topic Re: R6 Mk II Does not shut off - always dead battery in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

EOS R6 Mark II, Does not shut off - always dead battery

Photonmaster — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 12:21:29 GMT

Even when my camera is OFF, the red light on the back blinks occasionally every few minutes. When it does so, the lens seems to activate as I can hear it.

Almost always, when I go to use the camera, the battery is dead. At first I thought it was because I had not used the camera in several weeks - I have other cameras that I use more frequently, but then when I go to use it, the battery is dead so I pick up my reliable cameras (Sony, Fuji) and they are always ready to shoot.

I am disappointed with the quality of this camera - I just can't seem to catch it with a fresh battery! I have created a service request and will send it in - but has anyone else seen this problem. I'm ready to get rid of my Canon gear, so you may see a fire sale on this one!

Re: R6 Mk II Does not shut off - always dead battery

rs-eos — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 10:39:10 GMT

Do you have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth enabled? If so, that will eat a bit of power even when the camera is off. You can put the camera in Airplane mode to prevent that. Then turn off Airplane mode only when using the camera when you need those networking features. See page 789 in the User Manual.

Re: R6 Mk II Does not shut off - always dead battery

Waddizzle — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 11:10:25 GMT

I would go one step further than Airplane Mode. I would disable all wireless communications. There’s a subtle difference between the two options, and I don’t recall what it is at the moment.

Re: R6 Mk II Does not shut off - always dead battery

shadowsports — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 12:16:01 GMT

Greetings,

In addition to what my colleagues have asked, are you using any adapted lenses on the camera? If so, is the adapter Canon brand?

Please tell us about any accessories you might have connected. (If applicable).

Re: R6 Mk II Does not shut off - always dead battery

Photonmaster — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 17:25:25 GMT

I don't have any adapters. Just brand new lenses 16-28 (f2.8), 28-70 (f2.8) and 70-200 (f4). Now there are thick lines on the LCD panel, one at the top and one at the bottom. Every picture I take now has them while the earlier ones do not. I'm shipping it back to Canon - the camera is still under warranty.

Re: R6 Mk II Does not shut off - always dead battery

shadowsports — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 18:52:24 GMT

Greetings,

Deep breath. You will survive this.😃

Please start here:

Perform a full factory reset (main and custom) settings. Do not make any changes to settings. You may need to specify the date and time. Now retest. Better, same result?

If the behavior follows, the camera can be sent back to Canon. If purchased new from an authorized dealer, you have a 1 yr warranty. Canon will take care of you.

I realize problems like this are inconvenient, even unsettling, but rest assured, your issue or issuers will get resolved. Canon products are far better than your Sony or Fuji. I understand you seem to be off to a rough start, but I'm confident you'll get a satisfactory outcome. Yes, its a bummer. Give Canon the opportunity to win back your trust and confidence. The R6 mkII is a great camera. These types of experiences are extremely rare.

To get help, repair support, visit this page:

MyCanon

Let us know the results after the reset and if needed what happens when you get the device back from the service center. Hang in there. 😉

Re: R6 Mk II Does not shut off - always dead battery

Waddizzle — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 18:53:11 GMT

The thick black lines on the screen could mean the camera is in 16x9 crop mode. Do you save photos as RAW or JPG?

Re: R6 Mk II Does not shut off - always dead battery

Waddizzle — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 21:23:11 GMT

@TubaOrNotTuba wrote:

rs-eos is correct, the folks at Canon have repeatedly shown they have no clue what it means to not burn though batteries. There is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHATSOVER that their firmware should constantly try to connect when a camera is in OFF. As an IT engineer I have a little experience with wireless devices. Canon is asking, no, demanding, that we to do what NO OTHER device on the planet requires, to put the device in airplane mode even when the device is off to prevent the batteries from dying. I currently own 3 laptops, 3 tablets, a half dozen cell phones, and 2 cars with Bluetooth/WiFi along with several desktop PCs with Bluetooth only... exactly NONE of them continue to attempt to make wireless connections when they're powered off. NOT ONE SINGLE ONE. Canon continues to show they are a camera manufacturer who tries to use electronics to enhance their products, but they need to hire some better engineers who understand how electronics are supposed to work.

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Re: R6 Mk II Does not shut off - always dead battery

shadowsports — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 21:26:10 GMT

Exactly what I was thinking and why I thought we should reset to be on the safe side 😉.

Re: R6 Mk II Does not shut off - always dead battery

Waddizzle — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 15:52:00 GMT

Please start a new thread about your issues. Thanks, in advance.

Re: EOS R6 Mark II, Does not shut off - always dead battery

pedz — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 18:18:51 GMT

Off topic slightly but for airplane mode, I wish there was an option. One setting would be like it is now where bluetooth and Wi-Fi operate even when the camera is off. The other setting is they both turn off when the power switch is off. For me, I want Off to mean Off. Currently I need to remember to go to airplane mode unless I’m sure I’m going to use the camera within a few days. Then, when Canon Connect doesn’t connect, I have to remind myself to, oh yea, turn off airplane mode.

Re: EOS R6 Mark II, Does not shut off - always dead battery

rs-eos — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 18:48:58 GMT

That sounds reasonable. I would submit this feedback to Canon by going to their main page (https://www.usa.canon.com/), then clicking on "[+]Feedback" either at the very top or bottom of that page.

Re: EOS R6 Mark II, Does not shut off - always dead battery

Waddizzle — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 20:34:34 GMT

I think the best practice is to disable wireless communications whenever you are not actively using them.

Leaving the wireless connectivity enabled when not in use is a bad decision, IMHO. I have seen many posts in these forums about cameras hanging or locking up, forcing people to pull their batteries. It’s never clear to me that they have actually disabled wireless connectivity.

The most common response to the question is a claim that isn’t the problem. In other words, a non-answer to the question.

I suspect that their cameras are wirelessly connecting to nearby devices, including the phone in their pocket.

Re: EOS R6 Mark II, Does not shut off - always dead battery

pedz — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 21:35:34 GMT

I agree but I want my images geotagged which implies GPS which implies using Canon Connect whenever I'm shooting. And I agree that it needs to be disconnected when not in use. Thus... I turn it off whenever I turn the camera off (usually I turn off the camera and then go Dahh!, turn it back on, turn off airplane mode, then turn the camera off again). And turn airplane mode off (enable wireless communications) when I get ready to shoot.

Re: R6 Mk II Does not shut off - always dead battery

Photonmaster — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 17:20:52 GMT

Hello everyone,
Thank you for the replies. I went through your suggestions and here is what I found: Indeed, there was a 16:9 (I think) crop set. I don't every recall changing that as I'm not interested in this feature. I changed it to "Full" and the lines went away - those lines are not well drawn on the screen. They are almost blurry and in a strange color, not at all like a technically created indicator which is why I thought it was a problem. For the issue of the camera never turning off: This seems to have been the WiFi or Bluetooth. I switched those off and immediately the camera appeared to be. put to rest. I also then performed a full reset: I think there are two types of reset and I did both of them as I really haven't developed any custom preferences. Lastly, I purchased a book for the camera by David Busch. I've ready the first 4 chapters and this has been fantastic - several things I would never have been able use or understand because I was using my camera knowledge from years and decades ago. I feel much better about this camera now.

Thank you for your helpful suggestions - the frustration was borne of ignorance on my part.

Re: EOS R6 Mark II, Does not shut off - always dead battery

shadowsports — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 18:45:11 GMT

This is good news. The R6 mkII is a really nice camera. I'm glad yours seems to be behaving now.