Start with the battery and charger
A flat or failing battery is the single most common reason a camera appears dead. Charge the battery fully on a charger you know works, and watch the charger light complete its cycle. If you have a second battery, try it.
Batteries that are several years old lose capacity and can read as empty almost immediately. A battery that gets warm but never fully charges, or drops from full to empty very quickly, is usually at the end of its life.
Check the contacts, card and door switches
Clean the battery and charger contacts gently with a dry cloth — corrosion or dirt here can stop power getting through. Make sure the battery door is fully closed; many cameras have a switch that won't power on if the door isn't seated.
Remove the memory card and try powering on without it. A corrupt or physically damaged card can occasionally cause a camera to hang at startup or refuse to boot.
When it's an internal fault
If a known-good, fully charged battery still gives you nothing — no lights, no LCD, no sound — the fault is likely internal: a power board, a failed capacitor, liquid damage, or a fault after a drop. These are not safe or practical to fix at home.
The same is true for a camera that powers on but immediately shuts down, shows an error code, or was dropped or exposed to moisture before it died. At that point a proper diagnosis is the sensible next step.
Before you book a repair, check:
- A fully charged, known-good battery — ideally a spare
- Clean battery and charger contacts
- Battery door fully closed and latched
- Camera powers on with the memory card removed
- Any recent drop, liquid exposure or error code (tell us — it helps diagnosis)