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Digital Cameras
Symptom: Marks or blemishes appear on all my photos.
Moderate: If cleaning the lens doesn't do the trick, the obstruction may be on the CCD sensor that acts as solid-state "film" for digital cameras. To get a sense of the problem, take a reference shot of a white sheet, a cloudy sky, or a blank piece of paper; dust specks really stand out in a white photo. To clear debris, digital single-lens reflex users can remove the lens and spray a shot of compressed air (sold in cans) into the space behind it. Owners of other models can try extending the camera lens and shooting air at the seams. Just make sure that you do this carefully in a clean, dust-free environment.
Dire: To remove stuff that won't blow off, SLR owners can try using methanol and a lint-free cloth (attached to something like a cotton swab) to gently mop the CCD surface. This procedure can be tricky, so you might opt to have your camera professionally serviced instead. If that doesn't do the trick, you probably have a scratched lens or a damaged CCD. Owners of fixed-lens digital cameras must seek professional service, too.
Symptom: My camera's lens won't deploy or retract.
Minor: First, is the camera's battery charged and properly installed? You need power to move the lens assembly. And if you're shooting in cold weather, keep in mind that low temperatures can freeze mechanical components.
Moderate: A lens that fails to deploy or retract could be a sign of a confused camera--especially if you experience other odd behavior such as error messages and focus problems. Try rebooting the camera. First, power down, remove the battery (you should also remove the secondary clock battery, if your camera has one), and wait a couple minutes. Then replace the battery and power back up. If the lens remains obstinate, check the vendor's Web site for updated firmware, which may help resolve the issue.
Dire: No luck yet? Listen for any clicks or whirs from the lens assembly when you power up the camera--these are signs that the unit is trying to move. A slight nudge or tug at this point may clear the blockage. Or try gently rocking the extended lens to help it find the groove. If these efforts fail, you may have to get the camera serviced.
Symptom: I can't access photos on my memory card.
Minor: Did someone else recently use the camera, or did you recently review photos on the card? The image files may have been accidentally erased. Find out by using an undelete program like QueTek File Scavenger to comb through the memory card and find files that are marked as deleted in the card's file allocation table.
Moderate: If your camera can't recognize the memory card, the card may be using the wrong file system. Most older cards and cameras employ the FAT16 file system. But FAT16 can store only a little more than 2GB of data. With some CompactFlash cards already breaking the 2GB barrier, more cameras and cards are converting to the FAT32 format. You can use the camera's on-board controls to reformat the card, or you can reformat it on your PC using a card reader, but you won't be able to see the full capacity of cards larger than 2GB if you format them in FAT16.
Dire: Still can't see the media? Try using the memory card in a working camera or a card reader that uses the same memory type. If you can't get the media to work there either, you probably have a shorted or physically damaged card in need of replacement. On the other hand, if you do manage to get the card to work elsewhere, the problem could be with your camera.
