EOS R3 Freeze-up Issue - The likely cause!

[sbunting]

My friends,

I believe I found the issue causing freeze-ups in the Canon R3!!!

Recall the following:

1) I experienced freeze-ups with my Canon R3 the first week I received it.

2) Canon CPS took the camera in for repair, replicated the issue, reinstalled the firmware, reset it to factory settings, tested it, found no more freeze-ups, declared it fixed and returned it to me.

3) I restored my settings manually and the freeze-ups still occurred.

4) Canon replaced my original R3 with a brand new R3

5) I updated my firmware to V1.1.1 and restored my settings from a CSD file this time, and the freeze-ups still occurred.

6) In all cases my freeze-ups were such that the buttons and dials would not respond (including power switch), yet touch functions still functioned including the smart controller. It would also freeze-up, at times, while asleep and could not be awakened. Of course, since the screen was black (asleep), no touch function could work. The only way to restore the camera was to pull the battery and then reboot the camera.

I have since, of course, contacted Canon and am awaiting a response, as Canon's engineering department seems to be in a denial mode, despite a Canon repair technician in Virginia having replicated the freeze-up issue when it first went in for repair.

I advised Canon that while I await their response, I was going to, one by one, change my settings to default and see if any particular setting eliminated the freeze-ups.

My first setting change was to restore the aperture and speed change dial settings to default, as I had them reversed. No change. I still had freeze-ups, so I restored my setting.

Next, I reasoned that, since the freeze-up even occurred while the camera was asleep, the only function I had changed that would involve activity during the sleep mode would be the GPS setting, which I had set to Mode 2. I disabled the GPS altogether. Since I have done so, I have left the camera on 24x7. Not once has it failed to awaken from sleep mode nor has it frozen at all while awake and being used. I have been testing for a solid week now (on 24x7) and I'm optimistic that this is the cause of the freeze-ups, as before I could rarely go a day without a freeze-up.  

I'm asking that some of you who are experiencing freeze-ups with the R3 such as I have been experiencing to check this setting and 1) verify it is enabled on your camera and 2) verify that by disabling it that the freeze-ups no longer occur.

Similarly, those of you who have an R3 and have experienced no freeze-ups, can you verify that your GPS is disabled.

Again, I'm optimistic that this is the issue, but I'd like to get feedback from others to verify what I'm experiencing before I approach Canon.

Steve

[EOSR3]

Just had this happen today with a brand new EOS R3.

Happened while shooting on a cold day.

Had just turned off HDR mode (I was getting weird auto exposure even though iso, shutter, and aperture were all locked)

and I got the red light with a completely unresponsive (power button failed) camera. had to pull out the battery.

On the latest firmware (1.6.0)

[skramit]

Hello i had my R3 locking up today, never experienced it before. Firmware 1.7.1. Based on this thread I'm going to try playing around with the wireless and bluetooth and GPS settings to see if disabling them all fixes it or not.

When it was locking up, the red light on the back right was constantly flashing indicating some sort of activity?

[jholt21782]

Unfortunately for me, that's not the issue. GPS is disabled and has been since day one. I've never turned it on.

[Oculus]

Hi everybody,

I,ve been using an R3 for year and a half. Am pro sports photographer and last weekend my r3 froze for first time ever. NEVER had gps turned on. Always been off.

So i tend to agree with canon engineer who doubts gps has anything to do with it. 

More likely as someone mentioned a problem with wifi constantly on alternatively overheating. But very interesting post. Thanks for sharing

[Oculus]

I forgot to mention in my humble opinion it is more likely to do with advanced af settings that this camera has. Maybe in af "eye" mode

[jholt21782]

I have the "eye" focus disabled. Didn't work well with my glasses so I never cared for it - turned it off day one.

[sbunting]

I leave the camera in airplane except for when I transfer file after a shoot.  So overheating from WiFi, not.  I've never use the eye focus at all, so not a candidate there either.  Factory settings, it works fine.  Throw my custom settings into play and the freeze comes back.  

[skramit]

When you say you dont use eye control, do you mean the viewfinder eye control, or subject 'AF eye tracking'?

[jholt21782]

Yes, the viewfinder eye control. I do use AF eye tracking. Went out today and it happened again...no GPS, no wifi, Canon 200-800.Same as before - totally froze up, no buttons work, not even the "off" switch. Have to remove the battery to get it to go off. Put the same batter back in and it worked the rest of the day. Next time it happens, I will video the event.

[skramit]

Yeah thats what happened to me last week on my R3. Same behavior. i think Canon need to study this a bit deeper.

I use both Eye Control in the viewfinder and AF eye detection, and its fine 99% of the time. Just occasionally I get the freeze ups. No idea what its related to.