Canon Digital Rebel XTi freezing

yeti · Jan 12, 2008

Hi again,

I have a brand new Canon Digital Rebel XTi, which appears to be occasionally freezing in mid-shot without any warning. I am a bit worried that I might have a defective something. I would very much like to know if anyone out there has the same or similar camera and has seen the following symptoms as well.

The camera appears to freeze in mid-shot: I press the trigger and the camera appears to take the picture, but then it doesn't come back: the viewfinder goes dark (status information disappears) and the LCD stays off even when I take the camera away from my face after the shot. The ON light stays on, even if I flip the power switch to OFF. The picture I am taking sometimes ends up corrupted on the memory card and it has to be reformatted. The problem only happens after extensive use of the camera and is reproducible: once it starts happening, every time I try to take a picture after that, the camera freezes and the only way to turn it off or power it back on is to take out the battery.

I did some troubleshooting and I discovered that the problem appears to be strongly connected with the battery, or rather how long it was since it was last charged and the drain on it: it happens sooner if I use my flash a lot. Once it starts happening it keeps happening every time until, in a moment of inspiration, I recharge my battery. Needless to say the battery keeps charging for hours after such an incident. With a freshly charged battery, it works just fine, until several hundred pictures later. When the camera starts freezing, the battery indicator says the battery is full or almost full. I suspect the battery indicator is wrong because the battery often stays "full" even just before the camera dies.

Thanks a lot!

Mav · Jan 12, 2008

I'd just return or exchange it since it's brand new.

RTXPIX · Jan 12, 2008

Mav said:
I'd just return or exchange it since it's brand new.

I agree with MAV, if it's brand new don't risk it, take it back and get another one.

RTX

yeti · Jan 12, 2008

Yes, and they will give me another one. That's fine, but if that turns out to be a problem with Digital Rebel XTis in general, I would rather ask for something else.

Emerana · Jan 12, 2008

are you by any chance shooting with a veeeeeery long shutter speed? It does just that and if you switch it off mid photo, you can mess up your memory card and the computer.

otherwise, takei t back! it is not supose to do that. I have never had a freeze and I use it alot.

Sideburns · Jan 12, 2008

it's not a problem with them in general...just yours

yeti · Jan 12, 2008

Emerana: No, I am not shooting with a very slow shutter. I would know if I did

Anyway, it doesn't come back after 30 seconds and the camera doesn't support slower shutter speed than that.

I see. I believe I got my question answered. Thanks to all of you!

yeti · Jan 13, 2008

Emerana, quick question: are any of your lens image-stabilized by any chance?

Another forum suggests that image-stabilized lens might be overloading the battery. This sounds really weird, but is worth checking out. My camera started doing that only after I attached an image-stabilized lens to it.

Emerana · Jan 13, 2008

Yes my kit lens is IS actually...I dont use it a ton though. But it still hasnt frozen up on me

jamesino · Jan 13, 2008

I had that same problem. But it was just because my battery was low.

yeti · Jan 14, 2008

Hi jamesino,

Yes, the camera freezes because its battery is low. That's to be expected, any modern computer would corrupt its memory when its power source is disturbed, digital cameras make no exception.

The problem is not why the camera is doing what it is doing, it is why it lets its battery run that low and still give no indication whatsoever of it! My camera would say the battery is full (3 bars!) even after 400 picutres without a charge! I guess you have the same problem.

alaidioteque · Aug 4, 2009

I have this EXACT same problem, and it only started happening today after owning the camera for just over a year and a half. I lost some pretty cool moon shots

. I have an extended warranty- do you think I should try to exchange it? I've never had this problem before.

UUilliam · Aug 4, 2009

1. It is nothing to do with a lens, the lens requires no power therefor it isnt the lens...
2. Have you ever let your battery drain? try let your batter drain right out, you should let your battery drain every 2weeks or so
3. Image stabilisation is basically a loose piece of glass that moves when the lens moves (so to keep the camera steady by adjusting itself so the focus stays the same(for small shake ofcourse)

yeti · Aug 4, 2009

alaidioteque said:
I have this EXACT same problem, and it only started happening today after owning the camera for just over a year and a half. I lost some pretty cool moon shots . I have an extended warranty- do you think I should try to exchange it? I've never had this problem before.

I exchanged mine with the next model up. I recommend you do the same. What's there to say that the next camera they give you won't have the same problem? In my researching this problem the first time, I found many people complaining from this, some of them bought the camera this way, others had theirs for a while before it started doing that. My advise: exchange and let the retailer upsell you.

KmH · Aug 4, 2009

yeti said:
Hi again,

I have a brand new Canon Digital Rebel XTi, which appears to be occasionally freezing in mid-shot without any warning. I am a bit worried that I might have a defective something. I would very much like to know if anyone out there has the same or similar camera and has seen the following symptoms as well.

The camera appears to freeze in mid-shot: I press the trigger and the camera appears to take the picture, but then it doesn't come back: the viewfinder goes dark (status information disappears) and the LCD stays off even when I take the camera away from my face after the shot. The ON light stays on, even if I flip the power switch to OFF. The camera is trying to write to the memory card. It won't power down till it finishes the write. The picture I am taking sometimes ends up corrupted on the memory card and it has to be reformatted. The problem only happens after extensive use of the camera and is reproducible: once it starts happening, every time I try to take a picture after that, the camera freezes and the only way to turn it off or power it back on is to take out the battery.

I did some troubleshooting and I discovered that the problem appears to be strongly connected with the battery, or rather how long it was since it was last charged and the drain on it: it happens sooner if I use my flash a lot. Once it starts happening it keeps happening every time until, in a moment of inspiration, I recharge my battery. Needless to say the battery keeps charging for hours after such an incident. With a freshly charged battery, it works just fine, until several hundred pictures later. When the camera starts freezing, the battery indicator says the battery is full or almost full. I suspect the battery indicator is wrong because the battery often stays "full" even just before the camera dies.

Thanks a lot!

Everything you mention sounds like you have a low battery. Does your battery level indicator work?