Canon SX50 HS zoom assist lever stuck

[tjmom]

Last month my camera zoom assist lever became little sticky, hard to operate and in one day stopped working altogether. It is almost as if something got wedged right under the lever.

I researched on this forum and tried the compressed air blower on the lever, also tried to use dental floss which does not seem to go under the lever.

I took it to a camera "repair" shop but they just tried to sell me a newer model.

Really appreciate how this can be fixed

Thanks

[Stephen]

Hi, tjmom!

If it's physically stuck, we suggest reaching out to support for any tips on getting it unstuck, and additional troubleshooting. If they can't get it fixed over the phone, they'll walk you through the process of sending it in to Canon for repair/replacement. They can also let you know what the estimated cost would be for the repair/replacement as well! 

Our team is available by phone at 1-800-OK-CANON (800-652-2666) weekdays from 10am to 10pm (ET). 

[tjmom]

Yes, it is physically stuck. 

Will call the number you have provided. Hopefully, it is a simple solution

The repair shop I visited told me that they would send it to canon for repairs and the cost would be about $200. 

thanks!

[Stephen]

tjmom,

Don't ever go through a "shop" or "retailler" for repairs, unless your camera equipment is no longer serviced by Canon.

Either they're going to act as a "middleman" for the repairs, or they're doing unauthorized repairs.

Acting as a middleman will extend your repair process, and usually tack on some sort of handling fee. I've seen some places take months (literally), and charge upwards of $100 for a handling fee!

Repairs done through Canon USA usually take no more than a week once they're received, and our site will give you an estimate of the cost before it's even sent to us. You're welcome to visit the repair site HERE.

[John_]

To go further would require taking it apart and unfortunately there isnt a sevice manual to help guide you. Perhaps you could fing a You Tube video on that. You could try a drop of pure silicone lubricant under the lever and see if that helps, give it time to seep in. It could just be an internal mechanical failure of that lever and outside of an authorized repair shop or buying a parts only one on an auction site and fixing it yourself your kinda in limbo. A refurbished one would cost less then the cost of repairing yours at this point. I own 2 SX50HS cameras. If you send it to Canon they would most likely offer you a refurbished one instead of waiting for a costly repair.