20D Lockup, No Err Code ?

[Mark_48]

I experienced my first lockup on my 20D yesterday while shooting a local church fair / "Cow Chip" festival (somebodies gonna ask :) ). Just before the lockup occurred the camera got a bit sluggish and I had to wait a second or two between shots, as if the buffer wasn't handling image transfer well. I'm using Sandisk Ultra II cards and had a Tamron 28-75mm Xr Di lens in use. Removal of the battery got me going again with no further problems. I was well into shooting with a 1 GB CF card I had formatted fresh when this occurred. We were having a 90 degree F plus day and most of my time was in the sun. The camera was warm.

As this is my first lockup I was expecting an Error code to pop up. None came up on the display that I'm aware of and the display was OK during the lockup, the camera just wouldn't shoot on pressing the shutter. Metering as I recall seemed to respond OK.

In general can a lockup occur without an error code and if an error code occurs, does it remain in the display until cleared or can it clear itself without the user noticing it?

[weemannie]

Hi Mark

Yes lock-ups can occur without an error code. I had 2 when I had my 20D, but the firmware update cured it.
Have you got the latest update?

[Mark_48]

Hi Mark

Yes lock-ups can occur without an error code. I had 2 when I had my 20D, but the firmware update cured it.
Have you got the latest update?
Firmware version 1.0.5
I hadn't done the latest as it was for a wireless feature I don't need. There had been speculation by some that the the most recent one fixed some bugs, but was not documented as such.
If it ain't really broke, don't try to fix it. If I start to get more lockups I may reload my present firmware before I try something altogether different.

[Toogy]

I had a mini lockup yesterday during the wedding I was shooting, was doing the formals in VERY hot & humid temperatures and I went to review some images and nothing would work, then tried to take a pic and it wouldn't do anything, no error message or anything. I simply turned it off and then back on and it was fine for the rest of the day??
Maybe the heat got to it?

[joeseph]

S'funny you should mention lockup like that Mark, I was just about to send mine off for looking at for exactly the same symptoms that happened twice in the weekend but have just put a fresh charged Canon battery in and away it went. Mine's firmware ver 2.0.0 so will keep an eye on it to see if happens again using the same 3rd party battery. At the time of the lockup yesterday, I tried changing lenses / flashcard & even removed the button battery without fixing it....
Did you notice when it was locked up, the camera wouldn't turn off??

[Screamer]

This *exact thing* happened to me yesterday too...:confused:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=81635

[Mark_48]

S'funny you should mention lockup like that Mark, I was just about to send mine off for looking at for exactly the same symptoms that happened twice in the weekend but have just put a fresh charged Canon battery in and away it went. Mine's firmware ver 2.0.0 so will keep an eye on it to see if happens again using the same 3rd party battery. At the time of the lockup yesterday, I tried changing lenses / flashcard & even removed the button battery without fixing it....
Did you notice when it was locked up, the camera wouldn't turn off??
I didn't try turning it off or anything else. My first inclination was to remove the battery and let the camera reboot. If I recall correctly, after I removed the battery I switched the camera to "off" so the power on sequence would be what it would normally be. I was using a fresh charged 3rd party battery.

I did an local event yesterday, again in hot humid weather and had no problems, other than one I did myself - took 4-5 shots with no CF card in the camera...duh :o :o :o

[lordjim]

I also experienced a lockup with my 20D yesterday. I was shooting with the 100-400 in a very warm weather. I was shooting RAW+JPEG. I switched the camera off and then on again but it did not work. I deleted one pics from the CF card and then the camera started to work again whereas the card was far from being full in the first place. Strange.

[Mark_48]

I think I've concluded it must be a virus linked to the date !!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[lordjim]

To the date? Is that a joke? not sure to get you?

[Chazs]

I think I've concluded it must be a virus linked to the date !!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

I may have to agree here. I got a strange lock-up this weekend as well.

After a shot the LCD flashed "busy" continuously (over aminute I waited), buttons wouldn't work, and I couldn't even turn it off. Absolutely no functioning. Removed the battery; replaced battery, still flashing "busy". Replaced battery AND lens; more "busy". Replaced flashcard; more "busy". Took the battery out for 10 minutes; all is fine. I was starting to sweat under the collar a bit.

[drisley]

I had a lockup like this last summer with the 300D.
And it was a hot day. So perhaps the heat has something to do with it.
These cameras have tiny computers inside, and we all know what happens when our pc's overheat.

[lancea]

Given the symptoms, it's just possible that the CF card is a factor here. Perhaps it would at least be worthwhile finding out what everyone is using so it can be excluded?

[Mark_48]

Given the symptoms, it's just possible that the CF card is a factor here. Perhaps it would at least be worthwhile finding out what everyone is using so it can be excluded?
Sandisk Ultra II 1 GB when this occurred. Drive mode set to "Single shooting" with plenty of time between shots for the card to write. I don't think I lost any shots when this occurred.

[Screamer]

Given the symptoms, it's just possible that the CF card is a factor here. Perhaps it would at least be worthwhile finding out what everyone is using so it can be excluded?

SanDisk Extreme III 1 GB. The temp outside was in the low-miid 70's, overcast. I too was in "One Shot" mode, with any where from 30seconds to 1 minute 30 seconds between shots.

[lordjim]

Sandisk Extreme III 1GB and single shot mode.

[drisley]

Hmm, I'm seeing a trend there...
Funny thing is, the Extreme cards are supposed to be designed for extreme temps.

[Mark_48]

From Sandisk's site....

"SanDisk Extreme III CompactFlash cards are tested in extreme temperature ranges from -13 to +185 degrees Fahrenheit so that they can be used to shoot photos in any weather condition".

It was hot that day, but not that hot.

I'm still going on the date triggered virus theory. :) :) :)
Hey, I had dust mites on my sensor, so I think a virus is a distinct possiblity

[MRB]

Morning Guys, This is my first post, allthough I've been reading for sometime.

I have recently had my 10D replaced with a 20D after a car crash and have been suffering with Lockups ever since. It can be very intermittent 10 shots or 200 before it will fall over. And it seems to do it more in servo mode with my 100-400! Which is really annoying when I'm into aviation photography and it locks at the wrong moment!

The camera stops dead and displays a battery empty symbol (allthough its fully charged). Switching off won't clear it, only removing the battery completely to reset the camera will bring it back to life. It happens with or without the grip, canon and non canon batteries. I'm ussing SanDisk 1Gb Ultra II's.

Any Suggestions?

Mark

[drisley]

I would either try another lens, or send the camera back.

[RobK]

:eyes My 20d locked up this weekend for the first time as well. It just completely died, like the batteries had no more juice. This was the first shoot that I used my new bg-e2 power grip so I'm pretty confident that the grip was the cause. Bummer I thought I would be a lucky one with out a grip issue. During the shoot I would get a err99 message and all I would have to do is turn it off & on again, and that would solve my problem. But the last one froze it up good.

I have not updated my firmware yet, but I will tonight not sure if it will help or not.

Cheers
Rob.

[drisley]

Frequent disconnects of the grip caused by the flexing issue can indeed cause the problem you described. You probably were having intermittent powe disruptions that you didnt even notice (since the camera comes back on after each flex/power loss).

[joeseph]

My 20D is off to Canon today to try & sort the lockup issue. Be interesting to see what firmware it comes back with. Hopefully they'll identify what they've done althought I'm not holding my breath, should be sometime in the next 10 or 15 days...
< cameraless :-( >

[RobK]

Joeseph, let us know how you made out.

I wonder if it is a software or hardware issue?


Rob.