"Lens Error, Restart Camera" pblm with 2 month old Canon Elph 100HS

<p>A couple of months ago, I was given a Canon Elph 100HS as a gift. It has worked perfectly up until now (ie, a few hundred shots) and I've had a great time using it. It has been utterly babied - never dropped, never to the beach, never left in a hot car, always in a case when not in use, etc.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, this afternoon, I went to use it and saw that somehow, while sitting in my desk drawer in the soft Lowepro holster that I store it in, the lens had somehow extended itself. Clearly, it had not been extended when I put it in the case because it doesn't fit through the opening with the lens extended. </p>

<p>I reached in and cycled the power button, but even that wouldn't get it to retract. Peeking in, it just kept giving me the ""Lens Error, Restart Camera" message. I cut the case away (ouch ... there goes $15) to get it out, and still no luck. Googling the problem, I see quite a few suggestions saying that if you hit the camera, it may start working again. I didn't do this, but I do feel like shoving it up some orifice of the nearest Canon rep I can find. :-( . I still have a Nikon F from the early 1960's and many other cameras with hundreds of thousand shutter actuations each that all continue to work perfectly. </p>

<p>Of course, I'm going to try to get the person who gave me the camera to dig up the sales receipt and try to get it repaired / replaced under warranty, but in the interim, any suggestions (...yes, I've already taken the battery out). Is this a common experience with these little digital P&S cameras? Do their more expensive P&S models like the G12 also suffer from infant mortality issues like this?</p>

<p>Steamed in DC (for more reasons than one),</p>

<p>Tom M</p>

<p>Some camera's don't do well when stored with the battery in place. I'm unsure if Canon puts a off switch on the Elph -- but if you send it in for warranty repair, you may have to get used to pulling the battery out when you put the camera up for a couple of days. [Nikon F bodies are of a different breed...camera batteries not required to work the shutter, shutter speeds, or to advance the film.]</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Thanks, Jerry - That camera does indeed have an OFF switch, but I had just used it the previous evening, ie only about 12 hours earlier, so it would be a pretty poor design if the battery needed to be removed for such a short time interval.</p>

<p>Tom M</p>

<p>Canon seems to have an issue with this type of thing. Google E18 error. It's a 'calibration' issue between the gearbox and the lens' position. ;^)</p>

<p>Typically it means the camera needs to go in for service, you could try and gently press on the lens when turning the camera on or off and see if that is enough to engage the gears and get the thing to retract. In Canada Canon charges a flat rate repair so you might be able to see if it's worth it first by calling.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Thanks, Kevin - The person who gave me the camera as a gift is out of town and has the receipt, so I have to wait for them to return. BTW, since I originally started this thread, I found out that it is an E18 error and did try wiggling, pushing, pulling, etc. on the lens during start-up. Unfortunately, I had no luck doing so. Thanks,</p>

<p>Tom M</p>