Unruly Canon DSLR

[JBurnett]

This is both a computer related question and a camera forum question. Where to start??

I have a Canon 40D DSLR camera that I bought approximately 10 years ago. I took 6 pics with it, then had to leave photography alone- just no time… till now.

I charged the battery (have 2- charged both), they appear to have charged- went from 1 blink on the charger to 2 rapid, then 3, then solid. BTW, when I was ignoring the camera for all those years, I did pull the battery out, left the card in though.

I put the charged battery in the camera…turned the cameras switch to ‘On’ and…nothing. It won’t even think of powering up. The CF card is inserted, but I think I off-loaded pics years ago using the computer, and the card may be unformatted. I have 4 different card readers built into the face of my Dell XPS8000, the various drives (USB card readers) show up in Device Manager and in My Computer, but I can’t access a card that is plugged in to format it- it says ‘no media.’ The card, when inserted into the computers card reader, does light up as being recognized / active.
Halp!!

 

[USAFRet]

If the camera powers up, can you format the card with the camera function?

But...10 year old battery and CF card...may need to replace both.

 

[JBurnett]

If the camera powers up, can you format the card with the camera function?

But...10 year old battery and CF card...may need to replace both.

It doesn't even THINK of powering up. I'll try a new battery, even though it took 45 min. to show charged..

Thank you

 

[USAFRet]

If the camera powers up, can you format the card with the camera function?

But...10 year old battery and CF card...may need to replace both.

It doesn't even THINK of powering up. I'll try a new battery, even though it took 45 min. to show charged..

Thank you

A 10 year old, completely unused battery..yeah, you need a new one.

 

[JBurnett]

It turns out I must have had battery seating problems. The third time removing and dropping the battery back in, it fired up. Perhaps ever so slight oxidation on the battery compartment / battery contacts from just sitting all those years? Beats me, but works fine now.

 

[Trinapowz]

Yeah you definitely need a new one.

 

[spystyle]

Glad it's working. Can we add "Solved" to the title ?

 

[williamjames07]

Yeah, there is need to replace it and buy the new one. So, that it works properly like as a new one.

 

[JBurnett]

I keep getting this suggestion. I appreciate people trying to help, but... I'm not sure people are understanding what I'm saying. There apparently was a minute layer of oxidation either on the battery contacts, or the camera's battery compartment. By dropping the battery in several times, it
broke through that film. It works fine now; in fact both batteries I have work fine now. There's certainly no reason to replace these now; the problem is solved.

Sometimes a card in your computer will stop working. Is your first inclination to buy a new computer? Of course not. You remove that card, and rub the contacts with an eraser, and re-seat it. Why? Because a thin
film of oxidation is stopping the card from making proper contact.

Your car isn't quite as shiny as it was several years ago. Throw it away and buy a new one? Or do you simply use a car polish and remove the...er...oxidation that has built up on it.

Thanks to all!

...and you can't mark your own post as the solution? Brilliant.

 

[JBurnett]

Glad it's working. Can we add "Solved" to the title ?

You can mark my last post as the answer.

 

[USAFRet]

shiny as it was several years ago. Throw it away and buy a new one? Or do you simply use a car polish and remove the...er...oxidation that has built up on it.

Thanks to all!

...and you can't mark your own post as the solution? Brilliant.

No, you cannot mark your own post as the solution. It is designed that way.
As far as a new battery? Sure, it works. I'd be surprised, though, if it actually holds a charge in any way similar to what it did when new.

Take any rechargeable battery. Let it sit on the shelf for a decade. Charge it up and use it.
How long does it last?

 

[JBurnett]

shiny as it was several years ago. Throw it away and buy a new one? Or do you simply use a car polish and remove the...er...oxidation that has built up on it.

Thanks to all!

...and you can't mark your own post as the solution? Brilliant.

No, you cannot mark your own post as the solution. It is designed that way.
As far as a new battery? Sure, it works. I'd be surprised, though, if it actually holds a charge in any way similar to what it did when new.

Take any rechargeable battery. Let it sit on the shelf for a decade. Charge it up and use it.
How long does it last?

I understand what you're saying.

Both batteries were fully charged May 15, and the one in the camera shows still fully charged. It hasn't been used though. So all I know is that it's holding a charge, not that it might deplete itself more rapidly than a brand new one.

I've always subscribed to the, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" theory.