My powershot sx20is intermittently gives the following message --- lens error, restart camera.

[Ekepka]

Sometimes on start up, the telephoto lens opens and the moves back and forth several times then stopping with the lens error message. After I restart the camera several times, the lens may operate. Often when the lens error message is given, the lens has not closed properly and comes to rest outside its normal closed position. Can this be fixed? I tried camera reset. Now camera reset on menu is faded out.

[smack53]

It sounds like there may be a mechanical problem with the lens. It could be that some dirt got on the lens barrel and is preventing proper operation of the lens, or the zoom motor may be going bad, or the gear is worn out. There is also the possibility that the lens might be out of alignment. All of these can be expensive repairs, but if its dirt on the lens barrel, you might be able to clean that up by using an index card to gently see if there is any grit that's keeping the lens from functioning. Just insert the corner of the card a little bit in the space around the lens barrel and gently circle the lens. Be careful not to force anything into the body of the camera when doing this. If you are lucky, you will get any dirt out and free up the lens. Since the camera is basically from the end of 2009, the cost to repair it might be more than its' worth.

Steve M.

[Davy]

Obviously the lens is not fully retracting through some reason or other, could be the gears or could be some other part.

You don't say if there were any scraping or rattling noises when the lens was moving, a grain of sand could cause lens problems, had it had a bump at anytime?

There is a couple of things to check that might provide clues, check and see if there are any scratch marks on the lens barrel, lay the camera flat on its back and check the lens unit is central and not tilted to one side. Having said this I doubt a lens error would result in an optyion being 'greyed out'.

The only correct way to reply would be to send it for service, whether the camer value out weighs the cost needs to be considered.

Dave