I Hate Canon (subjective)

ginger_55 · August 21, 2006

Since you all are discussing Canon vs Nikon............
I would go with Nikon just so we can discuss horror stories, see if anyone with a Nikon has the same bad luck I have had with the Canon. I have owned several film Nikons with not anywhere near the bad luck of my two Canons (first the Rebel and now the 20D)

My Canon has been in the shop more this summer than it has been out. Other than the actuations, none of this could be my fault as the camera has not been out of the shop (New Jersey Canon shop) long enough for me to mess it up. (As people see me shoot, I have been using my husband's camera most of the summer. It is not really his, it is from his employer, and he could be fired for letting me use it, or so they want him to think.)

My camera is a 20D...........the story re the first real problem is on this thread. I just wanted to add this one to it.

Now my on camera flash won't pop up.

Since my warranty ran out in Feb, I have had major problems with this Canon camera. At this point I would never buy a Canon again.

The people here, on dGrin, well they are SUPER people, and it was through their help, and the help of smugmug that I got my camera through major repairs a few months ago. (I wore it out with actuations)

Then it was back in the shop. Different manifestation of the same problem. They were going to charge me, because of all the actuations.........I had to call to straighten that out.

Now the on camera flash is broken. Actually, I had the flash fixed BEFORE the warranty ran out. But over the warranty time for a fixed flash, I think.

I discovered this yesterday. At this point I am in shock, I can live w/o the flash, but it is apparent to me that I have a lemon of a camera at a time in my life when I can't afford a lemon. I can't replace/fix anything. I will call them..............when I think I can without saying something I might regret.

ginger (Good luck. I would buy two cameras, if I were you, so you will have two cameras.............one to shoot with while the other one is in the shop)

Blurmore · August 21, 2006

I'd hate them too if I had this experience...In my own experience I purchased a 20D NEW last year in February and put 16000 frames on it in 1 year, in that time I had 2 error 99s which were cleared quickly by the standard procedure. I purchased a 30D this year in April and have put 22k frames on it over the summer and have not had a single error 99, but I had a wierd power loss (improperly charged battery I'm guessing). From my experience they have been bulletproof, and shooting weddings is a school of hard knocks for a camera.

System · August 21, 2006

I have 9100 actuations on my 30d since June of this year and have yet to have any issues. Maybe you've got a lemon ginger.

bfjr · August 21, 2006

Sorry to hear G
Hope you straighten it out soon and get back to shooting big time

Oh this can happen to Nikon, Canon, et al, just the luck of the draw I guess

marlof · August 21, 2006

Sh*t happens everywhere. For my Olympus Fun Story, read http://www.fourthirdsphoto.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=4771 . Five weeks without a camera now. So I symphatize with you, G. May be we could form a bond of non-photographing photographers?

claudermilk · August 21, 2006

I would say this is a case of a bad one getting through QC. It still sucks though. Best of luck getting it resolved.

As comparison: my 20D is somewhere around 60k actuations with a handful of Err99s (dirty contacts on a used 50/1.8 Mk I). It's performed basically without incident in less-than friendly environments at times.

gus · August 21, 2006

G, i have a 20D. I swap lenses on the beach on windy days...i swap lenses when im hiking in 95+ humidity & sweat is running over my hands & lenses...i swap lenses at bike races with dust so thick you have to hold your breath....i swap lenses in light rain (i just use my body to cover the mounting hole) I have dropped it from waist height twice & will happily let it sit & roll about on the floor of the car. I leave it sitting on the ground in the dust whilst i do other stuff at races etc.

It has ONLY been cleaned (sensor) twice in its life. Its maybe up on 40k -50K actuations now & couldnt ask for a better camera. Still works like the day i bought it.

I love my 20D.

Red Bull · August 21, 2006

I've had my 20D since March of 05 and I've had no problems at all with it. Works just like the day I got it. I wouldn't give it up for any other brand.

Harryb · August 21, 2006

I love your title Ginger and I feel badly for your problems. I hope they get resolved to your satisfaction.

Jeffro · August 22, 2006

ginger_55 wrote:

I would go with Nikon just so we can discuss horror stories, see if anyone with a Nikon has the same bad luck I have had with the Canon. I have owned several film Nikons with not anywhere near the bad luck of my two Canons (first the Rebel and now the 20D)

Hate is a strong word. Nobody likes being without. You know you could run out and buy a Nikon and have the very same thing happen. It just sucks when you're the one it happens to.

I have used and abused my 20D, dirt, rain, snow, dropped, it is still going strong. I can't even guess how many thousands of photos I have taken, but I know it's more than I ever did on any film camera I've owned.

dragon300zx · August 22, 2006

Simple fact is nothing, not a canon, not a nikon, not a chevy, not a nissan, nothing in life is 100% perfect and going to work 100% of the time. Things will break, things will get worn out.

Digital cameras are electronic devices. They will not last forever. The more they are used the sooner they will go out.

JCDoss · August 22, 2006

ginger_55 wrote:

... They were going to charge me, because of all the actuations.........I had to call to straighten that out...

I have to ask... how many actuations do you have on your 20D?

Fusion_UK · August 27, 2006

Hope you get your problems resolved. I have a Canon 10D which I have had from new with 38000 frames without a whisper of a problem (touch wood), I think you got a LEMON. Ian

I Simonius · August 27, 2006

ginger_55 wrote:

Since you all are discussing Canon vs Nikon............
I would go with Nikon just so we can discuss horror stories, see if anyone with a Nikon has the same bad luck I have had with the Canon. I have owned several film Nikons with not anywhere near the bad luck of my two Canons (first the Rebel and now the 20D)

My Canon has been in the shop more this summer than it has been out. Other than the actuations, none of this could be my fault as the camera has not been out of the shop (New Jersey Canon shop) long enough for me to mess it up. (As people see me shoot, I have been using my husband's camera most of the summer. It is not really his, it is from his employer, and he could be fired for letting me use it, or so they want him to think.)

My camera is a 20D...........the story re the first real problem is on this thread. I just wanted to add this one to it.

Now my on camera flash won't pop up.

Since my warranty ran out in Feb, I have had major problems with this Canon camera. At this point I would never buy a Canon again.

The people here, on dGrin, well they are SUPER people, and it was through their help, and the help of smugmug that I got my camera through major repairs a few months ago. (I wore it out with actuations)

Then it was back in the shop. Different manifestation of the same problem. They were going to charge me, because of all the actuations.........I had to call to straighten that out.

Now the on camera flash is broken. Actually, I had the flash fixed BEFORE the warranty ran out. But over the warranty time for a fixed flash, I think.

I discovered this yesterday. At this point I am in shock, I can live w/o the flash, but it is apparent to me that I have a lemon of a camera at a time in my life when I can't afford a lemon. I can't replace/fix anything. I will call them..............when I think I can without saying something I might regret.

ginger (Good luck. I would buy two cameras, if I were you, so you will have two cameras.............one to shoot with while the other one is in the shop)

That flash prob is a wel known one and will generally fix itself if you use it enough
The problem is that the tolerances were too tight and the mechaniasm sticks

A gentle bit of encouragment from a non metallic lever (plastic toothpick on my Victorinox knife works best ) and it soon works again

Annoying but not too hard to fix

photobug · August 29, 2006

Jeffro wrote:

...You know you could run out and buy a Nikon and have the very same thing happen. It just sucks when you're the one it happens to.

I have used and abused my 20D, ...and it is still going strong. I can't even guess how many thousands of photos I have taken, but I know it's more than I ever did on any film camera I've owned.

I could type a verbatim repeat of Jeffro's post. I think you got a lemon, and it could have happened with another brand, too. If it had happened to me, it would even be hard for me to believe the statistics and stick with the brand; I might be tempted to switch camps as well.

I'm sure you have a significant investment in "brand C" lenses, flash, etc, and it might be worthwhile to give one more brand C body a shot before you chuck it all for another religion ... er, I mean "brand" ;-).

Or, you could hold a fire sale in the Flea Market for all your goodies -- I'm sure there are plenty of DGrin'ers who'd help you unload it.

In any case, I'm really sorry to hear of your bad luck with this camera body. Major bummer.

bham · August 29, 2006

Simon King wrote:

That flash prob is a wel known one and will generally fix itself if you use it enough
The problem is that the tolerances were too tight and the mechaniasm sticks

A gentle bit of encouragment from a non metallic lever (plastic toothpick on my Victorinox knife works best ) and it soon works again

Annoying but not too hard to fix

I have had the same thing happen a few times on my 10D, but I just turn it off and then manually lift the flash basically the same way. I have about 35,000 - 40,000 actuations on it. I have an external flash so I rarely use the on camera one. My 20D has given me any problems. Low actuations so far, but it is still young.

mgpa · September 9, 2006

I have a very new Canon 30D with less than 500 actuations on it and yet it appears that the pop up flash is stuck. I am obviously not going to try to prise it open but I would like to know the symptoms. I place the camera into full auto mode and set up a scenario where I would expect the flash to pop up. The view finder indicates that the flash is required. All I can hear is 5 or 6 very rapid clicks from near (possibly the left hand side) of the popup flash. I am getting no "Err" messages. Is anyone else experiencing the same? Or have I lost the plot and missed something?
TIA
Marcus.

cmason · September 9, 2006

Put it in "P" and then push the flash button on the left. If it doesn't pop up, you have a problem.

ginger_55 · September 10, 2006

As some of you might know, I now have a new Canon Camera. I bought the 30D because it is the "devil" I know..............and I am hoping that though they changed little, I am hoping that they "fixed" some of the unspoken problems they might have had with the 20D.

I am also getting a warranty, smile. The first year, of course, then I am going to purchase the one for the next 3 years.

I will say that I have had a problem with every Canon Digital camera I have bought (the Rebel and the 20D), except for the point and shoot, Canon Elph.

Both my Rebel and my 20D went back to Canon before their warranties were up. I know with the 20D it was a flash pop up problem and the battery door. They nicely fixed the things that were under warranty. They nicely fix anything you can pay for, one way or another.

When I had the major problem with my 20D, it was the shutter, and it happened this summer, out of warranty. It wouldn't have been covered anyway. I seem to shoot more than most. Love that burst thing, smile. I had over 90,000 actuations.

The reason I started this thread was super frustration when the pop up flash wouldn't again. Even when they fixed the shutter, it had to go back as it quite literally would not work.

I chose to stay with Canon. I think I did have a lemon. Plus, I think they are putting these cameras out, the digital ones very fast. Their life expectancy is not forever like things used to be.

Plus, I feel like Canon is family, like Nikon is family to others.......... And since Canon is my family, I just stayed with them. I hope my 30D is not a lemon. It is sweet so far. (I have shot with it twice. I am trying it out on birds as I have heard the AF is better, though they didn't make it better. I am guessing that if it is better, it is because the burst mode can be set at only 3 at a time.) It is feeling very good!

I want to thank each and every one of you for the help and advice you have given me.

Some of you posted advice, or good luck or something..........someone went further and made it possible for me to get a new camera.

Since this was done anonymously, I have decided that dGrin is just the best place ever. The special thanks goes to my "special friend" whoever that may be.

But the other special thanks goes to all of you who have stuck by me just by posting anything, or thinking anything.......whatever, Cheers and Thank You to the dGrin people.

You all are good people!

And whether we have Canons, Nikons or whatever..........they are family to us, too. As they say, "Can't live with them and can't live without them!"

ginger

marlof · September 10, 2006

ginger_55 wrote:

As some of you might know, I now have a new Canon Camera.

Good for you, G, and good for the one making this possible for you. I'm looking forward to more of your images.

scooter78666 · September 10, 2006

My Canon Digital Rebel pop-up flash.....is.......
..as close to nothing as you can get! It hasn't been sticking or refusing to operate. It just is sooo anemic in output. I right away bought an external Canon flash, which was another big "OUCH" in the pocketbook. And another many ounces of weight to lug around. Scooter. life is tough, isn't it Son? lol

mgpa · September 10, 2006

cmason wrote:

Put it in "P" and then push the flash button on the left. If it doesn't pop up, you have a problem.

Thanks cmason for your prompt reply. I had already tried your suggestion.
It appears that I have multiple problems as the flash still fires. So it is failing to open the flash and it is failing to recognise that the flash is still closd.
Oh well, let's see what Canon say on Monday.

ChrisJ · September 10, 2006

That's great, Ginger! I really hope the 30D works out for you... now go out and shoot so we can see some piccies!

I Hate Canon (subjective)

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