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

[Dam]

I would recommend contacting Canon directly. Their technical support has been very good and usually solves my issues.

[OttinotL]

trying that now! tks

[stout3802]

The same thing has happened to me. I've owned it for just over a year and a half, and it has stopped turning on. I spoke to customer service and they told me that I have to pay the base fee of $190 plus shipping and whatever other charges come along with it to get it fixed. I'm extremely disappointed and am not surprised to see that I am not the only one with this issue.

Canon, would you please help us solve this problem? I realize that the camera is past it's warranty, but it is supposed to be a quality product, and so I do not expect to pay a lot of money to repair an electronic issue that clearly has nothing to do with the user.

[TCampbell]

A few simple questions...

Do you own more than one battery and have you tried a different battery?  

Note that it is possible to set the rear display in a mode where it will not light up at all... but you should still be able to see the viewfinder display light up.

Occasionally, a problem can be fixed by removing the battery and leaving it out for a while (a while being more like 20-30 minutes).

Lastly... there are a few interlocks that will prevent the camera from powering up.  One is on the battery door and there's another in the memory card slot.  These are very tiny microswitches.  If these micro-switches get stuck then the camera can exhibit these symptoms of refusing to power up.  (there is also a micro-switch in the flash hot-shoe but that switch just tells the camera if a flash is present but will not prevent the camera from powering up.)

[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.

[stout3802]

I have tried another battery, and nothing lights up on the camera at all. It is completely non-responsive. I have also checked the interlocks, and it seems as thought they are closed tight.
I'm just baffled, because one day the camera worked, and the next it wasn't turning on. Do you know if Canon is ever willing to admit that their product was faulty and assist with repair costs??

[OttinotL]

Hi guys!
Tks for helping. I took the camera to a repair store that's endorsed by canon. Thought canon was too pricey since the camera was over the warranty period.
Anyway, they said the motherboard short circuited and had to be changed. The T3i camera is not weather resistant and think it might have been exposed to moisture somehow. I got it fixed for about $250 and now I protect my camera with my life. Any sign of rain, we re not shooting! Lol
Thanks all for your suggestions!!!!

[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.)