1
Score
Rinkal Shah
23
Asked
My camera takes black pictures. How do I fix it?
I have a Powershot S3 IS. Its has been a very good camera for me.
Yesterday I was talking some pictures in a museum and the camera suddenly starting taking black pictures. In all conditions and settings camera is taking black pictures. I am not able to see the actual scene that I want to capture. Camera shows it black. But capturing pictures is working normal and capturing black pictures. I can see all the graphics and setting numbers on LCD and View finder. I can also see previously captured pictures and videos without any problem.
Please guide me how can I fix this problem.
Update
Yes by blinking I mean moving parts. Whenever I clicked a pictures there use to be a blink in the lens. I don't see that blink since the camera has stopped working.
3
Score
Gabe
4.7k
Answered
Accepted Answer
Sounds like your sensor stopped working or the shutter stopped working....
Do you see anything via live view?
Assuming thats what you meant when you said "not able to see the actual scene that I want to capture" the it could be the sensor or the shutter, assuming there is one. Do you see the aperture blades when you take a picture?
Set the camera to manual and overexpose by as much as possible and set the F stop to like ƒ/8 or something high so you can actually see the aperture blades if/when they engage
Gabe,
There is no blinking in the camera lens when I try to click a picture. That is really strange. Previously when the camera was working, out of curiosity I had observed a blink in the lens when I try to click a picture. Please guide me what to do next.
A blink could mean shutter or aperture actually... what kind of blink? do you see moving parts?
Gabe,
2
Score
Camera Repair
205
Answered
Know this is an old post, but this is a very common problem for the Canon S2 and S3 IS series cameras, and there are likely others reading this with the same problem. But happily, it's easily fixed without even putting a screwdriver to the camera. A stuck shutter is a common failure mode for digital cameras. The symptoms of a stuck or "sticky" shutter are very similar to CCD image sensor failure. The camera may take black pictures (for shutter stuck closed), or the pictures may be very bright and overexposed, sometimes with lines, especially when taken outdoors (for shutter stuck open).
To confirm a stuck shutter, put the camera in any mode other than "Auto", and turn the flash OFF (you don't want to blind yourself for the next step). Next look down the lens and take a picture. You should see a tiny flicker in the center of the lens as the shutter opens and closes. If no movement is seen, then you likely have a stuck shutter. If so, please see this link for further info and simple troubleshooting steps to correct the problem.
1
Score
epohl
13
Answered
I have this exact same problem. The shutter iris doesn't open on power up on my S3. I held the telescoping lens in place on power up (forcing it to stay down). This opened it a couple times, but on power down and up, same problem. Does anyone have steps to opening the lens to fix it?
Brett,