Canon ships 100 million compact digital cameras, 90 million of them broken with E18 lens errors

Okay, okay, we're kidding -- we definitely think it's quite an achievement that Canon's hit another camera milestone and shipped out 100 million compact digital cameras since the PowerShot 600 first rolled off the line in 1996, and it's no secret that the PowerShot line's terrific image quality and friendly UI have a lot to do with it. Still, they're fragile little buggers, aren't they? A quick count amongst Engadget eds reveals at least 10 broken Canon digicams, ranging from a 2000-vintage PowerShot S100 all the way to a more recent PowerShot SD850 IS, and we know we're not outside the curve -- have you felt our pain? And, more importantly, do you keep coming back for more? Let us know in comments!

[Via PhotographyBLOG]

[Jeff @ Aug 19th 2008 5:26PM]

I've owned a Canon A40, S60, S3IS and SD1000. None have failed and all have produced spectacular images for me. I just keep going back for Canon for the image quality. For a point-and-shoot, you simply can't get better than Canon.

[Photojourno @ Aug 19th 2008 7:21PM]

My G10 has been working great and it's not even a production model. w00t!

[BrokenMonkey @ Aug 19th 2008 7:44PM]

Canon cameras break? It's news to me, my SD450 is going strong after a couple years.

[Aaron @ Aug 19th 2008 8:24PM]

Two broken PowerShots and three broken Canon camcorders. I've given up on Canon. It's Sony for my camcorders and Panasonic for my still cameras. I couldn't be happier.

[Josh Warner @ Aug 19th 2008 9:28PM]

Agreed; Canon's point & shoots lead the industry. Nikon has been gaining a bit, but isn't competitive yet. My SD500 is still going strong, still gets great photos, no mechanical issues. The key is NEVER to turn it on accidentally inside the case - if you keep the lens from extending, you are going to end up with a broken camera. I think that 80-90% or higher of these errors are due to human misuse.

However, the DSLR scene is different - Nikon rules there with more bang for the buck, 'it just works' Auto ISO, and a better ergonomic layout to get to the settings you need all the time, for each photo. Only exception is the 5D, which is slightly sharper, and the 24.4 Mpxl monster on the high-end.

[Frank Barchard @ Aug 19th 2008 10:47PM]

I'm on my 3rd Canon this year! Ya, I keep coming back for more pain.
They all died of lens errors.. one after only 10 days

[Chad @ Aug 20th 2008 12:51AM]

This is why people buy Nikon... forget the rest, buy the best.

[Mehul @ Aug 20th 2008 6:50PM]

I've owned the following Canon Cameras:
Two Digital Rebels
EOS 40D
SD400
SD900
SD600
A75
A95
A640

NONE of these have broken on me.

Canon FTW!

[Alex Padilla @ Aug 19th 2008 5:26PM]

Let me just say that I absolutely love my Canon SD1000 Digital Elph camera with SDHC support

[Alex @ Aug 19th 2008 9:18PM]

I second that. Beautiful design and beautiful pictures. It will be my camera for long time (if it doesn't break :)

[Alex Padilla @ Aug 20th 2008 3:18AM]

I've had my camera for just under a year now and I'm still finding things to do with it, ways to adjust the picture just to my liking and this and that. I'm telling you, I absolutely love my camera. I've used other brands before, but my Canon is the easiest to use, has the best picture quality, and has the most customization to boot. Face detection (it even detects faces on pictures and TV screens!), autofocus, ridiculously high ISO counts, and fantastic shutter speed make this my favorite camera. Plus, I really love that SDHC support. A measly 4GB yields SO MANY picture, it's incredible.

[gotsmart @ Aug 19th 2008 5:26PM]

I have an original S100 Digital ELPH that continues to work, though it developed quite a few "stuck" pixels on its CCD which led me to replace it with an SD600 which i also love. I also own a Digital Rebel.

All of my Canon digicams have performed flawlessly.

[shawn.zenz @ Aug 19th 2008 5:27PM]

Have a Rebel XTi... flawless.

Recommended the SD1100 to family. They bought it... dropped it once and it killed its self.

[zomg0t @ Aug 19th 2008 6:44PM]

Sounds like they killed it. You wouldn't say you dropped your baby and it killed itself. Although I must admit that my analogy is terrible and that does make the camera sound way too fragile.

[Oliver @ Aug 19th 2008 5:29PM]

hey, i have an s100!!! and it still works!!! dropped it multiple times too!!! the thing is made of metal, super durable!

[mike @ Aug 19th 2008 5:31PM]

e18 error within first year of use...fell off dining room table...the lens jammed and i got e18...using a sony now, fear the battery's imminent failure, but at least no e18s.

[Za @ Aug 19th 2008 8:38PM]

That sounds a lot like, "I bought a Toyota and then crashed it into a wall. It stopped working. So I bought a Honda."

[Down @ Aug 19th 2008 11:01PM]

@Za

That analogy doesn't work because Sony is a luxury brand that usually sell their high-quality good-looking products at higher than average prices. So I guess you could use Lexus instead, but still it won't work because Toyota owns Lexus. It's better to just not use the car analogy - it won't work in this case.

[Chad @ Aug 20th 2008 12:57AM]

@Za
I think it's 3 different problems, dining room table was only one.

[Paul Romein @ Aug 19th 2008 5:32PM]

I own the Canon SD1000, and its been an amazing asset! I take it snowboarding, canoeing, partying... and I even took it flying last week!

http://www.paulromein.ca/blog/2008/08/16/flying-with-christine/

I've had it since January, and only over the last two months have I started to see lens errors. Not often at all. And considering how I treat the camera, I'm really impressed with how well it works!

[Rob @ Aug 19th 2008 5:32PM]

Ha, I've had two digital elphs that had e18 errors. But Canon fixed them, even though they were out of warranty.

[Biomech @ Aug 19th 2008 5:32PM]

My first camera was a Powershot A40, and though I've moved on to other brands Canon is still tops in the camera world for me.

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 5:33PM]

yeah they're the best. i'm totally over them and buy other brands but they're #1.

[Biomech @ Aug 19th 2008 6:29PM]

Heh, I guess that was poorly worded. Maybe I should've said "one of the tops".

[BdgBill @ Aug 19th 2008 5:34PM]

I just switched to a Canon Powershot A570 after having nothing but Sony's for the last 10 years. The Canon definitely feels cheap compared to my mostly-metal DSC-W7.

I have had it up to here with Sony's memory Stick nonsense. I was able to get the CHDK alternative firmware running on my new Canon and I'm loving life. I just wish the battery door didn't feel like it was about to snap off every time I open it.

[eiki @ Aug 19th 2008 6:43PM]

That's 'cos A series = budget range

[Za @ Aug 19th 2008 8:41PM]

The W7 is most comparable to a G9 in the current Canon lineup. The W7 also cost between 2 and 3 times what you paid for the A570, street value, when both were new. Go into a camera store right now and compare the Sony DSCW150 and DSCW170 to the Canon SD870IS. Tell me which one feels more durable. It will be the Canon. Period.

[MrYingster @ Aug 19th 2008 5:35PM]

I have owned 3 of the Canon Powershot series since 2004, and have not had a single problem. I've easily put 10,000 photos on my first, which I was able to sell, and the other two I still own/use. My father has also had many Canon Cameras. (3 also, I think) The only one that broke was the one he dropped in the river. So, we've had pretty good luck thus far.

[EvilDan @ Aug 19th 2008 5:35PM]

I have had my Canon Digital Elph S200 for years since new. I dropped it.. once. I was walking and a hole in the pavement caught my foot, making me launch my new at the time camera 6-7 feet in the air, tumbling, with the lens open of all things!

I picked it up, dusted it off, turned it off and back on again and took a few pictures. No damage whatsoever! It fell onto old coarse cement, too!

[XeroState @ Aug 19th 2008 5:35PM]

I currently have a A570IS for a point a shoot since my A430 decided to die [though I have a Nikon for DSLR lol]

[Tom G @ Aug 19th 2008 5:36PM]

Canon Powershot TX1
Most amazing camera i have ever seen or used.

[Curtis @ Aug 19th 2008 5:37PM]

I had a Canon S80 that broke just outside of its year warranty. I bought it to replace a Nikon point and shoot that broke just outside of its warranty. I then bought a Canon XTI for my girlfriend. How do they get me to keep coming back.

[orangecat @ Aug 20th 2008 6:06PM]

maybe you should invest in an extended warranty next time? probably would cost less than a new camera every single year.

[CanisMinor @ Aug 19th 2008 5:38PM]

My G3, S40, SD850, SD1100 are all still working perfectly. The older ones - the S40 and G3 in particular have been through some crazy-ass travel torture. Used the G3 this past weekend at the Chicago Air and Water show - stunning photos, as always.

So, I'm not sure what you Engadget eds do with your Canons? Do you guys have a secret subterranean camera torture chamber there? ;) Or do you just treat your Canon cams like BGR treats his Bold?

[Andrew @ Aug 19th 2008 5:39PM]

I'm a bit biased since I work for canon but even if you have a problem we have reknowned customer service ready to promptly handle repairs. I reccomend our brand to everyone and I've never been told a horror story about our products or customer service experience.

[terry @ Aug 19th 2008 7:03PM]

Family members and i have owned at least a dozen powershots. My kids had a few break, possibly from rough handling. Until now, my losses were limited to 1) literally losing one and 2) dropping one into the water in the bottom of a canoe.

But now my 800IS (I covet the wide-angle feature) is making an ominous clicking sound when the lens extends.

Anybody have tips for a cure? Blow compressed air around the barrel? Pray? I'm not getting a lens error message, but the sound, which just started in the past 24 hours, doesn't bode well, and I was counting on it for a trip i'm about to take to Australia.

Suggestions appreciated!

[garci @ Aug 19th 2008 11:51PM]

I've had a A75 and a SD400 fail their sensors. Both after 3 years of heavy use and both with at least 10.000 pics each. Both repaired at no cost by Canon, even 2 years out of warranty and out of their country of purchase. One came from singapore, the other from the us.. both fixed in argentina no questions asked. I've yet to see another vendor offer anything close to this level of support.

Im a happy ownder of an eos 350 as well.. no complains.

If only my G7 had raw and a decent battery meter... (without CHDK i mean. ;-) )

I'll just keep on coming to canon.

All my cameras have taken quite a beating... never a lens error.. never a problem. And again.. at least 10K shots and been in every corner of the earth.

[Sir Ilya Tsymbal @ Aug 19th 2008 5:40PM]

I will never buy Canon again. Never ever ever never. Never. Canon is not a reputable company.

[garry byrne @ Aug 19th 2008 5:41PM]

I've been a Canon P&S fan since my first Ixus 2 way back in 2002. That camera was indestructable - the amount of times I dropped it whilst having experienced a few too many bevvies...the battery would fly out one way, the CF card the other. Just popped em back in and it worked fine every time.

I initially thought when I upgraded to an Ixus 4.0 in 2005 that the build quality had taken a dive - I dropped it onto a stone floor, and both the focus and zoom stopped working. One frustrated bang on the table sorted out the zoom, and realising I was on to a good thing, another crack on said surface sorted out the focus problem.

I'd recommend the Ixus family to anyone - they're tough as nails, and the pictures come out pretty good. They're also extremely pocketable cameras.

[Deekoi @ Aug 19th 2008 5:41PM]

Canon rules!

I have had so many of their cameras!
SD 110
SD 700
SD 800
Power shot G2
DSLR 20D
DSLR 40D

And a few other ones that I don't remember. But all have been great! I still use the SD 110! Still works great!

[Tom Myers @ Aug 19th 2008 5:41PM]

i've got an ixus 30 from a while back, with no fewer than four E18 Lens Errors....

bloody good camera though. it taught me that megapixels≠quality years before most, when my 'shit' 3.2mp camera bested 8mp pieces of toss easily. quality optics, and rapid interfaces (not just software, but responsiveness of buttons, zoom, lens etc) means that i'm sold on canon for life to be honest.

[JT @ Aug 19th 2008 5:42PM]

I bought a Canon SD630 a couple weeks after its launch. You can see it has a lot of battle scars, but it still works perfectly fine. A lot of my friends have Canons as well, and never heard of any lens problems. I guess some are more lucky than others with the durability.

[Adam @ Aug 19th 2008 5:43PM]

My PowerShot A620 literally has at least one dent in it, and it still works great. I usually shoot in manual, but it produces great images and is a pretty competent stand-in for my 40Ds.

[drummerjoe @ Aug 19th 2008 5:43PM]

I am currently on my 2nd Canon SD1000 Elph because of the lens error on the first model. There was a scratch on the exterior of the case (the case, not the lens), so it was deemed that the damage by me created the lens error. I got another for free with my best buy warranty, but I would seriously think twice about buying another.

[paragraph @ Aug 19th 2008 5:44PM]

I shot film (SLR) up until 2005, then i got a DSLR (not going to brand bash, but lets just say it wasn't a canon for a reason).

I've never liked small cameras, i don't have a single one, i have my good DSLR (Samsung GX-20) and my 'everyday' DSLR (Nikon D100).

I've shot film canon, and i've suggested Power Shots to family looking for a decent PnS, but i've never owned a digital camera other than my SLRs.

Never heard of any problems from my family about Power Shots.

[Priper @ Aug 20th 2008 12:01PM]

Same thing with me. I use my Mamiya RZ for film and theHasselblad H2 for point and shoot........ Geez:-! It is not about what you own, it's your experience with canon p&s!! I have been 2 for 5 on the errors, but the quality of the POINT and SHOOT is unbeatable. (......Except for my Leica.....)

[james lim @ Aug 19th 2008 5:49PM]

i have owned a Canon SD500, and I guess 3 Canon SD870 IS. I had no problems with my SD500, but my first SD870 IS was stolen from me while i was drunk, second broke on me 7 months cause i slammed it between my car door and messed the LCD up by making a line of dark spots you could see when taking white photos. (it was in its case and in my backpack, but was in the top of my hiking bag which i slammed in the door) now i have my 3rd one thank fully i didnt have to pay for this one, since i RMAed it as my girlfriends SD870 IS that i just bought for her.

[fieldcar @ Aug 19th 2008 5:51PM]

S5IS+Chdk firmware = YAY!

[jeff @ Aug 19th 2008 5:51PM]

i have a powershot a560 and it always says the batteries are low no matter what kind of batteries i put in it. The camera always immediatly says low batteries and shuts off. I litereally never dropped it and it just started doing that one day.

[E.J. @ Aug 19th 2008 5:59PM]

I own a Ixus70 (SD1000), it's my first canon camera, loaded CHDK on it and wouldn't change it for anything else, where else can you find a small point'n shot that lets you take pictures in RAW format?

I even remenber dropping half a glass of soda drink on it and the poor thing keep working like a champ.