Canon G11 Lens Error Teardown

[@boszdekler5304]

Thanks a lot for this great video!! My lens got stuck too so i watched all your video. Being on a long journey i was disappointed this lens error occurred. So after seeing your video i decided to put some more force on lens turning it back in. Either to win or lose. It went in after some force and seems to be working as normal again. I am so happy your video made me risk it!!!

[@1nformatica]

You're welcome! These are great cameras so I hope yours keeps working for many years to come!! Have a great day!!

[@kaip3260]

@@1nformatica Hi Thank you for the video. Quick question if you dont mind. I have a G11 that works perfectly with everything takes pictures flash everything ok. But when i open the lcd screen the whole camera shuts down, do you think something is wrong with the lcd screen cable or do you think the motherboard is broke? I'm trying to fix the camera because its so new and barely used, but i can not find anything related on this issue, while the screen is folded in the camera works 100% fine, the moment i open the camera lcd screen til the point where the screen supposed to light up, the whole entire camera shuts down, any ideas on this? thank you

[@1nformatica]

@@kaip3260 I have not seen this problem but my guess would be the LCD cable. You can see the cable at the bottom of the screen here : kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaiUd6mNa8x5d7M I would take the back apart and look for broken cables. Thanks for watching, have a great day!

[@NYCPUNISH]

Your gentle tap at 1:08 saved my Florida Disney Vacation on my G12, thanks so much for posting!

[@1nformatica]

Hey thanks! And thanks for subscribing!!

[@brianmooney3504]

Your tenacity and won't be beaten attitude is quite remarkable, well done sir, pity about the outcome.

[@1nformatica]

Hey, thanks Brian! Yes, it was disappointing not to be able to fix it. But I learned a lot along the way and hope it was helpful for others just as a guide.

[@lionelgiron804]

Many thanks for this great video. My G11 lens got stuck yesterday (after many years of great service !). I was hopeful during the entire video that I could fix it (it surely swallowed lots of sand and dust) but then the conclusion with the broken ribbon cable within the lens convinced me not to start opening it. I am pretty sure the same ribbon cable (within the lens itself) as I have been using it outside the whole day yesterday at a temperature that was below zero... So the age of the cable + the low temperature must have made it losing all its flexibility... Thanks again for the thorough description and the hint on changing the lens!

[@1nformatica]

Glad you found it interesting at least! Before you give up take a look here : www.e18error.com/repair.html Several things to try with varying levels of danger!! Please consider subscribing if you have not done so already!

[@neilpinkett]

Excellent video, I nearly spat my soup out when you were on the lens ribbons " if there is any justice in the world"

[@1nformatica]

Hey thanks! IF there were any justice then given the amount of effort I should have fixed it! Still love Canon cameras though. If you're looking for a pocket size camera the ELPH 110 HS can be had cheaply these days. Put CHDK firmware on it and it's an awesome little guy! Thanks for watching, have a great day!

[@SiggyPony]

I'm in the process of repairing a powershot A460 lense assembly. All the instructions on the Internet I found were basically one way teardowns where the person just removes every screw they can see lol. After getting the entire lense assembly apart it took about 6 hours of patience and 2 broken ribbon cables to figure out how to reassemble it correctly and safely. Inside these point and shot things are the house of horrors lol. I have like 30 different numbered screws and cogs. Got the cables I need coming in the mail now. Its just for fun though, a working camera costs the same as the cables. Looking at this because I may embark on replacing the front glass on a G12 soon :| lol. Preforming recon haha.

[@chriswilson8584]

Anyone attempting this needs to really keep thorough documentation of where the screws go. I had a simple system but there are so many that things got mixed up and I had to throw away the camera.

[@1nformatica]

Sound advice! Filming what you is also useful, what you see in the video is heavily cut. Please consider subscribing if you have not done so already!

[@rjright7373]

No, No keep going. This is a 500.00 camera and around $1000.00 new in Canada which is about 30% below the US$... Great video and the camera I just got G12 for $40 Canadian because the person dropped it on the lens and the camera shuts down. I could use your CCD & lens lol... Im working on a different issue but think this camera still has value. At least it was a good learning experience as I usually tear down cell phones and Macbooks. Thanks

[@1nformatica]

Thanks! I have moved on to a Canon EOS so have no use for the parts. You're welcome to any or all parts if you want to pay just the shipping!

[@binaryLV]

14:45 - I might be wrong, but that ribbon cable does not have to "move around". One part goes one way, another part goes the opposite way, which cancels that "moving around" for the ribbon cable.

[@1nformatica]

I guess you are right, it was a long time ago!

[@vrbalex]

Such a good video and description, thanks!

[@1nformatica]

Thanks! I was disappointed I could not fix it as it was not economic to buy the parts. I am very happy with my "new" second hand EOS T5i I'm using now.

[@Casey.seeK.]

Your video was a great help in opening up my G12. Its pretty much the same. I want to change the date battery you pointed out @3:58. I can read its a MS614 typ battery by Panasonic. It seems to be clamped down by the plastic bits. Do you know how to safely remove it? I dont want to brake anything. Edit: I ended up removing it by pushing an exacto knife under it lifting it from the side where your nail is placed. That bracket is a tiny bit shorter to accomodate for this wiggle I guess. Or it broke off earlier.

[@1nformatica]

Hey thanks! Yep, that's the way to do it! drive.google.com/file/d/1B5e3Z6wz8Ry9SFbKTD9OuKqyXGimtJt_/view?usp=sharing

[@Dexter101x]

I don't think my problem on my G12 is the cause of sand. The lens cover of mine, didn't open properly and I think there's damaged gears

[@1nformatica]

You are probably correct. There seems to be an inherent weakness in this design on both G11 and G12 cameras. Thanks for watching, have a great day!

[@brianrichmond3777]

I have a G12 which is virtually identical to the G11. It has a different problem, the lens shutter is "lazy", it sometimes works and sometimes doesn't with the result that, when it doesn't, there's no image on the screen or there is a screen image and it is correctly showing the scene but the photos are highly overexposed on auto indicating that the aperture is wide-open instead of stopping down when the phot is taken. Is the lens shutter integral to the lens or is it a separate assembly between the lens and the image sensor?

[@1nformatica]

It's a long time since I tore it down but I think the aperture mechanism is fairly far forward in the lens barrel. At this point in the video kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaiUd6mNa8x5d7M you can see it in the center of the lens assembly with the small silver motor that drives it above.

[@MCsCreations]

Great video! But, tell me something... I use to see lots of broken cameras for sell in a kind of "trade fair" I go every other Sunday. Does any of them have useful parts to salvage? (I do it a lot with printers and DVDs to get dc motors and gears mostly, to have materials to my videos.o

[@1nformatica]

There is only really the small motors and gears to tinker with. I guess you could have fun with the lenses and a laser. Perhaps make a "handshake shocker" out of the flash!!The small lithium batteries are OK for small arduino projects.

[@otakuhub9326]

I dropped my g11 and hours later it malfunction where it open and closes and it's stopped working and the camera says lens error, failed to start. I tried going to a camera repair shop but they said its done so idk what to do

[@1nformatica]

You can try the simple fixes I discuss at the beginning of the video or follow here : kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5yol6F8a9-JrsU If they don't work I'm afraid it is not economical to repair an old camera. Fortunately these cameras can be found second hand for little money.

[@otakuhub9326]

​@@1nformaticathe technician said the gears are the problem. Can i ask what kind of gear the g11 have? I wanna fix it because it holds a sentimental value to me

[@1nformatica]

@@otakuhub9326 The gearing is within the lens. I show it here : kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaiUd6mNa8x5d7M You may get lucky and be able to move the lens into position. It will be very difficult. To be honest I would not expect success. As the camera is important to you I would just put it on a shelf in your study or lounge where you can look at it.

[@wadewilson3426]

Uhm, for some reason I just gently force twist the lens back and it worked? Weird. Just me tho. As of this writing

[@1nformatica]

Yes, that sometimes works but sadly not in this case. Other things you can try camerarepair.blogspot.com/2007/12/fixing-lens-error-on-digital-camera.html

[@wadewilson3426]

@@1nformatica great!! Thanks!!!

[@1nformatica]

@xXxrootxXx I think a G11 for $30 is a great bargain. I was so disappointed when mine failed but it can happen to any camera of this type. Also look out for an S120 that's my backup camera now. My main camera is a G5X which I love because of the swivel screen.

[@1nformatica]

@xXxrootxXx _•:*¨¨*:•_•:*¨¨*:•_ EXCELENTE_•:*¨¨*:•_•:*¨¨*:•_! Wishing you a happy and prosperous new year.

[@jonathanshingai7165]

Hello, Congratulations on the video. To change the flash need to disassemble the lens assembly? Thanks . Obrigado!

[@1nformatica]

Hi Jonathan, no you only need to go as far as this point in the video : kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaiUd6mNa8x5d7M Remember that the flash unit works at high voltage and the capacitor will hold charge for some time - take care! I think I still have the bits of the camera around somewhere if you need a part (apart from the lens)!!

[@jonathanshingai7165]

Thanks!

[@aenl_6864]

my canon g11 said lens error, restart camera. I don't know what to do I was just taking a picture and this happened.

[@1nformatica]

Try a gentle tap 1:08 also take a look here : www.e18error.com/repair.html Several things to try with varying levels of danger!! Please consider subscribing if you have not done so already!

[@maui2442]

my camera too

[@maui2442]

we tried the gentle tapping but it did not work

[@maui2442]

we also tried to bring new batteries and take out the sd card but did not work

[@MrBrymstond]

Don't forget to back yourself up. I repair just about everything, the price difference of purchasing a new one or repairing the part you found to be bad and the fact there might just be other problems, but you have to repair the ribbon first. I have people calling me every day saying my computer is broken, my furnace is broken so how much does it cost to fix it? I tell them there a world of broken devices so how am I supposed to know without looking at it and they actually have the gall to tell me I'm the expert so how much? It's not easy running your own business, I get the same questions all the time! Stupidity at its finest... Most of the time with computers it's a virus issue so I call them and tell them they have numerous viruses and I fix it and six months later that same person calls me and says I've been using another computer, but that had a problem today and I setup the computer you repaired and it just restarts or it just doesn't go online. They say this so they can screw up and not pay for it and this happens to me all the time. I get it running in safe mode and I always back myself up, I install "index.dat suite" This is the program the police use to bust you but you can't see it, I hide the link. So far 100% of the time that program reveals they lied to my face and that computer has been their primary computer, it tells me every last thing they did on that computer since it had the operating system installed so I show them every site and every download and where they keep getting the viruses from and they get pissed off because I caught them in a lie and yes this happens all the time, they know you're smart, but they're so stupid they think they can play you. Some even ask if they still have to pay, I tell them no and they look so happy and I tell them I don't want their business and kick them out. You have to protect yourself and you probably do, but some people have to much trust in people

[@1nformatica]

Hey I could have written that! Describes the issues folks like us have perfectly. We need to stand up for our rights, let "Power to the Geeks" be our rallying cry!!

[@fin393]

Great video, but all this for a grain of sand.

[@1nformatica]

I took the pain so that you don't have to!!

[@MrBrymstond]

Is this the ribbon you need? If not there's a page of them... www.ebay.com/itm/Zoom-Lens-Ribbon-Shutter-Flex-Cable-Replacement-for-Canon-Powershot-G10-G11-G12-/390651303745?hash=item5af4a1d741:g:wKUAAMXQoYJSHspmwww.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.XCanon+G11+ribbons.TRS0&_nkw=Canon+G11+ribbons&_sacat=0

[@1nformatica]

Thanks for the link, the client has decided not to go ahead with the repair but I will have the link for the future. I also found them on this site: www.smartphonebay.net/SearchResults.asp?Search=g11+flex Check them out as it maybe a useful site for you too. Kind regards.

[@MrBrymstond]

Thanks Brother