Canon PowerShot SX520 HS Troubleshooting

The camera does not turn on after pressing the power button.

If your camera won't turn on after pushing the power button, try charging the battery. After charging the battery for a couple of hours, put it back in the camera and try turning it on again. If it still does not turn on, the battery needs to be replaced.

You can refer to the Battery Replacement Guide for instructions on removing the battery.

Your power button could be broken or the connection can be dirty. Clean under the button and its connections and try again. If this does not work, the button may have to be replaced.

The flash does not go off when a picture is taken.

Check the battery bar on the screen to see if it is blinking. If your battery is too low, the flash will not go off. Recharge the battery and try again.

You can refer to the Battery Replacement Guide for instructions on removing the battery.

Go into the camera settings and check if the flash is turned off. If it is off, turn it on.

Check the filament on the bulb and see if it is still attached. If the bulb is burnt out, you will have to buy a new bulb and replace the old one.

The display screen is blank or black and the device is definitely on.

If your battery is dead, the camera will not turn on. Recharge the battery and try again.

You can refer to the Battery Replacement Guide for instructions on removing the battery.

If the LCD is damaged and in a bad enough condition it will stop functioning. If your screen is flickering or won't turn on after checking the battery, the LCD needs to be replaced.

You can refer to the LCD Screen Replacement Guide for instructions on replacing the LCD.

If the screen isn't broken and there is no indication of it being broken, there could be a disconnect between the motherboard and the LCD. Without this connection, the LCD doesn't know what to display. The connection on either the LCD or motherboard would need to be reestablished.

You can refer to the Motherboard Replacement Guide for more information on how to access the motherboard.

Photos are not clear.

If the lens of your camera is dirty, it will not take clear pictures. Check to see if your lens is dirty. If it is, take a soft cloth or towel (a microfiber cloth is strongly recommended) and carefully clean the lens. Be sure not to scratch the lens in the process.

If your lens is clean, the camera may not be focused when taking the picture. First of all, go into the camera settings and make sure it is set to AUTO. Then before taking the photo, press the capture button halfway down, until the image is clear. Once the camera focuses, the button can be pressed all the way down.

If your camera is moving while the shutter opens the photo will be blurry. Keep steady while taking the photo or use a tripod to stabilize the camera.

Photo will not zoom.

If your camera fails to zoom in/out then it's most likely due to displacement of the lens position. To check if this is the case, put the camera on its back with the lens facing up and look around the perimeter to see if there's any displacement of the lens.

If it is displaced, power the camera off and gently press gently on the lens on the side where the gap is the largest. You should hear is pop back into place. Then try powering the camera back on.