My Fix Tips

Do you have a Canon A530 (or A510, A520, A540, A550, A560) like this:

Sticky lens barrier is a quite common problem. It would be caused by split milk or juice, or dirt. When you turn on the camera, the lens barrier won’t open fully. It’s different from a lens error. In this case you can operate the camera just like normal,  but you might get only half picture with black shadow, sometimes maybe almost total black because the barrier won’t open. 

 

 

To fix this problem we need to prepare something:

a tweezer with serrated points, a 1.5 mm flat screwdriver, some wooden Q-tips, isopropyl alcohol, Super Duster(compressed air), double-sided tape, scissors, knife.

Let’s make a spacial tool first. Cut a piece of wooden Q-tips as shown on T1：

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 1

Turn on the camera, let the lens extend out then open the battery lid, take out the batteries. Let the lens on extend position. Hold the lens body, insert the wooden tool we just made into the gap and turn it slowly to separate the ring.

 

 

 

 

Now you got the ring off.

 

 

 

 

 

Step 2

Insert the batteries and turn on then off the camera to retract the lens. then remove the batteries.

Insert the flat screwdriver into the slot(1) about 3-4 mm depth, gently pry on (2) direction a little bit, use tweezer to give a little help on (3) and lift the barrier cover up(Figure 5 will give you the idea).  Same on the other side to take cover out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 3

Now take out the barrier plates. Use the screwdriver press the spring post to prevent the spring jumps out when removing the small plates.

 

 

 

 

 

Step 4

 Clean the barrier cover and plates with Q-tips and alcohol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 5

Remove two springs, clean the lens body with Super Duster.  Clean the plate posts with alcohol if you got juice on them.

 

 

 

 

 

Step 6

 Now put the springs back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put the screwdriver on the post(1) of spring to prevent the spring from jumping away. Move the spring into the right place(2) carefully.

 

 

 

 

Two springs are in place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 7

Put back the big plates.

 

 

 

 

 

Put back the small plates.

 

 

 

 

 

Press and hold the small plate slightly, move the spring to the place shown on red.

 

 

 

 

 

Now we got all the plates in place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 8

Put on the barrier cover and press it down gentaly. You can feel a click when it gets in.

Now you can put the batteries in and test. If nothing goes wrong, you should see the barrier open and close perfectly.

 

 

 

Step 9

Clean the lens ring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 10

Turn on the camera and remove the batteries, let the lens out again.

 Cut four small pieces of double-sided tape and tape them on the barrier cover.

 

 

  

Check carefuly, don’t let the tape touch any plates.

 

 

 

 

Step 11

Here is the final step.

Put on the ring  to  match up the index, hold the lens body, press the ring carefuly to make the ring taped on the barrier cover properly.

 

Voila!  We got all the job done.