6D - error 30!!!

[pakosouthpark]

Im in iceland at the moment - I was shooting the northern lights (dream coming true!) and guess what happened!!

yes I had an error 30 on my camera that said to turn off and on the camera or re-install the battery. I did both of things but still was having it. the camera is only 2/3 weeks old. I was using kit lens 24-105. temperature was probably below 0 degrees. I thought it could be because of cold so I warmed up the battery putting inside my clothes, tried again but nothing. this morning I woke up and went to switch on the camera but it didnt even turned on, battery was maybe dead? so now im recharging the battery and writing this while i wait.


im afraid when I put on the battery again it will do the same error...
is there any way around this?? i cant send it back to repair, i need it here right now in iceland for another 4 days!!
trip of my life and camera does that...!!! im not happy at all..

 

[cpsico]

It could be wether condition related, I remember reading about some 5d mark II cameras biting the dust in artic conditions. Do you have another battery to try? I would start there to rule out the battery as being the culprit!

 

[J.R.]

Oh dear! Try charging the battery and see if the same error comes up again.

Err 30 is shutter failure and if that is indeed the case, then there is no quick fix for the problem. It has to be sent for repairs.

 

[pakosouthpark]

no I don't have a backup battery.. :'(

 

[J.R.]

What was the temperature. The 6D's operating temperature is recommended at from 0-40C though I feel that it is not too rigid.

I'd recommend you take the camera to the Canon store in Iceland and give it a try with a different battery so that you can at least isolate the problem.

 

[tron]

Try to rent a similar camera. It will be a pity to come back without photos. Then you can have your camera serviced.

 

[pakosouthpark]

im going to the camera shop here in reykjavik, try another battery.. as the same problem is showing up with fully charged battery.

renting another camera is out of question.. worst case scenario, will use my iphone to take pics for the rest of the trip..

 

[pedro]

I feel very sorry for you, man. pfffff....

 

[Marsu42]

What was the temperature. The 6D's operating temperature is recommended at from 0-40C though I feel that it is not too rigid.

Doh - does this happen often? I have shot up to -10 degrees Celsius this winter, I hope I didn't risk the shutter because that wouldn't have been worth it (my 60d is also 0 to 40 degrees C).

 

[J.R.]

What was the temperature. The 6D's operating temperature is recommended at from 0-40C though I feel that it is not too rigid.

Doh - does this happen often? I have shot up to -10 degrees Celsius this winter, I hope I didn't risk the shutter because that wouldn't have been worth it (my 60d is also 0 to 40 degrees C).

Operating below the suggested temperature will not result in any permanent problem. The camera can, in theory, stop functioning temporarily and/or report a freak error.

The main reason I say that because i believe that extreme cold can possibly affect the mechanical movements in a camera. Saying that, I've shot in -15C this season with the 5d3 without any problems. Can't say about the 6D as it has not been in the extremes yet ... It will suffer from heat though, close to 48C + this summer.

 

[Don Haines]

What was the temperature. The 6D's operating temperature is recommended at from 0-40C though I feel that it is not too rigid.

Doh - does this happen often? I have shot up to -10 degrees Celsius this winter, I hope I didn't risk the shutter because that wouldn't have been worth it (my 60d is also 0 to 40 degrees C).

Iv'e also got a 60D and have shot for hours below 0C. It has spent 3 days between -10C and 0C without a chance to warm up and I have used it down to -30C ( only outside for about 90 minutes) and it seems to have had no problems. I can't see shooting at 0C causing problems.....

Worst case..... pick up a cheap rebel at the camera store, shoot with it for the rest of the trip, and sell it when you get back.

 

[J.R.]

Chuck Westfall discusses the potential issues of using the EOS cameras in very low temperatures here -

http://www.prophotohome.com/forum/canon-1-series-digital-slr-eos-5d/73967-low-temperature-30f-digital-photography.html#post450352

He says that the extreme cold is unlikely to result in a shutter problem though!

The 5d2 camera failures in an Antartic expedition were also publicised quite a bit. Go here if you want to have a look-

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/antarctica-2009-worked.shtml

 

[pakosouthpark]

Worst case..... pick up a cheap rebel at the camera store, shoot with it for the rest of the trip, and sell it when you get back.

I didn't win the lottery to buy cameras like that mate.. was already a stretch to get this one.
went to a shop tried a different battery and nothing changed. needs to go back.
gonna have to shoot the rest of the trip with my iphone.. :'(

the camera was out whole day at 1 / 2ºC i guess at night went down to -2. I only had about 600 shots with the camera.. i'm disappointed with canon! Also earlier had a very few drops from light rain. my old 350d had been in worse conditions and survived very well!

 

[verysimplejason]

Worst case..... pick up a cheap rebel at the camera store, shoot with it for the rest of the trip, and sell it when you get back.

I didn't win the lottery to buy cameras like that mate.. was already a stretch to get this one.
went to a shop tried a different battery and nothing changed. needs to go back.
gonna have to shoot the rest of the trip with my iphone.. :'(

the camera was out whole day at 1 / 2ºC i guess at night went down to -2. I only had about 600 shots with the camera.. i'm disappointed with canon! Also earlier had a very few drops from light rain. my old 350d had been in worse conditions and survived very well!

send it for repairs to know what's exactly wrong before being disappointed. As we all know, sometimes there's a bad apple among the production and this happens not only to Canon but for almost all manufacturers. That's why it is also good to break-in your camera before going to extreme environments. Good luck with your IPhone pictures though. I hope it can serve you well.

 

[pakosouthpark]

Worst case..... pick up a cheap rebel at the camera store, shoot with it for the rest of the trip, and sell it when you get back.

I didn't win the lottery to buy cameras like that mate.. was already a stretch to get this one.
went to a shop tried a different battery and nothing changed. needs to go back.
gonna have to shoot the rest of the trip with my iphone.. :'(

the camera was out whole day at 1 / 2ºC i guess at night went down to -2. I only had about 600 shots with the camera.. i'm disappointed with canon! Also earlier had a very few drops from light rain. my old 350d had been in worse conditions and survived very well!

send it for repairs to know what's exactly wrong before being disappointed. As we all know, sometimes there's a bad apple among the production and this happens not only to Canon but for almost all manufacturers. That's why it is also good to break-in your camera before going to extreme environments. Good luck with your IPhone pictures though. I hope it can serve you well.

i've been to richmond park in london on very similar conditions.. to test it, took quite a fiew shots..
yeah i guess instagram will help on those iphone shots..

 

[J.R.]

Too bad the camera didn't come back on.

Is there any possibility of renting a camera in Iceland?

While that was in my mind, I did a quick google search and came up with this -

http://www.kukl.is/page2.html

Check it out and see if it works for you.

 

[Don Haines]

Worst case..... pick up a cheap rebel at the camera store, shoot with it for the rest of the trip, and sell it when you get back.

I didn't win the lottery to buy cameras like that mate.. was already a stretch to get this one.
went to a shop tried a different battery and nothing changed. needs to go back.
gonna have to shoot the rest of the trip with my iphone.. :'(

the camera was out whole day at 1 / 2ºC i guess at night went down to -2. I only had about 600 shots with the camera.. i'm disappointed with canon! Also earlier had a very few drops from light rain. my old 350d had been in worse conditions and survived very well!

I can't afford to go out buying cameras on a whim either. I suggested buying and selling upon return as a last-ditch worse-case effort and am hoping that something better will help you out.

As to the temperatures, I just can't see mild temperatures like around zero killing the camera. I have mine out for 12 hour stretches at -10C, and several multi-day trips per year outside at those temperatures. The only problems I have had is that after a while the screen gets real slow. The shoulder display stops changing, and then I give up and put the camera away.

What about humidity? Have you tried putting the camera somewhere warm and dry, take the battery out, the lens off, and open up all the doors and flaps, and let it sit for a day? The 6D isn't weather sealed and humidity could be the problem.

BTW, don't let rip with a hair dryer... it is too hot and will cause damage.

Hope this helps....

 

[Don Haines]

That camera store you were at might have trade-in's. You could always explain your predicament and ask if you could rent one for a week. Ask for the owner, not a clerk.

 

[pakosouthpark]

48 hours have passed and the camera is still kaput. funny thing tho, even i havent turned on the camera for the last 24 hours the battery is totally drained.. i fully charged a day ago, why would this happen??

 

[zim]

I think you need to have wifi and gps disabled even with camera switched off to stop battery drain.

Sorry to hear your predicament it must be incredibly frustrating to put it mildly. I really hope your find someone willing to help you out.