Lense stuck out ? DMC-FX01
Lenses sticking out or failing to retract fully are extremely likely to be a result of mechanical breakdown or power failures. Assuming that the battery is not flat and the lens still fails to function one can fairly make the assumption of a mechanical failue.
Further clues pointing to a mechanical fault are grinding noises coming from the lens or clicking noises; these noises are produced by the small plastic gears and motors that move the lens.
Dirt is the probably the number one cause of such failures. Literally a single grain of sand was to blame for the failure of the last camera I fixed. The gears are so small that one grain of sand can jam the teeth and prevent the lens functioning.
So what to do? Taking your camera to the shop is likely to result in the shopkeeper telling you that "the camera is totally ruined and the parts are going to be more expensive than the camera is worth and that's without labour costs!"
This is partly true, new parts are very expensive and so is the time it takes for someone to fix the camera.
It's worth having a go at fixing the camera yourself, it's a challenge, fun and you'll feel rather smug knowing you've saved yourself a lot of money. Also what have you got to loose the alternative is throwing it away as the cost of repair is generally prohibitive.
A source of cheap parts is buying a broken, there a many for sale on internet sites and you can use the broken camera as a trial for dissmantling prior to fixing your own camera.
You'll need a quality (its important to get quality tools as they wont damage screw heads) set of prescicion screwdrivers, a magnifying lens, lots of little cups (to save the screws in), some forceps, a fine brush and a good few hours.
Start by taking the battery out and then take a good look at the camera so as you can put it back together, you don't need to be an electrical engineer but you do need to work logically, never force anything and be observant.
Identify any screws you can see and remove them (anticlockwise to remove, clockwise to tighten). Slowly start to pull the camera to pieces keeping all of the screws in little cups and all of the parts in a well laid out pattern to help you reassemble them. I find working on a large table with a tray is useful.
Most cameras are built in a modular fashion i.e. thay'll have an outer casing, a steel frame, and then a lens unit, a screen unit to view the photos, a flash unit etc which are all fited together to give the finished article, in this case a camera.
Once the main cover is off the lens unit is usually very obvious and will be a discrete unit with usually 2 electrical leads attached to it and the mother board. One of these leads is for focusing, powering and working the lens and the other is for the photoelectrical unit that converts light into your digital images.
Carefully examine the conections and figure out how to disconnect them, it's usually very easy. Now look for any screws or mounting brackets for the lens unit and remove them.
The lens unit sould now be very close to popping out of the camera.
Once you've got tthe lens unit out you can set to work on it. Using the principles of meticulous obseravation and care dissasemble the lens. Great care should be taken at this point not to disrupt any of the delicate working of the lens, also beware that some components may be spring loaded and may jump out at you.
There is occasionally a seperate cover over the gears that move the lens, remove and inspect this, very often sand will get in here and cause the problem. Use a fine brush to sweep away the grains or a needle to pick out individual grains (use some initiative)
At the rear of the lens you will find the photoelectric unit. This is the bit that governs the megapixel number of your camera. It is very fragile so treat it with respect. Do not scratch it or touch it, generally try to avoid it! as they rarely break.
thoroughly clean the workings of the camera so as the gears etc all work smoothly and hopefully you will have fixed teh problem. If you see a white paste around the gears, this is normal, it is the factory fitted lubricant.
Now reassemble the camera, prior to complete reassembly insert the battery and test it, if the problem is not fixed you may need to clean it again or there is another problem which hasn't been addressed.
GOOD LUCK, it's not that difficult
