Canon 40D Battery

I just recently, 2 days ago, got a Canon 40D with 2 4 hr batteries. However,

after charging both batteries until the light on the charger stopped flashing,

plus some, both batteries died after at most 10 min. Did I just have the bad

luck of getting 2 bum batteries or is this a common problem?

It's not a common problem.

 

If you put the batteries back in the charger, what % charge does it think that they have?

100%

"2 4 hr batteries" - they don't really come with those specs and for two to fail would be unusual. Are they Canon BP-511A 7.4V 1390mAh (Li-ion) batteries as recommended for your camera? Are they being charged in the Canon CG-580 charger? When you put them back into the charger it indicates they are fully charged - why do you think they have both died?

Yup both batteries are the exact battery you described and so is the charger. When I first got my camera and thus the batteries, I put them in the charger and they blinked once. After a few hours the light was solid. Now when I put them into the charger the light is still solid, but when I put them into the camera, the camera's battery (or low battery) flashes and it won't let me do anything. I think I just got unlucky enough to get 2 bad batteries.

Could be - go to Sterlingtek.com and buy some spares for a great price.

Maybe. Also try cleaning the contacts with alcohol.

*contacts both in camera and battery.

I'd be a bit suspicious of the camera - it sounds like the batteries went through a normal charge cycle - and are still indicating full charge.

 

Either way it's a problem - Can you return the whole kit for your dealer to sort out?

Thanks for all the advice. I'll try cleaning the contact points on both batteries and camera with alcohol. I called the dealer where I ordered the camera and they are sending 2 new batteries w/o any cost or fuss.

I am no expert on the technology of the camera ... but I have to say that I am looking through the canon forums for other people who have difficulties with batteries. You have described my problems exactly. I have an older Digital Rebel (the oldest Rebel DSLR - 6 megapixel), and have consistently had problems with batteries (have purchased several new ones so that I can go through them during a somewhat short shoot). I just thought it was the nature of the beast. But when I thought I had left the newest battery in the charger too long a few months ago (forgot about it on the charger for a week or so) I went to a local camera shop in the new city where I had just moved to buy a new battery. They asked me why I wanted a new battery, and when they heard the whole story (that I always have batteries "die" relatively quickly) they informed me that it's not the battery but the camera. They hadn't seen the camera, so I'm simply suspect. Didn't buy the new battery OR have the camera checked out. But it's interesting to hear the same problem described. Anyone else having this problem?

Try a hard reset of the camera: Remove both the Li-ion battery and the Li button cell (CR2015 or something like that). Replace them 1-2 minutes later. That seems to have worked sometimes for other Canon xxD models acting funky.

Hi Guys

 

This sounds similar to the problem I am experiencing with my 5D. I can put a fully charged battery in and maybe 10 shots later, the camera dies. If I turn off the camera and remove and replace the battery the camera shows a fully charged battery. And this keeps happening with all of my batteries in the 5D. They work okay in the 10D so, it isn't the batteries.

I am having the same problem only when I use my 85 1.2 lens.

 

Chris

Its weird, I get have the same problem when using the 85mm 1.2 lens too. But it also happens with my other lenses as well. I have 5 different batteries and they all give me the same problem. Its very annoying. I think there should be a firmware update that should solve this problem in the near future.

Dean, did you ever find the problem. I have the exact same experience with my 5D and any of my three batteries. If it were just one, I would believe that the battery finally died. (I've had them for 5-6 generations of Canons) but this happens with all three and it just started recently.

<p>I'm having the opposite problem. On the camera display it will show my battery getting low but when I put it on the charger the light is solid as if the battery is fully charged. The first time this happened I put the battery back in the camera immediately and the camera displayed a full battery for a few hours then it went back down again. Then when I put it on the charger again the light was solid so I unplugged it and plugged it back in to a power strip and the light was flashing. Today I'm having the same issue. The camera displayed a low battery so I plugged the battery into the charger and again, solid light. </p>

<p>I ended up sending my 5D back to Canon. They adjusted the 'inhibit voltage' cleaned it and returned it to me. Didn't do a bit of good so I sent it back. They then replaced the 'pinassy' and 'CFslot' , adjusted and cleaned everything once again and returned it to me. I've had no further problems. </p>

<p>Not sure if this helpful:<br>

I had similar issues on a 40D<br>

Battery would drain in a few hours if left in camera (even though camera turned off)<br>

Would be lucky to get 50 shots from a fully charged battery, before camera shows flat battery - though, pop this into another camera, this is shown as fully charged and able to get several (hundreds) more shots - or pop into charger - the charger would indicate the battery is already fully charged<br>

Took this to Canon - turns out to be a faulty board:<br>

CG2-2796-000 PCB ASS'Y, BOTTOM<br>

Replaced this and everything working without further issue<br>

Total cost (inc. labour) approx AUD$330, with 6mnth warranty on repair</p>