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

ddyourself
Contributor

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.

45 REPLIES 45

All I can do is wish you "Good luck". Smiley Frustrated

EB
EOS 1D, EOS 1D MK IIn, EOS 1D MK III, EOS 1Ds MK III, EOS 1D MK IV and EOS 1DX and many lenses.

I know this is frustrating to you.... but try to be realistic.

 

First, a technician sitting at a workbench might not have internet connectivity to look at your video. Or even if they do, many companies block certain websites (and Youtube is very high on that list) to prevent employees from wasting time or inadvertantly downloading malware. A supervisor or customer service rep might have access and be looking at the video, then passing along info about what they are seeing to the tech actually working on your camera.

 

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

 

If the tech is testing the camera with their batteries and chargers and is unable to reproduce the problem, then IMO it's highly likely the problem is with your battery and/or charger. Regardless of what battery status is indicated on the camera. A faulty battery can be showing a charge, when it's not really charged. The LP-E6 battery module has a chip inside that's supposed to be "reporting" to the camera and the charger. If, for example, that chip were faulty, the charger might shut down before it actually charged up the battery, giving you the "full" indication. Then once that battery is put back in, the camera would shut down when it just doesn't have enough power to operate. It could be that the charge state you are seeing on the camera are carried over from the last successful use, and as soon as it tries to "update" battery status with current info it detects the low battery status and shuts down.

 

All the symptoms I saw in your video I'd first be inclined to attribute to a bad battery or bad charger. That would be the first place I'd look. If one battery did that, I'd try another. If two batteries did the same thing, I'd try a third. If all three did the same thing, I'd try a different charger.

 

Apparently you did send the battery and charger with the camera previously. Maybe Canon failed to test it with those, used their own instead. (Generally speaking, Canon tells you not to send in accessories with an item, probably just to keep them from getting separated and lost. So the techs are probably not accustomed to finding batteries and chargers included with cameras for testing purposes.)

 

I would only start to consider the camera itself might be at fault, after completely ruling out the possibility that the batteries or charger aren't at fault. Especially if the techs using their batteries and their charger are unable to reproduce the problem! They are probably scratching their heads trying to figure it out, trying leaving the camera on for longer and longer periods of time. There is nothing worse than chasing an intermittent problem.... except maybe trying to chase it down without all the components involved at the time of the fault.

 

It can be very frustrating, problems like these. I had a car that started dying occasionally while driving... the engine would just stop, even cruising at 65 MPH on the freeway. After the first couple times, I tried but couldn't figure it out myself, so it was off to a shop that specialized in the make and model to get it sorted and repaired. Six weeks, $1800 and twice completely swapping out every fuel-related part on my car from a known-good car (and I do mean everything... even the gas tank, fuel pump, fuel lines, fuel distributor, computer that controlled fuel delivery, injectors, sensors, etc., etc.)... We were still baffled! Everything that worked on their car intermittently failed on mine. Everything off of my car worked fine when it was installed on their car!

 

Six weeks and $1800 later we finally tracked it down to a single, bad wire hidden behind the engine. It looked okay, but was broken inside the insulation. It wouild make contact most of the time, but wiggling it to mimic how it might flex at times when driving would intermittently cause the car to die.  

 

My point is that this sort of problem often is down to the simplest of things. But they sure can be extremely frustrating until the fault is found and fixed!

 

***********
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 

 





 

 

 

 

I send in the video on a CF card, telling them the memory card has a video ... not youtube. I couldn't believe they don't have a card reader.... Though it could be true...

 

The tech did call and asked for the battery and charger shipped to them the first time. But no problem was identified.

 

Anyway, it seems the battery or the charger are more likely to be the issue. Since I am seeing the same problem on two different batteries. I will try to get a replacement charger and  try if they decide to just send it back without any fix.

 

However, if they never charged the battery since I sent in, and was not able to repro it with it. I gonna have to say that I have magics failing camera.  Same camera, same battery, I reproduced right before I packed it; and when it arrived Canon, it is just got fixed ...

 

Btw: the explanation I got from Canon about what happend in the video is no explanation. They don't know. But unless they can reproduce it, my video means nothing.

 

 

 

I don't think they use batteries for bench testing. It would not be reliable for a service center that is built for speed to keep charging batteries. Now after you have drawn their attention to it they should and likely will. I am glad you are sending the battery AND charger in.

It will get fixed now! Smiley Happy

EB
EOS 1D, EOS 1D MK IIn, EOS 1D MK III, EOS 1Ds MK III, EOS 1D MK IV and EOS 1DX and many lenses.


@ddyourself wrote:

 

Anyway, it seems the battery or the charger are more likely to be the issue. Since I am seeing the same problem on two different batteries. I will try to get a replacement charger and  try if they decide to just send it back without any fix.

 

 


Before using a replacement charger, try to unseat and reseat the battery from the charger several times until the charge light keeps flashing.  That's all I had to do with my charger - I never replaced it.  When I put a battery in, it would flash for a minute or so then shows steady light, even though the battery is completely discharged.  After unseating it once or twice, it would then charge normally - you can tell because the flashing light goes on off for an hour or so (normal charging).

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Diverhank's photos on Flickr

Honestly, I think my charger was doing the right thing, start with slow flash, then faster flash, then eventually steady state. The whole process took around 2 hours, just as manual explained. It does not charge on the wall socket putting in the upright position, but lying flat solved that issue.

 

But since this issue sounds like a battery issue and the charger was never rigorously tested. I am willing to replace that first and exclude any possible issue.

 

However, I personally believe it is still a camera issue. Just as you suspected, the circuit or some sensor failed. But our great friends at Canon were simply not able to repro it. I have the urge to drive to their faciltiy and show it to their face.

 

It does not charge on the wall socket putting in the upright position,...but lying flat solved that issue."

 

Now I call that a strong clue!

 

The charger should work in any orientation. Heck, I've got four of them plugged into a multi-socket connector, angled every which way, and they all work fine right side up, upside down, vertical, horizontal or whatever. I bet you've got a bad charger and had completely forgotten you mentioned this earlier (it sort of got lost in all the frantic followups).

 

***********
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 

In fact, I googled a little bit, the charger not charging in one position but in another seemed not to be an unusual event.

I had a extremely long first charge, which never turned to steady light before I put it flat.

 

But after that, for the first month or so, probably the first two or three charges, I was able to see the battery going from 4 blocks, to 3 to 2, then to 1. So at least the charger was working. Then this sudden death issue kicked in. .. I was never able to see a 3 blocks since then, nor 2, nor 1.

 

Hopefully it is a just a bad charger.

 

 

 

Just got off phone with Canon again. They said, no, my camera is prefect, and they are sending it back.

You can imagine how furious I am.

 

Letter is not enough to convince them there is a problem,

phone call is not enough

video is not enough.... And they are not givinig any explanation on what happened in the video.

 

The only choice left for me to drive there and throw the issue on their faces.

 

This is basically saying I am **bleep**ing crazy sending the world best perfect camera in to waste their time. At this moment I really want to slap myself why spending money with Canon. What a bad decision!

 

 

 

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