My Canon SX20 IS has an intermittent "lens error" and a stuck pixel. Repair or Replace?

Jeff Peterman wrote:

If you want a fast lens at the long end the only real option is the Panasonic FZ200. Like you SX20, it has a constant f2.8 aperture, but it does this with a 25-600mm lens! So, it goes both wider and longer than your camera. You'll give up on the compactness and on the use of AA batteries, but this camera line lasts quite some time on the rechargeable battery. You will gain a big improvement in resolution and low light capability, and a tremendous improvement in video capability

At this point, you may not be able to get the SX20 repaired as the parts may not be available. I retired my SX20 about three years ago, buying a Panasonic FZ40 because the Canon options were so much larger (the SX20 would easily fit in my coat pocket, and the FZ40 will also fit in a coat pocket).

The time to buy a FZ200 came and went this summer when Best Buy decided to clearance out their inventory. As I recollect, early in July, they were selling the FZ200 for $299 new or $249 for display and "open box." I probably still wouldn't have bought since I've had so many previous issues with the Panasonic brand. As previously stated, I don't object to the specs or even to the price of the FZ200. If Canon was selling a camera of the same specifications for a list price of $600, without retailer discounts, I'd buy it. In a heartbeat! Of course, I think we can all remember the last time Canon tried to sell a megazoom at that price point; the SX1 IS premiered in 2009 and never seemed to sell in big numbers.

As far as repairs, Canon seems to have a basic $100 charge for labor and addition charges for parts. A credit card authorization is sort of open-ended in terms of costs but Canon has been very reputable in the past. They also offer a trade-in as part of the "Canon Loyalty Program," which seems to be a 20% discount against the price of a refurbished camera. Is 20% off a $309 refurbished SX50 HS a good deal? Honestly, I'd buy new first, if I wanted a SX50. Which I really didn't.

I'm glad to know that you enjoy your FZ40. I looked at a FZ60 as an emergency replacement but dismissed it because of the fixed rear display. I love a hinged display and can live with a tilting display but a fixed display is a non-starter for me. I take too many high and low angle shots. Overall, I'm not convinced that I could live with a second tier superzoom for that reason alone.

I'm also freaked out by the idea of the polymer lens in the current Panasonic FZ70. I hate the feel of an all plastic camera, something that Panasonic seems to the master of, but the idea of plastic optics seems to be the final straw. I know that the lenses in eye glasses have been plastic for generations, are lightweight and resist scratching remarkably well but it's just the idea that rankles.

So I've chosen a camera that's half again as heavy as the plastic Panasonic options. Yes, I'm trying the Fujifilm X-S1; two pounds of magnesium and glass. I get the impression that this camera will require a lot more thought, experimentation and user involvement in comparison to my past Canon cameras. The deciding factor was the manual zoom. After two brilliant Canon cameras both claimed by failed and failing power zoom mechanisms, I decided to go in another direction and Fuji's manual zoom ring seems to have been my deciding factor. I'll review the outcome of the my decision in the appropriate subforum.

Many thanks to the posters who all answered my original question with invariably good advice.  When each and every answer correlates with the advice given in this month's Consumer Reports magazine as to when to repair or replace a camera, you know you're in good hands.  Thank you.