Firmware update (V1.8.1) bricked my R5 - $558 to repair.

[InchMetric]

Loaded the update to my early R5 (ordered first day), and the last thing I saw displayed was the "OK" button on the screen. Then it went and stayed dark no matter what I did.
Sent it in, and they quoted $499 plus shipping and tax for parts and labor to repair. I'll report when they tell me what happened and what they did.

 

[ata bora]

Loaded the update to my early R5 (ordered first day), and the last thing I saw displayed was the "OK" button on the screen. Then it went and stayed dark no matter what I did.
Sent it in, and they quoted $499 plus shipping and tax for parts and labor to repair. I'll report when they tell me what happened and what they did.

I wonder what the reason is.

 

[davidespinosa]

@InchMetric

Yes, please report. Sounds crazy. Where did you send it ?

 

[InchMetric]

Sent to Canon in VA

 

[SHAMwow]

I'm starting to realize all these bad stories are the VA location. The CA repair center has always taken good care of me.

 

[tron]

I am sorry that this happened to you. I am lucky because, although I used to upgrade immediately, I have stopped doing so around the time 1.5.x firmware became available. I have upgraded to 1.7.0 eventually (bypassing 1.6.0) and for now that's it. I will be waiting for 2.0 or 1.9 whatever (in case a useful - for me - feature is implemented).

EDIT: My R5 autofocuses better with 1.7.0 so I am reluctant to upgrade anyway...

 

[SHAMwow]

Sent to Canon in VA

Any update on this?

 

[neuroanatomist]

Any update on this?

Probably not until he gets the camera back. When I sent my 1D X in for repair knowing it was most likely the PCB that had failed, it was just listed as ‘no power’. In the box with the returned camera was a piece of paper indicating what they had done – replaced main PCB and replaced focus screen (I had not noticed anything wrong with the latter, and they did not charge any more than the original estimate to do that as well).

 

[AJ]

The first time I used my RP, my memory card got stuck - no way to get it out. I put it in correctly and it went in easy, but it just wouldn't pop out. I sent it in to Canon and they wanted 500 bucks to fix it. Esentially this was to replace to pcb. I told them to go ahead, then complained loudly to my dealer (local bricks-and-mortar store), and in the end Canon ended up covering it under warranty. It came back from Canon with a broken shutter but that's another story. In any case, my point is that the $499 sounds like pcb replacement.

 

[SHAMwow]

Probably not until he gets the camera back. When I sent my 1D X in for repair knowing it was most likely the PCB that had failed, it was just listed as ‘no power’. In the box with the returned camera was a piece of paper indicating what they had done – replaced main PCB and replaced focus screen (I had not noticed anything wrong with the latter, and they did not charge any more than the original estimate to do that as well).

But I mean in the sense that his case is that the firmware update broke the camera, so I'm curious if they will charge him for the repair/parts. I guess they have no way to verify that the firmware did it, or that he did the update correctly. Just curious overall.

 

[InchMetric]

Camera is back, and works. (All settings lost)

PCB Ass'y, Min w Li Batt replaced. along with Top cover Ass'y (presumably damaged during disassembly).

Had a nice call with customer service and they took my request to reimburse this. Said I should have asked before paying, but I couldn't get it looked at with out paying and couldn't afford weeks for a resolution to delay the repair. They see that the firmware reverted to 1.7 (?!) so this would suggest the 1.8 is a known problem. We'll see.

 

[tron]

Thanks for letting us know. Even if it happened only to you it is a concern.

 

[InchMetric]

Happy ending: After a second call, Canon agreed to reimburse for the repair and has refunded.

 

[koenkooi]

Happy ending: After a second call, Canon agreed to reimburse for the repair and has refunded.

It still amazes me that companies want to have it both ways: have the customer to the upgrade and charge to clean up after their product shits itself. If your product can self-destruct, don't let customers perform that action or void the warranty. Not some limbo in between where they prey on the timid.