@JohnL57poly clinic wrote:
I have a PowerShot SD870 IS that I hadn't used in a long time. I charged the battery and the camera worked fine for a couple of minutes then the lens wouldn't retract and I got a "Lens Error". I charged the battery again, I tried starting the camera while holding down the shutter button, and I tried moving a piece of paper around the lens body (to try to clear any obstruction if there was one), but none of that helped. Does anyone have any other suggestions? I was wondering if the camera battery is like a car battery where you can charge it, but it still doesn't have enough power. I don't have another battery or the AC adapter.
It sounds like you’ve covered most of the basics. A "Lens Error" often points to a mechanical issue rather than battery power. If cleaning and recharging didn’t help, consider trying a different battery if possible or take the camera to a repair service.
