Canon E18 Error

See my reply titled "you've got to be kidding me". Basically I stuck a flat edged spatula into the lens and forced it open while pressing the power button. Worked like a charm! Good luck.

My lense would not completely come out and would give me the E18 error and shut down. I took the it apart like an big idiot and that did not do much as the lense and its telescopic portion is inside yet another mess that I am sure I could not have gotten into without breaking it.
I just pressed the power button on and held it down while extending the telescopic zoom lense. It made a horrible sound but the next thing I knew the lense extended out and the camera worked again!

THANKS FOR THE TIPS!

Hey!!! Thanks so much!!! I had read a lot of people complaining about the E18 error and all the problems they had. I had it and didn't use the camera for a month. Now I tried your quick fix and it's working again! Yay!
Thanks so much for sharing!

Dropped my A510 whilst the lens was extended, received dreaded E18 error, lens would not retract or extended any further. Found reference to this post from engadget.com via google. Being "gentle" didn't work, so eventually I restored to brute force by simply pushing the lens in manually (powered off) and it worked! Thanks to the phs01 (quick fix) and craigandjane (heavy hand). Truly a quick fix.

Hi,
I got the error from dropping it (powered on)4 feet onto the bowling alley floor. Now when I take the lens adapter off, I see a rubber ring (washer) sticking out from between the lens and camera. Has anyone else had this problem? I'm scared to force the lens clockwise because I'm sure this washer needs to be positioned properly. Shove it in with a spatula?

As for the people complaining about Canon as a brand, I don't think they are any different from any other brand of consumer electronics. If anything, I would say they have better products then most.

Thanks!
www.jeffdavis.us

To follow up, I pulled out the thin rubber washer and then tried pushing in the lens with both thumbs. It made a horrible cracking sound, so I tried turning it on and got the same E18 error. I then pushed it in again and the lens shut all the way and the auto lens cap shut. I turned it on and it has worked great ever since.

I wish I would have searched this site last night...but your method worked perfectly. Thank you
so much! God bless!

Thank you everyone for your advice. It put me on the right track and the camera is okay now. We have an SD500, 10 months old. We've noticed an occasional grinding sound as the lense extends, but only had E18 for the first time last night. The lens wouldn't extend at all and didn't even sound like it was trying to!

I tried the tricks, and they didn't quite work. Then I used a small sturdy piece of paper (small post-it note, sticky side AWAY from camera) to slip around the two portions of the lens that extend, but couldn't find any blockage. Tried pushing down gently on the side with a slightly larger gap. I could hear a little snap, but then it would snap back when I released.

THEN, I put the post-it around the outside lens, on the side with the smaller gap and turned on the camera with the post-it in place. My little elph started making some positive noises. THEN I slipped it around the inner lens, again on the side with a smaller gap. The camera tried to turn on and lenses actually shifted, but the post-it was blocking their movement. So I removed the post-it and it turned on perfectly! I think turning the camera on with the post-it in place forced the lens back onto its track.

I tried the post-it trick, and it worked! I slid it around the inner and outer lens and the left it in the inner lens while I turned it on. I'm so relieved. During my lunch break I took it to the official Canon repair shop and they quoted be 7,700 baht. That's about $250! Plus it's still on warranty but they were going to charge so much because the warranty only applies in the country which I bought it (Japan). Close call, thanks for the help.

Same as everyone here, but I will admit I did drop it on the floor..even so..I've tried all the fixes, even the hard table hitting (scary!)but nothing works. I'm here in Capetown for business, but want to go up the mountain and take pics..so bit the bullet and bought a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX8 down town..5 megapix, 3x optical, 4x digital, so similar specs. When I get home to Spain, I'll try a Canon warranty claim..via Spain or maybe Gibraltar..wish me luck! If they fix it, the Panasonic goes to the missus & son to use at home. Paid about

My camera got smacked out of my hand when i was using it and now the lens is stuck out. When i turned it on the couple days after it came up with the "E18" error, but that is no longer there I tried to twist it to fix it but my lens is stuck and wont rotate or click into place. Anyone have any ideas im desperate to say the least.

I have to admit, I dropped my camera and then got the E18 msg. I researched various sites for a solution and came upon this forum at Cnet. Problem FIXED! I kept pressing down on the power button and at the same time applied small to moderate pressure both twisting and pushing against the lens. At first nothing was happening. Then, after a few times the lens retracted somewhat. A repeat of the process and final push and the lens went in! After several on/off cycles for testing purposes the camera seems to be working fine. THANK YOU for the prev. postings

i tried the quick fix turning the lens on my A510. heard the click, camera powered off and on again with no e18, but now the lens makes a double click when it extends and the focus no longer works!
HELP!

Sounds like you turned one gear tooth too many? Wrong Way? There is nothing to be lost, IMHO, by turning it in the opposite way, a little trial and error here can't make it worse. BTW, I bought a little CDROMZZ from an eBay seller called 'biddy-biddy,' I think...it has all the manuals, parts diagrams for all the Canon digicams, @ least that was the claim...It certainly had what I wanted re my s400. I would research it for you, but I loaned it out.
While I am sure the info on the CD is available on the web, having what I wanted in one place was worth the under 10 bucks I paid. )no affiliation, just happy customer.)
Anyhoo, back to your 510, I would gingerly twist the barrel to pop it back to correct position, your out of focus status is easily a diagnostic point of differentiation. hat double click you hear has to be a gear turning to its desired position, but the other gear it meshes with has already reached itsmax ability to travel, hence the clicks. One tooth too many, in the wrong direction....2 clicks? Make sense?
Good Luck!
gUMP

I typically had just pulled into an Afar village in the middle of no where Ethiopia when my camera decided to to retract and was blurry (thank goodness for others with cameras) but thanks to your advice I have fixed it (just turning counterclockwise one click) with 2 weeks still left on my trip. thank you soooo much marg

I just got my A75 working. I neve would have thought to be that firm with the lens if you ahd not posted directions.

My camera is the Power Shot S2 IS and I got the E18 error and I twisted the lense like said and nothin happned. My lense in stuck in the extended position. I'm not sure if I'm doing it right. It's not twisting at all. What should I do?

Hi,

I have the same camera with the same problem. Did you end up fixing it and how?

can i do the same with my canon sd450?coz i have a rough and heavy hands and im scared i might put more damage on the camera if i do the wrong thing,is there any illustration or images that you know (ie website) or your own technique that you can post so we can see it better and how to do it the right way??

This entire thread is about the Canon A60 through A95.

It does not apply to the SD450.

...
..
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Thanks for the tip which has successfully fixed my problem. Canon were useless referring me to a number of retailers who would 'look at' and fix the problem for Ninety five pounds.
Jessops were as bad quoting forty pounds to diagnose and up to one hundred and thirty to fix.
Brilliant

Thank you so much, I've been receiving this message on my Cannon Powershot a75 sporadically for about a month now. After many missed photo opps (including last night at my 10 year high school reunion)-I decided to look online for help. At first it seemed the lens (perpetually extended) could not turn, however after holding the base and twisting it clicked into place and BAM I have my camera back!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!

arrghh... i can't fix my canon powershot S45. x[[.. i don't know how to do it..

Our lens would come out, then go right back in when we turned it on, then would give a horrible gear sound and then E18 error. I tried the "lens adjusting" thing, but it did not do much. Next tried plugging in the cord (that runs from camera to computer) worked for us. Thank goodness - what an affordable fix! Blessings to everyone who shares their tips on this site.

have had my canon for yrs now without any drama...until last night! i tried what u suggested and it all worked in regards to the lens but is still way out of focus. i have replaced the batteries but it still wont focus via auto focus.
Any more Quick fixes?

phs01 posted the above on 3/23/05 @ 5:40 AM. after reading your instructions on 12/15/08 9:52 AM and applying them my earlier problem is now resolved. your instructions regarding error E18 works like a charm, perfectly. didn't mentioned, i have a canon a80. thank you so much phs01. write me at funkieraw@yahoo.com and i'll send my thanks to you in the form of photography (pictures). again, thanks for taking the time out to educate.
funkie sends...

Dropped our camera yesteray at a wedding and encountered the same worrying error - but thanks to your quick fix 'click' solution, it is now fine and working properly.

it really works on my canon ixus 70! thanx a lot!

Hi,

I am curious to know if canon repaired your son's camera. My ixus400 has the same fault (lens stuck = e1. I have extended the warranty until 2008 but they just say: "the defect is caused by sand in the camera and this is not covered by the (extended) warranty". The camera is almost two years old.

By the way: My first camera is an ixus and it broke down after 2 years and 1 month.

I will never buy anything from canon anymore. Their cameras seem to have an average lifetime of 2 years and the warranty is no good.

Good luck,

Egon.