Canon PowerShot SX600 HS Troubleshooting

Camera does not respond when pressing the power button

Open the battery compartment door located on the bottom right of the camera. Check whether battery is there. If not, a battery is needed. If there is a battery, make sure that it is inserted correctly (the gold lining will match up with the terminals in the battery compartment).

If the battery has died, the camera will not turn on. Remove the battery and attach it to the battery charger. Wait for the light to change to green indicating that it is fully charged, then reinsert back into the camera. (If you have no charger, you may connect the camera, with the battery inserted, to your computer using it's USB cable)

If the battery is inserted in the charger, but the light indicating a charge does not come on, check to make sure the battery is inserted correctly in the charger. If it is, then the charger may be bad. Try using a different charger.

If the battery still does not charge with a new charger, then the battery may be bad. Purchase or use a new battery.

Whenever you turn your camera on or off, the lens piece becomes stuck half-way

Sometimes, the camera will not function correctly due to a random electrical short within the camera itself. With the power off, remove the battery, and let the camera sit for around an hour. Reinsert the battery and turn the camera back on.

With the camera turned off, insert a thin piece of paper inside the opening of the lens and slide it around to dislodge any loose material. Turn the camera back on. The lens should fully extend. You may also use a can of condensed air or simply blow into the cracks.

If the battery cover is opened during the camera’s power up, the camera may go into a power save mode and quit all functions. Turn the camera off, ensure the cover is closed snugly, and turn the camera back on.

Such a drop could shake the connections to the lens piece loose, or damage them. Disassemble the camera following our guide until you have reached the lens component. Ensure all connections are secure and not damaged. Reassemble the camera and attempt to restart it.

Following the previous instructions, disassemble the camera and inspect the connections. If everything is still connected and unharmed, it is most likely the motor that runs the lens that has been damaged. You can find a guide on how to replace the motor here.

The camera is turned on, and the lens is out, but the screen is still black

Sometimes the display screen will accidentally become turned off. With the camera turned on, try pressing the DISP button near the bottom of the camera several times to see if the display will reappear.

If the screen does not turn back on after using the DISP button, it may have become disconnected. Follow this guide to disassemble the camera until you reach the display screen and it's connections. Ensure all connections are secure and intact.

If the connections are bad, or damaged, or if the screen itself is broken, it will need to be replaced. Our guide will walk you through how to do that.

Flash does not turn on when I am trying to take a picture

After you turn the camera on, move the flash switch on the left side of the camera to raise the flash. Press the flash button (lightning bolt) and select ‘on’, when the flash icon is displayed on the monitor the setting is complete.

If you have depressed the flash button, but the flash bulb does not pop up, the internal spring mechanism has become faulty or broken.

Make sure that the camera is charged. If the battery is low the flash will not work. Remove the battery and place it in the wall charger. Plug the charger into the wall and wait until the battery is fully recharged (the indicator light will be green).

The flash has died or become faulty. Follow our guide here on how to replace it.

Your photos are fuzzy or hard to see

Using a soft rag, wipe the exposed glass of the lens, then inspect to ensure the lens is clean.

Ensure that your camera has had time to fully focus on the object you are attempting to photograph. Hold the shutter button down half-way and wait for the image on the display screen to appear clear and in focus.

Remove the existing lens unit and replace with a new one following our guide above.