No power after long term storage

[keuka]

My camera has been stored for several years long-term in a dry room in the house averaging 70-75°. I recently got it out and discovered that I not removed the battery. I discarded the battery that was in the camera and bought a couple new batteries. After charging them completely I tried them and the camera does not turn on. I'm thinking there is some corrosion as a result of the remaining in the camera for several years. If that is the case is there a way to safely clean contacts? Could there be something else that is causing the problem?

[Jason]

Hello!

Which camera model do you have?

[keuka]

EOS50D

[ebiggs1]

"... is the case is there a way to safely clean contacts?"

Safe or not what choice do you have?  They may be corroded completely away.

[Waddizzle]

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@keuka wrote:

My camera has been stored for several years long-term in a dry room in the house averaging 70-75°. I recently got it out and discovered that I not removed the battery. I discarded the battery that was in the camera and bought a couple new batteries. After charging them completely I tried them and the camera does not turn on. I'm thinking there is some corrosion as a result of the remaining in the camera for several years. If that is the case is there a way to safely clean contacts? Could there be something else that is causing the problem?

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Use a good light source, and take a peak inside of the battery compartment.  If it looks shiny, which it probably will --- seeing how you made no mention of the old battery being corroded --- then look for foreign objects or bent pins.  Sometimes a pressure pin can sit for years, and lose all of its' springiness. 

"A body at rest tends to stay at rest.  A body in in motion tends to stay in motion, unless acted upon by an outside force."

[TCampbell]

I'm not certain if this could be a factor... but in addition to the standard Canon battery, the 50D also has a coin-size battery which maintains the date & time.  

Your manual will describe how to replace that battery.  It's under the battery door nearer to the hinge than the standard battery.

Canon wants you to use a Lithium battery for that coin-cell (and you definitely should).  Alkaline batteries leak when they go completely dead... Lithium batteries do not.

[ebiggs1]

"...the 50D also has a coin-size battery which maintains the date & time."

Has nothing to do with the camera's ability to turn on.  Only keeps you from entering the date and time each time.

[TCampbell]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

"...the 50D also has a coin-size battery which maintains the date & time."

Has nothing to do with the camera's ability to turn on.  Only keeps you from entering the date and time each time.

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It would be more correct to say it SHOULD only have to do with keeping the date & time.  But I’ve seen devices which, to my amazement, have a dead clock battery will screw up everything else.  

So while I agree it should not be a factor, I’m not necessarily willing to go a step farther and say it can not be a factor.

There are also the other “usual suspects”...

Battery door has to be closed (micro-switch in the door frame will keep the camera from powering on

Memory card door has to be closed (another micro-switch)

Memory card corruption (this is another suprising one but we’ve seen it’s definitely a factor for some of the “camera wont power on” issues.  Just remove the card completely and see if the camera will power up.  If it does... the card needs to be reformatted or replaced.)

There are a few other things... 3rd party lenses, 3rd party battery grips, etc.  basically remove everything from the camera other than the body itself... and see if it powers on with nothing attached.  If so, then start re-attaching things one at a time and test to see if the camera can still power on.

[ebiggs1]

"It would be more correct to say it SHOULD only have to do with keeping the date & time."

Well of course anything is possible or not but that battery is the last thing to consider in this case.