topic Re: EOS 500 n - Battery-Error During Exposure.? in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

EOS 500 n - Battery-Error During Exposure.?

Oneirophile — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 19:18:34 GMT

Hello! I'm experiencing an annoying problem with my Canon EOS 500 n:

Sometimes when taking a picture (self-timer or manual), I hear the shutter open, and there is a single second click after about 5 seconds (it always takes the same couple of seconds, whether I'm taking a 30 second exposure pic or a quick one) and then nothing happens, the viewfinder remains dark, and the little display tells me the battery is empty. When I switch the camera off, the view is clear again and the picture simply hasn't been taken, no film was exposed.

I've tried different brands of batteries, and I figured the camera was simply defective, so I bought another one (used, for 10 bucks, they're pretty cheap these days) - and, amazingly, the error happens on that one too!

What on earth is causing this? Is it my lens? I mostly use a Tamron 70-300 mm, recently combined with a teleconverter. But the error doesn't happen every time, and why this battery message? It seems pretty much random to me.

So what's going on here?

Re: EOS 500 n - Battery-Error During Exposure.?

Waddizzle — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 20:05:56 GMT

That sounds like "shutter lockup". If it is, then it can be disabled in the camera menus.

Re: EOS 500 n - Battery-Error During Exposure.?

Oneirophile — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 21:51:08 GMT

I've read the manual and haven't found anything - except that a flashing battery icon doesn't necessarily mean the battery is empty.

What is shutter lockup supposed to do when used correctly? And why would something like this happen only once in a while, seemingly at random?

Re: EOS 500 n - Battery-Error During Exposure.?

Waddizzle — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 22:08:01 GMT

@Oneirophile wrote:
I've read the manual and haven't found anything - except that a flashing battery icon doesn't necessarily mean the battery is empty.

What is shutter lockup supposed to do when used correctly? And why would something like this happen only once in a while, seemingly at random?

I'm sorry, but I misspoke. It is called "mirror lockup", not shutter lockup. It is found at Custom Function 9, in the menus. Check to make that setting is disabled. Oherwise, try resetting the camera.

Re: EOS 500 n - Battery-Error During Exposure.?

Oneirophile — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 11:50:18 GMT

After reading the entire manual again, I realize you are talking about the EOS 500D - I am however talking about the old analogue camera, the EOS 500 n!

There are only four different custom functions on this camera - red eye, beep, multi-exposure and bracket. Now, I figure this MIGHT indeed be related to the multi-exposure function on a technical level (perhaps the camera "thinks" it's waiting for a the next picture to be taken, that might explain why no film is advanced at all and why everything goes back to normal once it's switched off) - but it doesn't explain why it happens at all, without being selected...

Re: EOS 500 n - Battery-Error During Exposure.?

Oneirophile — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 15:32:08 GMT

... I spoke to a handful of people at Canon Support on the phone, and pretty much everyone is baffled as to this problem showing up on two separate cameras. They don't repair these old models anymore, and posting it to a smaller firm costs more than a new camera, so I guess, I'll just have to get another model. This might be a common malfunction on the 500n... unless anyone tells me otherwise?

Edit: I'm just thinking ... COULD IT BE weary battery contacts that will work for low-energy-consuming tasks such as lighting meter, display and such, and fail to drain the amount needed for mechanical tasks? I'll try cleaning them and report back.

Edit 2: This is incredibly annoying: I wanted to try it on the older of the two cameras, from which I removed an unfinished film as it couldn't take a single shot anymore, but before the cleaning, I tried to see if the error was occuring without film inside - it's not. It works perfectly fine, pretends to take picture after picture, even with the lens I suspected to be causing trouble ... yeah I love things like that. I'm sure, the moment I insert a film, it's going to stop working on me again. I'm starting to get furious with this ...

Re: EOS 500 n - Battery-Error During Exposure.?

Oneirophile — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 17:08:16 GMT

Pretty sure at this point that it's the communication between the old cameras and the newer lenses that causes the trouble.

It's pure luck and not workable on a reliable level. It appears there is no fix.

Bye!

Re: EOS 500 n - Battery-Error During Exposure.?

Demekitten — Sat, 05 May 2018 06:50:12 GMT

Hi,

I have just found this thread and wanted to report that I have the same issue with the same camera.

I initially thought it was a battery issue too, and kept changing the battery but it still happens, exactly as you described.

Have you had any further developments? Can you shed any further light on this issue?

I have had this problem for a few years, became frustrated with the camera and put it away. I recently bought it out again and put new batteries in it and it worked for one and a half films (24 exp). It has now started playing up again.

Any help on getting my old girl working again would be greatly appreciated.

Re: EOS 500 n - Battery-Error During Exposure.?

Clickingon — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 18:06:06 GMT

I bought one of these about 10 days ago and I have exactly the same problem. The shutter appears to lock wide open and there's a whirring noise as though the lens is trying to focus (but I'm using manual focus so it isn't that) and when you turn it off and on again the whirring contnues.

I'm quite attached to the camera even though I've only shot about 3 rolls so don't want it to just die on me. It is an intermittent problem but I can't figure the exact steps to reset the thing but eventually it does start working again.

I may take it to a repair shop but as it cost next to nothing am not too keen on spending more than I paid to have it repaired (which I was happy to do for the A1 I picked up cheaply!)

If I get any real info I'll post it here.

Re: EOS 500 n - Battery-Error During Exposure.?

Oneirophile — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 20:41:04 GMT

Sorry I didn't reply back to this sooner!

In my case, the problem was definitely due to the lens and NOT the camera.

I had similar problems with the lens on a digital EOS camera.

The problem I've had with this lens on an EOS 600D was that I could only use it on the lowest aperture setting. When I tried anything else, it would give me an error. So this "empty battery" freeze was the analogue EOS' way of letting me know about the same thing.

I've had this lens repaired before and it worked again, for a while (on the digital EOS - I didn't try it on the analogue one during this time) - now it's broken again.

So yeah, it MIGHT be the teleconverter that I used that damaged the lens somehow, or the Magic Lantern hack on the digital one, or a simple mechanical issue that has nothing to do with these things. Anyhow, the problem was the lens and not the camera in both cases.

Hope that helps you!

Re: EOS 500 n - Battery-Error During Exposure.?

MiloHDD — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 11:05:06 GMT

I just encountered this issue too, and yeah this 100% seems to be it. Best workaround I've found is just *slightly* turning the lense in the mount so the electrical contacts don't touch and then the camera works perfectly with manual focusing!

Re: EOS 500 n - Battery-Error During Exposure.?

deebatman316 — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 11:53:44 GMT

This is an incompatibility with a 3rd Party lens. Often times the aperture motor would draw too much power and lock up the camera. EOS film bodies showed an error by a blinking battery symbol. Doing what you’re doing will not allow you to control aperture. Since the lens contacts aren’t lining up with the camera’s.

Re: EOS 500 n - Battery-Error During Exposure.?

shadowsports — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 15:24:38 GMT

Greetings,

Yikes. 🫣 8 yr old topic. 29 yr old camera.

I want to be respectful of someone's circumstances and budget.

I'm all for the vintage thing but not the defective (lack of function) side of things. It sounds like you have a camera that's malfunctioning either due to incompatible hardware or age. If the goal is to tinker, Then I guess it's a success. However, if you want to enjoy film and take pictures, I might suggest buying a functioning camera with accompanying gear. You shouldn't have to use the lens slightly (released) offset so you can use the camera in full manual mode. This is an accident waiting to happen. As my colleague pointed out, it's severely limiting and defeats so much of what photography is about. 🙂

Re: EOS 500 n - Battery-Error During Exposure.?

MiloHDD — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 15:36:59 GMT

I simply happen to have this camera, and to have encountered the same issues as the original poster as well as a workaround if they still wish to use the lense which is causing the error.

As Demetrius helpfully added this is indeed a lense compatibility issue, and I will be using contemporary lenses for the camera from this point on.

Thank you for you input, but implying I am simply not spending enough money to enjoy photography is not a helpful suggestion, and I do not know why you felt it was necessary to add it to this conversation.

Re: EOS 500 n - Battery-Error During Exposure.?

deebatman316 — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 16:02:27 GMT

Are you talking about Sigma Contemporary lenses by any chance? I've found newer 3rd Party lenses to be INCOMPATIBLE with EOS Film Bodies. I've found sticking with Canon brand EF lenses work just fine and have no compatibility problems. It doesn't have to be the newest EF lens either old ones work fine too. Also it doesn't matter the AF motor type. All EF lenses work regardless of AF motor type. I've used new STM lenses on the oldest EOS film body the EOS 650 and they work with full functionality including IS. If the lens has IS built in that's a feature of the lens not the camera body. Just stay away from EF-S lenses they're NOT COMPATIBLE with EOS film bodies. Over the years Canon has changed AF & Aperture control the last time it happened was in 2009 with the release of Dual Pixel AF (DPAF). Lenses released from 1987-1992 AF & Stop down sequentially. Except for USM lenses they do both at the same time. Which is what all lenses went with later on when Canon switched from Arc Form Drive to Micro Motor.

Re: EOS 500 n - Battery-Error During Exposure.?

MiloHDD — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 16:05:32 GMT

Thanks for the extra info, much appreciated!

Re: EOS 500 n - Battery-Error During Exposure.?

deebatman316 — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 16:18:19 GMT

What camera do you have by any chance? If its new enough modern EX series speedlites will work on your camera. But some limitations do exist when it comes to off camera wireless flash systems. But stick with Canon EF lenses 3rd Party lenses have to many unknowns especially the larger the gap in time.