Canon EOS R5 - Cable Protector - Mismatched to ports? Threads don't reach?

[jrista]

I just purchased a Canon EOS R5, as after some years hiatus, I'm getting back into terrestrial photography. The R5 has been getting rave reviews, and seems to deliver exceptional image quality (which is great, as I still have a huge collection of Canon lenses). I haven't really had a chance to test the camera out as I am waiting for the Canon control ring EF-EOS R adapter. In the mean time, I've been playing around with the camera, figuring out all of its featuers.

There is one thing that just doesn't seem to work, and I suspect either I have a bad part, or the part is just designed incorrectly? The "Cable Protector" which is documented at the bottom of this page:

Canon Knowledge Base - EOS R5 Part Names

It simply doesn't seem to work. I cannot for the life of me get it connected. It seems like the protector should sort of snap into place, then get locked into place by threading in the thumb screw. However it neither snaps, nor does the thread on the thumb screw even reach the small thread embedded in the camera body. I've oriented it every way I can think of, and tried to press it into place rather firmly...and it simply does not fit.

Has anyone else played with this part and gotten it to attach properly?

 

[FrenchFry]

Hi,
Here is how I use the cable protector when charging the camera via USB-C:

 

[jrista]

I think I was given the wrong part. My cable protector has a bit different design, and it definitely isn't able to be attached to the camera. Thanks for the photos!

 

[FrenchFry]

You're welcome!
Here is the part from a few different angles, in case it helps you confirm whether you got the wrong one.

 

[jrista]

Thanks! The part I have is definitely different. Called Canon about getting the right part, and the guy on the other end of the line seems to expect I'm going to buy a whole new accessory kit to get the right part...

 

[privatebydesign]

It is worth pointing out that the photos are both sections of a two part cable support. The section that screws to the body is separate from the loop section that supports the cable.

Not saying you haven’t got the right part, just they look very different when they are separated.

 

[jrista]

Yeah, I am aware the two parts separate. The clip that holds the cable actually looks the same. It is the part that attaches to the camera, with the thumb screw, that is different in my case, and it simply doesn't seem to be compatible with the R5 body. Got disconnected from my call with Canon...honestly not sure if they are going to send me the part or not.

 

[AlanF]

I just purchased a Canon EOS R5, as after some years hiatus, I'm getting back into terrestrial photography. The R5 has been getting rave reviews, and seems to deliver exceptional image quality (which is great, as I still have a huge collection of Canon lenses). I haven't really had a chance to test the camera out as I am waiting for the Canon control ring EF-EOS R adapter. In the mean time, I've been playing around with the camera, figuring out all of its featuers.

There is one thing that just doesn't seem to work, and I suspect either I have a bad part, or the part is just designed incorrectly? The "Cable Protector" which is documented at the bottom of this page:

Canon Knowledge Base - EOS R5 Part Names

It simply doesn't seem to work. I cannot for the life of me get it connected. It seems like the protector should sort of snap into place, then get locked into place by threading in the thumb screw. However it neither snaps, nor does the thread on the thumb screw even reach the small thread embedded in the camera body. I've oriented it every way I can think of, and tried to press it into place rather firmly...and it simply does not fit.

Has anyone else played with this part and gotten it to attach properly?

Welcome back Jon, good to see you have come down to Earth!

 

[privatebydesign]

Welcome back Jon, good to see you have come down to Earth!

Indeed, and I hope the health issues you were plauged with are a thing of the past. Very warm welcome back.

 

[jrista]

Welcome back Jon, good to see you have come down to Earth!

Thanks Alan. I still float above the sky, too. I dropped around $20,000 on a whole new astrophotography setup between summer 2018 and the end of 2019, then ended up not really using it much during 2020 (the plan was to take it out under darker skies a lot, but pandemic stuff kind of put a bit of a damper on that). I'm getting back into the astrophotography as well, although that is now all with dedicated telescopes and astro cameras, rather than DSLRs or Mirrorless.

I had planned to get back into the nature and landscape photography in 2020, then COVID hit, and a lot of the places I had planned to visit closed (national and state parks and such), travel was restricted, etc. Everything got delayed until this summer, and of course my main "big" camera that I use with the big lenses had to promptly die on me.

I have to say...Canon has taken their refinement of their cameras to a whole 'nother level (or two, or three). I haven't bought a Canon camera in a while, and the R5 is a thing of wonder. Everything about it is refined to perfection. Feels perfect in my hands (never quite got used to the smaller size of the Sony A7 series...love those cameras, beautiful IQ, but they are not really big enough to use optimally with say a 600 f/4), I think because the size, shape, etc. are closer to the standard Canon DSLRs. Also could never quite get over the optical viewfinders until now, either. The Sony A7 series ones are pretty good, but man, this EVF in the R5 is awesome. Also a huge fan of these lens control rings. Love having that extra rotational control.

I also know I've barely begun to scratch the surface of what this camera can do. The Sony cameras are packed with features, but the menu in the R5 is quite extensive. Looking forward to seeing what its got packed into it. My hands fit this thing like a glove, its like it was made specially and perfectly for just my own personal hands.

Only thing that I've found strange about Canon so far, is their customer service. In the past, its always been excellent. The calls I've had with them the last couple of days, have been a little strange. The people on the other end of the line seem incapable of finding this part, they say they don't normally have them outside of their retail packages, and can only SELL them as part of their accessory kits. They seem to expect me to buy one, even though I just bought this new camera and it came with an incorrect part...rather odd. Also tried to ask about a potential misaligned element in my 600mm f/4, and the guy seemed utterly confounded about how I should go about getting that checked and repaired. Also couldn't seem to tell me anything about my CPS account and whether I had enough points for a high enough membership level where Canon would take care of the majority of shipping, etc. (which, for a very big, extremely expensive lens... I think they WILL handle it with Platinum, but the guy on the other end of the line couldn't seem to tell me anything...) Canon has always had stellar customer support, and this new level of....confounded incompetence...is rather disappointing.

 

[Maximilian]

I just purchased a Canon EOS R5, ...

Also welcome back, Jon, from my side.
I hope you can fix this issue with Canon support and enjoy your new gear.

 

[jrista]

Well, received some kind of support email from Canon. They seem to be asking me to send back the whole camera, but I think they are only expecting the cable protector. I am certainly not going to send the whole camera back, as outside of the incorrect cable protector part, its working great. This whole darn experience with their support has been rather disappointing.... And a bit confusing... They used to be so phenomenal...

 

[[email protected]]

Well, received some kind of support email from Canon. They seem to be asking me to send back the whole camera, but I think they are only expecting the cable protector. I am certainly not going to send the whole camera back, as outside of the incorrect cable protector part, its working great. This whole darn experience with their support has been rather disappointing.... And a bit confusing... They used to be so phenomenal...

I hope this gets settled for you, jrista. One thing that has worked well for me is calling up Canon support via the CPS number. I too have had pretty unknowledgeable Canon reps when I - for instance - needed to call up the Canon Store to get something sorted. The CPS people are a different group.

On the cable protector issue, I've been puzzled by that as well - that there don't seem to be any parts for sale. Normally, there'd be four versions of this sold by knock-off companies on eBay. I had to search for one a year ago when selling a camera, as I'd lost mine, and the buyer needed it. Turns out I could not for the life of me buy one - even third party. I don't think this is limited to the R5.

 

[jrista]

Well, its an odd, odd world....

So, today, out of the blue...I received an email. Telling me that Abes of Maine had shipped something to me. It didn't say what, but back when I'd first received the camera and discovered the cable protector didn't fit/work, I emailed the sales guy who helped me and asked him about it, and if they could send the correct part. I never received any response to that, even though I followed up once. Well, lo and behold, today...I received also received a package from some electronics company, and in that box was the correct cable protector part. The invoice listed non-standard stock. Odd, that they never responded to me, and yet still shipped the part!

Oh, and, it is the right part, and it works just fine.

Also odd... I received a package in the mail late last week, with....part IFC-100U. Labeled EOS ACC in a red box in the corner. This box contained nothing but a USB-C cable.... So, apparently...Canon decided to send me an extra cable, even though the one I have works fine, and I never asked them for an extra. The guy on the phone said the cable protector is only sold "with" a cable... Odd, however, that they never actually sent the part I needed....... Also that they never mentioned they would be sending me anything, the call was cut off midway through, and I was never able to finish the conversation. Only got an extra part I did not need, and only tangentially related to the part I needed.

I hope I'm just having one of those occasional bad experiences. I would hate to think this is what has become of Canon's once-vaunted world-class customer service!!