I own a Canon Rebel T3i for 18months. i just stopped working; It is not turning on at all. Help!

[OttinotL]

I own a T3i for about 18months. It's been perfectly fine till it does not turn on at all this past Fri after taking pictures at my sister's HS graduation. It does not make a sound. I recharged the battery and tried again, I took the card out then put it back in.

Any other suggestions I would gladly appreciate.

I bought it at B&H, should I go see them or contact Canon.

Thanks

[TCampbell]

The Rebel bodies are not weather sealed... the mid-range and high end bodies usually are weather sealed (which still does not mean "weather proof") but then that only works if the lens is *also* weather sealed and generally only the "L" series lenses are weather sealed (and not all of them.)

You may want to invest in some cheap insurance... for between $5-10 per pack, you can get disposable rain jackets / rain-sleeves.  These are plastic baggies that cover the body and lens (with an opening for the lens -- and often also an opening for the viewfinder).  They usually have some holes from below that you can put your hands into.  There are non-disposable high quality rain-jackets too... but of course those will cost more.

If for any reason you camera does get wet, make sure you towel it dry quite well.  If you suspect moisture got into the camera, pick up a dissicant pack and seal the camera into a plastic bag with the dissicant packs inside to draw out any moisture.  Some dissicant packs can be re-activated (usually this involves heating them in an over for a few minutes to force-dry them.)

[tommyd2010]

left mine in rain duh container of rice and 2 days in ac fixed issue

[Shureman]

I want to thank you for saving me $190.  I removed my battery door and put it back on and VOILA! the camera turned back on for the first time in four days.  I had already chatted with Canon support online with "Pedro" and he failed to mention this trick - shame on you Pedro.  I already had prepared and boxed the camera for shipping to Canon, but just before sealing the package I checked google, found this forum in 30 seconds.  Thanks again.

[ewest305]

I just wanted to say that I was having the same issue and the reply saying the Battery Door/Memory Card fixed my issue. I thought I was in for a pricey fix but it was just a matter of taking out the battery, taking out the memory card and then simply stuffing them back in and closing the door.  I know I have done this several times but it must be pretty sensitive. Some combination of doing this probably did the trick. Not sure. 

Now, the humidity of Costa Rica jungle could have caused the issue in my case. Isn't there something in the camera that detects some dampness and won't turn on knowing the risk of shorting out other parts? Not sure but i'd like to believe the first answer was correct. I have no plans of not returning to humid places!

[Tim]

Hello Ottinotl,

We should try resetting your camera using the following steps to try and resolve this issue.

1.  Turn the camera OFF and remove the memory card and battery.

2.  Detach the lens and place it out of the way.  Use the camera body cap to prevent dust from getting inside. 

3.  Let the camera sit for about 20 minutes.

4.  In the interim please clean the lens contacts with a soft, new, lint free micro fiber cloth.  Use the microfiber cloth to gently rub across the lens contacts. 

5.  Put these items back in the camera and turn the power switch to <OFF> and <ON> again.

6.  Using the Mode Dial, change from Auto to Program and back while trying to shoot with the camera. 

7.  Try a different Canon EF lens on the camera.

- Check the camera's on-board flash unit.  Is there something obstructing it or is it stuck? 

- Try a different card and also check that the card slot is closed securely.  Sometimes the memory card can cause issues and if so swap out the installed card for a different one.

- Check and clean the battery contacts or use a fully charged battery. 

If completing the above steps fail to resolve the issue then we recommend sending the camera into the Factory for evaluation.  The root cause should become apparent under factory service conditions.  You can set up service through our web site, as well as contact us if this is an urgent matter.

[stout3802]

I have tried all of these things, but yet still nothing. If I send it in, do I then have to pay whatever it costs to fix it regardless of whatever faults the camera obviously had prior to my purchase? I'm just worried, because I have done some research, and it seems as though it is the motherboard, which will no doubt be expensive to fix.

[dlc]

Tim,

I, too, have owned a T3i for 18 months. The other day it made a "shorting noise" then the LCD went black. I turned the camera off then on and the shutter opened and closed, but the LCD was still black. Today, I turned on the camera and the LCD came on, but none of the buttons work properly  to control the camera. I could take pictures intermitently, but the camera was not making the typical shutter open close sound.

I found this forum thread and trued all the steps you detailed (below for reference). During step 6, the camera took perfect pictures...not in one mode or the other, but each tome I switched from P to M (click) M to P (click) and so on:

1.  Turn the camera OFF and remove the memory card and battery.

2.  Detach the lens and place it out of the way.  Use the camera body cap to prevent dust from getting inside. 

3.  Let the camera sit for about 20 minutes.

4.  In the interim please clean the lens contacts with a soft, new, lint free micro fiber cloth.  Use the microfiber cloth to gently rub across the lens contacts. 

5.  Put these items back in the camera and turn the power switch to <OFF> and <ON> again.

6.  Using the Mode Dial, change from Auto to Program and back while trying to shoot with the camera. 

7.  Try a different Canon EF lens on the camera.

- Check the camera's on-board flash unit.  Is there something obstructing it or is it stuck? 

- Try a different card and also check that the card slot is closed securely.  Sometimes the memory card can cause issues and if so swap out the installed card for a different one.

- Check and clean the battery contacts or use a fully charged battery. 

Thoughts?

Thanks,

DLC

[dlc]

2.  Detach the lens and place it out of the way.  Use the camera body cap to prevent dust from getting inside. 

3.  Let the camera sit for about 20 minutes.

4.  In the interim please clean the lens contacts with a soft, new, lint free micro fiber cloth.  Use the microfiber cloth to gently rub across the lens contacts. 

5.  Put these items back in the camera and turn the power switch to <OFF> and <ON> again.

6.  Using the Mode Dial, change from Auto to Program and back while trying to shoot with the camera. 

7.  Try a different Canon EF lens on the camera.

- Check the camera's on-board flash unit.  Is there something obstructing it or is it stuck? 

- Try a different card and also check that the card slot is closed securely.  Sometimes the memory card can cause issues and if so swap out the installed card for a different one.

- Check and clean the battery contacts or use a fully charged battery. 

Thoughts?

Thanks,

DLC

[hilton8]

Hi i have the same problem, camer has never been wet , has barley been used and warranty i snow up, have new batteries charger   and sim card still same issue

[BuffaloSuzy]

Hi - how awkward is this.. we pay around $600 for this camera brand new and yes 18 months later, it dies! Out of warranty we are faced with a repair half the cost of the camera!!

That's rediculous. I shipped it to Canon as a whole including the lens and they sent me 2 repair quotes - one for around $230 and the other for $90. There was NOTHING wrong with my lens. This should be documented and reported to a consumer advocate that's just BAD BUSINESS!

Thank you for sharing your experiences I was sooo mad - tried taking the battery door off taking mem card out, etc etc etc etc everything... 

When I turn it on, there is nothing, except a beep when I touch ANYTHING. No visual, no display, nothing to see just beeps when touched.

I think Ill try to sell it on ebay.. what else can I do? What have you guys done.. pay for repair or.. ??