Big trouble with a little S20 camera - E50 errors - cf card

[atjous]

E50, E51, CF Card Errors, a noncooperative camera
I've seen it all, more and more frequently, using my PowerShot S20.

I tried virtually everything to solve this problem.
Here's how things developed over the past months:
- at first, I was able to take 100s of pictures without any problem;
- from time to time, my camera instantly shut down while taking pictures, resulting in corrupted data on my cf card;
- things got more serious: more and more frequently, the lens refused to retract on shutting down the camera;
- things got very serious: annoyingly frequently, the camera refused to operate normally, taking 25+ seconds to even more or less start up, with a "CF card error" smiling at me in the monitor.

I tried formatting the CF Card, resetting the camera (by removing all power sources for some time), a new battery, a new CF card..... nothing seems to work anymore.

I do regret I bought it, I mean, I REALLY do...

[stopbath]

Sounds like interupted power source (shutting down in mid write, shutting down while retracting lens...)
Perhaps it's a loose wire or connection? Or a spot of something on one of the battery contacts/terminals. A failed component or trace... Could be a solder joint too that's failed.

[atjous]

Thanks for the reply, stopbath....

Do you have any suggestions in order to verify the possibilities you mentioned there?

or...

is there anything I can do??

Thanks...

[MacGordon]

atjous,
Is it still covered under warranty?

Look down in the battery cavity and make sure the terminals area out far enough to contact the battery.

Just a few thoughts.

___
Mac

[stopbath]

atjous wrote:
Thanks for the reply, stopbath....

Do you have any suggestions in order to verify the possibilities you mentioned there?

or...

is there anything I can do??

Thanks...


You could try a AC adapter (if problems cease here, then it's the battery holder area)
When the camera is on, try tapping the camera. Try turning the camera. Try gently squeezing the covers. You may find a repeatable event that causes the camera to turn off/on. (it could also be heat - as whatever inside heats up, it fails. as it cools it works.)

Suppose you find that by squeezing the hand grip a little tighter you can cause the camera to turn off. Then within that cover area, there is a flex board with a crack in the traces, a connection that is tempermental, a component gone bad.... You can then get that repaired, or just work around it (don't squeeze.)

Without actually 'finding' the 'repeatable' conditions, your best bet is have it estimated and/or repaired by a knowledgable repair shop. If you can find the repeatable condititions, you might be able to self repair (careful not to self damage while at it :()

Good luck.

[atjous]

Folks,

I think I cured the S20...

it is my firm believe it had e v e r y t h i n g to do with the battery connectors, you know, the metal thingies that make contact with the battery. It seems to me one of them had slightly bended out of place, making it more and more difficult to be in close connection with the battery.
I did some bending and now my camera is working again...

so happy....