20D - Unusual Flashing Access Lamp

[glawhon]

I just opened my camera bag, where my 20D had been sitting unused for several weeks. The access lamp (the red light near the quick-control dial) was flashing intermittently, even though the camera was turned off. I have the battery/handgrip attached with two batteries inserted, but they were so low that the camera wouldn't turn on when I tried to turn it on.

Any logical explanation?

[Malaxos1]

I am not sure, but I do know that there must be some power to the 20D when it is turned off. If I take out my CF card and re insert it the red light will blink. Maybe this is to help with the high speed of powering up...Dean

[blinking8s]

im convinced the 20d DOESNT turn off

[robertwgross]

On these cameras, you shoot the shot, and then the camera stores that data off to the CF card. If you switch the camera power switch off, it continues the write session to the CF card until it finishes. If the main battery gets into a low state, then you are going to see it go into some indeterminate state where it can't summon up the battery power to finish the write session, but it can't end its function until it finishes, so it will just sit and spin until the battery goes dead or until you open the CF door. It will also do that if it runs into a particularly funky CF card.

I suggest you don't turn off the switch until the red light is off.

---Bob Gross---

[evilenglishman]

was the grip turned off?

[CoolToolGuy]

On the 20D, the access light blinks when you insert the battery, regardless of whether you have the camera turned on or not, and if you have the grip it blinks when you close the battery door for the grip.

I think the 'quick startup time' comes from having most of the circuits live all the time so when you flip the switch there is less for the camera to do.

I don't know how a low battery plays into this, but my point is that it is not unusual to see the light blink, regardless of the position of the on/off switch.

Have Fun,

[glawhon]

was the grip turned off?


No, the grip switch was turned to "on." Thanks for all the feedback. I'm going to make sure the camera has finished writing before I turn it off (don't know that I did that before, but I'll be more conscious of it from now on), and I'll flip the grip switch to off as well as the camera before stowing it in the bag.... Hopefully I won't see a repeat.

[chops]

On these cameras, you shoot the shot, and then the camera stores that data off to the CF card. If you switch the camera power switch off, it continues the write session to the CF card until it finishes. If the main battery gets into a low state, then you are going to see it go into some indeterminate state where it can't summon up the battery power to finish the write session, but it can't end its function until it finishes, so it will just sit and spin until the battery goes dead or until you open the CF door. It will also do that if it runs into a particularly funky CF card.

I suggest you don't turn off the switch until the red light is off.

---Bob Gross---

Um, I'm sure if that were the case, the camera would have finished writing data to the card weeks ago. Afterall, glawhon said it was sitting in his camera bag for several weeks unused. :? :roll:

Anyway..... It's probably nothing more than just a warning light letting you know that the BP-511a is fully exhausted. I bet if you put a fully charged battery in (keeping the card, lens, and grip as is), the flashing light will cease to exist.

[Andy_T]

Did you turn off the anti-theft alert :lol:

Best regards,
Andy

[chops]

Oh, and one more thing. As far as I have been told, the 20D does not leave any of its circuitry active when turned off for a quicker "boot-up" time. That battery would die in a matter of days if that were true.

The reason for the quicker start-up is that Canon is using the much faster Digic II image processor that speeds up the entire operation of the whole camera, not just processing of an image.

[CoolToolGuy]

Oh, and one more thing. As far as I have been told, the 20D does not leave any of its circuitry active when turned off for a quicker "boot-up" time. That battery would die in a matter of days if that were true.

The reason for the quicker start-up is that Canon is using the much faster Digic II image processor that speeds up the entire operation of the whole camera, not just processing of an image.

It is clear that not all of the circuitry in the 20D depends on the position of the on/off switch, as has been mentioned above regarding inserting the CF card as well as the battery/door, and that is the point being made - that some of the circuitry has the battery power available to it when the switch is 'off'. How much may be up for discussion.

Have Fun,