Canon 6D repair (err20 code???)

corystager

Prominent
Oct 7, 2017
1
0
510
Hi there. I have a Canon 6D that got caught in the rain. I tried everything to dry it out and put it in rice etc. It powers on but the screen displays err20 code. And the screen is still foggy in the corner. It been about 2 months since the accident. Is this repairable? Can I fix this myself? Thanks!
 
Solution
When the 6d came out Canon marketed it as weather sealed.
"Dust and drip proofing protection around control buttons and along outer cover seams has been upgraded from the EOS 5D Mark II and is equivalent to the protection on the EOS 5D Mark III."
I would contact Canon and hear what they have to say. Given that the rear screen is fogged. They might be fussy if you used it with an un-sealed lens, which is unfortunately most of their lenses since as I recall Canon only seals their L lenses (and some of those are not sealed either). Pentax and Nikon tend to give much better sealing across their non-pro lenses.

With regards to the error message....

Canon says:
Err 20
Description: A malfunction with the mechanical mechanism has been...
From what I can gather it could be a lens problem so the easiest thing to do is switch lenses and see if the error goes away. If that doesn't do the trick then problem could be that the shutter box, circuit board, shutter mirror, and possibly the shutter motor.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3175646
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/37528458
https://support.usa.canon.com/kb/index?page=content&id=ART136417
http://community.usa.canon.com/t5/EOS/60D-error-message-error-20-message/td-p/148020
 

bjornl

Estimable
When the 6d came out Canon marketed it as weather sealed.
"Dust and drip proofing protection around control buttons and along outer cover seams has been upgraded from the EOS 5D Mark II and is equivalent to the protection on the EOS 5D Mark III."
I would contact Canon and hear what they have to say. Given that the rear screen is fogged. They might be fussy if you used it with an un-sealed lens, which is unfortunately most of their lenses since as I recall Canon only seals their L lenses (and some of those are not sealed either). Pentax and Nikon tend to give much better sealing across their non-pro lenses.

With regards to the error message....

Canon says:
Err 20
Description: A malfunction with the mechanical mechanism has been detected.
Resolution: Turn the power off, then remove and re-install the battery. Then turn the power on again

From their knowledge base:
"Err 20: Mechanical malfunction Within the mirror, shutter or aperture mechanism (most likely), some sort of disturbance, error or lock-up has been detected. This error code doesn’t specify where the exact problem is, but points to the cause being mechanical rather than an electronic gremlin."

...

From this I would guess you did more than go out in the rain. If I were a camera tech faced with two errors on the same camera, I would guess abuse. In this case water immersion. If this is not true, then you can look inside the camera housing for clues. Does the mirror go up and down, etc. I would also rice it again and store in a warm dry place (dehumidifier).

If all that fails, send it in to a repair shop for an estimate. (and this is where you are almost certainly going to end up). I suspect the camera is going to be scrap. If you want a low cost wet-weather camera (for less money) get a Pentax. If you want a system more in line with Canon but more sealed choices (and better low light performance), go Nikon.

Not what you wanted to hear, I suspect, but I hope you find it helpful at least.
 
Solution
Let me drop my two cents as well. I had similar accident with one of Canon' PowerShots (yes, I know - not the 6D) - the camera bag was filled with fine sand to the point where the lens did not retract, nor the battery door could be opened. I have sent it to Canon for evaluation and repair. That repair costs me about 25% of the price of the camera, and I got back a refurbished (not the same) unit. I think it's worth checking what you'll get from Canon in your case.