20D looses time when battery changed

[FlyingPete]

My 20D does not retain the time when I remove the battery (no matter how short the time). When I load the new battery and power on, it wants to know the date and time. This is a real pain, as I have had to battery change in the middle of shooting, and it holds things up (OK only a half a minute, but a pain non the less).

Anyone else had this issue? All of the other settings seem to be retained, my G3 does not have this issue.

[elbirth]

My guess is that the smaller watch-type battery inside the camera is dead or isn't connecting with its contacts.
If it's dead, you'll need to get that replaced. However, those things should normally last a good long while. If you bought it from a local place, maybe you can get them to replace the battery for free since it's still new.

[FlyingPete]

My guess is that the smaller watch-type battery inside the camera is dead or isn't connecting with its contacts.
If it's dead, you'll need to get that replaced. However, those things should normally last a good long while. If you bought it from a local place, maybe you can get them to replace the battery for free since it's still new.

The camera is four weeks old, and taken a little over 1200 photos, the button battery is there, but I have no way of checking the condition, so I might have to take it back for a look (hopefully I won't loose it for any time!)

[elbirth]

I doubt they keep it or anything. You should be able to walk in, tell them what's up, get a replacement put in there and test it out. If it works, then you should be set. If not, then there may be a problem with the battery contacts inside the camera and they may need to keep it to get it repaired

[robertwgross]

That's interesting. My old D60 is a little over two years old, and has a little over 10,000 frames on it, and I have never looked at the memory battery since Day One when I installed it.

---Bob Gross---

[elbirth]

That's interesting. My old D60 is a little over two years old, and has a little over 10,000 frames on it, and I have never looked at the memory battery since Day One when I installed it.

---Bob Gross---
sometimes a camera might just get a bad battery or something, just like anything else. Most people never have a problem with the CMOS battery on their computer's motherboard, but every once in a while someone will have to replace one, and it's generally the same type battery.

[FlyingPete]

Phonned the shop I bought it from this morning, they said bring it in with the warrantly card, and they will send it away to be looked at, I pointed out that I thought it was a dud battery, they said I could be sure of that unless they sent it away. A minimum of two weeks they said it would take. Well its Christmas in less than that, and I'm away for a week or so, I'm not giving up my camera for that long!

So I wandered down to the local electronics shop, and bought a new button cell for a couple of $$$, works fine now!

[tim]

Haha. Glad to hear it worked out for you :) Shame on that camera shop though!

[elbirth]

yeah, glad that's all it was :)
I'd have at least went to the camera shop and requested they let me try another battery before spending money on a new one, but either way, you're back in business

[Cadwell]

Good news.

If the problem reoccurs though, it may be that there is some fault in the camera which is causing it to drain the button cell too quickly.