Hi,
I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC LZ2 digital. Yesterday I was about to connect my camera to the PC but dropped it from about 18" to the floor.
Now, when I switch it on it the lenses move back and forth trying to focus and there is a shadow around the veiwing screen. After about 6 0r 7 secs the camera shows a message saying "turn off camera and back on again". This makes no difference.
Does anyone in the know have any ideas if this sounds an expensive repair or should I just bin it?
Thanks Richard.

Hi,
I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC LZ2 digital. Yesterday I was about to connect my camera to the pc but dropped it from about 18" to the floor.
Now, when I switch it on it the lenses move back and forth trying to focus and there is a shadow around the veiwing screen. After about 6 0r 7 secs the camera shows a message saying "turn off camera and back on again". This makes no difference.
Does anyone in the know have any ideas if this sounds an expensive repair or should I just bin it?
Thanks Richard.
Today's non-DSLR digital cameras are built to be considered disposable. Unless the camera is still under warranty, the minimum charge to have a camera repair center even look at the camera is often more than the camera is worth (repaired, used) and you are better off putting the money towards a new camera.

If you want to try repairing it yourself, please see this link:

Fixing a lens error on a digital camera (http://camerarepair.blogspot.com/2007/12/fixing-lens-error-on-digital-camera.html)

Although the problem you have may not match exactly with the lens error problem outlined on that page, that page gives you a lot of tips about how you can try to fix the camera yourself, if you are so inclined.

Hi,
Thanks for your reply. I have tried out what you said but none of the suggestions worked. I think I am going to bin it.
Cheers Richard.

Hi,

I went to the suggested site and tried all the various ideas
On there, but to no avail. In desperation just before binning it I thought I would do the very thing that was said not to do, i.e pushing the lense back in. I heard a clicking noise and then the lense went in fully. I switched it off and back on and all was as it should be.
I am not suggesting doing this, but if you are at the stage of binning the camera, like me , you have nothing to loose!!

Cheers Richard.