My EOS 300D loses its power when left switchedon.

[BML]

If I forget to switch my camera off the next time I attempt  to use it the batteries are flat yet I don't think its always been like that in that previously if I lleft it switched on it switched itself off and all I had to do to reestabish power was to switch it of then on again or am I dreaming?  The camera is one of the early ones but I don't remember when I bought it.

[TCampbell]

How old are the batteries?  My guess is they aren't holding much of a charge these days.

[BML]

The camera is at least ten years old and I have never replaced the batteries.  However, if I remember to switch the camera of they hold their charge for a long time.

The batteries are not that expensive so I have no problem in buying replacements but I don't want to waste money if the camera has a fault and does not do what it should do but I don't know the answer to the question. "Should the camera automatically switch itself of if left switched on?"

[Ray-uk]

The camera should go into sleep mode when left switched on, a quick half press of the shutter button should wake it up.

If you are using a 10 year old battery then you are lucky it is even powering up at all. Do yourself a favour and buy a new battery.

[RobertTheFat]

---

@BML wrote:

The camera is at least ten years old and I have never replaced the batteries.  However, if I remember to switch the camera of they hold their charge for a long time.

The batteries are not that expensive so I have no problem in buying replacements but I don't want to waste money if the camera has a fault and does not do what it should do but I don't know the answer to the question. "Should the camera automatically switch itself of if left switched on?"

---

It sounds to me as though you've accidentally turned sleep mode off. The closest camera I have to yours is a 400D, and it's been a long time since I've looked at the menus. But it has to be there someplace. If you can't find it and don't still have an instruction manual, you can download one from the Canon site.

[TCampbell]

It's also possible that the camera lost it's settings.  The 300D has a coin-battery (it's in the battery compartment next to the rechargeable battery).  That battery is responsible for maintaining the date/time as well as camera settings.  There is a setting for how long the camera can go unused before it automatically turns off.  

You'd know if it died because you'd get prompted to set the date/time when you power it up.  If this has happened, it's time to replace the coin-battery.

The main battery (the rechargeable one) will lose capacity over time (whether you use the camera or not).  That battery may not be able to hold much of a charge anymore.

[BML]

Many thanks for both those suggestions.  I'm afraid that like to many people who spend to much time at work I simply never found time to read the manual but I will now.  Mnay thanks again.

[bobdobbs]

I believe I have the same issue with this same camera model.

How can I replace the internal battery?

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

Even though this is a 5-year-old topic, I'd like to make the following comments.

How old are the batteries you are using?  The 300D camera was manufactured 20 yrs ago.  

Digital Rebel / 300D.  6.3 Megapixels.  I'm sure the camera has severed you well.  If photography is something you enjoy, you really owe it to yourself to explore what Canon's current cameras can do.