OK, so I'm stupid...

UPS delivered my 10d today! I'm still all smiles. But I also feel a bit like a moron. Once the battery was charged I fired up the 10d. Switched it on full-auto just to take a shot of anything. I pressed the shutter and it made this not-so-nice groaning sound. I thought it was defective! I looked at the LED and it said "Err 05" Oh man! I was devastated. Had no idea what "Err 05" was, but of course, thought the worse. Grabbed the manual and went to the error message section and it said that something was obstructing the pop-up flash. I'm still thinking the worst--that the pop-up flash was defective thus rendering the camera useless (at least for the time being.) I turned the camera off then back on and tried again. Same result!!!!!

About fifteen horrible minutes later I figured out the problem: When my eye was pressed to the viewfinder the bottom of the visor of my baseball hat pressed againt the pop-up flash's pop-up door preventing it from opening.

WheW!

Took my hat off and everything worked great!

I already love this camera!!!!!!!

I had a Sony DSC-V1, and the way the pop-up flash was positioned, was right where you should be holding the camera..by the left index finger. Therefore, the flash never worked on that piece of s***!!!

No, you're not stupid. At least you didn't post a message saying, "I think I have an autofocus problem!"

Good luck with your new camera.

That's the reason I never let the camera do it's own thinking. I'll tell it when I want the flash up, thank you, by always keeping the settings in the Creative zones.

But I've had my share of stupid things that I've done with the 10D. Once I set my 100-400L on manual focus and had the camera on AI Servo to boot. Then, forgetting about it, I couldn't understand why my lens wasn't focusing or acknowledging a focus lock with that comforting "beep" and the flash of that red rectangle in the viewfinder. And the worst time for things like this to happen is when you've got that picture moment you've been waiting for.

JimmyD, there is an optional microswitch attachment that you can install on your baseball cap, on the bill. Then, when you hit the shutter button, and the flash needs to pop up, it will pop up and hit the microswitch, and then a little hammer will fly down and bonk you on the forehead to remind you of being stupid.

I did the same thing when my D60 was brand new.

The good news is that it does not cause any permanent harm, but you need to turn your baseball cap around like a typical teenager these days.

---Bob Gross---

Seconded - I learnt that one way back when my EOS300 (Rebel 2K) insisted on popping the flash up. I'never used the auto modes on any camera since.

But I've had my share of stupid things that I've done with the 10D. Once I set my 100-400L on manual focus and had the camera on AI Servo to boot. Then, forgetting about it, I couldn't understand why my lens wasn't focusing or acknowledging a focus lock with that comforting "beep" and the flash of that red rectangle in the viewfinder. And the worst time for things like this to happen is when you've got that picture moment you've been waiting for.

It's even more disconcerting if you switch AF to the * button - and forget you've done it. I've not only been there and done that, but I've got a drawer-full of the t-shirts

KRs
Chris

When I started reading your post and got to the part where you pressed the button and got an error I was somehow just SURE you were going to report that you didn't have a CF card! No, I didn't make that mistake... but only because my previous camera takes CF as well.

One thing to note is that the 10D goes a VERY long way on a single battery charge. However, the first charge or two might not last very long. (This type of battery needs to be exercised a few times when new.) I think my first battery charge went about 50 shots (I had only the huge, electron consuming, 100-400 IS lens at the time). The third charge went more than 200 shots.

There is another good trick you can play on yourself - and I have!.

I took a whole series of shots with autofocus off because I was using a 100-400 lens with a teleconveter.

Normally this would have been fine, but the dioptre correction on the eyepiece was set at -2.

Every single photo was exactly 2 dioptre out of focus!

So now its just one more thing to check before taking pictures.

To err is human - to make the same mistake twice is stupid!

Thanks all for making me feel a little less dumb... at least until I make my next bonehead mistake.

I think it's great that it happend and that you posted about it. Now when the rest of us see the 05 error, all of us can, without second thought, reach for our ball caps and turn them around. Very intuitive! So by accident you have really helped the masses

regards

and have fun...

I was so proud of my 2nd hand eos 5 with grip...took it to the local rodeo and after awhile noticed it was focusing all by itself...hangon! did it just fire off as well?!
I've been ripped off!
turns out i had my hand on the second shutter button(blush)

LOL

Yeah! You gotta watch that button, especially if you're going to put the camera away into the camera bag...you could be shootings lots of pictures of the inside of your bag and drain the battery to boot. I always have to try to remember to turn off the battery grip when I put it back in the bag (if I'm going to leave the camera on, that is, which I do a lot).

OT for digital photography, but...

I usually power off the EOS 5 before putting it in the bag, but sometimes forget to. Now, the problem comes when I dig it back out of the bag and just turn the mode dial either one or three clicks (depending on whether I want to use P or Av mode). A few photos with weird exposures later I realize I am in M mode or, when I'm lucky, I notice the CAL-1 text at the bottom and only waste some time instead of film.

I read about your 'Problem".
Thought, I'm glad I didn't have to admit doing that.
Last night I did the same thing.
I'm giving up my BaseBall Cap