Troubleshooting Guide

Troubleshoot camera issues as described in this section. If this Troubleshooting Guide does not resolve the problem, take the camera to the nearest Canon Service Center.

Power-related problems

The battery does not charge.

  • If the battery’s remaining capacity () is 94% or higher, the battery will not be charged.
  • Do not use any battery packs other than a genuine Canon Battery Pack LP-E12.

The charger’s lamp blinks at high speed.

  • If (1) the battery charger or battery has a problem or (2) communication with the battery failed (with a non-Canon battery pack), the protection circuit will stop charging, and the charge lamp will blink in orange at a constant high speed. In the case of (1), unplug the charger’s power plug from the power outlet. Detach and reattach the battery to the charger. Wait a few minutes, then reconnect the power plug to the power outlet. If the problem persists, take the camera to the nearest Canon Service Center.

The charger’s lamp does not blink.

  • If the internal temperature of the battery attached to the charger is high, the charger will not charge the battery for safety reasons (lamp off). During charging, if the battery’s temperature becomes high for any reason, charging will stop automatically (lamp blinks). When the battery temperature goes down, charging will resume automatically.

The camera is not activated even when the power switch is set to Power on.

  • Make sure the card/battery compartment cover is closed ().
  • Make sure the battery is installed properly in the camera ().
  • Charge the battery ().

The access lamp still lights or blinks even when the power switch is set to Power off.

  • If the power is turned off while an image is being recorded to the card, the access lamp will remain on or continue to blink for a few seconds. When the image recording is complete, the power will turn off automatically.

[Battery communication error. Does this battery/do these batteries display the Canon logo?] is displayed.

  • Do not use any battery packs other than a genuine Canon Battery Pack LP-E12.
  • Remove and install the battery again ().
  • If the electrical contacts are dirty, use a soft cloth to clean them.

The battery becomes exhausted quickly.

  • Use a fully charged battery ().
  • The battery performance may have degraded. If the battery performance is poor, replace the battery with a new one.
  • The number of available shots will decrease with any of the following operations:

    • Pressing the shutter button halfway for a prolonged period
    • Using AF often, but without shooting
    • Using the lens’s Image Stabilizer.
    • Using the wireless communication functions

The camera turns off by itself.

  • Auto power off is in effect. To deactivate auto power off, set [Auto power off] in [Set-up: Power saving] to [Disable] ().
  • Even with [Auto power off] set to [Disable], the screen will still turn off after the camera is left idle for the time set in [Display off] (although the camera itself remains on).
  • Set [Set-up: Eco mode] to [Off].

Shooting-related problems

The lens cannot be attached.

  • To attach EF/EF-S lenses, you will need a mount adapter. The camera cannot be used with RF lenses ().

No images can be shot or recorded.

  • Make sure the card is properly inserted ().
  • Slide the card’s write-protect switch to the Write/Erase setting ().
  • If the card is full, replace the card or delete unnecessary images to make space (, ).
  • Shooting is not possible if the AF point turns orange when you attempt to shoot still photos or record movies. Press the shutter button halfway again to refocus automatically, or focus manually (, ).

The card cannot be used.

  • If a card error message is displayed, see Removal.

An error message is displayed when the card is inserted in another camera.

  • Since SDXC cards are formatted in exFAT, if you format a card with this camera and then insert it into another camera, an error may be displayed and it may not be possible to use the card.

The image is out of focus or blurred.

  • Set [Shooting: Focus mode] to [AF] ().
  • When using a lens with a focus mode switch, set the switch to AF ().
  • Press the shutter button () gently to prevent camera shake ().
  • Set [IS mode] in [Shooting: IS (Image Stabilizer) mode] to [On] ().
  • With a lens equipped with an Image Stabilizer, set the Image Stabilizer switch to Power on.
  • In low light, the shutter speed may become slow. Use a faster shutter speed (), set a higher ISO speed (), use flash (), or use a tripod.
  • See Minimizing blurred photos.

I cannot lock the focus and recompose the shot.

  • Set the AF operation to One-Shot AF.

    Shooting with the focus locked is not possible with Servo AF ().

The continuous shooting speed is slow.

  • High-speed continuous shooting may be slower depending on conditions such as the ambient temperature, battery level, flicker reduction, shutter speed, aperture value, subject conditions, brightness, AF operation, type of lens, use of flash, and shooting settings. For details, see Drive Mode.

The maximum burst during continuous shooting is lower.

Even after I change the card, the maximum burst displayed for continuous shooting does not change.

Even if I set a decreased exposure compensation, the image comes out bright.

  • Set [Shooting: Auto Lighting Optimizer] to [Disable] (). When [Low], [Standard], or [High] is set, even if you set a decreased exposure compensation or flash exposure compensation, the image may come out bright.

I cannot set the exposure compensation when both manual exposure and ISO Auto are set.

Not all the lens aberration correction options are displayed.

  • Although [Chromatic aberr corr] and [Diffraction correction] are not displayed when [Digital Lens Optimizer] is set to [Enable], both functions are applied in shooting, as when set to [Enable].
  • During movie recording, [Digital Lens Optimizer], [Diffraction correction], and [Distortion correction] are not displayed.

The built-in flash does not fire.

  • Shooting with the flash may be temporarily disabled to protect the flash head if the built-in flash is used repeatedly over a short period.

The external Speedlite does not fire.

  • Make sure the external Speedlite is securely attached to the camera.

The Speedlite always fires at full output.

  • If you use a flash unit other than an EL/EX series Speedlite, the flash will always fire at full output ().
  • The flash always fires at full output when [Flash metering mode] in external flash Custom Function settings is set to [TTL flash metering] (autoflash) ().

Flash exposure compensation cannot be set for the external Speedlite.

  • If flash exposure compensation is set with the external Speedlite, compensation amount cannot be set with the camera. When the Speedlite’s flash exposure compensation is canceled (set to 0), flash exposure compensation can be set with the camera.

Using flash in Program AE/Aperture-priority AE mode lowers the shutter speed.

  • To provide standard exposure for subjects and backgrounds, the shutter speed is automatically reduced (slow-sync shooting) for shots under low light in night scenes or with similar backgrounds. To avoid slow shutter speeds, set [Slow synchro] in [Shooting: Flash control] to [1/200-1/60sec. auto] or [1/200 sec. (fixed)] ().

The specified exposure changes when I shoot with ISO Auto using flash.

  • When there is a risk of overexposure in flash photography, shutter speed or ISO speed is automatically adjusted to reduce loss of detail in highlights and shoot at standard exposure. In flash shots with certain lenses, the shutter speeds and ISO speeds displayed when you press the shutter button halfway may not match the actual settings used. This may alter the brightness of backgrounds that are out of flash range.
  • To avoid shooting at different shutter speeds or ISO speeds than displayed when you press the shutter button halfway in Creative Zone modes, shoot with a manually set ISO speed.

Remote control shooting is not possible.

  • When taking still photos, set the drive mode to 10-sec. self-timer/remote control or 2-sec. self-timer/remote control (). In movie recording, set [Shooting: Remote control] to [Enable] ().
  • Check the position of the remote control’s release timing switch.
  • If you are using Wireless Remote Control BR-E1, see Wireless Remote Control BR-E1.
  • To use a remote control for time-lapse movie recording, see Time-Lapse Movies.

A white [Temperature warning white] or red [Temperature warning red] icon is displayed in still photo shooting.

  • It indicates that the camera’s internal temperature is high. Image quality of still photos may be worse when a white [Temperature warning white] icon is displayed. Display of a red [Temperature warning red] icon indicates that shooting will soon stop automatically ().

ISO 100 cannot be set or ISO speed expansion cannot be selected in still photo shooting.

  • The minimum speed in the ISO speed range is ISO 200 when [Shooting: Highlight tone priority] is set to [Enable] or [Enhanced].
  • Expanded ISO speeds (H) are not available when [Shooting: Highlight tone priority] is set to [Enable] or [Enhanced], even with [ISO expansion] set to [1:On] in [Set-up: Custom Functions(C.Fn)].

A red [Temperature warning red] icon is displayed during movie recording.

  • It indicates that the camera’s internal temperature is high. If the red [Temperature warning red] icon is displayed, it indicates that the movie recording will soon stop automatically ().

A red [Movie recording heat limit icon] icon is displayed.

  • If the camera temporarily overheats during extended 4K recording, [Movie recording heat limit icon] is displayed and recording stops. At this time, movie recording will be unavailable, even if you press the movie shooting button.

    Following the instructions displayed, either set the movie recording size to an option other than [4K23.98fps] or [4K25.00fps] or turn off the camera to let it cool down before you resume recording.

Movie recording stops by itself.

  • If the card’s writing speed is slow, movie recording may stop automatically. For details on cards that can record movies, see Card performance requirements (Movie recording). To find out the card’s writing speed, refer to the card manufacturer’s website, etc.
  • If you record a movie for 29 min. 59 sec., the movie recording will stop automatically.

The ISO speed cannot be set for movie recording.

  • ISO speed is set automatically in [Movies] shooting mode. In [Movie manual exposure] mode, you can set the ISO speed manually ().

The manually set ISO speed changes when switching to movie recording.

  • For still photo shooting, ISO speed is set according to [ISO speed] in [Shooting: ShootingISO speed settings] (), and for movie recording, according to [ISO speed] in [Shooting: MovieISO speed settings] ().

ISO 100 cannot be set or ISO speed expansion cannot be selected during movie recording.

  • Check the [ISO speed] setting in [Shooting: MovieISO speed settings].
  • Expanded ISO speeds are not available when [Shooting: Highlight tone priority] is set to [Enable].
  • The minimum speed in the ISO speed range is ISO 200 when [Shooting: Highlight tone priority] is set to [Enable].
  • H (expanded ISO speed) is not available (not displayed) in 4K movie recording.

The exposure changes during movie recording.

  • If you change the shutter speed or aperture value during movie recording, the changes in the exposure may be recorded.
  • Recording a few test movies is recommended if you intend to perform zooming during movie recording. Zooming as you record movies may cause exposure changes or lens sounds to be recorded, an uneven audio level, or loss of focus.

The image flickers or horizontal stripes appear during movie recording.

  • Flickering, horizontal stripes (noise), or irregular exposures can be caused by fluorescent lighting, LED lighting, or other light sources during movie recording. Also, changes in the exposure (brightness) or color tone may be recorded. In [Movies] shooting mode, using a slower shutter speed may reduce the problem. The problem may be more noticeable in time-lapse movie recording.

The subject looks distorted during movie recording.

  • If you move the camera to the left or right (panning) or shoot a moving subject, the image may look distorted.

I cannot take still photos during movie recording.

  • Still photos cannot be taken with the Mode dial set to Movies. Before taking still photos, set the dial to a shooting mode other than Movies.

Problems with wireless features

Cannot pair with a smartphone.

  • Use a smartphone compliant with Bluetooth Specification Version 4.1 or later.
  • Turn on Bluetooth from the smartphone settings screen.
  • Pairing with the camera is not possible from the smartphone’s Bluetooth settings screen. Install the dedicated app Camera Connect (free of charge) on the smartphone ().
  • Pairing with a previously paired smartphone is not possible if pairing information registered for another camera remains on the smartphone. In this case, remove the camera’s registration retained in the Bluetooth settings on the smartphone and try pairing again ().

Wi-Fi functions cannot be set.

  • If the camera is connected to a computer or another device with an interface cable, Wi-Fi functions cannot be set. Disconnect the interface cable before setting any functions ().

A device connected with an interface cable cannot be used.

  • Other devices, such as computers, cannot be used with the camera by connecting them with an interface cable while the camera is connected to devices via Wi-Fi. Terminate the Wi-Fi connection before connecting the interface cable.

Operations such as shooting and playback are not possible.

  • With a Wi-Fi connection established, operations such as shooting and playback may not be possible. Terminate the Wi-Fi connection, then perform the operation.

Cannot reconnect to a smartphone.

  • Even with a combination of the same camera and smartphone, if you have changed the settings or selected a different setting, reconnection may not be established even after selecting the same SSID. In this case, delete the camera connection settings from the Wi-Fi settings on the smartphone and set up a connection again.
  • A connection may not be established if Camera Connect is running when you reconfigure connection settings. In this case, quit Camera Connect for a moment and then restart it.

Operation problems

Touch operation is not possible.

  • Make sure [Set-up: Touch control] is set to [Standard] or [Sensitive] ().

A camera button or dial does not work as expected.

  • Check the [Custom Controls] setting in [Set-up: Custom Functions(C.Fn)] ().
  • In movie recording, check the [Shooting: Shutter btn function for movies] setting ().

Display problems

The menu screen shows fewer tabs and items.

  • Certain tabs and items are not shown in Basic Zone modes or movie recording.

The display starts with [My Menu] My Menu, or the [My Menu] tab alone is displayed.

  • [Menu display] on the [My Menu] tab is set to [Display from My Menu tab] or [Display only My Menu tab]. Set [Normal display] ().

The file name’s first character is an underscore (“_”).

  • Set [Shooting: Color space] to [sRGB]. If [Adobe RGB] is set, the first character will be an underscore ().

The file name starts with “MVI_”.

  • It is a movie file ().

The file numbering does not start from 0001.

  • If the card already contains recorded images, the image number may not start from 0001 ().

The shooting date and time displayed are incorrect.

  • Make sure the correct date and time are set ().
  • Check the time zone and daylight saving time ().

The date and time are not in the image.

  • The shooting date and time do not appear in the image. The date and time are recorded in the image data as shooting information. When you print photos, this information can be used to include the date and time ().

[###] is displayed.

  • If the number of images recorded on the card exceeds the number the camera can display, [###] will be displayed.

The screen does not display a clear image.

  • If the screen is dirty, use a soft cloth to clean it.
  • The screen display may seem slightly slow in low temperatures or may look black in high temperatures, but it will return to normal at room temperature.

Playback problems

A red box is displayed on the image.

  • [Playback: AF point disp.] is set to [Enable] ().

During image playback, the AF points are not displayed.

  • AF points are not displayed when the following types of images are played back:

    • Images taken in Special scene: Handheld Night Scene HDR Backlight Control mode.
    • Images taken in Creative filters: HDR art standard HDR art vivid HDR art bold HDR art embossed mode.
    • Images taken with Multi Shot Noise Reduction applied.
    • Cropped images.

The image cannot be erased.

  • If the image is protected, it cannot be erased ().

Still photos and movies cannot be played back.

  • The camera may not be able to play back images taken with another camera.
  • Movies edited with a computer cannot be played back with the camera.

Only few images can be played back.

  • The images have been filtered for playback with [Playback: Set image search conditions] (). Clear the image search conditions.

Mechanical sounds or sounds of camera operations can be heard during movie playback.

  • The camera’s built-in microphone will also record mechanical sounds of the lens or sounds of camera/lens operations if AF operations are performed or the camera is operated during movie recording. In this case, using an external microphone may reduce these sounds. If the sounds are still distracting with an external microphone, it may be more effective to remove the external microphone from the camera and position it away from the camera and lens ().

The movie appears to freeze momentarily.

  • Significant change in the exposure level during autoexposure movie recording may cause recording to stop momentarily until the brightness stabilizes. In this case, record in [Movie manual exposure] mode ().

No picture appears on the television.

  • Make sure [Set-up: Video system] is set to [For NTSC] or [For PAL] correctly for the video system of your television.
  • Make sure the HDMI cable’s plug is inserted all the way in ().

There are multiple movie files for a single movie recording.

  • If the movie file size reaches 4 GB, another movie file will be created automatically (). However, if you use an SDXC card formatted with the camera, you can record a movie in a single file even if it exceeds 4 GB.

My card reader does not recognize the card.

  • Depending on the card reader used and the computer’s operating system, SDXC cards may not be correctly recognized. In this case, either connect the camera to a computer with an interface cable (sold separately) and use EOS Utility (EOS software, ) or connect the camera to a computer via Wi-Fi () to import the images on the camera.

The image cannot be resized.

  • With this camera, you cannot resize JPEG Small 2 and RAW images ().

The image cannot be cropped.

  • With this camera, you cannot crop RAW images ().

Dots of light appear on the image.

  • White, red, or blue dots of light may appear in captured images if the sensor is affected by cosmic rays or similar factors. Their appearance may be reduced by performing [Clean nowClean now] under [Set-up: Sensor cleaning] ().

Sensor cleaning problems

The shutter makes a sound during sensor cleaning.

  • Although there is a mechanical sound from the shutter during cleaning after [Clean nowClean now] in [Set-up: Sensor cleaning] is selected, no image is recorded to the card ().

Automatic sensor cleaning does not work.

  • Repeated Power on/Power off power switch operations within a short period may prevent display of the [Clean now] icon ().

Computer connection problems

I cannot import images to a computer.

  • Install EOS Utility (EOS software) on the computer ().
  • If the camera is already connected via Wi-Fi, it cannot communicate with any computer connected with an interface cable (sold separately).

Communication between the connected camera and computer does not work.

  • When using EOS Utility (EOS software), set [Shooting: Time-lapse movie] to [Disable] ().