Isolating a camera-grip communication problem

Equipment: 20D, serial number 1120607041. It was last serviced in June 2009 to repair the shutter assembly. The grip is a BG-E2, no serial number visible. I use SterlingTek batteries.

What happens: Camera LCD flickers on and off. Usually the CF card count number goes out, not visible. To fix, I have to unscrew the grip and screw it back in. Sometimes this works; other times I have to unscrew a second time for it to work.

Other problem is what i call the "phantom clicks" - I will hear the shutter but nothing is recorded. I have to playback the images and check the CF card count to see if anything is being recorded. I've lost plenty of sports moments and some portrait shots because the camera didn't record.

What it's not: I don't think it's the battery. When the flickering happened today, I opened the battery door and then closed it, and it was still flickering.

It's getting worse - had at least two flicker-outs and three phantom clicks while shooting a basketball game today.

The question: I think that, even if was problem was JUST the grip, it wouldn't explain why I'm getting the phantom click problems. Or can that also explain that problem and thus the easy solution is to get it serviced or buy a new one?

Camera functions normally minus the grip?

Somewhere in my dim and distant memory, I recall there being an issue with the 20D grip which people initially fixed by shimming it in such a way that it made more positive contact. I also think Canon had a fix for this...

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #9242862
Camera functions normally minus the grip?

Somewhere in my dim and distant memory, I recall there being an issue with the 20D grip which people initially fixed by shimming it in such a way that it made more positive contact. I also think Canon had a fix for this...

Don't know. I don't have the battery door (and don't want to spend $20 for a replacement part), so I can't test the camera out without the grip. Checked the grip itself and emailed the original owner, nowhere to be found.

you don't really need a battery door to test without the grip, just a lump of blu-tak onto the microswitch would do the trick...

Put a shim pad between the body and the grip at the end of the grip opposite the mating prong. This kind of cocks the prong into the body and insures a better electrical connection.

nebula_42 wrote in post #9243406
Put a shim pad between the body and the grip at the end of the grip opposite the mating prong. This kind of cocks the prong into the body and insures a better electrical connection.

Can you clarify what to do?

I just shot a women's basketball game today, more trouble. Phantom clicks at least five times. I have more information - I happened to check the LCD and saw it move from 636 to 631, then apparently lost power and went back up to 636. So the camera is working, the communication is just troublesome and all images are lost if it cuts out.

I'm sending in my Sterling Tek batteries on Monday to replace them, as it's been under a year and there's the other problem with the charging finishing too fast (30 min. rather than 90 minutes).

I've got a game on the 7th. I'll be using my OEM BP-511A battery and we'll see if it cuts out again. If it does, it's definitely a grip problem. I'll also be calling Canon and seeing if this is a repair that they might do for free if it's a known problem.

Final update (hopefully): Received new SterlingTek batteries but problem got worse. I sprayed some canned air into the battery compartment and the camera seems to do be doing good - turned it on and off a dozen times and the camera blinks on immediately, no hesitation or pause like it was doing before. I've got some games coming up and I'll report back if there are still more problems.

The problem is still persisting. It happens less often but it's happening during extremely critical stretches - such as during the celebration after a basketball game and (yesterday) a mother and daughter embracing after a softball game. This cannot continue to happen. It's one thing if I just miss the shot, but I'm getting the shot - the camera is just cutting out.

Should I upgrade the body to, say, a 40D or something?

Persephone wrote in post #9242847
Equipment: 20D, serial number 1120607041. It was last serviced in June 2009 to repair the shutter assembly. The grip is a BG-E2, no serial number visible. I use SterlingTek batteries.

I have a question, which relates to Jay's comment below. Is is a genuine CANON BG-E2 grip? If it is, it will say Canon on the top and will have a serial number engraved into the bottom. If there is no serial number on it, then it's likely it's a third party grip and Canon won't repair it. In that case your best bet would be to buy the Canon Product.

Also, regarding not having the battery door... Did you put it in the little slot provided for it in the grip?

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #9242862
Camera functions normally minus the grip?

Somewhere in my dim and distant memory, I recall there being an issue with the 20D grip which people initially fixed by shimming it in such a way that it made more positive contact. I also think Canon had a fix for this...

You are correct. Canon recalled and repaired the first batch of BG-E2 grips. The serial number range of the effected units was Serial Number 000001 - 096000. The service notice is still on the Canon USA website. LINK

JWright wrote in post #9654238
I have a question, which relates to Jay's comment below. Is is a genuine CANON BG-E2 grip? If it is, it will say Canon on the top and will have a serial number engraved into the bottom. If there is no serial number on it, then it's likely it's a third party grip and Canon won't repair it. In that case your best bet would be to buy the Canon Product.

Also, regarding not having the battery door... Did you put it in the little slot provided for it in the grip?

You are correct. Canon recalled and repaired the first batch of BG-E2 grips. The serial number range of the effected units was Serial Number 000001 - 096000. The service notice is still on the Canon USA website. LINK

Oh, so there it is...it has a serial. 106864 - looks like it falls outside the recall range. I bought the camera used and have asked the previous owner if he has the battery door lying around somewhere and he doesn't.

Someone in another topic said that the BG-E2N fixed the issue...but I'd want confirmation before dropping $130 for it.

Persephone wrote in post #9654307
Oh, so there it is...it has a serial. 106864 - looks like it falls outside the recall range. I bought the camera used and have asked the previous owner if he has the battery door lying around somewhere and he doesn't.

Someone in another topic said that the BG-E2N fixed the issue...but I'd want confirmation before dropping $130 for it.

I had the BG-E2 I bought with my 20D repaired under the recall even though I wasn't experiencing the issues laid out in the service notice. I later bought a 40D and BG-E2N and haven't experienced any problems with it at all. I would say you'd be fine with the E2N...

You might check with Canon and see if it would be cost effective to have your current grip repaired, if the problem really is with the grip.

I had power problems with a my $50 ebay grip on my t1i. When it was firmly pressed against the camera, it was fine. When I switched to portrait mode and it would move minutely (really almost no movement) the camera would lose power.

I took a tiny 1"x1" piece of tinfoil, folded it twice so it was a little thicker, unscrewed my grip slightly and put it on the opposite side of where the grip actually goes into the camera, then screwed everything back on tight.

Its been running perfectly ever since then. All the grip needed was the tinfoil shim to re-orient it so that the contacts met better.

nebula_42 wrote in post #9243406
cocks the prong into the body.

Whoa!