Rebel SL1 doesn't turn off after being unplugged from PC

[Manchu]

Recently I purchased a Rebel SL1 from eBay. It's been working great so far, however sometimes it doesn't power off after being plugged into a PC. My PC doesn't have an SD card reader so that's the way I've been transferring photos and videos. I do the same thing every time when connecting/disconnecting the camera: Plug camera into PC, turn power switch to on, transfer images from camera to PC, turn power switch off. Sometimes the camera will power off when the switch is set, and other times it will do nothing, and I'll end up removing the battery to get it to turn off. This is kind of a bummer since I do a lot of video and Magic Lantern would be a nice addition, but I don't know if removing the battery while the camera is still on would brick my camera with ML installed.

Anyone else experienced this? Running firmware 1.0.1.

[Waddizzle]

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@Manchu wrote:

Recently I purchased a Rebel SL1 from eBay. It's been working great so far, however sometimes it doesn't power off after being plugged into a PC. My PC doesn't have an SD card reader so that's the way I've been transferring photos and videos. I do the same thing every time when connecting/disconnecting the camera: Plug camera into PC, turn power switch to on, transfer images from camera to PC, turn power switch off. Sometimes the camera will power off when the switch is set, and other times it will do nothing, and I'll end up removing the battery to get it to turn off. This is kind of a bummer since I do a lot of video and Magic Lantern would be a nice addition, but I don't know if removing the battery while the camera is still on would brick my camera with ML installed.

Anyone else experienced this? Running firmware 1.0.1.

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If you are running Magic Lantern, then I suggest that you ask your question in the Magic Lantern forums.  My advice is to stop using it.

[MikeSowsun]

I occaisionally run Magic Lantern on my SL1. I have also used it on a 7D, 5D Mk II, and 5D Mk III. Removing the battery will not cause any problems for your camera, with or without ML. 

The bigger question is why is your SL1 behaving strangely?    I can't think of any reason why the power switch shouldn't work.  

[Waddizzle]

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@MikeSowsun wrote:

I occaisionally run Magic Lantern on my SL1. I have also used it on a 7D, 5D Mk II, and 5D Mk III. Removing the battery will not cause any problems for your camera, with or without ML. 

The bigger question is why is your SL1 behaving strangely?    I can't think of any reason why the power switch shouldn't work.  

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Something is probably still trying to read the images off of the card.  Something like Windows Media Player automatically adding newly discovered media to its’ catalog.  This feature of WMP needs to be disabled.

[Manchu]

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@Waddizzle wrote:

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@MikeSowsun wrote:

I occaisionally run Magic Lantern on my SL1. I have also used it on a 7D, 5D Mk II, and 5D Mk III. Removing the battery will not cause any problems for your camera, with or without ML. 

The bigger question is why is your SL1 behaving strangely?    I can't think of any reason why the power switch shouldn't work.  

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Something is probably still trying to read the images off of the card.  Something like Windows Media Player automatically adding newly discovered media to its’ catalog.  This feature of WMP needs to be disabled.

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I'll give this a try. What's interesting though is that the access LED on the camera doesn't flash after I'm done transferring files. Would something like WMP not cause the indicator to flash?

[Waddizzle]

"I'll give this a try. What's interesting though is that the access LED on the camera doesn't flash after I'm done transferring files. Would something like WMP not cause the indicator to flash?"

I am just grasping for straws.  The camera could not be shutting down because it is in the middle of some sort of activity.  The list of possible activities are pretty limited, and they all mean something is communicating with the camera.  

It is my understanding that the camera's LED flashes data read/write operations.  If an application was holding a file "open", then I would not expect to see the LED flash, because no data is actually being transferred.  A data connection is not always active.  Here is a good example of what I mean, and I suspect something similar is happening to your camera, and that WMP could be the guilty party.

When you disconnect a thumb drive, you should ask Windows to disable the device, and Windows will tell you when it is safe to remove it.  Sometimes, Windows will tell you that is it not safe, and that the device cannot be safely removed.  You can get this message if you have Windows Explorer open to view files on the thumb drive.  Closing the Windows Explorer window that is browsing the drive fixes that error message.

Just check the WMP automatic file cataloging, and disable it.  It just may already be disabled.  If you run across options to "Select An Action" when Windows detects your camera, then make no selection.  Don't change anything because everything is working.  If you select "take no action", then it may break the link that seems to exist, which calls up the EOS Utility.

[Manchu]

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@Waddizzle wrote:

"I'll give this a try. What's interesting though is that the access LED on the camera doesn't flash after I'm done transferring files. Would something like WMP not cause the indicator to flash?"

I am just grasping for straws.  The camera could not be shutting down because it is in the middle of some sort of activity.  The list of possible activities are pretty limited, and they all mean something is communicating with the camera.  

It is my understanding that the camera's LED flashes data read/write operations.  If an application was holding a file "open", then I would not expect to see the LED flash, because no data is actually being transferred.  A data connection is not always active.  Here is a good example of what I mean, and I suspect something similar is happening to your camera, and that WMP could be the guilty party.

When you disconnect a thumb drive, you should ask Windows to disable the device, and Windows will tell you when it is safe to remove it.  Sometimes, Windows will tell you that is it not safe, and that the device cannot be safely removed.  You can get this message if you have Windows Explorer open to view files on the thumb drive.  Closing the Windows Explorer window that is browsing the drive fixes that error message.

Just check the WMP automatic file cataloging, and disable it.  It just may already be disabled.  If you run across options to "Select An Action" when Windows detects your camera, then make no selection.  Don't change anything because everything is working.  If you select "take no action", then it may break the link that seems to exist, which calls up the EOS Utility.

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Interesting, thanks for your help. I'll report back in a bit.

[Manchu]

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@MikeSowsun wrote:

I occaisionally run Magic Lantern on my SL1. I have also used it on a 7D, 5D Mk II, and 5D Mk III. Removing the battery will not cause any problems for your camera, with or without ML. 

The bigger question is why is your SL1 behaving strangely?    I can't think of any reason why the power switch shouldn't work.  

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Yeah, it's very strange. 100% of the time, the camera will turn off if it's not plugged into a PC, so it's not a switch problem. It's good to know that running ML with this issue won't mess my camera up, though. I guess I'll give Waddizzle's suggestion a shot.

Thanks for your reply.