Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS35 Troubleshooting

When I take a picture, there’s black spots or smudges on the image.

Most often, smudges or specks on an image are dust particles or other unwanted things resting on the camera lens. This can be commonly fixed by applying a gentle brush/lens cleaning fluid to the camera lens to remove dirt, dust, fingerprints, and other blemishes.

If the spots persist after cleaning the lens, you may have dust/smudges on the camera’s sensor. By gently removing the lens of the camera, one can use a manual air blower or a specially made sensor brush/solvent to remove dust/smudges. For a guide on taking off a camera lens, please go here.

For obvious reasons, damaged lens/sensors should be replaced whenever possible. For a guide on replacing damaged lenses and sensors, please go here.

The camera’s screen appears black or won’t respond no matter what I do.

In most cases, turning the camera off and restarting it via holding the power button down will fix an unresponsive screen. If that fails, remove the battery and hold the power button for 15-30 seconds. Wait a few minutes before replacing the battery and restarting the camera.

If the screen fails to turn on entirely, this may be an issue with the screen’s hardware, and it may need to be repaired/replaced. You can see our guide to fixing/replacing an LCD screen here.

Ensure that the camera has enough charge to properly turn on by replacing the dead battery with one that has charge.

You can disable power save mode by turning on the camera and accessing the power save settings within the setup menu.

My camera is on, but when I click shutter the button, it doesn’t take a picture.

If the memory card is not secured, your camera will not be able to take pictures. Slide the release lever in the direction of the arrow and open the card/battery door. Push it securely all the way until you hear a “click” while being careful about the direction in which you insert it. To remove the card, push the card until it clicks, then pull the card out upright. Do not touch the connection terminals of the card. Close the card/battery door. Slide the release lever in the direction of the arrow.

Face your camera towards you and try to take a photo.  If your shutter doesn’t flicker, it’s likely jammed. Trying to fix a jammed shutter is tricky and doing it yourself could further damage your camera. We advise that you send it back to Panasonic to let the experts handle it.

If you can feel that the shutter button is sticking when you are trying to take a photo, that is likely the cause of this issue. You can try to clean the shutter button by holding it down with something like a pencil and blowing on it with a can of compressed air.  It can be risky to apply any liquid on the button, so if you don’t have luck with the compressed air, your best option is to replace the shutter button.

The lens is unable to extend, retract, or is stuck out-of-position; display shows the error message “System Error (Zoom).”

When switching between the playback and shooting modes, you should hear the zoom motor running if everything is operating normally. If the zoom motor is not running, the lens will jam, and you may require a new zoom motor unit. We advise that you send the camera back to Panasonic to let the experts handle it.

Check to see if there is any condensation or “fog” on the lens front. Prolonged presence of condensation can cause stains, fungus buildup, and camera malfunction such as a stuck lens. Carefully wipe the condensation/fog off with a soft cloth or let the camera sit in a temperature adjusted area.

If any particles are preventing the extension of the lens, blow compressed air in the gaps around the lens barrel and push them out of the camera.

It's possible that the guidance pins that keep the lens and lens barrel in place are offset, causing the lens to jam or leaving it stuck. Place the camera flat on its back on a table, lens facing upward. Hold down the shutter button while simultaneously holding down the power button. This will trigger the camera autofocus as the lens tries to extend, letting the guide pins of the camera lens’ barrel move back to their precise spots.

When I press the power button nothing happens.

If the camera battery is dead, the camera will not turn on. If the camera won’t turn on after charging, the battery may be malfunctioning or need replacement.

If the battery refuses to charge without there being any apparent issues with the camera itself, the charger may be broken. A damaged USB cord could also potentially be causing the problem. Replace the charger or the USB cord if you sense there is an issue with either.

When I try to take a picture with the flash, the flash won’t fire

A very common problem that happens more than you would think is your finger covering the flash. This flash is located under the shutter button and is in the prime real estate where your hand falls. Be mindful of where your fingers fall.

The flash simply is not a feature in a couple of the modes that are on your camera. Ensure that your mode wheel is in one of the settings below where the flash is able to fire.

Your flash could just be broken and will need replacement. To replace the flash follow the directions in this guide.