This is just a repost of my Canon camera E16 error post in English.
The story started yesterday, when my dad wrote me that his camera (Canon A610) screwed up and the only thing that it does is takes the lens out, takes it back in and then dies with
“Error E16“
I searched around the web and everywhere people said that the problem is of unknown origin and it’s not uncommon. The resolution they proposed was to send the camera to an authorized Canon service for a replacement.
So far so good. Send the camera away … but here is the problem – my warranty ended an year ago, so I was unlucky.
So I had no answer to the problem… until my dad came up with something which should work on all “asia-tech” (as you may have seen in Armageddon (1998)) – HIT IT HARD WITH THE 5$ WRENCH!
It turns out that hard shake or some firm slap of the camera fixes the problem most of the time, but this hides some risks – if you get the error, you are most likely to get it again some time in the future, so i suggest you send it to the Canon service for a replacement.
So remember HIT or SHAKE hard before you give up – it may save your camera (for at least a little while).
As a side effect of the E16 error the only mode that works is the Video mode, which, in my opinion, is funny – check it out: Canon A610 E16 Error video mode.
As you can see the frame is cropped in half and has funky colors.
29 responses to “Canon camera E16 error fix”
Your recommendation just worked for my wife’s Canon S5IS camera! I slapped it once and shook it 2-3 times, and that worked like a charm. You are a genious!
Fantastic! worked a treat x2 slaps + 5 second shake.
Thank You
OMG!! This just worked for me too!! Unbelievable. I was using a Powershot SD790 that we have loved for years. OK, I’ll be completely honest here. I actually just bought a replacement (S95), and I now plan to keep both given the reviews of the picture quality (especially in low light) of the S95. But I can now feel comfortable letting my highschool daughter use the 790. To the person that posted this recommended fix for the E16 error, THANKYOU! I knocked the camera twice moderately with my knuckles, and shook the camera for 5 seconds, and whoolaa! It works.
I JUST CALLED COSTCO CONCIERGE SERVICES BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE WE BOUGHT MY CANON SD790 IS CAMERA THAT IS HAVING THE BLACK SCREEN AND E16 ERROR CODE AND HE GAVE ME A FIX THAT WORKS.
TAKE YOUR BATTERY AND MEMORY CARD OUT OF YOUR CAMERA, THEN WITH THE BATTERY AND MEMORY CARD OUT OF THE CAMERA HOLD DOWN THE ON/OFF BUTTON AND THE PICTURE TAKING BUTTON AT THE SAME TIME FOR 1 FULL MINUTE THEN RELEASE PUT THE BATTERY AND MEMORY CARD BACK IN AND TURN ON THE CAMERA!!! I JUST DID IT ON MY CAMERA AND IT’S WORKING PERFECT AGAIN. HE SAID IT’S A HARD RESET FOR THE CAMERA.
I’M SO EXCITED AS I WAS ONLINE LOOKING AT HAVING TO PURCHASE A NEW CAMERA AND NOW I DON’T HAVE TO.
HE ALSO SAID THAT WHEN YOU PURCHASE A CAMERA FROM COSTCO AND USE YOUR AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD FOR THE PURCHASE, COSTCO EXTENDS THE MANUFACTURER WARRANTY AUTOMATICALLY FOR ONE YEAR BUT YOU HAVE TO FILE THE CLAIM THROUGH AMERICAN EXPRESS, JUST FYI.
TRY THE RESET, IT REALLY DOES FIX THE CAMERA.
I shaked my canon g10 for several time and knocked it but it still not working, it still shows the error e16… Any alternative suggestion, guys? Totally have no idea what to do as no clue of where’s the canon help centre in the uk…
Fantastic ! No need to shake or knock, removed batteries (all batteries, the AA ones and the little back-up battery) and memory card, pressed shutter button + on/off button for a minute, and my A560 now works again !
I had virtually abandoned hope for my camera
I really works. Just hitting the camera with the palm of your hand and it directly got rid of the E16 error.
LMFAO thank you. My sisters canon powershot sd790 had the e16 error. Read this site slapped the camera on the front turned it on working again.
I fully recommend everything u suggest for a camera that is out of warranty. If u try it on a camera that is still under warranty, then u should not tell the store u did this… or just dont do it. That said, I slapped my old canon a few times to get it working here and there. It really does work and if u r rough with ur toys, then u need to know this trick. Yes it works. Canon better not be trying to charge people for slapping their cameras to repair them though. I think it has to do with sand, dust, hairs and such getting interfering with the mechanical operation. And the slap frees the dust or realigns the parts into position again. I have never tried to hold the power and shutter button for 1 min while battery and flash card r out. I will try that first next time, but I suspect a slap is all it really needs. Try it, ull like it.
AWESOME it works!!!! My gratitude goes to the page creator. I was on the verge of getting rid of my SX1 IS when I came across this page and the slap technique worked for me!! It took more than a handful of blows at the poor camera however. (finally when I hit the camera around the lens base it worked!!!)
P.S. The reset technique didn’t work on my sx1
i did both and its still NOT working:(
its not my camera and i dropped it! i dont want to give it back broken:(
any other suggestions??
IT WORKED!!!!! 🙂
I got the E16 error message on my G9 this evening. After fooling with the battery, I got the camera to do everything EXCEPT take a picture. The preview screen was black, as though the shutter was stuck, even though picture preview from my memory card worked fine. The pictures I tried to take were completely black. I thought maybe the shutter wasn’t opening, but I could see and hear the shutter move when I pressed the shutter button. I tried the “hard reset” suggestion first because it sounded very scientific. Guess what? It didn’t work. So, then I figured I may as well try slapping it…waaalaah! It worked for me, too. Who knew? It seems to me that this “fix” is working because something mechanical in the camera is hanging up.
worked for me!
I hit my canon camera accidentally on the door and the lense got stuck after I just bought it for 3days. When I took it back to repair and the seller asked me: did you take it to the beach? It may be because of the sands or something. I’m thinking like: the camera has a specific function for taking pics on the beach and I am not supposed to take it to the beach? Anyway, they were kind enough to replace it with a new one. And I started to have the feeling that Canon was not as tough as I thought and I have more concerns about “slapping” or even “hit” again that glass doll when the E16 error comes up~~
Cathie, sometimes you just hit the bad one 🙂 My A610 fell from quite high (1.50-1.70m) right on the lens and it kind of broke down. The problem was a small plastic gear inside which was with the thickness of hair.
If you get E16 make sure you don’t hit it right on the lens or other moving parts. It can surely break it. If you hit it from the sides (left, right) or top,bottom it should be ok.
This is creeepy!!!! I didn’t believe you all at all, so I kept looking online for alternative solutions to error E16. Needless to say I didn’t get anything except the “hit and shake” solution and the hard reset solution. HARD RESET didn’t work on my Canon SX10 so I went to the solution of last resort. I slapped the thing and shook it a few times and … AS I LIVE AND BREATHE, the thing worked!!!!! Be careful and don’t hit any moving parts. I slapped the body, NOT the lens or flash, knobs or buttons, rockers…none of that. it works!!! THANK YOU!!!!
I have tried all these things and nothing is working for me. The camera is pretty old now, so probably time for a new one?
My Canon Camera SX220 HS has an error called E16 .. How should i fix it ..
Can you please suggest in what should i do to this Camera ??
Thank you
-SarahMayMalasan
my camera fell on the ground then it didnt work. it says it a e16 error and need to reset it.
How ??
OMG!!!! I’m from Brazil. I have a canon that had the same problem and I was so sad because I stopped to photograph a very important show to me because the camera had failed and now, was nice. WITH JUST A SHAKE.
Happy and sad at the same time and very shocked with the solution oO
I have Cannon 300hs tried hitting it and it worked for a little bit. Hard reset didn’t work. After it working off and on, I opened up the camera and on the back side was a loose connections. It seems like hitting it would move it into place but would come loose again. I pressed it back in tightly and works fine now. Good luck!
It turns on, the lens comes out and then goes in and E16 appears. I was using the camera changing lens settings.
I experienced the same Error 16 with a Canon Power Shot ELPH100HS and just before I searched for a solution, I tried to slap it twice and it worked out!!!!! So far so good.
Hello everyone .
I tried everything written above IXUS 145 camera and I could not fix.
But when I realized that the camera fell heated all the components with hot air gun with Flex and thank God I was able to run without a hitch
It really works!!! Thank you so much!! :X
Oh my god! a slap LCD side, alive again!
I want to thank your dad for suggesting this and to you for sharing this fix. I literally spent hours trying to learn to fix this E16 error including call to canon but to no avail. I was told to submit my camera to canon service centre with charges as my camera is out of warranty; however, your simple fix worked fantastically on my camera. I am a relieved man. Thank you and to your dad.
Incroyable, mon Canon IXUS 115 HS ne fonctionnait plus et afficher cette fameuse erreur E16.
Je pensais qu’il était fichu et je ne pensais pas que cette astuce (la claque) pourrait fonctionner.
Merci encore pour ce conseil, le revoilà à nouveau prêt à photographier et à filmer.