Powershot SX1 IS Battery Problem...

Has anyone here had, and hopefully fixed the battery problem with the Powershot SX1 IS? I bought this for my wife 2 years ago and it seemed to be O.K., she took it to Florida on a week-long trip, no problems during that time, so it has literally not been used since. (She's not much for cameras, and the batteries were removed after she returned)
So, I am trying to sell it, but I can't get it to stay on longer than a couple of minutes, if even that long, I had this problem a few months ago when I got it out to try and get my wife to try it again. I (thought I) fixed it by slightly bending up the battery compartment's spring tensioners (for lack of a better name) on the bottom. Immediately that worked for me, and I tested it out, and it seemed O.K., but now, there is nothing I can do to make it stay. (I read that "fix" online a few times) I use Sanyo Eneloop AA batteries in it, they are fully-charged, and it still does the battery low icon thing it has always done. I have tried regular batteries also, they don't last at all, and online the majority say to use Eneloop, or similar.

From what I have read online, most people assume that it's their batteries that are faulty, I don't believe that is the case, it's somehow the camera itself, something is just not right.
(I have the latest firmware also, so it's not that latest is not really latest, the last one is a couple of years old)

I have tried and tried to look online to see what I can find about fixes, or, how widespread the problem is, but there really isn't that much out there.
On Canon's site I read that they say that it's a "cold battery problem", that is not true in my case, I'm in the warm confines of my house, and it's in the 50's (outside) when I am trying it out inside.

So, what I am asking is, does anyone know a REAL FIX for this, it's no longer in warranty, and I really don't want to have to ship it off to Canon for them to probably not fix what they probably don't admit to a battery problem. (I might be wrong, but I can only go by what I read, and my luck with these type things)
Also, I don't want to spend money to fix it, just so I can sell it, I feel like I am already taking a huge loss as it is, you knows how that goes, plus, I am not working right now...

Hopefully that all makes sense...

Thanks to anyone that has a solution to this problem that can't just be mine alone.

Randy

Well if you're sure its not the batteries try this:

You can try the toothpick trick. This seemed to work for multiple Canon cameras that uses AA batteries. It's an inherient design problem with some of the older Canon cameras. http://www.ifixit.com …ow+battery+and+​shuts+down.

However, I've heard from people with Canon cameras that uses AA batteries complain about low battery warnings at least once or twice a month on this forum. Some have bad contacts, others have bad power management system. The camera uses the voltage drops to detect low battery. The system suppose to allow the lower voltage of rechargeable, but when the power management system is broken, it might not. Using rechargeable batteries such as Eneloops might cause this problem since it operates at 1.25v. If you have a bad power management system, then your camera needs service. A work around for some is to use disposable Lithium AA batteries that operate around 1.6v. Thats an expensive route. Try the Lithium batteries, if your camera works, its likely you have a power management problem with the camera. If it doesnt work, you still might have a problem with your camera.

imjason wrote in post #13930211
Well if you're sure its not the batteries try this:

You can try the toothpick trick. This seemed to work for multiple Canon cameras that uses AA batteries. It's an inherient design problem with some of the older Canon cameras. http://www.ifixit.com …ow+battery+and+​shuts+down.

However, I've heard from people with Canon cameras that uses AA batteries complain about low battery warnings at least once or twice a month on this forum. Some have bad contacts, others have bad power management system. The camera uses the voltage drops to detect low battery. The system suppose to allow the lower voltage of rechargeable, but when the power management system is broken, it might not. Using rechargeable batteries such as Eneloops might cause this problem since it operates at 1.25v. If you have a bad power management system, then your camera needs service. A work around for some is to use disposable Lithium AA batteries that operate around 1.6v. Thats an expensive route. Try the Lithium batteries, if your camera works, its likely you have a power management problem with the camera. If it doesnt work, you still might have a problem with your camera.

Hmmm, that is some stuff I have not read, thanks for the information.

I have tried regular batteries 'before' the Eneloops arrived, that seemed to work, at least then, but they won't now, no matter how new they are.
(Matter of fact, the Eneloops worked fine until I put it up, then when I got it out is when I started having trouble. I actually read that someone thought that letting it sit idle was the problem, which doesn't make any sense, at least to me)
Do you think that I may have damaged the camera using the Eneloops? I only used them because that's what everyone at the time were using for most all cameras similar, as I remember.
If you (or anyone else) thinks of anything else, I really would appreciate the help.
Thank you again for the REALLY GOOD help that you gave me, that is definitely somewhere to start.
I'll now check on the "expensive" route you mentioned to see if that is something I want to do.

Randy

This sheds some more insight on possible voltage problem with the camera:
http://www.dpchallenge​.com …ad&FORUM_THREAD​_ID=418140

imjason wrote in post #13930324
This sheds some more insight on possible voltage problem with the camera:
http://www.dpchallenge​.com …ad&FORUM_THREAD​_ID=418140

I'm reading that stuff now, Thank You!

By the way, I already tried the toothpick trick a while back, I can't remember what the outcome was, but I'll check that again.

Randy

Jason,

I read all of the link that you supplied, that gives me HOPE!
Later on this afternoon I will try all of the ones that seem like a good idea, some don't, but some do. heheh
(I've already removed the time/date battery and put it back in, so far, it's still working, that's more than it was doing)
The suggestions on that site are really a good thing, I a shocked that the answers are not more well known, this sounds like a huge widespread problem, in lots of cameras.

I want to THANK YOU a LOT though for the help, whether or not these work for me is yet to be seen, but you have helped me WAY more than I could help myself.
Also, I really do appreciate the fact that you took the time out of your day to stop and help me, a lot of times that goes unnoticed by people, but not by me, so it is greatly appreciated, really and truly.

Randy

Well, so far, so good...
I haven't given it a real test yet, but every time I have tried it, it's worked, that's more than I could say before.
So to me, that tells me a lot, it's not so much the batteries as it is the electronics inside the camera, whatever that is. Even though it is working better, it's still not cured, because when I place rechargeable batteries that I have used previously in it, it doesn't work, but the new batteries I bought did.
(The new ones were Duracell Rechargeable 2450 mAh)
I have no idea if that is the reason, but I do believe so. I have some of the Eneloops as I had mentioned before, they still work now that they're charged up good, but I don't know how long they'd last.

For me, it's fixed, if I were to use this as my camera, I would be O.K. with it, but I had planned on selling it, so I don't know what to do, I guess tell them the problem, and take a cut in price...
I hate that, 'cause I really need the money right now, but I don't want someone to have to go through what I, and many others have.

At least there is some reason to believe that this method works a lot of the time, I read where it doesn't always work, but it's WAY better than having to put a battery in every 3 minutes... heheh

I can't thank you enough for the help that you gave me, that really did take a lot of stress away from this problem.
Also I hope that my little part of this story helps someone in the future, and if I can help out in any way, just PM me, I don't know how much help I could be, but I can try.

Randy

Dear All, has anyone met this problem? SX1 forgets set date & time, after minimum 30 seconds turned off. When I turn off and then on shortly after - even if opening battery compartment door - I have date & time OK but after cca 30 secs or more with the camera sitting turned off, it requires setting it again when turning on...
Thanks a lot in advance.

Replace the date battery.

CR1220.

It's page 278 in your manual.
You can download it from Canon if you don't have one.

The battery is in the battery compartment in a little slip holder.
Remove the AA's and you should see it.

Good luck.

-Rob

did you find the solution ?
i having exactly the same problem now with the same camera. i used it once since i have bought it. and today i thought that i should start using it again (after 5 years).
please let me know if you found any solution for this problem.
thanks

I never did that I remember, it was my wife's so it was really only used a few times by me. I sold it not long after due to never being used. The motto is, if your wife says she isn't interested in YOUR hobbies, believe her. heheheh

Good luck on the fix, it's been a long time, surely someone has something figured out. Or, not...

Randy