topic Re: What's wrong with my T2i? in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

What's wrong with my T2i?

ekkerr — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 00:31:49 GMT

I just purchased a 2nd hand T2i and it looks like its in pristine condition. I decided to take a few test photos with the kit lens (I dont have any other lens to work with at the moment) and immediately noticed a thin line appearing in every single photo taken. Here's a few examples:
http://i.imgur.com/3Qe7mPA.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/LHZujTC.jpg

note: all lines appear about 3/4 from the bottom of the photo.

The crazy thing is that the line doesn't appear when I take video. The video comes out perfect.

Does anyone have any idea what this is? Is it the camera itself or the lens? Is it an issue that can be fixed or is the camera defective?

Thanks so much in advance.

Re: What's wrong with my T2i?

Skirball — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 00:46:07 GMT

That doesn't look good. I would try another lens, and another SD card, if you have them laying around, but I'd put my money on the camera. I'd guess that the entire line has lost electrical contact with the sensor. Did you buy it from a dealer or a private party?

I've seen some weird issues like this that are a result of the card, but usually the lines move around from shot to shot. Those two images look identical. Still, I'd play around with different cards, lenses (if you have a small shop around you could just take it in and ask to try a lens. If you explain your situation I'm sure they'd oblige). I'd also try different settings (manual, Av, Tv, etc), under exposed, over expose, etc. I guess it's the engineer in me, but I'd play around and see if anything changes, maybe you can backtrack into a solution. Sometimes it's the smallest of things...

Re: What's wrong with my T2i?

ekkerr — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 00:56:58 GMT

thanks for the response. ill definitely take it to a local camera shop and try out a different lens. i just played around with different settings and that line keeps showing up. im starting to think its an issue with the sensor.

i actually bought the camera on ebay. good thing the seller already replied to my complaint and told me i could return it for a full refund.

Re: What's wrong with my T2i?

TCampbell — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 01:46:11 GMT

The sensor's full resolution is 5184 x 3456. HD video has 1080 rows (in 1080i or 1080p). That means the camera doesn't technically need all the rows of the sensor when shooting video -- which can explain why you don't see the flaw in video mode.

You'll need to contact Canon for assistance. There's no camera configuration that causes this... this looks like a failure. You might also consider returning the camera if that's possible. Did the seller disclose this issue?

Re: What's wrong with my T2i?

ekkerr — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 03:24:15 GMT

thanks for that insight TCampbell. makes good sense.

i ended up sending the camera back to the seller for a full refund. (fyi, the seller said the camera was in "great condition". sure enough, the camera looked to be in mint condition when it arrived. unfortunately, i then noticed the thin lines on the photos. now i gotta go through the trouble of finding a good deal online.)

Re: What's wrong with my T2i?

TCampbell — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 04:11:12 GMT

A few places to check:

Canon's online store has a "Refurbished" section. These cameras have the advantage of having been checked out by Canon and having had any issues corrected. They also come with a 1 year Canon warranty.

See: http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/cameras/refurbished-eos-digital-slr-cameras#

I don't see any T2i bodies in stock on the refurb store, but I do see the T3i with the kit lens (18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS) for $479 -- but they're currently running a deal which knocks another $50 off that price bringing it down to $429. Not a bad price for a working camera that comes with a warranty.

B&H Photo and Adorama are known for their online stores, but they also have a used camera store. Their used cameras don't necessarily have warranties (although sometimes they do sell "refurbished" cameras as well) but they do get a grade which fairly assesses the condition of the camera.

KEH.com is known for their used gear exchange. They also have a very good grading system to rate the condition of the gear.

Re: What's wrong with my T2i?

ekkerr — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 07:07:05 GMT

thanks for all that info - ill be sure to check all those out. the $429 for the refurb t3i is a pretty good deal that i might look into.

would you recommend i forego the kit lens and just buy the body?

Re: What's wrong with my T2i?

ebiggs1 — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 17:29:08 GMT

It's good you were able to send it back. That line was not caused by the lens!

Re: What's wrong with my T2i?

TCampbell — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 20:40:54 GMT

The "kit" lenses are designed to be decent general purposes lenses for every-day photography. Moreover, they're designed to be affordable.

The kit lens is typically an EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS. There's a new set of kit lenses that have an "STM" tag in the name -- those lenses use Canon's new "Stepper Motor" technology which is faster and much much quieter than the original kit lenses. BUT... the optics also got a bit of an upgrade (and while the price went up... I think the new lenses are only about $50 more than the old lenses.)

If you wanted to go high-end, the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM. The lens has Canon's USM (Ultrasonic Motor) technology which is even faster than the STM motors (and while they are quiet, they aren't quite as quiet as the STM lenses). But the really big deal about the 17-55 is that it's an f/2.8 lens... and can provide f/2.8 at all focal lengths. That means it collects as much as 4x more light than the 18-55 when zoomed in -- it makes a big difference in low light. Canon recently reduced the price on that lens, but f/2.8 zooms are never cheap. I think it's about $880.

For most people a combination of the kit lens AND a low-focal prime lens (something around 35mm to 50mm) makes a great combination because you get a prime with excellent low-light capability and it wont cost as much as the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8.