20D Locked up on me today nastily. Firmware issue?

[Adam Hicks]

So I shot a couple hundred RAW images for a magazine I shoot for today, and at the very end of the shoot, as the mem card was almost full, instead of showing CF FULL it said 'BUSY' and continued to say so with no other activity (write light wasn't illuminated, etc.' When I tried to switch the camera off it showed about 5 bars in the display as if it needed to show the countdown bars as it wrote the remaining data to the card, but it was just stuck at those bars, and never would turn itself off. I tried resetting the camera back to factory settings (only thing I had set was ISO200, LCD Brightness and I think I was EC +2/3) and nothing worked. Finally I opened the CF card door so it would shut off and then when it came back on it went from showing '0' images available to '7' I didn't trust it and shot no more images.

It did this twice. I was using a SanDisk 512mb card which I've used hundreds and hundreds of times with my S50 and DRebel without fail. It did not do this with my SanDisk Extreme 512. It didn't seen like a card issue but maybe an incompatibility?

IF anyone else is using the standard SanDisk 512mb cards and a 20D (by chance!) can you shoot some RAW images until it's full and observe it's behavior towards the end of the card? I'd like to see if this is something I should approach Canon about or if it's just my camera, etc.

Thanks!
Adam

P.S. I also discovered that in order to change the EC you have to hit the EC button, then depress the shutter release half way and scroll the wheel. Why the extra step of depressing the shutter button? I change EC all the time and this seems more tedious than it should be.

Otherwise it's been perfect. :roll:

[drisley]

Too bad about the lockup. That really deflates the high of a new product. However, it may just be a problem with that particular card? Just guessing.

P.S. I also discovered that in order to change the EC you have to hit the EC button, then depress the shutter release half way and scroll the wheel. Why the extra step of depressing the shutter button? I change EC all the time and this seems more tedious than it should be.

Now that seems like a pain in the arse!

[Scottes]

EC button? Where is that? I press the shutter halfway and roll the wheel with my thumb.

[Adam Hicks]

OOPS thanks for posting that. For some reason I read the manual as having to use the +/- button first, but that's just for FEC.

My mistake. The camera is now perfect. Except for two lockups today.

Oh and did you notice the viewfinder being grainy in bright light? What's with the speckles? The DRebel was clearer...?

Thanks

[Guillermo Freige]

Adam:
The 20D hasn't a EC (+-Av) button as the DRebel. The quick control dial changes the EC when shutter is halfpressed directly, as in my old EOS 5. Probably you just pressed the FEC button.
So, in 20D, instead of pushing +-Av and using the main dial, just halfpress the shutter and use quick control dial.

Guillermo

[Guillermo Freige]

Regardind the viewfinder, is the new matte screen from Canon. Apparently the new coarser finish improves manual focus.

[Adam Hicks]

That's exactly right regarding FEC. I was just used to the DRebel where I had to press the +/- button while scrolling. Something I had gotten quite used to especially when not shooting RAW. But this is even easier. I am also adjusting to the setting buttons doing two things depending on which dial you turn, but after a few more sessions it'll be second nature.

Oh and actually you don't have to keep the button presses, you just have to turn the dial within 4 seconds of focusing on the subject and it quickly adjusts the EC without your eye leaving the viewfinder. Cool!

Adam

[drisley]

You are only the second person to point out the coarse viewfinder under bright light.
This review also noticed this. Most others seem to say the viewfinder is better than the 10D. Perhaps most with the 20D have been shooting indoors or something?

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/20d-part1.shtml

"As mentioned, the 20D has been reduced in size over the 10D and previous models in this line from Canon. Such shrinkage is not without its price though. It has been achieved by reducing the size of both the pentaprism and the instant return mirror. This makes the viewfinder a bit dimmer and a bit coarser than the previous generation. The coarseness isn't all that apparent indoors or under low contrast outdoor light conditions, but outdoors on a bright sunny day it's painfully obvious. (Canon claims that the coarseness to aid manual focusing, but that's just marketing BS; simply an attempt to turn a deficiency into a feature)."

[Persian-Rice]

Ouch..............lets hope its not a continuing thing with these.

As for the viewfinder thing, I wasn't too impressed with the 10D in the first place, so you are telling me it can get worse? oy vey................

[evilenglishman]

that sounds like a pain, but I can't see a reason why one card would be buggy compared to another.
Maybe its a formatting issue and hopefully its an isolated case.
If it turns out to be a big issue than Canon obviously give cameras to the wrong sort of people for testing.

Keep bashing the camera around Adam, it's people like you who get them first that will make or break this camera, not Canon or their testers.

[rsnadel]

If the camera is flaky when ONLY that card is inserted, it makes me think there's a problem with the construction of the card...could it be nothing more than bad contacts, for example?

[lime]

Adam,
Check out this thread in DPR:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1019&message=10313358

It seems a few have experienced some kind of camera lock-up and taking out the battery solved it. Hope it's not widespread.

[robertdrake]

Seems to be quite a few people talking about lockups with this camera in DP Review. I wonder if anyone has contacted Canon about this issue? Mine should be arriving anyday, so I'm kind of concerned.