 Peggy Spencer |
Canon Eos Elan 7 flashes low battery even with new I just bought a "like new" Canon Eos Elan 7 camera on Ebay. It was transported with the command dial in "M (manual)" position, but when I first checked it out, the LCD display lit and the focus moved etc. After about ten minutes, however, all I now get is a very brief flash of the LCD display followed by the low battery symbol, even with new batteries. Any ideas? (besides "don't buy your camera on Ebay") Thanks! Peg
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Jon Close |
What lens is on it? Some third party lenses, especially some of Sigma's/Quantaray's, have an electronic incompatibility with newer Canon bodies and need an updated ROM chip installed. If that's the case, contact the lens maker on how to have it updated.
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Peggy Spencer |
Jon - It's a Sigma zoom 28-80mm 1:3.5-5.6 macro 055. But guess what; after I looked in the lens to get that info, I pulled the flash cover up and the camera came on (dial was in "P" position)! How weird is that? Perhaps it's somehow intermittent?! I guess for now I'll just count my blessings and keep my fingers crossed, because it appears to be working. If you have any other ideas, in case it happens again, I'd be pleased to hear them.. Thanks! Peg
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Jon Close |
I could be wrong, but I beleive the Sigma 28-80 f/3.5-5.6 Macro is one of those that were designed prior to the Elan 7's introduction and could need re-chipping. I'd check with Sigma, anyway. See http://www.sigma-photo.com/html/pages/faqsb.htm#22 for contact information.
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Peggy Spencer |
Jon- I spoke too soon. After trying the camera on the auto setting, it 'took' one picture (I'm not using film yet, just learning the camera) and then it started doing that same thing, flashing the 'low battery' symbol. It seems I can "fix" it if I fiddle with the settings a bit, like turn the camera off and on, then pull the flash cover up and down. Could it be related to flash function? The flash cover didn't come up in automatic position when I 'took' a pic, even though the light was low. I will check with Sigma too. Thanks very much. Peg
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TAMMY L. PADGETT |
PEGGY, IF YOU FIND ANY SOLUTIONS TO THIS PROBLEM COULD YOU PLEASE E-MAIL ME I HAVE TWO ELANS THAT HAVE DEVELOPED THE SAME PROBLEM
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Jon Close |
The "fiddling" resets the camera's electronics, but the root cause is the bad ROM chip in the lens, not the camera or flash. The built-in flash will pop-up automatically in low light only in the "basic" exposure modes (green box and the PIC icon modes). In the "creative" modes (P, Av, Tv, M, DEP) the default is no-flash and you have to pop it up manually.
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Peggy Spencer |
Jon- I was all ready to send it to Sigma (they said they'd upgrade it for free) but when I saw that the flash did NOT pop up automatically in the green box mode, I thought it might be that, so took it for a free estimate locally. If it's not that, I'll send the lens. Sigma wasn't sure if that lens was too old or not, since there was a Roman Numeral II on the lens. (forgot to tell you that). Thank you so much for your help! Tammy - all I know is here in this Q/A, and I'll post the final result here too. Peg
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James Schontzler |
Peggy, I have an Elan 7 with an Olympus AF lens. I've used the camera without any problems for 2 years. This week it started showing the same low battery problem you describe. Reading your experience, I tried opening the flash and VOILA! the LCD came to life! Seem like it must be a Canon problem, not a Sigma problem. Have you found any solution yet?
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Peggy Spencer |
I took the camera to a repairman, who put it through its paces and diagnosed it as having "intermittent electronic problems, needs to be returned to Canon". I'm returning it to the very kind Ebay seller. Thanks to all for your input! Good luck to James and Tammy Peg
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jean ray |
Well, I have been having the same type of problems with my "like new" ebay Elan 7! And I took it to be repaired. At first, it worked fine, then the same problem returned. Took it back again, worked okay for a bit, then same thing; when I press the shutter the mirror flips up and the shutter freezes. Well, then I read about the Sigma lense conflict today and found that all three of the sigma lenses I have won't work with the Elan. Sure enough, I tried out my canon lenses and it doesn't happen. However, at times the sigma lenses work, then all of a sudden this happens. Is that possible, if it is truly the lense and not the camera? I am looking for lenses on ebay!
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Jon Close |
Yes, that's the way the Sigma ROM problem happens. It'll work a few times, but at some point the lens/camera communication gets too bugged up and it freezes. It's not the camera, it's a faulty instruction set on the lens's ROM chip.
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jean ray |
Well Jon, thank you for your help in solving this frustrating 'mystery.' I was starting to doubt a camera repairperson who has quite a good reputation. I am going to pass this information on to him.
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