T5i, shutter button issues.....

[dzyg]

Last Nov while out shooting in the snow with the dogs I apparently got snow on the shutter button which must have melted and gotten in the camera. As I was shooting the camera would take multiple pics from one press of the shutter. I do have continuous picture mode on but it wasn't that, I wasn't pressing the shutter long enough to go into that mode. I put the camera in a bag of rice for two days and hadn't had any issues with it since until yesterday. I think again I got moisture in the shutter button and messed the camera up. It started taking pictures and wouldn't stop until I shut the camera off. I always put the camera into a plastic bag when coming in from cold or very humid weather. This morning I went to see what it would do and it will focus but will not take a picture. I am assuming something is ruined in the shutter button area from excess moisture. Anyone else have this issue ever? I am guessing I will need to send it in but thought I would see if others have had this issue. Thanks!

[ebiggs1]

"...I apparently got snow on the shutter button which must have melted..."

You must have gotten a lot more snow than just a splash that melted. Did it cover the button or perhaps even the entire top of the camera? The rice bag trick doesn't work and can make things very much worse.

"Moisture" and "wet" are two different things.  Cameras do not respond well to "wet". They can handle moisture somewhat.

Try this as at this point you have nothing to lose since the camera (a T5i) may be beyond repair. But remove all accessories, caps, SD cards, batteries, doors, whatever, open as possible. Place it on a warn, not hot, heating pad for a week or even two.

BTW, if you had any openings in the camera while it was in the rice bag, that can be a big problem.

[dzyg]

Thanks for your reply. There was snow by the shutter button as I throw the ball for the dogs in the snow and take pics of them running back. I am right hmera. The first time it happend there was a little puddle by the shutter button which I didn't notice until it started acting funny. It did not cover the top of the camera at all. I guess I thought this was the issue. Yesterday I didn't have gloves on but my fingers got wet from the ball I was throwing. How does rice make it worse? I put it on paper towel that is on rice in a sealed bag. I took the lens off and had the cameanded and throw the ball with my right hand and then take pics right away and sometimes get snow on my gloves which then touches the cara cap on, took the battery and SD card out. It does not sit right on the rice itself. I had put it back in there this morning. How would a heating pad help? 

[ebiggs1]

Your reply is somewhat garbled but what I gather from it is, first off rice doesn't work. Second if you had openings in the camera rice dust can get in and it can be difficult to remove.  Especially if gets wet and it dries.  Just don't do it.

"How would a heating pad help?"  Really, you ask?  Doesn't it sound like a good way to dry something? How does a clothes dryer work? Same thing, the warmth, will hopefully dry the insides of the camera. Since a camera is a sorta closed system it can take a very long time to get any moisture out of it.

Have you ever heard of 'cause and effect'? SOmebody, sometime probably decided to put a wet camera in a bag of rice for whatever reason.  And lo and behold they took it out and the camera worked!  Assumption? The rice bag fixed the camera when in reality it was just a coincidence and the camera would have likely survived on its own.  It is easy to assign cause and effect to the wrong conclusion.  The warm heating pad is a way better option. And, it will take a long time.

To further this cause and effect theory, it is possible your camera is just broken.  And, it had nothing to do with the snow or moisture or wet gloves. If I were you beside doing the warm heating pad, try to reset the camera to default.  Menu under tools.

[John_]

Rice will not hurt it and I have seen others use it to dry out wet cell phones too. A better choice then rice would be to buy some desiccant packs which contain silica gel to remove moisture. They are far more effective than rice. They are inexpensive and available on sites like Amazon, Same deal, open your camera up as much as possible, no cover over the lens mount hole either and place it in a plastic bag with many desiccant packs, and keep your fingers crossed it may be too late and your camera now is broken permanently. I would also get some Deoxit5 which will clean up any residue the water may have left. It is sold in a spray can or a small bottle with a brush like a nail polish type bottle. Dab it in that shutter button so it gets inside. Do not worry it will not hurt anything plastic or rubber or electronic. If you get the spray can be careful and be sure the lens body cover is on when you spray it into the shutter button with the straw that is included. Cover the camera body with a rag while spraying it in the shutter button. The spray can has a High, Med and Low spray setting, use the Low. I have used Deoxit5 for many, many years and it can work miracles which is what you need. You can use the Deoxit5 with the desiccant packs at the same time. If you cannot fix it don't throw it away people on auction sites, like eBay, would still buy it for parts. Sending it in for repairs would cost more than the camera is worth at this point.

[ebiggs1]

:... I have seen others use it to dry out wet cell phones too. "

Possibly so but it is impossible to tell if the cell phone would have survived without the rice bag treatment. It is better to just leave an electronic device alone for a long while.  You just might be surprised. The heating pad just speeds that process up some. Plus if you already have one as most of us do, its use is free.

It is natural for people to immediately think they have to turn something on as soon as possible when just leaving it alone is best. Turning it on while it is still wet is probably the worst thing you can do.

Now you are certainly free to use all the rice you want but I won't ever recommend anybody use it. Besides a cell phone doesn't have all the holes a camera does.

[dzyg]

ebiggs...I have no clue how my reply got so messed up. It is a bit garbled isn't it, sorry about that. I can understand how the heating pad would help however I would worry about leaving it long term with everything open as dust and dog hair (which we have a lot of) would probably get into everything.

Yeah I am guilty of trying to turn it on again sooner than I should have. It was about 24 hours later but I know I should have left it much longer than that. The first time this happened I didn't touch it for about 3 days and this time was worse than the first time. 

Thanks again for your reply....I think I may get some of those silica packs and that deoxit5 stuff but until they get here will try the heating pad if I can find it and a place less full of dust and possible dog hair.

[ebiggs1]

"... I may get some of those silica packs and that deoxit5 stuff but until they get here will try the heating pad if I can find it and a place less full of dust and possible dog hair."

Everybody has dust and stuff.  Put it in a drawer. It needs a long time to be successful if it ever will.

If you go the silica gel route remember you need enough the dry it, not the amount to maintain a dry storage place. Probably somewhere around $15 to 20 dollars worth. It also needs to be in an enclosed space.

[dzyg]

John, thanks for your reply. I will try some of the stuff you suggested before I give up on it. I had heard of using those silica gel packs, I can see where that would be way better than rice. Hadn't ever heard of the Deoxit5, will look into that too.