Problems with Canon mk3 locking up

[STvideography]

Both my 5d Mk3's are locking up intermittently. So far I've lost two wedding ceremonies from these cameras. I'm using genuine Sandisk extreme pro 32gb cards. I'm trying now to induce the problem at home to see if I can work out what is going on. So far it seems to me that the camera may be trying to write a file larger than fat32 will allow. Times the cameras have locked up have been around the moment the camera is about to split the file and start a new file to reach the 29 min mark. When the problem happens the footage starts to skip on the display for about 3 seconds then freezes. Only taking the battery out will unfreeze the camera. The footage of the previous 12 mins is lost completely. Does any one know of a forum dealing with this problem I can join? Canon really need to do something about this ASAP. The camera is useless for events until you can trust it will not loose your footage!

[M.ST]

If you use the Sandisk 32 GB Extreme (pro) CF with 60 MB/s the locking up is a well know problem that I send four month ago to Canon. The problems occours in video mode, in silent mode and if you shoot a lot of pictures  in a row.

But Canon don´t fix the problem until today.

Hint: Make sure that you format your CF in camera. But you can´t solve the problem with this.

[STvideography]

I'm using the 90Mb/s sandisk extreme pro, must have the same problem as the 60Mb/s.
Has anyone had this problem with the lexar 1000x ?

[STvideography]

This is my response from Canon about the above issue.


"Thank you for contacting Canon product support. We value you as a Canon customer and appreciate the opportunity to assist you. I am sorry to hear that your EOS 5D Mark III cameras are locking up intermittently.

We are not aware that there is an issue with these Sandisk cards within the camera. If you suspect it to be the cards, I would recommend trying a different brand and or size to see if the issues persist. We are not aware in advance when new firmware and or changes are coming to the camera. Anything like this would be announced on the Canon EOS web site. I would say that if another card causes the same issue you would want to send the camera in for service. Currently we are not able to recommend one specific brand of cards over another. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause you at this time.

I hope this information is helpful to you. Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance with your EOS 5D Mark III.

Thank you for choosing Canon.

Sincerely,
 
Timothy
Technical Support Representative"

[Axilrod]

That really sucks, making mistakes like that on paid jobs is the worst feeling ever, sorry to hear you're having issues.  But at the same time these things weren't designed with video in mind and you go into it knowing that you are going to have to make compromises/sacrifices for them to work.

That being said, issues like this are exactly why I avoid using DSLR's for stuff like events and weddings.  They are great if you are in a studio environment or a shooting something that involves doing short takes, but for trying to capture longer stuff that you can't do over they are just too risky.  There are plenty of great cameras that were actually designed for video that would make your life a whole heck of a lot easier and still give you shallow DOF, that may be worth looking into.

[hugh2047]

Hi mate,
I had this happen to me while filming a Wedding on the weekend. Exactly as you described. One 12 minute file was recorded and then I was at the end of the second 12 minute file and it started to go in slow motion and then the screen froze with the red record dot in the right hand corner. I turned the camera off and the image was still on the LCD? Then I pulled the battery out and turned the camera back on and I'd lost the file. Two questions

a) Can you recover the file (it's meant to be a mov file but now appears as a zero kb dat file
b) Can you get Canon to fix this. I know that Canon wrote you a polite email back which more or less said that they can't do anything. But if you and I are having this problem is this for us to deal with or for them to fix? My Mark III is still under warranty.

To give you some ideas of what I was shooting with, I had a 70-200 IS on at the time, I'm using Sandisk 32gb 60mbs CF cards and genuine canon batteries. The climate I was shooting in was on the cooler side probably around 20 degrees so I don't think this is an overheating related problem.

I look forward to your reply, Hugh : )

[hugh2047]

One other factor that could influence this. In weddings previously where I have used the mark III as a stationery wide shot i.e. on a tripod that didn't move this did not happen. On this wedding I had the camera on a monopod and was moving it a lot.

What difference would this make I hear you say?

Well you raised the good point that this happened at around what the changeover point would have been. Now if you move the camera it uses more memory. So on the Mark II when you moved it you used to only get an 11 minute file out of it and it would stop recording what if the mark III always recorded 13 minute files but if you move it heaps during that 13 minutes the file becomes larger than 4gb and it freezes. I'm going to test this out...

[AlexB]

Sorry to hear about your lockup issue, but very glad that you have made a post about it here.

I just ran a test on my 5D3 and had no problems going through the whole 29 minutes 59 seconds cycle before I got a message that video recording was auto cancelled.

I recorded in ALL-I, 1920x1080p, 24 fps, manual mode 1/50, f/4, ISO5000. Recorded to CF card type Sandisk Extreme 16gb, 60mb/s. I don't have any 32gb card to use for testing.

Camera was stationary the whole time on my desk pointed towards my NAS, so the only movement in the image was a small blinking LED.

I will try another test later with movement in the picture to see if it makes any difference.

[STvideography]

Hi mate,
I had this happen to me while filming a Wedding on the weekend. Exactly as you described. One 12 minute file was recorded and then I was at the end of the second 12 minute file and it started to go in slow motion and then the screen froze with the red record dot in the right hand corner. I turned the camera off and the image was still on the LCD? Then I pulled the battery out and turned the camera back on and I'd lost the file. Two questions

a) Can you recover the file (it's meant to be a mov file but now appears as a zero kb dat file
b) Can you get Canon to fix this. I know that Canon wrote you a polite email back which more or less said that they can't do anything. But if you and I are having this problem is this for us to deal with or for them to fix? My Mark III is still under warranty.

To give you some ideas of what I was shooting with, I had a 70-200 IS on at the time, I'm using Sandisk 32gb 60mbs CF cards and genuine canon batteries. The climate I was shooting in was on the cooler side probably around 20 degrees so I don't think this is an overheating related problem.

I look forward to your reply, Hugh : )

Hey Hugh, I had the problem again today too . I lost 12 mins of a wedding ceremony on one camera!! I sold all my sandisk cards and switch to 32gb Lexar 1000x But still the same issue, so the problem isn't with the cards! One thing we have in common is all the times it has happen to me I have been using a canon 70-200 IS II lense! maybe this is where the problem lies? Has anyone else with this combo had problems? We really need to get onto this and get canon to fix it ASAP, this is a major fault which renders the camera useless for events if you can not trust it!

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Hi mate,
I had this happen to me while filming a Wedding on the weekend. Exactly as you described. One 12 minute file was recorded and then I was at the end of the second 12 minute file and it started to go in slow motion and then the screen froze with the red record dot in the right hand corner. I turned the camera off and the image was still on the LCD? Then I pulled the battery out and turned the camera back on and I'd lost the file. Two questions

a) Can you recover the file (it's meant to be a mov file but now appears as a zero kb dat file
b) Can you get Canon to fix this. I know that Canon wrote you a polite email back which more or less said that they can't do anything. But if you and I are having this problem is this for us to deal with or for them to fix? My Mark III is still under warranty.

To give you some ideas of what I was shooting with, I had a 70-200 IS on at the time, I'm using Sandisk 32gb 60mbs CF cards and genuine canon batteries. The climate I was shooting in was on the cooler side probably around 20 degrees so I don't think this is an overheating related problem.

I look forward to your reply, Hugh : )

Hey Hugh, I had the problem again today too . I lost 12 mins of a wedding ceremony on one camera!! I sold all my sandisk cards and switch to 32gb Lexar 1000x But still the same issue, so the problem isn't with the cards! One thing we have in common is all the times it has happen to me I have been using a canon 70-200 IS II lense! maybe this is where the problem lies? Has anyone else with this combo had problems? We really need to get onto this and get canon to fix it ASAP, this is a major fault which renders the camera useless for events if you can not trust it!

Those having the problem need to write it down and send it to Canon.  Go to a video dedicated forum where users post who may be Canon makers of light, when they mention the issue to Canon, it has more impact.
Unless Canon gets a lot of similar reports with enough details that they can repeat it, it gets lost in the noise of reports from those who have user errors.

[STvideography]

That being said, issues like this are exactly why I avoid using DSLR's for stuff like events and weddings.  They are great if you are in a studio environment or a shooting something that involves doing short takes, but for trying to capture longer stuff that you can't do over they are just too risky.  There are plenty of great cameras that were actually designed for video that would make your life a whole heck of a lot easier and still give you shallow DOF, that may be worth looking into.

I read this, then checked my email and y'day was one from DigitalAnarchy with the following link:

http://anarchyjim.digitalanarchy.com/adobe-photoshop-plugins/why-you-shouldnt-shoot-video-with-a-dslr/

Mate Canon advertise these and sell them as video capable camera, so it isn't a suprise people are using them as dedicated video cameras. Other than this unique problem they are the best thing out there for the money. I have an expensive video camera (current model) that doesn't come anywhere near these for picture quality.

[STvideography]

Sorry to hear about your lockup issue, but very glad that you have made a post about it here.

I just ran a test on my 5D3 and had no problems going through the whole 29 minutes 59 seconds cycle before I got a message that video recording was auto cancelled.

I recorded in ALL-I, 1920x1080p, 24 fps, manual mode 1/50, f/4, ISO5000. Recorded to CF card type Sandisk Extreme 16gb, 60mb/s. I don't have any 32gb card to use for testing.

Camera was stationary the whole time on my desk pointed towards my NAS, so the only movement in the image was a small blinking LED.

I will try another test later with movement in the picture to see if it makes any difference.

All times this problem has happen to me I've been filming using IPB. Do you have a canon 70-200 IS ii lens to test on? I'm thinking the problem may be something to do with this combo. I'm trying to induce the problem now with no luck. Seems internitant. But has never happened when using other lenses!

[PeterJ]

All times this problem has happen to me I've been filming using IPB. Do you have a canon 70-200 IS ii lens to test on? I'm thinking the problem may be something to do with this combo. I'm trying to induce the problem now with no luck. Seems internitant. But has never happened when using other lenses!

Just a thought if you're trying to reproduce it is to point the camera at a TV to get a fair bit of movement to make sure you're not getting smaller files due to better compression. That could also be the difference between lenses, maybe with the 70-200 you've got a lot of action in the frame whereas you normally use wider angle lenses for stuff where there's a lot of static background?

[TFM]

ST, any luck? Getting a 5d3 soon and I'm worried about these reports to be honest!

[Studio78]

I have also had the locking up problem:
New camera, 2nd shoot, firmware version 1.1.3, Sigma 50mm Lens, Sandisk Extreme 32gb 60mb/s, indoor, airconditioned room, early in the day, shooting a 10 sec clip and it froze