Canon S2IS problem---help

hey everyone...well i've just started having a problem with my camera, when i turn it on, it starts off fine, however after i take a photo, the viewfinder remains black...however all the menu items are still there...when i turn it off/on it goes back to normal...i'm thinking that it might have something to do with the batteries, as they haven't been holding a charge very well...and when i do charge them, the shut-off doesn't happen anymore, so they get hot..i'm hoping this is it...just want to know if i need it fixed, cause i'm heading to costa rica in 2 weeks, and have been looking forward to getting some good photos...thanks for any info

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Seems to me the obvious next step is to throw in some alkaline batteries and see if your problem goes away.

jennyb wrote in post #3624460
Seems to me the obvious next step is to throw in some alkaline batteries and see if your problem goes away.

that didn't work...guess i was wrong on that one...anyone else have any clues?

are you sure you didn't inadvertantly turn off the "display" feature? I've done this myself, so I just wonder......

sounds like a stuck shutter problem

read the fourth post down
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=276883

kawwauser wrote in post #3652950
sounds like a stuck shutter problem

read the fourth post down
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=276883

yeah thats definitely it...but it's more like a sticky shutter problem right now...every time i turn the camera on, it opens up fine...and after i take a photo or two it sticks...been messing around with it for a while, and it's been doing a lot better...how did your ordeal end up?

I have had my S3 LCD go black. I have snapped it shut just a bit hard and also sort of tightened those little screws around it. That has helped mine so far to come back on, but maybe some day it will just not work at all.

DreDaze wrote in post #3621748
...when i turn it on, it starts off fine, however after i take a photo, the viewfinder remains black...however all the menu items are still there...when i turn it off/on it goes back to normal...

My S2 IS is experiencing almost the exact same problem, except it is in full-time failure mode. No amount of jiggling or power cycling will "open the shutter", but the LCD and EVF display the menus just fine.

There is a factory reset (hold the "Menu" button down for 5 seconds), but that didn't solve the problem either.

I'm having it sent back to Canon to see what the problem is and if they can fix it "economically" or not. According to my image counter, I'm just over 9,000 pictures.

I'll report back what Canon says.

Dave O

this sure sounds like what is wrong with my camera! does anyone know how hard it is to get it fixed. i see dorth sent it back to canon and i wonder what the verdict was.

mopardog wrote in post #4384719
this sure sounds like what is wrong with my camera! does anyone know how hard it is to get it fixed. i see dorth sent it back to canon and i wonder what the verdict was.

Canon said $150 to fix it. So I said go for it. When "my" camera returned, it had morphed into a remanufactured S3IS. No explanation from Canon on what was wrong with the S2, but I suppose I was willing to pay $150 to get it fixed, so getting a remanufactured S3 was just fine with me.

Sorry for not posting back on this earlier.

Dave O

interesting. i got an email back from canon that it would cost $119 + $8 shipping just to send it off. or my other option was to pay 175 for a trade for a refurbished S3IS. the truth is that although i have had canons for the past 15 years (film and digital, probably 7 or 8 cameras) i hate this one (the s2IS). all my pix are very blurry unless they are pretty far away, i can't do closeups and since i have a website and need to photograph products, i am totally frustrated. my old powershot without the zoom was awesome. but i want a zoom. anyway, i don't know that i want to get involved with canon again. my camera is only 17 months old! i am a little gunshy.

thanks for the response. what do you think of the S3IS?

mopardog wrote in post #4386233
interesting. i got an email back from canon that it would cost $119 + $8 shipping just to send it off. or my other option was to pay 175 for a trade for a refurbished S3IS. the truth is that although i have had canons for the past 15 years (film and digital, probably 7 or 8 cameras) i hate this one (the s2IS). all my pix are very blurry unless they are pretty far away, i can't do closeups and since i have a website and need to photograph products, i am totally frustrated. my old powershot without the zoom was awesome. but i want a zoom. anyway, i don't know that i want to get involved with canon again. my camera is only 17 months old! i am a little gunshy.

thanks for the response. what do you think of the S3IS?

can't do close-ups?..how close are you trying to shoot?...have you tried the macro mode at all...i've got quite a few great shots...also super macro is great for really close close-ups...my camera is actually better now...knock on wood...but i'm looking to buy a new one soon anyways

can't do close-ups?..how close are you trying to shoot?...have you tried the macro mode at all...i've got quite a few great shots...also super macro is great for really close close-ups...

i'd say maybe 6 ft or so. probably 50% of all my pix shot at that distance are blurry enough that they are not usable. this has been a problem since i got this camera. comparing it to the powershot i had before, i have been very disappointed. i have used macro, supermacor, etc.

Are you using the maximum zoom then to get your closeups? And are you hand holding the camera or using a tripod? If you're using the longer focal lengths without a tripod, you're probably seeing camera shake. Try moving closer and using a tripod to accommodate the slower shutter speeds. Camera shake is more pronounced with long focal lengths - at the S2's maximum zoom, you'd need to use around 1/500 sec. or faster to minimize shake.

mopardog wrote in post #4386233
interesting. i got an email back from canon that it would cost $119 + $8 shipping just to send it off.

I took the camera to a local shop who collects a $25 deposit to have the camera evaluated by Canon. If I chose not to have it serviced, I'd lose my $25. If I elect to have it serviced, then they apply the $25 to the cost of service.

Wow, I've never had any issues. I've used mine predominantly for sports photography (with a TC), so most of mine are far away shots at long focal lengths. However, it has had a fair bit of in-home use and I don't have that issue. Maybe you can clarify if by "blurry" you mean "out of focus" on the object of interest, or if you mean everything in the image is motion blurred. One is a focus issue, the other is a camera motion issue. One feature I actually appreciate is that the flash doesn't automatically pop up. However, this could lead to low shutter speed shots which would be motion blurred.

I moved to a Canon 30D and 70-200 F2.8 and TC this season so really haven't shot the S3 at all. I must say, however, that I'm amazed at the shot's I've been able to get with my old S2 and the TC. For the $500 investment, it's an amazing setup. The S3 gives you a few more megapixels, but with that big zoom, I rarely have to crop much. The S3 also has higher ISO (800 I believe), but I haven't seen how usable ISO 800 is. I found ISO 400 on the S2 to be unacceptable in regards to noise, and ISO 200 fairly bad. But given ample light, the S2 rocks, and I suspect the S3 would be just a bit better than the S2.

Dave O