EOS Rebel T7i locking up using EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS III USM in TV and AV mode

[HawkMom6]

HELP!!  I recently purchased the above mentioned lens (70-200 f/2.8L III).  I have the EOS Rebel T7i camera.  I am an amateur sport's photographer, doing my kids games, etc.  I am the team photographer, and on the sideline for high school and youth football games and finally bit the bullet and upgraded to this awesome lens.  Unfortunately, it is locking up on my in TV mode and then with AV mode also.  I switched to sport mode and it did not lock up once.  Due to the time (evening/night), I have learned to use TV mode to get any decent pictures.  So with my new lens, I started out the same way, using TV mode, 1/1000 shutter speed, and ISO 100 or 200.  (it was lighter at the beginning of the game).  But, my camera starting locking up and nothing but taking the battery out would fix it.  I played with the settings in TV and it kept doing it.  I switched to AV mode and adjusted the settings to get good quality pics and it locked up after only a few pictures.  

I am not the most knowledgeable about the new lens as its brand new, but I have never had my camera lock up like this.  

Anyone else have this problem??  Suggestions to fix this??  Is it my camera or just some settings I need to adjust?  

I appreciate any tips, suggestions, and help!  Thank you! 

[HawkMom6]

Good luck to your daughter Roger! That’s awesome she is out for football!

Waddizzle, my lens is brand new ordered online from Best Buy. My camera is 2-1/2 years old. It has never locked up ever before, that’s what has me worried. I hope the lens works with the camera as I don’t want to have to buy a new one.

I will try manual mode and see what happens. I will also turn off the IS. When I was shooting in “sport mode” it did fine and didn’t lock up once, but you can’t use sport mode when it’s starts getting dark and night games.

Thanks everyone for the tips!

[kvbarkley]

And you do have a full size card, right? not a micro card with an adapter?

[wq9nsc]

HawkMom6,

Thank you!  They won 19-0 and Anna did some great kicking and scored her first point with a succesful point after on their intitial TD 🙂  Hopefully  next game she can attempt a field goal.  After football comes soccer and then hopefully her next academic research conference presentation which were both pandemic cancelled last year.

HUGE lesson learned, I spent much of the game fighting with a KN95 mask that wanted to continuosly fog the viewfinders in the mid 30s weather.  I finally got it adjusted "improperly" so that the fogging issue went away but I will be using a different mask for the next game.  The only positive was my nose stayed warm but the mask and its side effects were a major pain.

Rodger

[Waddizzle]

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@HawkMom6 wrote:
Good luck to your daughter Roger! That’s awesome she is out for football!

Waddizzle, my lens is brand new ordered online from Best Buy. My camera is 2-1/2 years old. It has never locked up ever before, that’s what has me worried. I hope the lens works with the camera as I don’t want to have to buy a new one.

I will try manual mode and see what happens. I will also turn off the IS. When I was shooting in “sport mode” it did fine and didn’t lock up once, but you can’t use sport mode when it’s starts getting dark and night games.

Thanks everyone for the tips!

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The Best Buy Marketplace does not have the best reputation in the world.  Some of the vendors are not factory authorized.  They're worse than Amazon in many ways.  Is it really too difficult for you to test the lens, or try my suggestions?  Good Luck.

[kvbarkley]

You might try a face shield you can flip up over the camera.

[wq9nsc]

KV,

Thanks for the idea and I will run a test with one tonight to give it a try since I bought some at the start of COVID.  I am afraid I will be banging into it when rapidly switching between camera bodies during a play but it would avoid the fogging issue so I will see if it works.

I am hoping with warmer weather that fogging will be less of an issue.  Most of the time I am not close to other people but I don't want to send the wrong message by not following protocol. During the Spring in Illinois, it is so windy outside that exposure to a sufficiently dangerous viral load is pretty unlikely. 

Rodger

[HawkMom6]

Yes a full size card

[kvbarkley]

You might see if there is a firmware update for the lens.

[ebiggs1]

The advice above which may help you, or may not, take sports shots it will do little to nothing to see if you have a gear problem. It will not help determining if the lens is faulty. Here is what you do however. Reset your camera. Menu, tools, clear all settings and all custom setting, too.

Now set the camera to "P" mode. Set ISO to 400. AWB or daylight WB. Set the AF system to One shot, not Ai-servo <---this is important never set to Ai-servo for testing. Now go outside on a nice day and shoot general stuff. Make sure you have some vertical lines in the shoots.  I.E., a fence or trees or buildings, etc. If the camera/lens combo works, it works. If it doesn't most likely you have a faulty lens. Simple!

Keep in mind Rodger is a very talented photographer with the best gear money can buy.  His work is outstanding. His daughter and the team is fortunate to have a person like him to do their photos. Most schools rely on students (yearbook squad) or Moms to do it. But you as a novice and with modest gear need to walk before you learn to run. Now be known, no one here can give you exact settings without seeing your exact venue and conditions.  Some schools have sports stadiums that rival some colleges and some ... well, leave a lot to be desired. I've seen and shot them all.

My basic starting point is always Av mode, yes Av not Tv.  With your new lens set it to f4 and try f2.8 too. Av lets the camera choose the fastest SS it can to get proper exposure. Fix your ISO to 800 to start but be wiling the change it if needed.  Do not use Auto ISO.  I know many pro sports photographers are using Auto ISO more and more but you don't do it from the beginning,  Walk before you run!  Set WB to daylight but you will be shooting Raw so WB doesn't matter. Select and use just the center focus point. Turn the others off.  Now, the biggie, use One Shot do no use Ai-servo for now. Give this a try at the next opportunity and see how it goes.

It goes without saying you will be using Raw file format, Correct? Yes correct and you will import the shots in DPP4 which is free from Canon for post editing. Or, better, Lightroom and/or Photoshop. A less expensive version of PS is Photoshop Elements and a super program for Moms.

Give this a try and do report back with how you do.  Remember walk before you run.

[ebiggs1]

Resetting your camera to factory is key here so make sure you do not skip that step. I, also, strongly advise against trying a FW (firmware) update at this point. Never, never do a FW update if you think you have a gear problem until that is sorted first.