How to clean a cannon camera lens?

If you can't come up with the $6 to $8 to ship the camera to Canon. You might just as well throw it away! There is nothing serviceable about cameras, Canon or any other make. The fact that you can see sand in your camera leads me to believe, you were totally careless with your camera. This you will remember for a long time, because no one likes to waste money. Besides it is probably too late to fix this camera for an amount that would make spending the repair money worth it's while. I am amazed that you have the money to go to the beach, but can't come up with UPS shipping expense for your camera. You didn't mention the camera you have so we can't tell what is "expensive" and if it would even be worth sending the camera for repair. Sorry to be so negative, but you backed yourself into a corner, by doing the damage and then refusing to ship it in for repairs. The only good advice I can give you, is: do not take it to a dealer to send in for you. They are business people! So your $8 shipping becomes $16.00. And that would add insult to injury! Another thing always ASK FOR AN ESTIMATE for camera repairs. It is easy (especially digital) for cameras to cost more to repair than it cost to make the camera in the first place. Good Luck

The camera won't shut down just because there is stuff on the lens unless there is enough gunk to keep it from opening of closing the shutter. Try to wipe off the lens with a damp lens cloth or a damp tissue as a last resort, it you continute to get the error try taking the battery out and putting it back in case its just a software problem, if that doesnt work turn the camera off and let it sit for a few hours to let it dry out in case it got water in it (though this may not help since it is salt water presumably) if all else fails it probably means that the lens itself is broken and you need a new one.