Busy Flash on T5i

[ChrisJr]

Today I was trying to take some pictures and when flash was needed, it was "Busy" right from the start.  The Busy message has come up before, but usually after taking LOTS of flash pictures, not the first one.  I know external flashes are better, but I'm wondering if this is an issue that I should get looked into before my warranty expires.  I got the camera on Black Friday 2014 and I think I got a 1 year warranty.

[jazzman1]

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@ChrisJr wrote:

Today I was trying to take some pictures and when flash was needed, it was "Busy" right from the start.  The Busy message has come up before, but usually after taking LOTS of flash pictures, not the first one.  I know external flashes are better, but I'm wondering if this is an issue that I should get looked into before my warranty expires.  I got the camera on Black Friday 2014 and I think I got a 1 year warranty.

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If the camera is reporting a Busy error, it sounds like it could be a problem with the memory card. The memory card might be too slow for the camera, or there might be a problem with the card itself.

Format the card in the camera, and see if there's an improvement. If not, then buy a new memory card - dont' buy a cheap one, get the best class you can afford.

The T5i can take continuous shots at 5 frames per second - so something is most certainly wrong.

Shooting from standby on Canon EOS DSLR cameras is almost instantaneous. The only time you might get a delay is if it's too dark for the autofocus to work effectively. Cameras need light to autofocus, in the dark they are crap.

To reset the camera to it's default settings, read the user manual. How to do it is explained.

[abbysdance]

Hey so I'm having the same issue I would take a lot with flash and then all of a sudden my flash is "busy". I was taking pictures at a lake at sunset of my sister when I needed the flash because my camera was focusing on the light behind her and she wasn'the getting proper exposure. So I used flash to get the same pretty color of the sunset and still be able to tell the focus was on my sister. And for a while it worked and those were my best shots and then my flash was busy. Took some without flash and then one with flash and then it got "busy" agian. Is there a way to bypass the issue with a busy flash and still use the same settings?

[RobertTheFat]

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@abbysdance wrote:

Hey so I'm having the same issue I would take a lot with flash and then all of a sudden my flash is "busy". I was taking pictures at a lake at sunset of my sister when I needed the flash because my camera was focusing on the light behind her and she wasn'the getting proper exposure. So I used flash to get the same pretty color of the sunset and still be able to tell the focus was on my sister. And for a while it worked and those were my best shots and then my flash was busy. Took some without flash and then one with flash and then it got "busy" agian. Is there a way to bypass the issue with a busy flash and still use the same settings?

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In this case "busy" probably means that the flash's capacitors are taking a long time to accept a charge, which in turn probably means that your flash batteries are weak. Next time bring along a set of fully charged spares, and try them if you get the "busy" warning. If you're using the camera's built-in flash, then bring along a spare camera battery.

Another possibility is that your flash is starting to overheat. In such a case the only course of action is to wait for it to cool.

[lwanderer]

I have this problem also using the built-in flash. Checked the charge on my 7.4 volt battery and it was completely charged at 7.4 volts. Cleaned terminals. I think I will buy a new memory card next to see if that helps. It's a very annoying problem and can't find the answer to it anywhere, but I see a lot of people have this issue.

[Waddizzle]

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@lwanderer wrote:

I have this problem also using the built-in flash. Checked the charge on my 7.4 volt battery and it was completely charged at 7.4 volts. Cleaned terminals. I think I will buy a new memory card next to see if that helps. It's a very annoying problem and can't find the answer to it anywhere, but I see a lot of people have this issue.

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There are different types of "Busy" messages.  They are accompanied by another icon.  A "Busy" and a lightning bolt means that your flash is recharginng.  This can happen frequently if you use the "focus assist" feature that uses the flash as a disco strobe when you are focusing under low light conditions.

[Sharla]

This doesn't make sense to me. I have a new Canon T6 and I get the "busy" message when flashing. My battery was charged. My memory card is fine. But, if so many people have this problem either it's a problem with the camera or something we just can't figure out how to adjust. Can someone please help with this? 

[Waddizzle]

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@Sharla wrote:

This doesn't make sense to me. I have a new Canon T6 and I get the "busy" message when flashing. My battery was charged. My memory card is fine. But, if so many people have this problem either it's a problem with the camera or something we just can't figure out how to adjust. Can someone please help with this? 

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Have you read through this thread?  Your instruction manual?  You can see the “buSY” message for any one of several reasons.  

[Sharla]

Thanks. I'll check that in the manual. I hope it's an easy answer!