Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 zoom error

[Renyu]

Hi all, I'm hoping to be able to get some advice on the issue with my camera. I just purchased it last night from an older fellow who hasn't used it in a long time, and got it for a good deal considering it takes pictures just fine with this zoom problem. The issue arises when you go past about 1/10 of the zoom bar; the screen goes gray and gives the error message

"REMOVE THE LENS CAP AND TURN THE CAMERA ON AGAIN"

At which point I have to turn the camera off and on again. All of the other functions of the camera work just fine, and the lens extends and retracts fine every time as well. The picture quality is as expected. I have found a link for repairing stuck lens on Panasonic cameras (Repair Stuck Lens on Panasonic FZ5) but my issue isn't that the lens is stuck.
I would appreciate any advice or comment. While this is not a huge problem (I bought the camera for food photography), it would be nice if I can find an easy fix without spending more than the camera is worth.

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