Freezing 7D

[colincurry]

Last week, I noticed that my 7D was occasionally freezing. When I pressed the shutter button halfway to achieve focus, nothing happened and I was unable to fully depress the shutter button. I tried different modes on the camera and focus length options on my 100-400. Nothing happened; and then it cleared itself. So far as I am aware, there were no error messages.

This happened again on Monday and I missed couple of good shots of a wren.

Yesterday, I tried the camera and lens in our garden, and the camera froze immediately. I swapped the 100-400 over to my 40D and it performed perfectly even when I changed modes etc. I have been struggling of late with BIF shots and blaming it on the poor light - which obviously does have an effect. I know that the 7D is a hard taskmaster but I am wondering if there is a focusing fault somewhere. Yesterday with the 40D I snapped a passing wood pigeon that was as clear as a bell - and these fellows motor. I am aware of the argument between the 400 prime and the 100-400 but the pump's flexibility suits me and it is L glass after all.

To cut a long story short, I returned the camera to Jessops who are send to Canon to repair an 'intermittent fault' - their decription. The guarantee expires on 18 March!

I have googled this and there does seem to a problem of some sort - although not all symptoms are the same as mine.

I am told that it will be 3-4 weeks before the camera is likely to be ready. I am so pleased that I hung on to the 40D which I normally use for macro with a Sigma 150 and Kenko 1.4 extender.

Watch this space.

Colin

[glsammy]

Glad to hear it's under warranty.
It sounds very much like the problem I had on my 40D. Eventually the darn shutter stopped altogether, only once it was out of warranty of course!
On mine it was a shutter fault. The camera had this fault from new but only very intermittently so it was a waste of time having it tested.

[The_Moaner]

Hi Colin
Glad I'm not alone in this..I sent my 7D in for repair. They did this to it
Cleaning: CCD/CMOS
Cleaning: AF-System
Adjustment: AF-System
Cleaning: Contacts
Complete Adjustment.

Well would you believe it...My 400 f5.6 refused to focus again. One minute it works, the next it refuses to focus. Can get Sharp images, then rubbish images.
My mate put it on to his 7D and it worked with no problems. BUT. When he looked at images at home he says his 70-200 f4 on a 1.4 converter was sharper than my 400 f5.6. Unbelievable. Another thing, I put my Sigma 150-500 on the 7D and I got far more Sharper images than ever before. So it could be your Lens.
still not sure if it's my lens as it works on other 7D. But it must be lens is what my brain says.
I can't get out to do more tests at moment, but I hope to soon.
I shall watch this space to see how yours develops.
Good Luck.

[Simon Davey]

I sent a 7D back, in fact, it was only a week after I bought it so luckily for me I had it replaced immediately.
It's too late now, but you could have dealt with Canon directly.

Now, the nitty gritty......
The 7D is quite demanding when it comes to focus, it's a very precise system and if there's the slightest back/forward focus in your lenses, the 7D is sure to make the worse of it.
It's definitely worth using the micro-adjustment to fine tune lenses, especially primes.

I know this doesn't address your freezing issue (and I hope they sort it) but, I hope it helps anyone reading.
Once one gets used to how the 7D behaves with it's strange metering and sometime infuriating focussing, it's a phenomenal camera.

Simon

[colincurry]

I have tried the micro adjust and there was no real advantage.

Since I took the 7D back to Jessops, I have been out twice with my 40D and the results are much sharper - requiring less sharpening in Photoshop. I have made this quite clear to Jessops who will pass this on to the repair service.

I did not send the camera to Canon as I thought that this was the responsibility of the shop.

Fingers crossed!

Colin

[PMG]

My 7D did this freezing thing for the first time yesterday while photographing the Dartford Warbler ......... and I have quite a few hols fast looming up now so I'm worried - I assume the warranty is 12 months? I bought it in July last year. I put its focussing down to the bird and the background being extremely similar??? I have a little ad lib break coming up so I will use it exhaustively on a lot of things just to see if it does it again and if it does its going back ........ Like many others have found - when this camera is on form its phenomenal - but the 40D seems a far more reliable workhorse and I may yet return to it - permanently .......

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by PMG

- but the 40D seems a far more reliable workhorse and I may yet return to it - permanently .......

Not mine Pauline! It was my 40D on which the shutter always had this annoying intermittent problem until it eventually seized. More like a Canon problem rather than one specific model.

[darrenm]

My first 7D played me up something rotten but with the new one so far i havnt had too many problems but focus can still be an issue at times even between shots if i take a fast burst of shots. Even the new one has frozen on one occasion but cleared itself when i turned it on and off.

Have found the 60D very reliable in focus terms with all of my lenses but it seems to have a tendancy to create a lot of background noise in the shots but i am still a near novice with DSLR's and thought it may have been something i have been doing wrong.

Some say the Canon 7D is superb bit of kit and others find them nothing but a problem and it makes me wonder if it's down to quality control issues.

You would have thought for the price we pay for these cameras Canon would have sorted out any glitches before they get on the market.

[Ollie]

Sorry to hear of your problems Colin.

I have had problems with the 7D locking up but with my Sigma 150 macro lens attached. The only thing that clears it is removing the battery for a couple of minutes. It refuses to focus when it locks up and you can't fully depress the shutter button and take a photograph at all. Switching it on and off has no effect at all, removing the battery is the only thing that works.

It will behave perfectly with the sigma lens for weeks at a time then suddenly for no reason locks up. I have never had it do this with any of my Canon lenses attached, it has been faultless touch wood so far with the Canon lenses.

[The_Moaner]

Went out other day and lens +7D worked ok. No freezing.
Had quite a few out of focus shots so put that down to me this time.

Two of the lads said they used the Auto 19 point focus for birds in flight. They are more pro than me and said I did not know what I was talking about when I said it was C**p for birding. Said it was recomended by a professional. Anyway I tried it and HATED it.
Mind you, They get pin sharp images. (the ones I see anyway).
I'll stick with 'single point AF' 'Spot AF' (Manual selection) & 'AF point expansion' (Manual selection).
Though on times I forget to change from 'AF point expansion' for BIF to 'single point' when I go to birds on sticks etc. Frustrateing on times.

I use Back Button for focusing and front button to take the shot.

Do any of you leave it on one of the above always, without changing.

Now lets read what you lot uses.