topic Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position? in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

bigguy841 — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 20:17:23 GMT

I have had my Canon T4i for about 4 months now, use ita few times a week as a hobby. Every couple weeks I will turn on the camera and adjust the Ap/Sh/ISO settings to prepare for a shoot and the camera will just freeze or lock up in the spot. None of the buttons or dials trigger any sort of response from the camera and I am not able to take a picture or do anything. Even turning th camera to the 'OFF' position does nothing and the camera remains on with the LCD still lit up but not responding. The only way I am able to get the camera working again is to remove the battery and then put it back in and power it up, at which point it usually works normally. The only time I've had this happen more than once in a day was over Thanksgiving when it happened about 3-4 times throughout the day.

I contacted Canon support and was told to first try resetting the camera to default settings, which I did, and if that doesn't work to remove the battery and memory cards and using a pencil eraser to clean off the contact surfaces of those items, which I have not done yet. If it continues to happen, I am supposed to send it in to let them inspect it and decide if if needs repair or replacement. Since it seems random and spread out, it's hard to say whether it's 'fixed' since it did it last week before I re-set the settings.

Has anyone had this problem? If so, did you do either of those methods to solve it? If you sent it in, were they able to determine the problem and handle it? I don't want to send it in and be without my camera for weeks only for them to tell me it worked fine for them and there is no problem, since it works fine 98% of the time as of now.

Any help would be great!

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

lyla — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 14:44:24 GMT

I am having a very similar problem. The camera is locked up in movie mode. No buttons respond other than the one that allows me to view photos on the memory card. I cannot even turn it off and too have to remove the battery to shut it down only when I put the battery back, the problem has not changed. I have not reset it yet because I am not sure how. Is that in the menu?

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

Mykolas — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 12:40:56 GMT

Resetting the camera to its defaults will only change settings in the menu back to their original settings. There are no settings in the menu that would cause the camera to freeze up like this.

Try removing the memory card or using a different card. You may also want to try cleaning the contacts as suggested when you called us. If the issue still persists, your camera will need to be serviced by our Factory Service Center.

To start your repair process, you'll need to complete a Repair Request on our website.

If this is a time sensitive-matter, additional support options are available at Contact Us.

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

DFerger — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 20:10:57 GMT

I received a new T4i for Christmas and mine has locked up in the same manner several times over the last couple of weeks. It seems to happen most when I'm adjusting/changing a setting. I have to pop the battery to get the camera back. I'll try cleaning the contacts as suggested. I would never think of that since it's a new camera with new battery and new mem card .

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

jhodgesatmb — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 20:40:04 GMT

We purchased this t4i in late November and started learning its functions right away. About the first time we put it in live view mode it froze up as described. The battery was fully charged and the sd card was a brand new 64 GB sdxc card. Removing the battery worked to get the camera working again. The problem seems to be associated with live view because when I put it into movie mode it also often freezes. I have not tried cleaning the battery terminals but, like others have mentioned, it seems an unlikely problem on a brand new camera.

It is quite disconcerting to spend as much time researching cameras, and to finally make a purchase decision and buy a camera, to find such a huge problem with the camera. I hope that Caonon will replace the camera, or perhaps Amazon, since I just bought it a month or so ago.

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

jpturner — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 06:09:30 GMT

Lockup in liveview. Camera will not turn off, all controls are non-responsive. Only soultion is to remove the battery.

Now let me ask... I've only had the camera a few days but been using it pretty heavy in order to get familiar with it. Should I return it and roll the dice that I just got a bad unit or wait for a firmware update. Do Canon engineers read this forum or is this just a playcation by Canon to vent frustrations?

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

jhodgesatmb — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:49:34 GMT

Yes, return it. We returned ours, got a new one, and haven't had a recurrence of the problem.

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

bobakman — Fri, 10 May 2013 01:40:25 GMT

Well my camera just came back from Canon service for an unrelated issue and went through all the quality checks and today it locked up after going to movie mode then later in the day it did it again after going to movie mode and the only way to shut it off was to remove the battery. Camera Firmware Version is 1.0.1 and the lens attatched was the 18-135 IS STM Lens firmware version 1.5.0. Camera was purchased in November 2012.

Bob

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

Richard — Sun, 12 May 2013 00:08:23 GMT

Hi Bobakman,

I recommend you contact us via telephone or email. For contact options, please click here.

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

bobakman — Sun, 12 May 2013 02:27:28 GMT

@Richard wrote:
Hi Bobakman,

I recommend you contact us via telephone or email. For contact options, please click here.

Thanks I am currently in an E-Mail support conversation and am using a different SD card to see if it may be related to the specific card.

Bob

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

bobakman — Sun, 12 May 2013 03:40:35 GMT

I just found this thread which appears to confirm that the "lock up" issue is highly probable due to a firmware bug.

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/50191572

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

bobakman — Sun, 12 May 2013 04:22:35 GMT

I was further troubleshooting with my camera and with continuous auto focus enabled was able to re-create the lock up if I moved the lens AF switch from manual to Auto and turned the camera on going directly to movie mode (My mode dial being in MANUAL "M".) I got it to lock up several times still intermittent but repeatable. And this was with a different memory card so it appears that the card is not an issue.
I also observed that with the camera OFF and the lens AF switch is moved in either direction the memory card red led will blink several times as if it is communicating with the camera anyone else have their camera doing the same?

Thanks, Bob

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

bobakman — Tue, 28 May 2013 21:51:47 GMT

Mine is currently at the VA USA Repair facility. I called in today to check up on the repair status details and was told that "no problems were found and that my camera is within canons specifications." Needless to say I was not happy and explained that this was an intermittent issue. I was transferred to a supervisor who listened to my explanation of the defect and she told me that she would escalate my repair status for further review hopefully before my defective camera is sent back to me. I to believe that a lens issue may be part of the problem since it has so far only occurred with my 18-135mm IS STM lens and not my 70-300 lens. Since the STM lens’s are pretty much “focus by wire” using the stepping motor it has no mechanical manual focus like my 70-300 lens. Rather the manual focus is VIA controlling the stepping motor electrically through the focus ring. Just my thoughts.
I told the canon supervisor to just do a search on Google or Youtube for "T4i Lockup or Freeze" and others with the same issue will be brought into light.
Not Happy at this juncture with Canon. :>(

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

jhodgesatmb — Wed, 29 May 2013 01:48:04 GMT

I haven't looked at comments for a while, especially since our camera has not had a single issue since it was replaced. Before it was replaced (body and STM 18-135 lens) I had the problem with both of the lenses I'd bought (also the IS 50-250), so I don't think it is a lens related issue. I also have been using a 64 GB SD card from the get go, and it works fine in the new body, so I don't think it is the SD card. I have used the camera and switched from manual focus to automatic focus and back on my 60mm macro and never had a lock up. I now also have a 50mm f1.4 prime and also no problems.

I have no idea why Canon wouldn't replace the body if you are having lock ups. I consider myself lucky that I bought ours from Amazon, that it happened so quickly after we bought it, and that we returned it inside the return window. I wish the same had happened with everyone else but Canon should stand behind their camera one way or another.

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

bobakman — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 04:56:14 GMT

Canon has listened and corrected the issue with my camera. Through all of this I must say that Canons phone support folks have always been best in class IMHO, US based and focused on the customer.
Thank you Canon for resolving my issue and renewing my loyalty!

Bob

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

junenward — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 23:33:14 GMT

I've had the same issue. Purchased the camera late last fall and this has happened on several different occasions. Only solution as with others who have experienced this is to remove the battery and re-install it. Meanwhile your photo opportunity has gone.

Has Canon determined a cause yet. Nothing from them as yet as an issue.

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

junenward — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 23:36:20 GMT

Yes, I had noticed the red light flashing as well when changing from AF to MF or vice versa. Even with the power OFF. I thought it was strange.

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

bobakman — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 02:12:32 GMT

@junenward wrote:
Yes, I had noticed the red light flashing as well when changing from AF to MF or vice versa. Even with the power OFF. I thought it was strange.

About the red LED flashing with the camera OFF it appears now to be a normal behaviour with the STM lenses since I verified that it also occures on the Newer T5i models and I was at a trade show where Canon was present and verified it on the T4i that he had at the booth as well. Most likely not related to the lock up issue.

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

Jason — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:08:51 GMT

Hi everyone,

We have an update on this topic. New EOS Rebel T4i firmware has just been released. Firmware Version 1.0.4 offers performance improvements when shooting with certain lens models equipped with a stepping motor. To learn more and download the update, click here.

Thank you.

Re: T4i camera completely locking up in the ON position?

NCFStudios — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 15:33:49 GMT

Strange I bought my T4i in December 2012,, it has the old firmware on it and never had this problem, then again...I never shoot in live mode anyway.