topic Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots... in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

brightwolg — Sun, 08 Oct 2023 22:25:47 GMT

Hi all, I am new on the forums but not new to photography and not new to Canon: shooting Canon for 30 years now, from back in the film times. Last year I sold my 5D mark ii and acquired a second-hand 5D mark iii. I acquired it from a photo store, it was in good condition, cleaned and checked. Ever since I bought it, it shows "busy" to me after about 2 or 3 seconds after switch on. When showing "busy", it refuses to shoot anything - I simply have to wait. The "busy" time is usually some seconds but can sometimes last up to 10 seconds, or at least it feels like that: an eternity when I want to shoot that shot and my camera is refusing to do it for me. I am missing shots because of this.

Does anyone know how to fix it or what I can do?

Please note that I did search this forum for this problem, and came across this post. It seems related and there are some similarities, however there are also some differences. What is similar is that I am using an SD card (Sandisk Extreme Pro 170 MB/s 64 GB (UHS class 3, speed class 10). What is different is that I am not using burst mode.

Also note that my issue does not seem related to the speed of the card. I am an amateur with a good camera; almost never using the burst modes. And the problem occurs regardless of the fact if I have taken a photo (or not) before the "busy" message shows up.

I have reformatted the card and resetted the camera: to no avail. Some other info: mostly shooting JPG (second best quality), enabled lens abberation correction, did not enable (white balance) auto bracketing. Lens used: any of my lenses (which are: EF 28-105 F/3.5-4.5 II USM, EF 16-35 F2.8 L USM mark ii, EF 70-200 F/4, EF 50 F/1.8, EF 100 F/2.0 USM)

Any help or hints appreciated!

-Hans

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

Tronhard — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 00:57:14 GMT

Hi Hans and welcome to the forum:
I respect your experience both as a photographer and with the 5D series of camera. I had the 5DIII and I still have a 5DsR. I would suspect that, almost certainly the issue is card-related. Since I don't want to make any assumptions, can you please confirm that your card is a full-size SD card, rather than a micro-SD with adapter - Micro SD cards are problematic with Canon cameras?

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

stevet1 — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 00:01:24 GMT

brightwoig,

Have you tried a different card?

If it happens with more than one card, the issue is probably camera related.

Steve Thomas

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

deebatman316 — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 00:09:10 GMT

Are you using a CF card too in the camera. Try removing it or switching it out to a different CF card to see if the problem is CF Card related. If one is also being used in the camera. Also DO NOT use Micro SD Cards in an adapter as @Tronhard pointed out. These cause a lot of problems so stick with full size cards.

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 00:51:15 GMT

Does it say "Busy" or "Sensor cleaning"? Mine says sensor cleaning for a couple of seconds when first turned on or when turned off. The sensor cleaning can be disabled in the menus, but I wouldn't recommend it, as it cleans dust that has accumulated on the camera sensor.

Also, are you saying it says busy at power on and after taking a picture or only at power up?

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

Peter — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 03:06:36 GMT

Remove all cards and the lens. Power up the camera. Same thing?

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

brightwolg — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 09:12:07 GMT

Hi Trevor, thanks for your answer. To answer your question, I confirm I am using a full-size SD card, no adapter.

Thanks, Hans

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

brightwolg — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 10:38:38 GMT

Good suggestion, will buy and try later today.

Cheers Hans

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

brightwolg — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 12:40:35 GMT

Hi Demetrius,

No I am not using a CF card right now. I do own them, but I am using SD exclusively for now.

Thanks

-Hans

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

brightwolg — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 12:03:15 GMT

Hi Bob, It really says "busy". I am familiar with the sensor cleaning, that is expected and not the problem. Sensor cleaning is only done when switching the camera on with the on/off switch; it is not done when waking the camera out of sleep with a light press on the shutter button. But the "busy" problem occurs when either one of these two actions is done. It happens after power on, after waking from sleep, and sometimes after having taken a picture within those first few seconds; it simply stalls after some seconds, for 5 to 10 seconds, and refuses to take any further picture during that time.

Thanks, Hans

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

brightwolg — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 12:08:58 GMT

Remove all cards and the lens. Power up the camera. --> NO "busy" message appears

Now put the lens back on. Power up the camera. --> NO "busy" message appears

Now insert the card again. Power up the camera. --> Yes, "busy" message appears!

So it definitely is card related, I think I can conclude? Next question, is it just my card or is it any card? I will buy and try a new card, today or tomorrow, as was suggested by Stevet1

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

Peter — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 12:35:38 GMT

Did you low level format the card or just format? Low level will increase the performance.

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

brightwolg — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 13:28:07 GMT

Low level formatted the card and now the "busy" message appears immediately after switching it on or waking it up from sleep. It still takes 4 to 5 seconds before I can take a picture. There was 14,88 GB worth of pictures on the card before. I will now copy those same images back to the (now low level formatted) card and see if I get the 2 to 3 seconds delay again before the "busy" message appears.

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

brightwolg — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 13:51:54 GMT

Copied all photos back, 3153 files, 14,88 GB. Now the same behaviour is back, and on top of that, that red light on the back of the camera (bottom right) starts flashing the moment I switch it on or wake it up. Then, after some seconds, the "busy" message appears and I cannot take pictures; some seconds later "busy" is gone and I can take pictures again, however, the red light flashing continues for a while. This happens every time I wake it up or switch it on, and it never did this until after low formatting the card.

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

brightwolg — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 13:55:11 GMT

After switching it off and on a few times, letting the red light flash and waiting until it was done, it now does not happen anymore: no more red light is flashing. However, "busy" is still there, most of the times after a few seconds, sometimes immediately: I cannot reproduce any of these two situations but can reproduce the "busy" message, every time.

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

deebatman316 — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 13:56:36 GMT

Have you tried a different SD Card to see if it still happens. It could simply be a bad card causing this.

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

Peter — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 15:21:30 GMT

Time for a new card, it sounds like. If you go for CF you will get better write speed. 5D III SD slot has around 20MB/s.

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

Waddizzle — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 16:01:01 GMT

“ I will now copy those same images back to the (now low level formatted) card and see if I get the 2 to 3 seconds delay again before the "busy" message appears. “

Copying image files back onto the memory card and then inserting said card into the camera is bad idea. It is a recipe for apparent card failures and possibly lost images.

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

brightwolg — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 16:32:38 GMT

Backed everything up and is not my common practise. Was just for testing, formatted the card already again.

Re: Canon 5D mark iii "busy" each time after switch on and missing shots...

brightwolg — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 16:34:54 GMT

Tried a CF card, SD card removed from the slot, and the same problem occurs. It is a CF card that I owned for a number of years: Kingston CF 32GB Ultimate 266X.

So not really card related after all, but maybe more my camera's capabilities of writing to the cards, SD or CF?