduction lamp, self-timer lamp. A wrist strap comes with the camera and attaches through a slot on the front of the camera near the side.
To the right of those buttons is the four-way controller, used for menu navigation as well as:

• Up - Metering (Evaluative, center-weighted, spot)
• Down - Drive (Single-shot, continuous, self-timer)
• Left - Focus (Auto, macro, infinity)
• Right - Flash (Auto w/redeye reduction, auto, flash on w/redeye reduction, flash on, flash off)

I have vertical bars apperaing on my Olympus SP-560,
In my case I know it has been caused by damp on the light sensor behind the lens, which once dried was better. But ideally I need to remove the lens to clean the sensor. Which I've still yet to work how it is done.

i have one.
[email protected]

Got it. I had the same issue with my SD950. If you may have dropped it, this happens quite a bit. Good thing is that the green light goes one still.

Go into the settings mode and reset the camera to its default configuration. This usually works. If you cannot even get to this, the LCD may be damaged beyond a simple reset/software fix and it might need to be repaired.