Troubleshooting Guide

If a problem occurs with the camera, first refer to this Troubleshooting Guide. If this Troubleshooting Guide does not resolve the problem, take the camera to the nearest Canon Service Center.

Power-related problems

Batteries cannot be charged with the battery charger.

  • 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-E6NH/LP-E6N/LP-E6.
  • In case of charging or charger issues, see Charging the Battery.

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, reattach the battery, wait a few minutes, and 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.

Batteries cannot be charged with the USB power adapter (sold separately).

  • Batteries are not charged while the camera power switch is set to Power on. However, batteries are charged during auto power off.
  • Battery Pack LP-E6 cannot be charged.
  • Batteries are not charged when their remaining capacity is already approx. 94% or higher.
  • Operating the camera will stop charging in progress.

The access lamp blinks during charging with the USB power adapter.

  • In case of charging problems, the access lamp blinks in green and a protective circuit stops charging. In this case, unplug the power cord, reattach the battery, and wait a few minutes before plugging it in again. If the problem persists, take the camera to the nearest Canon Service Center.

The access lamp is not lit during charging with the USB power adapter.

  • Try unplugging the USB power adapter and plugging it in again.

The camera cannot be powered with the USB power adapter.

  • Check the battery compartment. The camera cannot be powered without a battery pack.
  • Check the remaining battery level. When batteries are depleted, the adapter charges them. In this case, power is not supplied to the camera.

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

  • Make sure the battery is inserted properly in the camera ().
  • Make sure the card slot cover is closed ().
  • 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-E6NH/LP-E6N/LP-E6.
  • 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. See [Set-up: Battery info.] to check the battery recharge performance level (). 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
    • Activating the AF frequently without taking a picture
    • 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 if [Auto power off] is set to [Disable], the screen and viewfinder will still turn off after the camera is left idle for the time set in [Display off] or [Viewfinder 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 or EF-S lenses, you will need a mount adapter. The camera cannot be used with EF-M 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 focus. Press the shutter button halfway again to refocus automatically, or focus manually (, ).

The card cannot be used.

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 the lens's focus mode switch to AF ().
  • Press the shutter button gently to prevent camera shake ().
  • 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.

The maximum burst during continuous shooting is lower.

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

  • Estimated maximum burst indicated in the viewfinder does not change when you switch cards, even if you switch to a high-speed card. Maximum burst listed in Still photo file size / Number of possible shots / Maximum burst for continuous shooting is based on the standard Canon test card, and the actual maximum burst is higher for cards with faster writing speeds. For this reason, estimated maximum burst may differ from actual maximum burst.

High-speed display is not available during high-speed continuous shooting.

Some image quality options are not available with cropped shooting.

  • FineMedium/NormalMedium/FineSmall 1/NormalSmall 1 image quality options are not available when [1.6x (crop)] is set, or with RF-S or EF-S lenses.

The aspect ratio cannot be set.

  • Aspect ratios cannot be set for RF-S or EF-S lenses ([1.6x (crop)] is set automatically).
  • Aspect ratios cannot be set when [Custom Functions: Add cropping information] is set to an option other than [Disable].

ISO 100 cannot be set for 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 cannot be selected for still photo shooting.

  • Check the [ISO speed range] setting under [Shooting: ShootingISO speed settings].
  • Expanded ISO speeds are not available when [Shooting: Highlight tone priority] is set to [Enable] or [Enhanced].
  • Expanded ISO speeds are not available when [HDR shooting HDR PQ] in [Shooting: HDR PQ settings] is set to [Enable].

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.

  • With [Digital Lens Optimizer] set to [Standard] or [High], [Chromatic aberr corr] and [Diffraction correction] are not displayed, but they are both set to [Enable] for shooting.
  • [Digital Lens Optimizer] is not displayed in movie recording.

Images are not displayed after shooting in multiple-exposure shooting.

  • When [On:ContShtng] is set, images are not displayed for review after capture, and image playback is not available ().

Using flash in [Aperture-priority AE] or [Program AE] mode lowers the shutter speed.

  • Set [Slow synchro] in [Shooting: External Speedlite control] to [1/250-1/60sec. auto] (or [1/200-1/60sec. auto]) or [1/250 sec. (fixed)] (or [1/200 sec. (fixed)]) ().

The flash does not fire.

  • Make sure any flash units are securely attached to the camera.

The flash always fires at full output.

  • Flash units other than EL/EX series Speedlites used in autoflash mode always fire at full output ().
  • When the flash Custom Function setting for [Flash metering mode] is set to [TTL flash metering] (autoflash), the flash will always fire at full output ().

Flash exposure compensation cannot be set.

  • If flash exposure compensation is already set with the Speedlite, flash exposure compensation 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.

High-speed sync is not available in [Aperture-priority AE] or [Flexible-priority AE] mode.

  • Set [Slow synchro] in [Shooting: External Speedlite control] to an option other than [1/250 sec. (fixed)] (or [1/200 sec. (fixed)] ) ().

Remote control shooting is not possible.

  • In still photo shooting, set the drive mode to [10 sec. self-timer] or [2 sec. self-timer] (). 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 Remote Control Shooting or Connecting to a Wireless Remote Control.
  • Infrared remote controllers such as the RC-6 cannot be used for remote control shooting when the camera is paired via Bluetooth with a smartphone or wireless remote control. Set [Bluetooth settings] to [Disable].
  • 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 during shooting.

  • 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 ().

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 [Overheating restriction] icon is displayed during movie recording.

  • Indicates that the camera's internal temperature is high. Display of [Overheating restriction] during movie recording indicates that the camera will turn off automatically in approx. 3 min. ().
  • Red [Overheating restriction] display applies when [Shooting: Auto pwr off temp.] is set to [Standard].

A white [White overheating restriction] icon is displayed during movie recording.

  • Indicates that the camera's internal temperature is high. A red [Overheating restriction] icon will be displayed if you continue recording while the white [White overheating restriction] is displayed. If this condition continues, movie recording will automatically stop, and you will be unable to record movies or shoot still photos until the camera has cooled down.
  • White [White overheating restriction] display applies when [Shooting: Auto pwr off temp.] is set to [High].

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. To find out the card's writing speed, refer to the card manufacturer's website, etc.
  • Perform low-level formatting to initialize the card if the card's writing or reading speed seems slow ().
  • Recording stops automatically once your movie reaches 29 min. 59 sec. (or 7 min. 29 sec. for a High Frame Rate movie).

The ISO speed cannot be set for movie recording.

  • ISO speed is set automatically in [Movies] recording mode. In [Movie manual exposure] mode, you can manually set the ISO speed ().
  • 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 cannot be selected for movie recording.

  • Check the [ISO speed range] setting under [Shooting: MovieISO speed settings].
  • Expanded ISO speeds are not available when [Shooting: Highlight tone priority] is set to [Enable] or [Enhanced].

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, 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 [Movie manual exposure] 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. The problem may be more noticeable in time-lapse movie recording.

Sound is not recorded in movies.

  • Sound is not recorded in High Frame Rate movies.

A time code is not added.

  • Time codes are not added when you record High Frame Rate movies with [Count up] in [Shooting: Time code] set to [Free run] (). Additionally, no time code is added to HDMI video output ().

Time codes advance faster than the actual time.

  • Time codes in High Frame Rate movie recording advance 4 sec. per second ().

I cannot take still photos during movie recording.

  • Still photos cannot be taken during movie recording. To shoot still photos, stop recording the movie, then select a shooting mode for still photos.

I cannot record movies during still photo shooting.

  • It may not be possible to record movies during still photo shooting if operations such as extended Live View display increase the camera's internal temperature. Turn off the camera or take other measures, and wait until the camera cools down.
  • In [Scene Intelligent Auto] shooting mode, lowering the [Scene Intelligent Auto] movie recording quality may enable movie recording.
  • In shooting modes other than [Scene Intelligent Auto], lowering the [Program AE3 (movies)] movie recording quality may enable movie recording.

Cannot record movies.

  • Format (initialize) the card with this camera ().
  • Use an SDXC card as card [Card 2] when the movie recording method is set to [RAW] or [MP4].

The camera vibrates.

  • Image stabilization by the camera may make the camera seem to vibrate. This does not indicate damage.

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

Settings change when I switch from still photo shooting to movie recording or vice versa.

  • Separate settings are retained for use when shooting still photos and recording movies.

I cannot adjust settings with Main dial, Quick control dial 1, Quick control dial 2, Multi-controller, Tap/touch, or Control ring.

  • Press the Multi-function lock button to release the Multi-function lock ().
  • Check the [Set-up: Multi function lock] setting ().

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.

  • In movie recording, check the [Shooting: Shutter btn function for movies] setting ().
  • Check the [Custom Functions: Customize buttons] and [Custom Functions: Customize dials] settings ().

Display problems

The menu screen shows fewer tabs and items.

  • In [Scene Intelligent Auto] mode, some tabs and items are not displayed. Tabs and items on the menu screen also vary for still photos and movies.

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 fourth character in the file name changes.

  • [Set-up: File name] is set to [*** + image size]. Select either the camera's unique file name or the file name registered in User setting 1 ().

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

Part of the image blinks in black.

  • [Playback: Highlight alert] is set to [Enable] ().

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 with Multi Shot Noise Reduction applied.
    • Cropped images.
    • Images from HDR shooting with [Auto Image Align] set to [Enable].

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 may also record mechanical sounds of the lens or sounds of camera/lens operations if AF operations are performed or the camera or lens 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.

Movie playback stops by itself.

  • Extended movie playback or movie playback under high ambient temperature may cause the camera's internal temperature to rise, and movie playback may stop automatically.

    If this happens, playback is disabled until the camera's internal temperature decreases, so turn off the power and let the camera cool down a while.

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 ().

The movie is played in slow motion.

  • High Frame Rate movies are recorded at 29.97 fps or 25.00 fps, so they are played in slow motion at 1/4 speed.

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, connect the camera to the computer with the interface cable, then import the images to the computer using EOS Utility (EOS software, ).

Images cannot be resized or cropped.

  • This camera cannot resize JPEG Small 2 images, RAW images, or frame-grab images from 8K or 4K movies saved as still photos ().
  • This camera cannot crop RAW images, images captured with [HDR shooting HDR PQ] in [Shooting: HDR PQ settings] set to [Enable], or frame-grab images from 8K or 4K movies saved as still photos ().

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] is selected, no image is recorded to the card ().

Automatic sensor cleaning does not work.

  • Repeatedly turning the power switch Power on and Power off within a short period may prevent the [Clean now] icon from being displayed ().

Computer connection problems

I cannot import images to a computer.

  • Install EOS Utility (EOS software) on the computer ().
  • Make sure the main EOS Utility window is displayed.
  • If the camera is already connected via Wi-Fi, it cannot communicate with any computer connected with an interface cable.
  • Check the version of the application.

Communication between the connected camera and computer does not work.

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