Canon Digital IXUS - Known Problems

Known Problems

Canon considers the following problems design faults and will often repair devices with these particular faults free after the warranty period. The owner must however ascertain whether a particular service centre will perform the repair.

• A firmware bug exists that can cause the IXUS 400 (and possibly other cameras with the same firmware) to display a "Memory card error" message after the camera has been in use for some time. Contrary to the message, there may not actually be anything wrong with the memory card. Descriptions of the fix recommend simultaneously removing the internal and external batteries to reset the camera. Canon (in Canada only) has acknowledged this issue and will repair free of charge.
• A number of camera models across several manufacturers used a Sony CCD that was prone to failure. Canon put out a general recall in late 2005 on affected models and serial numbers. Models from the Ixus range are the v3, II, and IIs. Canon has issued a support advisory stating it will repair affected cameras free of charge. This free repair service for Canon cameras with defective CCD image sensors is gradually being phased out; in the UK, the free service end date for Ixus II cameras was 31 January 2011.

Like all compacts with a zoom lens, cameras in the Ixus range are susceptible to the "lens error" message if the lens is physically unable to zoom in or out. On Canon cameras, this manifests as the E18 error or the message "Lens error, restart camera" on more recent models.