Canon PowerShot SD870 IS Troubleshooting

The Canon PowerShot SD870 IS is an 8.0 Megapixel camera with 3.8x optical zoom and uses a Secure Digital (SD) memory card. It has a 3.0 inch LCD screen that offers 230,000 pixels of resolution. The camera offers Genuine Canon Face Detection Technology, a DIGIC III Image Processor with Red Eye Correction, and a Print/Share button for easy printing, directly from the camera.

Note: This troubleshooting guide covers only the Canon PowerShot SD870 IS. Other Canon Camera models will be covered in separate troubleshooting guides.

Your camera's screen is cracked or broken.

If your camera's screen is cracked or broken, it is more than likely that you will need to replace the entire LCD screen. There are two options available: (1) You can go to Canon's repair request website, or (2) Go to our LCD Repair Guide.

The screen is not cracked but I can only see a black screen instead of images.

This could be an internal problem and should be covered by all warranties. Check to see if your camera is still on warranty and if it is, then visit the Canon website above to send it it. Otherwise, this may be another problem with the LCD screen and you can replace it by visiting our LCD Repair Guide.

Your camera will not power on.

Check to make sure that your battery is fully charged and properly inserted into the battery slot in the camera. If this does not work, your battery may need to replaced.

If a circuit on the logic board has gone bad due to trauma or water damage, your camera will not turn on. This will be apparent as your camera will not turn on at all, with nothing displayed on the LCD screen and no LEDs lit up. Follow the LCD repair guide to address this problem.

Your camera's lens will not extend/retract or it displays an error message.

This error occurs when your lens gets stuck while extending. It is often accompanied by a grinding sound coming from the lens mechanism. The screen will go black and "E18" will be displayed in the lower left corner. This problem usually arises from dirt or debris getting inside the lens, or due to broken components inside the lens mechanism. More than likely, you will need to send your camera in to Canon by going to Canon's repair request website to have this issue resolved

Small bits of dust or dirt may get stuck in the lens/opening mechanism which can prevent the lens from opening properly. Similar problems can arise due to dropping the camera with the lens open or overuse/abuse. In most cases, a message that says LENS ERROR RESTART CAMERA will appear on the screen. More than likely, you will need to send your camera in to Canon by going to Canon's repair request website to have this issue resolved.

There may be a problem with the flash or flash charge circuit.

If your camera's battery is too low, it will reserve power for more vital functions. Try recharging the battery to address this problem. Make sure that the battery is inserted correctly into the battery slot and that the flash is on.

If your camera's flash will not discharge, it is possible that the flash unit is faulty. In this case, follow the Flash Unit repair guide.

The slot for the battery or memory card is broken.

If your camera's battery/memory card slot is broken, it will need to be replaced. This problem can be identified by if your battery or memory card is stuck in the slot, if you cannot get the battery or memory card to easily slide into place, or if the camera will not turn on or displays an error message that no memory card is inserted even if one is inserted. Follow the Card and Battery Slot repair guide to fix this problem.

The shutter release button on the camera is not working.

If the button you press to take a picture on your camera is stuck, the release button unit has malfunctioned. You may be able to pry it open or try cleaning it, but this may not fix this problem. If this problem persists, the release button will need to be replaced. To do so, follow the Shutter Release Button repair guide.