Canon 40D shutter problem ?

jgoetz4jgoetz4 Registered Users Posts: 1,267 Major grins
edited July 31, 2008 in Cameras
Afternoon Folks,
Recently, my 4 month old, 40D acted up. This is the second time in 2 weeks. Here's what's happening. When shooting, I noticed the shutter acted like I was using a much slower speed, maybe somewhere around 1/20 or so, instead of the 1/640 that was shown in the viewfinder. When I retook the picture, it sounded normal. The two pictures were noticeably different (darker) Not sure if this is (or could be) a problem. Just curious if this has happened to anyone else.
Have a good day :D
Jim...

Comments

  • ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 24,080 moderator
    edited July 27, 2008
    jgoetz4 wrote:
    Afternoon Folks,
    Recently, my 4 month old, 40D acted up. This is the second time in 2 weeks. Here's what's happening. When shooting, I noticed the shutter acted like I was using a much slower speed, maybe somewhere around 1/20 or so, instead of the 1/640 that was shown in the viewfinder. When I retook the picture, it sounded normal. The two pictures were noticeably different (darker) Not sure if this is (or could be) a problem. Just curious if this has happened to anyone else.
    Have a good day :D
    Jim...

    Jim,

    May we see the 2 images, with full EXIF if possible?
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
  • jgoetz4jgoetz4 Registered Users Posts: 1,267 Major grins
    edited July 27, 2008
    ziggy53 wrote:
    Jim,

    May we see the 2 images, with full EXIF if possible?
    Good Afternoon Ziggy and thanks for responding thumb.gif
    Unfortunately, I do not have the images any more. They were deleted late last night. I tried to undelete them, but they were already written over. I will try to duplicate it again, starting in an hour. I have a big shoot coming up in two weeks and want to make sure everything is working correctly.
    Thanks again and have a good evening :D
    Jim...
  • swintonphotoswintonphoto Registered Users Posts: 1,664 Major grins
    edited July 27, 2008
    My brother has a 40D and recently had problems with the shutter or mirror mechanism. See this thread: http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=100217
    Jonathan
    http://www.jonathanswinton.com
    http://www.swintoncounseling.com
  • jgoetz4jgoetz4 Registered Users Posts: 1,267 Major grins
    edited July 27, 2008
    swintonphoto wrote:
    My brother has a 40D and recently had problems with the shutter or mirror mechanism. See this thread: http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=100217

    Good Afternoon Jonathan and thanks for responding thumb.gif
    I tried that test about 20 mins ago, taking about 50 shots, using different shutter speeds, but the pictures turned out properly exposed. I'm not sure just what happened, but the next time (if it happens again) I will attach the pictures with the full EXIF data, as suggested by Ziggy.
    Thanks for the link. It was interesting thumb.gif
    Have a good day :D
    Jim...
  • nobodynobody Registered Users Posts: 94 Big grins
    edited July 30, 2008
    jgoetz4 wrote:
    Good Afternoon Jonathan and thanks for responding thumb.gif
    I tried that test about 20 mins ago, taking about 50 shots, using different shutter speeds, but the pictures turned out properly exposed. I'm not sure just what happened, but the next time (if it happens again) I will attach the pictures with the full EXIF data, as suggested by Ziggy.
    Thanks for the link. It was interesting thumb.gif
    Have a good day :D
    Jim...

    Might it have been the result of a weak battery? I have an XTi and I've noticed that when the battery is weak, not completely dead, I can move certain settings, like exposure time in one direction only.
  • DogdotsDogdots Registered Users Posts: 8,795 Major grins
    edited July 30, 2008
    I've had the same problem with my new 40D. I had this happen twice where the shutter closed slower then normal. I do have most of the photos I took the last time it happend, but I noticed no difference in my shutter speed recorded nor in photo image. I did notice that 33 of my 100 or so photos didn't register all my data to the jpegs. That is probably another issue tho....or not?

    When I noticed a slight lag in the shutter I was shooting in Low Speed Continuous Mode. Would that make a difference? Maybe I was just going alittle to fast for that mode and it had a slight lag to keep up....I dont' know.

    Hope someone can answer this for me :D

    Thanks.
    Mary
    www.Dogdotsphotography.com
  • MT StringerMT Stringer Registered Users Posts: 225 Major grins
    edited July 30, 2008
    Were y'all shooting through a fence? I've noticed my 40D (and 30D, 20D) will slow down when it can't lock the focus properly. Sometimes it is because I am shooting through the backstop at the ballpark. Sometimes it is because the action is sweeping by me and the camera/lens can't lock on (even though I'm using AI Servo, center focus point).

    So, it seems the shutter actuations slow down considerable while the camera is achieving focus.

    I don't know if this is what you guys are experiencing or not.

    Oh, my shutter failed with just under 20K actuations. They fixed it at no cost to me.
    Good luck.
    Mike
    Please visit my website: www.mtstringer.smugmug.com
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  • CameronCameron Registered Users Posts: 745 Major grins
    edited July 30, 2008
    MT Stringer wrote:

    Oh, my shutter failed with just under 20K actuations. They fixed it at no cost to me.
    Good luck.
    Mike

    Just got mine back today - fewer than 2,000 clicks... shutter dead. Replaced and now working as good as new.
    Photos
  • jgoetz4jgoetz4 Registered Users Posts: 1,267 Major grins
    edited July 30, 2008
    MT Stringer wrote:
    Were y'all shooting through a fence? I've noticed my 40D (and 30D, 20D) will slow down when it can't lock the focus properly. Sometimes it is because I am shooting through the backstop at the ballpark. Sometimes it is because the action is sweeping by me and the camera/lens can't lock on (even though I'm using AI Servo, center focus point).

    So, it seems the shutter actuations slow down considerable while the camera is achieving focus.

    I don't know if this is what you guys are experiencing or not.

    Oh, my shutter failed with just under 20K actuations. They fixed it at no cost to me.
    Good luck.
    Mike
    Good Evening Mike,
    Funny you should mention "shooting through a fence" rolleyes1.gif
    I was actually shooting storm clouds when it happened. May not have focused properly.
    Have a good evening :D
    Jim...
  • ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 24,080 moderator
    edited July 30, 2008
    jgoetz4 wrote:
    Good Evening Mike,
    Funny you should mention "shooting through a fence" rolleyes1.gif
    I was actually shooting storm clouds when it happened. May not have focused properly.
    Have a good evening :D
    Jim...

    That could be it. Clouds are extremely difficult for autofocus to figure out and could have caused the AF to hesitate and that would cause the entire system to appear to hesitate.

    You may be better off just setting focus manually at infinity in that situation.
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
  • DogdotsDogdots Registered Users Posts: 8,795 Major grins
    edited July 30, 2008
    CSwinton wrote:
    Just got mine back today - fewer than 2,000 clicks... shutter dead. Replaced and now working as good as new.
    '

    Is this a problem with the 40D and should be expected sometime in the near future?

    I was shooting birds, but not thru a fence. They were about 10 ft. in front of me.
    Mary
    www.Dogdotsphotography.com
  • jgoetz4jgoetz4 Registered Users Posts: 1,267 Major grins
    edited July 31, 2008
    ziggy53 wrote:
    That could be it. Clouds are extremely difficult for autofocus to figure out and could have caused the AF to hesitate and that would cause the entire system to appear to hesitate.

    You may be better off just setting focus manually at infinity in that situation.

    Morning Ziggy,
    I usually set focus manually when shooting something like that, however, on that night, I was assisted by Mr Bud Weiser rolleyes1.gif
    Have a good day :D
    Jim...
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