Well had a bit of good luck.

I finally fixed the canister vacuum and tried the vacuum method described by a you tube user.


The vacuum is a house hold canister vac with a lot of suction. I would have used my shop vac except it was full of sheet rock dust.

Placed the vacuum hose over the lens with it closed. I opened the battery door for air flow. Then extended the lens and placed the hose over the whole thing. I let it suck for three or four seconds.

Guess what THE SPOT IS GONE!!!!

I would have never thought it would work.

Try on yours.

See the attached after photo.

I have a couple of things to try.

Vacuum cleaner over the lens. Some else had luck with this.

Banging has been already been tried.

Taking the camera apart and seeing if I can get to the sensor and rear element of the lens without destroying alignment. This is the most likely to work but no guarantee. It makes sense to me that the obstruction is on the rear element. Maybe the sensor.

I like taking things apart. If I was to retire it I would take it apart anyway just to look at things. I have always been that way. You would be surprised how often you can fix things. I even have a clean room available at work which will increase the likely hood of getting the dust out without introducing more dust.

I made one good camera out of two broken Samsung cameras. My daughter purchased one. Dropped it in a week and tweaked the lens. Then she dropped the replacement a couple of months later and broke the display. A source of parts and a screw driver yielded a working camera which was broken within six months.

Don't ask about the iPhones. :-{

The rear lens and sensor is tiny. It does not take much to cause problems.

If all else failed then I will upgrade. I would like to have a manual mode. I might look at paying slightly more if I can find a camera that can still live in my pocket.

Until then I have my G2 and DSLR> Neither of which can fit in my pocket.

I am seeing a spot on the images produced by my Canon ELPH 100 HS. I have a number of bigger and better DLSR and Power shot camera but this one has been living in my pocket or briefcase since 2010. It is always there so I use it a lot. Recently I was on a hunting drip. Took a photo of my buddy in front of an active Oil Rig in the early morning light. I noticed this spot.

I cannot see any spot on the lens system. The spot is always in the same location and varies in size and intensity with the zoom level.

I will have to fix this or get another camera. Fix it means fixing it myself.

I have two photos. One at 5mm zoom. The other at 20 mm or full optical zoom. Look at the photos.

What do you think. Dirt/Mold on one if the lens elements?

Anyone have experience disassembling one of these cameras?

The dark spot is at full zoom.

I am seeing a spot on the images produced by my Canon ELPH 100 HS. I have a number of bigger and better DLSR and Power shot camera but this one has been living in my pocket or briefcase since 2010. It is always there so I use it a lot. Recently I was on a hunting drip. Took a photo of my buddy in front of an active Oil Rig in the early morning light. I noticed this spot.

I cannot see any spot on the lens system. The spot is always in the same location and varies in size and intensity with the zoom level.

I will have to fix this or get another camera. Fix it means fixing it myself.



I have two photos. One at 5mm zoom. The other at 20 mm or full optical zoom. Look at the photos.

What do you think. Dirt/Mold on one if the lens elements?

Anyone have experience disassembling one of these cameras?

The dark spot is at full zoom.