5D2 recurring issue

Has anyone experienced this issue?

Mostly in MANUAL mode (since I shoot in M 90% of the time), but I it has also happened to me in Av and Tv modes. Intermittently the camera would focus lock but not fire the shutter. Intermittently the top dial would not change shutter speeds. Sometimes the buttons on the top (ISO, WB, etc.) also stop working. However, the left dial, the back dial and top display still works when I change settings from the menu. Changing modes (from M to Av or Tv) does not fix the button/dial response issue, but the camera mode does change. The only way to fix the issue is to power cycle the camera, and sometimes that requires a battery pull.

This has happened with various lenses, so I know it isn't the lens. Also, the problem sometimes recurs within minutes, sometimes not for hours or the day.

The camera as been to Canon NJ for service on this same issue 3 times now. Today would it would be going back for the 4th time.

Never noticed it with my 5D2. Which means a 4th trip to Canon might be in your bodies near future?

Obviously something is not right, as that is not normal behavior, but this is not a recurring theme across all 5D2s. I am guessing your camera has a particular fault of which you won't find many others having the same issues.

Was this bought new, or used? If used, you may not know the full history from the previous owner(s), sometimes people don't disclose that they had a camera out in the rain, or it got sloshed with ocean water, etc. It sounds like a button contact issue, but for many buttons to be affected, then it might sound like a corrosion issue. Tough to tell without taking the camera apart.

Don't know about the other issues, but the main dial on the camera not changing shutter speeds can be caused by the main dial on the grip being caught between two click-stops. Check and make sure that the grip main dial is stopped exactly on a click-stop.

No, I've never had that sort of problem with 5DII. Nor have I heard of it being at all common.

It could be the battery grip you have on the camera. Did Canon look at the camera with the grip on or off? Have you tried the camera with and without the grip? If so, does it do the same with and without the grip?

I had an older model camera that tended to lock up occasionally and it seemed to be due to momentary loss of connection between the camera and OEM Canon grip. Sometimes all I had to do was snug up the grip. Other times I'd remove the grip, clean up the grip and bottom of the camera, wipe the contacts between grip and camera with a clean cloth lightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol, put the grip back on snugly.

I think I've heard of this sort of thing happening a lot more often with third party clone battery grips, than with Canon.

Good suggestions above, especially the question posed by amfoto1 about the problem occuring without the grip.

Question I have is has Canon ever been able to duplicate the issue or have you had the issue while in front of a tech?

Beyond that, if you still have issues after the 4th repair, you might consider requesting a refurb body. Although the lemon law normally applies to cars, the Federal Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act says that a company that doesn't provide successful warranty repair for any product must provide a new replacement or a full refund--and pay court costs for consumers who must sue to exercise these rights. The key here is the 1st instance of the problem has to be while the product is in warranty Canon owes you a repair resulting in a fix or a potential replacement body.

I am the original owner of this camera and it was bought new from B&H over 3 years ago. It only has about 26K clicks on it.

Canon had serviced the 5D2 with the grip. The problem occurs with and without the grip.

I have tried cleaning the contacts on the grip, but how the heck did you clean the contacts inside the battery compartment of the camera?

The camera has been packed and is going back to Canon NJ today. It would be its 3rd trip to Canon in 2 months. At least, as a Canon CPS Gold member, they are going to lend me a 5D2 for now.

I just find it very odd that Canon hasn't been able to figure out what to replace to resolve this issue. Getting pretty annoying having to go back and forth on the same issue. At this point, they might as well "refurb" my camera body.

Good luck,let us know what happens.