Powershot SX60 zoom whirring

[Marie1952]

I have been using my Powershot SX60 today and everything was fine, until it suddenly started making a noise - a sort of ratcheting whirr - when I use the zoom. I don’t have any idea why, although I wondered if it had anything to do with the camera getting very cold. Can anyone help?

[JoT]

I have just had the same problem and haven't found a way of correcting this.  I took the camera into my local camera store and they just said ' broken ' !   Did you have any success with a solution?  Would be happy to hear about any solutions you found.

[Marie1952]

No, unfortunately I haven't found a solution. But so far the camera is, in fact, still working.

[newsense52]

Make sure the battery is always fully charged. After inserting the battery do not power on right away, take a lapse of about one minute then  press the power on. Also be sure to  update the correct date and time everytime you power on, as the zoom lens  is racheting informing you to change the date and time first,  if the camera was not used for a week or days.

[John_]

Could be because it was cold but then it will stop doing that when it warms up...did it? If not it sounds like a mechanical issue with the zooming system. Perhaps some sand or something got in there somehow, you can try vacuuming it out, tapping it gently to dislodge any debris in there and hopefully they come out. They sell attachment sets for vacuum cleaners that have small wands for doing keyboards and other small equipment. If you send it to Canon they most likely will offer you a refurb in lieu of a repair. A repair will be expensive since they replace the whole lens assembly not parts.

With any luck either it will go away by itself or at the very least not prevent you from zooming and taking pictures.

[Richard]

Hi Marie 1952,

Thank you for posting.

If this issue is still affecting your camera, from your description, it sounds like your camera will require service to correct this issue. You may set up the repair of your camera at this site: https://www.usa.canon.com/repair. When accessing our site, we recommend the use of updated versions of the Chrome or Firefox browsers.

Once on our site, click on "Request Product Repair". On the next page, you may create an account or log into your existing account. These options make it easier to request the repair of more than one product. You may also choose the "Continue" button to "Continue without an Account".