whats wrong with my tz4 camera?

[SportsConcertFan]

When I turned it on tonight to take some pictures, the lens opens and closes (in and out) 3 times and then this message comes up saying "please turn the camera off and back on again". Whats wrong with my camera and why would it do that? My mom was using it over the weekend to take pictures of me at the softball tournament and I have not used it until tonight. She was the last one that touched my camera. She told me she had a little trouble with the zoom when she was taking pictures of me sunday where it would not stay in place or whatever. The pictures did turn out good though.

Whats wrong with it? I can go to the "view mode" to view the pictures taken, but when I go to the "take the picture mode", the lens cannot focus and goes in and out like 3 times and then the message comes up.

What do I do and how can this happen? I would have to make my mom buy me a new one if I cannot fix the problem because she is the last one who touched it. I also used it sunday during the first game only and it was working fine. My mom had it for the whole last game. I bought it near the beginning of the year (the time when circuit city was going out of business and I bought it at that store). When the camera is off, its set in a camera case. I have used it for concerts (I love how the pictures turn out at concerts), softball games, general, etc. No problems at all using it. My mom also used it a lot when I was playing softball at JC taking pictures of me and there were no problems. Nothing happened until tonight.

[David Metsky]

Is the battery fully charged? Clean the contacts and make sure the battery is seated properly. Do the same for the memory card. If you get no better results after that, take the battery out of the camera and let the camera sit for 24 hours. Beyond that there's not much as a consumer you can do.

There's no indication that your mom did anything to kill your camera. Cameras die sometimes.

[SportsConcertFan]

its not the battery. its the lens. the thing going in an out making some noise 3 times and then stops and then says "turn off and back on again". also when the lens is going in and out...when it goes out, all I see is a blur, then it goes in (black of course when the lens is not out and closes), then out blur again, then in again. that is what it looks like in the view.

there is something wrong with the focus/zoom. I dont know how something can go from working good to working bad if nothing was done wrong to it. I have not even had it a year. I want to see if I can fix this first before sending it to panasonic for them to fix it. we also tried calling today but could not get through.

[David Metsky]

I dont know how something can go from working good to working bad if nothing was done wrong to it.
This is the nature of consumer electronics. All it takes is for a bit of grit to get in the lens mechanism - it could have been inside the camera for a while and finally worked its way into a delicate spot, it could be an electrical connection that is detached, it could be that a gear has worked itself loose. Again, there's no reason to assume that your mom did anything bad; sometimes these things happen for no apparent reason.

The camera is likely out of warranty, but give Panasonic a call. There's not much you can do on your own if it's really a mechanical problem - these cameras are not designed to be repaired, especially by an owner. Your best bet it so tap the camera on the side, gently but firmly, while the lens is trying to extend. That may knock something loose or align things.

[SportsConcertFan]

I have had it less than a year, so it cant be out of warrenty. I'll call panasonic tomorrow and see what they will say. Otherwise, I will have a 150-150 split with my parents (me paying half and parents paying half) to get a new camera, which is the 12x one. lumix cameras have been the best I have ever own and they rarely come in blurly unless its on the wrong settings. I love how my pictures came out at an indoor general admission concert when I took it there once.

[David Metsky]

Here's the warranty - http://www2.panasonic.com/static/Warranty/WARRANTY_DigitalStillCamera.pdf

The problem may be that Panasonic doesn't feel that your problem is a result of defect in materials or workmanship. If the problem is that you got grit in the lens mechanism they might not cover the repair or replacement, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

The TZ4 has been discontinued. It's been replaced by the ZS1 which is an improvement in most respects.

[Beowulff]

.....The problem may be that Panasonic doesn't feel that your problem is a result of defect in materials or workmanship.....

Yup; could be the case.

I found a few years back (even after directly approaching Panasonic's Australian head office in Sydney) that their corporate stance on honouring warranty repairs is almost non-existent.

Although I owned a long-gone Panasonic FZ10 I'd never buy another digital camera with their brand on it.

In my humble opinion, if you have to take a company to court to get them to undertake a legitimate repair within the terms of their published warranty, then they don't deserve one's business.

Cheers :)

[SportsConcertFan]

I decided that if I have to get a new camera, it will be a sony h20. I want to keep the camera small and not less than 10x. No more panasonic brands for me.

[David Metsky]

Just so you're aware, Sony (and Canon, and Nikon, and everyone) has the exact same problem from time to time with extending lenses.

[SportsConcertFan]

I am talking about as in warrenty. When there are problems and its still under warrenty, should be able to send it for free and they fix it for free. If I get a sony and theres a problem in under a year, I should be able to get in fixed for free right?

[David Metsky]

As I said in the other thread, no camera maker is going to warranty getting grit in the lens mechanism unless you are very, very lucky.

[Beowulff]

As far as I know (in Australia at least) most manufacturers of any product will specifically exclude fair wear and tear from their warranty cover.

Generally, a warranty will only cover faults of design and/or manufacture of the product, and failure or malfunction of the product to perform as specified due specifically to those inherent faults.

As I discovered with Panasonic, most warranties are only worth the paper they're printed on..... about 4¢ that is!

:)