7D computer connectivity fault

So annoyed when I found yesterday my 10 week old 7D won't connect with my computer. tried on another computer, same problem. Tried a differnt USB lead, again no joy. So I'm thinking the issue must be with the 7D body. Spoke with the supplying retailer who think the same and want to send it off to Canon to be looked at. Of course, with everything stopping for Xmas and New Year, they say don't bother bringing it in until the beginning of January and then expect a turnaround time of about three weeks. So that's the end of Jan at least before I get it back.
I can use it in the meantime by removing the card and connecting it via a card reader to the computer but I'm just annoyed it's happened on such a new item. Anyone had similar happen or know of anything else I could try in the meantime?

Thanks,

Mark.

Do you have the Canon Utilities softwares installed on your computers? That includes a driver that makes it possible for the computer to recognize the camera after it's attached.

It's generally better to remove the memory card and download the images with a card reader, anyway.

I only plug my cameras in to a computer when doing tethered shooting or syncing their clocks.

amfoto1 wrote in post #13559254
Do you have the Canon Utilities softwares installed on your computers? That includes a driver that makes it possible for the computer to recognize the camera after it's attached.

It's generally better to remove the memory card and download the images with a card reader, anyway.

I only plug my cameras in to a computer when doing tethered shooting or syncing their clocks.

Thanks, yes I have the utilities software installed. I tend to use that to download straight from the camera to review RAW images before progressing to photoshop. Until I get this fixed I will have to copy the files from the card reader into my computer and open them from there.
I take your point about rarely using the computer to camera connection but I want it resolved for two reasons. Firstly without that port working I can't do any firmware updates or syncs as you mention and secondly without knowing what the problem is, it could be symptomatic of something else so I really need it looked at.

"It's generally better to remove the memory card and download the images with a card reader, anyway."

That is not necessarily true. This topic has been thrashed around to no end lately and it seems as though the major compelling reason presented is people are afraid of pulling a camera to the floor by catching the cable in some manner. Some people have also said that out of the camera is faster but even at that, the people were using a USB 3 connection which is known to be significantly faster than a USB 2.

The fact of the matter is that Canon, Nikon, etc...all the major manufacturers fully support without any reservations the use of transferring the pictures while the card is in camera. All recommend that you format the card in camera as opposed to outside.

I might also add that if you are using a CF card, then there have been issues reported of bent card pins in the camera body due to the way CF cards interface. Rare, but certainly another consideration (and an expensive fix).

Generally I've found that using a card reader is more troublefree than attaching a USB cable to a camera - especially on a Windows PC.

The main reason is that a card reader is less likely to be affected by an update automatically loaded by Microsoft Update. With all the security updates and virus scares lately, devices that randomly attach and detach from a PC are more difficult to support with all the security and Access Control around a PC.

We've seen many reports here where it worked fine one day and the next day it didn't. Usually that can be attributed to something that changed in Windows. Very seldom is it caused by something that went wrong with the camera.

Of course, theres all the other reasons (Ford/Chevy arguments) that one is faster, safer, more efficient than the other.

Well all I can say is it worked fine downloading images, then I went away and took a dozen or so bird shots in my garden, came back in and reconnected it and...nothing. Computer wouldn't recognise it, neither would my laptop (both have had it connected numerous times). Got me stumped.

John from PA wrote in post #13559308
I might also add that if you are using a CF card, then there have been issues reported of bent card pins in the camera body due to the way CF cards interface. Rare, but certainly another consideration (and an expensive fix).

I agree with that and that's a good reason to leave the card in the camera rather than continually swapping it out to a card reader.

Check that your USB is at least 2.0 . I seem to remember problems after I rebuilt my PC but forgot to set the USB up properly.

I installed Canon Utilities software with my 50D from disc & later re-installed it (again from disc) when I got my 7D. The 50D was still recognised by the software, but I had to upload the software again from the Canon site before I could get the camera (7D) to be recognised by the computer (windows 7). I rekon there is some sort of update on the site that's not included on the supplied disc.

Could be the USB cable...Give a different one a try.

Does you computer recognise the camera,

1) when you connect the usb does the "autoplay" come up ?
2) is it listed as a device in control panel/ hardware and sound/ devices and printers ?

As others have recommended, do the software update on Canon utilities and it might help to do a firmware reinstall on the camera

I also noticed that over time the male portion of the usb connecter (e.g in the camera) can get worn which leads to connectivity problems, I've this problem with external HD's, does the usb cord connector feel excessively loose in the camera

Oggy1 wrote in post #13560047
Check that your USB is at least 2.0 . I seem to remember problems after I rebuilt my PC but forgot to set the USB up properly.

It was working an hour earlier

Miki G wrote in post #13560126
I installed Canon Utilities software with my 50D from disc & later re-installed it (again from disc) when I got my 7D. The 50D was still recognised by the software, but I had to upload the software again from the Canon site before I could get the camera (7D) to be recognised by the computer (windows 7). I rekon there is some sort of update on the site that's not included on the supplied disc.

I installed the Canon 7D software when I got the camera on desktop and laptop. Both were fine.

mrbtd wrote in post #13560156
Could be the USB cable...Give a different one a try.

Thought of that thanks and tried it, no luck, so I'm thinking it's a problem in the camera body.

Appreciate all the suggestions.

lannes wrote in post #13560197
Does you computer recognise the camera,

1) when you connect the usb does the "autoplay" come up ?
2) is it listed as a device in control panel/ hardware and sound/ devices and printers ?

As other have recommended, do the software update on Canon utilities and it might help to do a firmware reinstall on the camera

I also noticed that over time a the male portion of the usb connecter (e.g in the camera) can get worn which leads to connectivity problems

The autoplay does come up, yes (or rather, it did) and yes it did list as a device when it worked. I have the latest software and I've tried a firmware check but again, it won't connect. The camera port male connector is a common enough type, the same as the ones western digital use for their external drives. I've tried using that (it is fine on the WD drive) but it won't connect the camera.

Have you tried a cold reset of the camera by removing both batteries, may be worth a try.

John from PA wrote in post #13559308
I might also add that if you are using a CF card, then there have been issues reported of bent card pins in the camera body due to the way CF cards interface. Rare, but certainly another consideration (and an expensive fix).

An "expensive fix" on a new camera under warranty is going to cost the same as an inexpensive fix - nothing.

As far as being "rare" - I'd agree that such cases would be extremely rare - a CF card is used in SLR cameras because of their durability and reliability -

Every high end dSLR I know of uses CF cards or both CF and SD - I never heard of a top of the line pro-level camera that uses SD cards as primary memory.
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@OP:

You mentioned that you tried two different USB cables - did you try a different CF card? No mention of that.

While I've got about a dozen different CF cards (all but one are Sandisk the other is a Lexar) I've never had a problem with any CF card in almost ten years of using them (before that it was film) - but I've read about problems with cheap CF cards and even bootleg Sandisk cards -

From your description it seems impossible to get bent pins since you never removed or replaced the CF card between the time it was working and then not working if I understood you correctly. (also I can't see how the pins in a camera can get bent since a CF card won't go more than halfway in if not lined up exactly right) - However having a bad circuit in a card is possible - no matte how unlikely (I once got a bad thumb drive that was quite expensive - in fact it was a Sandisk - and definitely not a bootleg).


While I always have used a card reader rather than attaching the camera to a computer, I agree that if you eliminate any other possibilities that the camera should be checked out - You certainly want the thing gone over carefully while under warranty.


Giving the camera to your retailer is just going to slow things down - especially if you do it before January. This is the busiest week of the year in the retail business - the last thing a store wants to do is keep track of paperwork involving a repair and shipping - if you send it to Canon yourself it should take less time to get it there and to get it back - I have been told this both by CPS tech support and also a friend that works for Canon in Roslyn, NY.

If you can qualify for the CPS program your camera goes to the front of the line whenever you send it in for anything - and the basic membership is free..

But at this time of year my guess is that the repair facilities at Canon are probably slow - most of what they get on a daily basis is cameras that are sent in to be cleaned, not repaired. So this is not a time most people would send their cameras in for a cleaning.


Best of luck, and happy holidays!
D.