Update: Video - Canon 6D turns itself off after a few shots with fully charged battery

[ddyourself]

Update: I uploaded my video to youtube, please comment:

http://youtu.be/3PNLUYd8g7A

TIA and pardon me for my English.

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I posted this originally at another forum, and somebody suggested me to post it here as well, to get more help.

Long story short, I purchased a brand new Canon 6D from B&H on Oct 24th, 2013. From early december, the camera starts to shut itself off randomly and displaying empty battery. I found the camera constantly shuts itself off after 20 - 100 continuous shots with a FULLY charged battery (right off charger, showing 8.23V using multimeter, and showing 98% in battery info).

The camera will just turn itself off in the middle of shooting, showing empty battery int the shoulder window. The solution is simple, open the battery door, then close it again, no need even to pull the battery.

So, I contacted Canon support, sent the camera to the VA service facility, waiting for it be repaired. As an engineer myself, I understand things fail, and I thought this is such an easy issue to reproduce, anybody should be able to repro it.

Couple of days later, I received a phone call to send my accessories in, no problem, debugging needs more info, that's normal. I sent my lens and stuff in. I unfortunately had to bear the cruel fact that I don't have a decent camera for the holiday, though I have a backup.

After a long wait, on 12/28the, the accessories were delivered at 9:35am. At 10am, they called me, they were sending the camera back. No issue at all. I was like, have you tested AT ALL? They didn't care, sending the camera back regardless. 

I received the camera on Jan 2nd, and saw the same issue on that day. Of course, it was NOT fixed at all.

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I googled really hard, somebody said he had similar issue but it was a defective battery, so I got a brand new Canon battery, unfortunately, the same issue pops up again.

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Ok, the only choice for me is to send it back again.  But this time I am totally amazed by Canon.

I sent the camera in again with my lens and battery. Also, a video showing the issue on a standalone CF card (I know 6D does not take CF, just to put the video on it).

Couples of days later, they called asking for accessories, I was like, what accessories, I don't have any more.

Then the camera sit in their facility for a few days for nothing. All of sudden I received a phone call on Monday morning, said it is ready. The camera has no issue at all.

I called, asked whether they have watched the video, they told me two technicians, including a senior one, was not able to upload the video to the computer. I was like, what the hell? why the heck you need to upload it to the computer, find a card reader, plug the card in, double click, how simple is that?

I talked to the service manager over the phone, he told me that there is nothing he could do, if their technician said so. They have decided to send my camera back, NOT fixed, again. I esclated the issue again, but haven't heard anything back yet.

Honestly, I am totally pissed, how stupid can they be? I included a letter with detailed steps on how to reproduce this issue. As an engineer myself, I know how easy to reproduce this issue. But what shocked me is that they don't even know or they didn't even bother to watch the video. In the same letter, I asked/begged them to contact me if they cannot reproduce the issue instead of just sending it back unfixed.

Guys, any other ways to get their attention? I already filed a BBB complaint. For a brand new camera of 3 months old, it has been in Canon's repair shop for almost a month. Leave to say that I missed the most importand holiday season in the year. This is simply not acceptable.

[ddyourself]

yes, it is really a bizzar issue. I couldn't believe technicians couldn't repro it.

Talking about RAW, I actually haven't really tried 40 countinous shots in RAW alone. Most of the time I shot in JPEG in order to capture moment with my kids. Though during some repros, I have both RAW and JPEG turned on, maybe the JPEG is the problem? But that still couldn't explain why the camera died with no shots at all.

On the other hand, The camera took much better picture than my old Olympus in low light. I do hope it works.

Anyway, thank you very much for your suggestions! I passed all the information to Canon contact. I hope they can get it fixed, or maybe just replace a unit.

[ebiggs1]

Please let me know. Good luck.

[amfoto1]

It sounds as if you might have a replacement on the way or other fix in the works...

But did you ever consider the charger, rather thant the batteries?

I ask because I've heard of chargers failing, too.

I have experienced something similar myself, where camera stopped working very quickly, even though the charger showed the battery fully charged. In my case, it was different from yours. My batteries had not been used in a long, long time and were heavily discharged. Several cycles of draining them and recharging, they came back to life and took nice, full charges. But all the while the charger continued to display "full charge".

Since you are seeing increasing failures, I am not suggesting that it might be the same problem. Just pointing out that your charger might be the weak link in the chain, might even be showing a full charge although it's not delivering one. I would guess that's why the service techs asked you to include the accessories, too.... so they could test them as well. (I.e., if they were using a "good" charger, they might not have been able to duplicate the problem.... suggesting the camera and batteries are good.)

***********
Alan Myers

San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & PRINTROOM 

[ddyourself]

Thanks for pointing that out!

I suspected about the charger as well initially, since I had a hard time to charge the first battery. It simply wouldn't charge in the upright position on a wall socket. But it did charge if I lay it flat. Googled and learned this is a common issue... (BTW: Canon, are you kidding me?? can't make a charger right?)

But the information I gathered from the camera itself (battery info) showing 90%+ power, for both batteries. So I think it is charged. Meanwhile, I also used a multimeter mesured the voltage, which also confirmed it was charged.

Again, thanks for the tip!

[ddyourself]

No update from Canon today. Called the rep several times, always ended up in voicemail but never got a call back. Though she told me that the engineer was planned to provide an update yesterday. I will keep you all updated.

[ddyourself]

Still no update yet. It has been a whole week since the camera was sent to a special unit for further inspection, or just watch the video I sent with; and almost 3 weeks since I sent it in, the second time!

Honestly speaking, I am very upset with the whole experience. Not only I am losing the value of the camera everyday, but also I am missing a lot of precious moments with my babies. I purchased this 6D solely for capturing their growth, and babies do grow fast. My backup EOS-M is simply too slow for them.

I am also fairly frustrated with the service received. I didn't get any call back until I asked to speak to a supervisor. My voicemails were simply ignored each time. I was pretty much told not to call in again until been called since there would no update until I am called.  I was told the special unit has too many work ahead of my camera. But really? A whole week of backlog, then Canon probably needs to hire more engineers.

Let me be frank, 6D is not a cheap camera. The service I received simply does not match the price tag. Will my next camera be Canon again? I highly doubt. Will my friends get a Canon? They have to seriously evaluate my experience.

[ddyourself]

I called in again today and was told engineers at Canon faciltiy simply was not able to reproduce the issue.  I am still waiting for an explanation on what happened in the video. And here is the video I sent to Canon. Please comment.

Again, this is a new battery manufactured in Nov 2013, and fully charged. The camera fails similarly on another battery manufactured in Dec 2012.

http://youtu.be/3PNLUYd8g7A

TIA and pardon me for my English.

[ebiggs1]

Your video shows a malfunction all right. But I am sure the Canon engineers are not seeing the same thing.

I think we can agree on this?

So what is different? That is what we must figure out.

You did send your batteries and charger it Canon with the camera?

With no further evidence than I saw in your video, I would say bad battery and/or charger. A nearly drained battery will act just like that. There is enough charge left in it to operate the camera for a few seconds or minutes.

[ddyourself]

I did send in my battery, and my charger last time (not this time).

Since this is the second battery, and manufactured in different year from the previous one, I doubt it is a battery issue. The charger may be the suspect though, I agree. But I measured the battery with a multimeter after a fresh charge, 8.23V, so it seems the charger at least worked.

What puzzles me even more is the battery info showing 92% power left. If this is an empty battery then, the camera is not reading correctly either. I was able to reproduce once or twice after this video before I sent it in, took roughly 40 actuation each time. Then the camera arrived at Canon facility with remaining battery power, and then the issue simply disappeared.

- edit: I did  a quick google,

http://www.p4pictures.com/2012/12/eos-6d-battery-life-with-wifi-gps/

It says a single charge lasted around 3000 pics. This is pretty consistent with the 92% and 230 pics showing in my video.

[ebiggs1]

"But I measured the battery with a multimeter after a fresh charge, 8.23V, ..."

This actually does not tell you the state of the battery. You must put a load on a battery in order to test it.

I hate to sound like a broken record but it really sounds like a bad or discharged or undercharged battery. Whether it is the battery or the charger is unknown.