6D Mark II, Slow/Unresponsive Buttons in Photo Shooting Mode

[Addhu]

I have a Canon 6D Mark II, and unknowingly I left it (in a bag) inside a room where a humidifier was used. 

I took some time to build my studio and took my gear out only after 2-3 months of rest. When I did, I noticed a weird lag in functions. 

Some observations:

• All physical buttons respond slowly (sometimes unregistered, sometimes it takes a long press to register)
• Turn off, and all displays remain until the battery is removed
• Shutter button focuses in 2-3 seconds of the press, then beep occurs another 3 seconds later, but won't take a photo. 
• The touch panel works, but if I press down or up (physical button) to navigate the camera menu, sometimes it would move 3-5 steps instead of just one 

Things I have tried:

• Upgrade firmware to latest (didn't help)
• Charged the battery (didn't help)
• Changed memory card (didn't help)
• Kept the camera in an airtight container with a KG of uncooked rice (and silica gel packed in a mesh bag within the battery compartment) (didn't help after 24 hours - too early to take?)
• Changed lenses (didn't help)
• Reset to default settings (didn't help)

The key observation:

• I noticed EVERYTHING works just fine when I switched to movie shooting mode (from the toggle near viewfinder). Buttons register as they are supposed to, records well, playback is well. NO ISSUES when in movie mode. 
• And the moment I switch to PHOTO SHOOTING MODE, all the buttons are back to the annoying sticky state. 

I am in Maldives. For me to send my gear to Singapore, it would cost closer to $250 just for the shipping. I am sure it would cost hundreds more for whatever the technicians do to get it back to normal condition. 

Any thoughts?

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

I'm afraid your camera has clearly been damaged.

For future, your first step should have been a full reset.  That alone would have been all that was needed to diagnose the problem.  

Flashing FW on a malfunctioning device is rarely recommened.  I'd say you are lucky it worked.

v1.0.4, v1.0.5 and v1.1.0 include a fix for:

Corrects a phenomenon in which in rare instances, the operation buttons and some touch panel functions do not respond.

But your camera was not affected until it was left in a humid environment for months.  My 6D2 shipped with v1.0.3 but I never experienced the lag or non-responsive operation or touch panel buttons issue either.  I upgraded to v1.0.4 to be safe, and am running v1.0.5 now.

The solution is simple.

You'll have to send it to Canon for Service.  

Other options:

Refurb 6D2 on the Canon store is under 1K (as of today)...  or buy something new if you think the repair is going to be at or near the cost of replacement.

I am sorry I don't have better news, but I think you already knew the direction this was going in.  Very sorry about the camera.  Horrible thing to happen.

[ebiggs1]

"Upgrade firmware to latest (didn't help)"

Never, never try to update the FW on a malfunctioning camera.

"Kept the camera in an airtight container with a KG of uncooked rice (and silica gel packed in a mesh bag within the battery compartment) (didn't help after 24 hours - too early to take?)"

You could leave it in there for 24 days and it wouldn't help.  You might try a warm heating pad, not hot just warm, for a few days. Make sure you open all possible openings, doors, covers and remove any lens or battery. Once a camera gets wet, probably the worse thing, and is allowed to remain wet, for a period of time. all the drying in the world won't fix it.

But the only real answer is to let Canon check it out. Even though $250+ is a lot of money can you buy another camera for that price?

[SBK]

Or you can use your $250 + whatever Canon may charge you towards a brand new 6D (not Mark II) on ebay :

[ebiggs1]

"... a brand new 6D (not Mark II) on ebay :"

I can't imagine someone going backwards to a 6D (much less a camera than the Mk II) after owning and using a Mk II.

[Addhu]

A new body is available for $1200, and spending half of that to fix this one... A hard choice to make here. 

Since the issue is coming only when toggled to Photo mode, what do you think about changing the front shell myself (since it has the toggle assembly and its cables on it)? (Since this doesn't involve the risky disassembly of sensor components)

I'm just fishing for the most economical fix, so I can upgrade the cam after that. No one would buy this in its current state I suppose (at a reasonable price). 

[wq9nsc]

I have never used a 6D Mark II so I am not familiar with the entire button layout but given the behavior I wouldn't expect the photo/video switch is the issue.  Given the lagging and intermittent response is only in still mode, I suspect that if it is a button/control that is involved it is likely one that is functional only in still photography mode.  The controller may be reading a switch input that is neither open nor closed causing it to hang up on handling that input.  I haven't seen the topology of Canon camera controls but a near universal standard across products is that controls/inputs aren't read continuously but are polled by the controller at high speed; in a system like this a problematic input will slow the entire controller down.  This would be consistent with a switch or control that has leakage from the sustained high humidity storage.

What can happen with cameras and other gear that have oil/salt transfer from human hands is the moisture will allow this to wick into a control's contacts and if it stays moist for a sustained period then conductive corrosive residue will build up. 

IF this is the case then it won't be a cheap repair from Canon because they will be replacing a lot since most parts will be entire assemblies and not a single component.  Because your expense to send it in is so high even for an estimate, it is a gamble.  I would be tempted to sell this as parts only/working fine for video rather than paying a lot for just an estimate and probably considerably more for a repair.  It would be a much easier choice if transport to repair was cheaper and then I would definitely let Canon take a look and give you an estimate.

Rodger

[shadowsports]

@addhu,

My advice.

If you want the camera fixed and operational, send it to Canon.  As Ernie (ebiggs1) would say, "This is not a DIY project'.  You can do what you want, but if you want it repaired...  >>> Canon.  You have no idea what's going on in the camera or what it will take to fix it.  You want to guess, go for it.  When your in for several hundred dollars + your time and were lucky enough to get it back together without damaging something...  and then it still doesn't work, you'll remember this advice.

eBay... Don't do it. (Sorry @SBK) Once again, >> Canon or at the very least B&H.  Or maybe you can get something in Singapore, I don't know, but buying from eBay can go really well, or really, really bad.  If you like to gamble, then go for it.  

Photography is like golf in some ways.  It can be an expensive hobby.  It takes practice.  It requires some investment and cannot be done on the cheap without compromising results.

Only you can make these choices.  I can't in good faith advise doing something that has an iffy outcome, or relies on hope or luck as a strategy.

[ebiggs1]

What he said! ^^^^^^^^^^^^

[SBK]

"eBay... Don't do it. (Sorry @SBK) Once again, >> Canon or at the very least B&H."

Thank you for the reminder.

Tempted by the eBay prices for a few lenses, but ended up buying an EF 200mm 2.8L from my local Canon authorized dealer.