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5DIV: Very high Battery consumption when using ***

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xps

Oct 19, 2011
1,056
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Middle Europe
#1
I use the 5DIV wth two original Canon E6N batteries, but when I activate the ***, both battieres are empty after 2-3 hours (even if I do not take an photo in this time). When shooting with activated *** (*** signal is always just blinking in the top monitor), after 1 hour the batteries are empty.

In the *** menu, the ***-Information menu can not be displayed. Changing the *** update interval does not influence battery draining. Also no influence when changing the Modus. Activated *** means empty batteries in 2-3h

Can you help me please? Canon support did not know how to deal with this, as the main serviceman who is able to handle the 5DIV is on holiday....
 
#5
xps said:
iaind said:
Had same problem with 7d2. Just switch it on when needed.
Click to expand...
I´m not sure if there is an hardware problem. The *** sign is just binking. It does not get the *** positiion.
Click to expand...

If you are indoors or under heavy tree cover, surrounded by buildings, etc, you will not get a *** lock. Try it somewhere with a decent view of the sky.....
 
Upvote 0
#6
*** is a battery hog in almost all devices, even mobile phones will use A-*** rather than full *** to get a broad bearing to save power. There's also the question of how efficient the *** antennae is for satellite tracking and getting a positioning reading and/or does the camera keep the last known position to save power and getting a satellite lock.

As always disable *** unless you need it specifically for locations, and always carry spare batteries. This is the standard advice for any *** device. Always get clear of tall buildings/tower blocks, trees and any radio masts all of which can block or interfere with signals.
 
Upvote 0
#8
Don Haines said:
xps said:
iaind said:
Had same problem with 7d2. Just switch it on when needed.
Click to expand...
I´m not sure if there is an hardware problem. The *** sign is just binking. It does not get the *** positiion.
Click to expand...

If you are indoors or under heavy tree cover, surrounded by buildings, etc, you will not get a *** lock. Try it somewhere with a decent view of the sky.....
Click to expand...

Clear sky over me. I was in plain area. Nothing around that could interfer
 
Upvote 0
#9
CSD said:
*** is a battery hog in almost all devices, even mobile phones will use A-*** rather than full *** to get a broad bearing to save power. There's also the question of how efficient the *** antennae is for satellite tracking and getting a positioning reading and/or does the camera keep the last known position to save power and getting a satellite lock.

As always disable *** unless you need it specifically for locations, and always carry spare batteries. This is the standard advice for any *** device. Always get clear of tall buildings/tower blocks, trees and any radio masts all of which can block or interfere with signals.
Click to expand...

I was used ofthis option from 6D, 7DII. But the drain is three to four times higher than known from my older cams.
 
Upvote 0
#12
xps said:
Don Haines said:
xps said:
iaind said:
Had same problem with 7d2. Just switch it on when needed.
Click to expand...
I´m not sure if there is an hardware problem. The *** sign is just binking. It does not get the *** positiion.
Click to expand...

If you are indoors or under heavy tree cover, surrounded by buildings, etc, you will not get a *** lock. Try it somewhere with a decent view of the sky.....
Click to expand...

Clear sky over me. I was in plain area. Nothing around that could interfer
Click to expand...
The first time it is turned on, *** can take a long time to find a satellite..... but 30 minutes should be the extreme end of the scale..... You also need to have 5 satellites visible, but if you are in the middle of a field you should have more than that easily....

Try borrowing a handheld *** (garmin or the like) and try to get both devices to sync at the same time..... the handheld will tell you how many satellites are visible and the signal strength, and if you still get no luck with the camera with the handheld showing good coverage, snap a picture of the handheld display and send it on in to Canon support.... you may have a bad *** module and can get a warranty replacement.
 
Upvote 0
#15
I have mine set to Mode 2 where *** is off if the camera is off. The battery lasted a few days with regular use of the camera. I quit using it on the 6D most of the time because of the need to turn it off in the menu after each use.
 
Upvote 0
#16
Just saw Corydoras post - WOW my 7D2 has ***! I never knew that! I will never turn it on but it is nice to know that part of the purchase price was wasted on something that I have no use for.

Perhaps I am just missing something (quite possibly) but don't photographers know where they are? Or were?
 
Upvote 0
#17
The *** on any camera will effect the battery life but I don't notice this kind of extreme. I use the *** on my 7DII when traveling and if I remember to turn it off at the end of the day I can get a full day or two of shooting. Sometimes I have forgot and will start shooting the second day and have to change batteries. Certainly I notice a difference between it and my 7D but not to the extreme mentioned here.
 
Upvote 0
#18
Hi xps.
I found the first lock on my 7DII took ages, and does again if I move by considerable distances (hundreds of miles) before turning it on. Also the battery disappears fast when it can't get a lock, but day to day re acquisition only takes a couple of minutes. There is one thing I have found that appears to hinder signal lock and that is carrying the camera on a sling strap by the tripod mount screw, i.e. upside down, in this condition it won't get *** lock and hammers the battery, turn it right way up and let it lock on and then let it dangle and it stays locked on!
If the *** stays flashing when you set it to off in the menu that would seem to indicate a problem.

Hopefully Canon will do a firmware update adding a mode 2 off condition to the other *** enabled cameras like the 6D and 7DII so that we don't have to keep going to menus to enable disable ***.

Cheers, Graham.
 
Upvote 0
#19
johnf3f said:
Just saw Corydoras post - WOW my 7D2 has ***! I never knew that! I will never turn it on but it is nice to know that part of the purchase price was wasted on something that I have no use for.

Perhaps I am just missing something (quite possibly) but don't photographers know where they are? Or were?
Click to expand...
For me at work, *** is the most useless function that Canon ever included..... I work in an RF shielded building and there is no signal. Even cell phones do not work...... Plus, when the photos are processed all the metadata is wiped :)
 
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