# Canon Camera issue, please help



## brendanvanson (Feb 26, 2011)

Hi Guys, I 'm a travel writer/photographer and I'm having some issues, and I'm not sure I can find a tech where I am. My canon t1i is acting up. It shoots properly on any of the automodes but doesn't work in any of the program modes. When in any of the program modes (av, etc) it wont let me shoot a photo on AF, doesn't turn on the IS of any of my lenses, it wont even let me use menu, disp, set, focus mode, live view or any of the other modes. It will let me change my exposure compensation setting, and that's about it. It is very strange, and I need this to be fixed by monday as I am on a paid shoot in Brazil. 

I have reset the settings of the camera, pulled the battery out, pulled the memory card out, done absolutely everything I can think of. Anyone have an idea as to what may have caused this????

Thanks in advance,

Brendan


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

Wish I could help, only thing I can think of is that you have set up, accidentally, a mode that refuses to be reset unless you find the correct menu ..


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## brendanvanson (Feb 26, 2011)

Done_Fishin said:


> Wish I could help, only thing I can think of is that you have set up, accidentally, a mode that refuses to be reset unless you find the correct menu ..


The camera was on and in my bag so I thought the same. Canon, however, says that's impossible. It's gotta be something else


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## Mack (Nov 8, 2004)

My camera has acted strangely a couple of times in the past and a clean of the contacts between the lens and camera resolved it. 

The only other thing I can think of is a humidity issue. Leave the lens off for a bit to remove any moisture build up.

Hope you can get it sorted.


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

OK- the immediate need is to have a camera that is performing correctly. It may not be possible to get yours perfoming properly in time, even if you take it direct to Canon Service station right now.

As you are on a *paid shoot*, the immediate thought is to rent a camera for the duration. There are many pro camera rental places. I have several friends in California, and here in the UK who will rent a camera and specialist lenses for special shoots... Most of them dial in the rental costs into the shoot expenses - Client pays. Short term renting can be a very cost effective solution to pro photographers.

I just did a quick Google search "Camera Rental California" and "Camera Rental Los Angeles" There are plenty of places to rent.

If you do rent, take you existing camera as backup.

Once you are home, you can take the your own camera to the Canon service depot nearest to your home location. PM me when you get back & I will be able to guide you on this last point. Do not take the camera into a camera shop for repairs unless it is still under warranty.

Good luck & Good shooting.


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## brendanvanson (Feb 26, 2011)

Mack said:


> My camera has acted strangely a couple of times in the past and a clean of the contacts between the lens and camera resolved it.
> 
> The only other thing I can think of is a humidity issue. Leave the lens off for a bit to remove any moisture build up.
> 
> Hope you can get it sorted.



Ya, the funny thing is that the AF and exposure meter works fine in Auto modes, but not in Program.

It could definitely be a humidity issue too as it is bloody hot and humd here.

How do you clean your contacts? I was told a pencil eraser might do the trick???

Cheers,

Brendan


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## brendanvanson (Feb 26, 2011)

DonaldG said:


> OK- the immediate need is to have a camera that is performing correctly. It may not be possible to get yours perfoming properly in time, even if you take it direct to Canon Service station right now.
> 
> As you are on a *paid shoot*, the immediate thought is to rent a camera for the duration. There are many pro camera rental places. I have several friends in California, and here in the UK who will rent a camera and specialist lenses for special shoots... Most of them dial in the rental costs into the shoot expenses - Client pays. Short term renting can be a very cost effective solution to pro photographers.
> 
> ...


A rental body would be perfect, but unfortunately I am in Campo Grande, Brazil and there are no lens rentals here


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

Sorry about rental idea - I thought that you were not going to Brazil until Monday

A pencil eraser will do the job BUT... There is a severe risk of minute rubber crumbs/debris falling into the lens cavity, which in turn will find the sensor! If possible use a lint-less cloth. Remember the contacts are gold plated so should not tarnish but could collect verdigris if in a continuous high humidity. 

Donald


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## brendanvanson (Feb 26, 2011)

DonaldG said:


> Sorry about rental idea - I thought that you were not going to Brazil until Monday
> 
> A pencil eraser will do the job BUT... There is a severe risk of minute rubber crumbs/debris falling into the lens cavity, which in turn will find the sensor! If possible use a lint-less cloth. Remember the contacts are gold plated so should not tarnish but could collect verdigris if in a continuous high humidity.
> 
> Donald


I'm in super a high humidity area right now and I wiped the contacts with a lint-less cloth and nothing.. I'm going to try and find a very dry room with AC and leave it for the night to see if that helps... I will play with the contacts again in the morning.

Why would this cause an issue on the Manual modes and not the auto modes thought??? shouldn't it affect both.


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

I have no idea how it could affect the camera. There is quite a powerful computer inside and if the operating system has got corrupted in some way, I guess unpredictable results could be experienced.

Have you checked on the Canon site for the latest firmware? I have checked the Canon support site and this is a link to the firmware pages Select digital SLR and scroll down to almost to the bottom and you will find the T1i.


I wonder if the humidity is high enough to have caused moisture to actually condense into liquid droplets inside the camera? It is a brilliant idea to put the camera in a de humidified environment I suggest that all the camera kit be put in there too. However, if it is very cold compared to the external temperatures, watch out for condensation. Perhaps putting the camera & lenses in plastic bags just before bringing them out & keeping them in the bag while they come back up to temperature. * See below...

I presume that you have the body and lens blanking caps with you. If you have, I suggest that you dismount the lens and just loosely place the caps into position but not twist them into the locked position. That way there will be an escape route for moisture but will impede dust ingress.

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A couple of thought for the future expeditions into high humidity environments. I am a member of a Pro Photographer's Forum and some of those guys keep their kit in air tight containers with bags of silica jell to keep the moisture out. The bags of jell can be dried out quite easily by warming them in an oven/cooking pot etc. (Warming not heating to 'too hot to touch') 

Humidity can kill off lens glass by allowing a certain fungus to grow that actually eats into the surface of the glass. I had two Rollieflex cameras attacked by it after several years in mild humidity.

* It has just occurred to me that although Campo Grande may not have camera rentals, it may be large enough city of find a source of silica Jell. If you can get hold of some, you could make and emergency 'dry container' by (a) drying out the silica before use. (b) putting a bag of silica into a large plastic bag and keep your camera kit in that while not in use. Dry the silica each day?

If the silica jell is 'loose' I suggest making a linen bag out of a handkerchief or such like material - just food for thought.


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