airport scanners cameras, and the date/time

Hi all, interesting thing happened to my 50D the other day on a domestic flight. Each time going through the scanners my date and time were wiped and when I turned it on the first time after I was presented with the set time screen. The camera is perfectly fine, but I just found it interesting. I didn't lose any of my name/copyright info I placed in there, just the time/date.

I assume I am not the only one to have this happen to, but haven't actually seen it pop up here.......not that I have seen anyway.

My phone, gps logger, cheap HD video cam etc didn't suffer the same "condition"

Your the first I'v heard of that's had this with a camera and airport scanners..

that'd be right!

Charged everything the night before leaving and all was good. When I got to my destination and saw the time had reverted back to 1-1-2000 00:00:00 , I just assumed it might be the X-ray scanners, but had never heard of it before, so just thought no more about it (after setting the time)

When I came home after the trip, turned on my cam to pull the images and whammo, set date and time again. It was fine for the 3 days away between flights.

First time the camera has been on a plane, and the first time I have even seen the time date screen come up since the day I bought it over a year and a half ago. It has also been sitting here for 5 days since and is fine.

We have taken a variety of digital SLRs through airports over the years and haven't had this happen - yet, anyway!

Interesting since x-rays do not damage electronics.. Might be the date/time button battery is weak and needs changing (pg 191 of US manual)

pixelbasher wrote in post #10235540
Hi all, interesting thing happened to my 50D the other day on a domestic flight. Each time going through the scanners my date and time were wiped and when I turned it on the first time after I was presented with the set time screen. The camera is perfectly fine, but I just found it interesting. I didn't lose any of my name/copyright info I placed in there, just the time/date.

Interesting. Evidently something (one assumes X rays) wiped out the small RAM memory that keeps the date and time. That's powered by the CR2016 watch battery - and only that. Settings, custom functions, copyright info are all stored on NVRAM that doesn't require power. I can't say that's true for all Canon cameras, but it's true for my 300D, 30D and 50D.

Biketx has a point - maybe the battery is low.

-js

weird double post, didn't see it come through the first time

maybe, but the fact is it has been fine ever since I have been back, and was fine before I left.
Maybe if the CR2016 is getting low it then becomes a problem? Maybe the "ergs" do actually have an effect on the battery (big call) and if it is low to begin with it's enough to drop it below the system voltage threshold and wipe the time?

Who knows, but what I do know is the only times it has done this ever in the 18 months I have had it from new, has been the first time turning it on directly after each of the 2 flights........ definitely something in the airport system has made it reset.

It is interesting in a minor kind of way, but it's difficult to go back and try it again with a new battery fitted as I have no plans in the short term to travel unfortunately.