Canon 5D and 5DII failures ?

[wilyums]

I have had complete electronics replacements in both a 5D and 5DII with no explanations from Canon when asked.  Both cameras were used with tender loving care, never dropped or exposed to foul conditions. This gets expensive !!   I love the camera but don't want to keep repairing it....any suggestions ?

[Cineski]

Why did you send your camera in in the first place?

[wilyums]

Both cameras stopped working, the 5DII showed "error message" on the screen and the older one had no message but just quit.  Sending the camera to Canon seemed like the logical thing to do.  I'm curious if others have had similar problems.

[jrayupchurch]

I have a Canon 20D that has never give one minute’s problem. In 2009 I purchased a 5DII I and love the photos it produces.  Only when focused with live view, auto focus is hit and miss with this camera. The biggest problem with the camera is reliability. The LCD started not coming on when you powered up. It started acting up occasionally but you could turn it off and on and it would work. It progressively got worse so I sent it back to Canon.They refused to repair it under warranty due to a dent in the body. It cost over $500 to repair and I never really get a straight answer what was the problem. Last month it started doing the same thing again. If I didn’t have so much money tied up in Canon gear I would change brands.

[Kirk Gittings]

I have both cameras, 5D and 5DII, both since they first came out with heavy professional use-not a lick of problems with either.

[K.C.]

Seeking anecdotal information from this forum or any other is just too limited a cross section of users to reveal anything useful.

Having said that, I have a 7D that's just started the error message. Barely used camera, never gave the error until I tested shooting video with it. 5DII soldiers on with 20 times the usage.

Had a 20D that gave me the error a couple of times and then worked for another 2 years before I sold it.

[wilyums]

Thanks for the reply, I too had no help from Canon and the repairs cost $600 and $400 with no help to avoid future problems.  Neither camera was treated with anything but loving careful handling..  Can't switch to Nikon as I am heavily invested in Canon...

[KenS]

I've had a 5DII for a year or so.  It's gotten slightly wet in thunderstorms several times and, a few months ago my tripod and 5DII blew over in a sudden wind gust in the Bisti Badlands.  Tripod was extended about 5 ft, I turned my back to get a polarizer, turned around and the camera (at first thought) was gone ! (lots of theives in those badlands  .  Anyway, neither falling into the hard clay/sand or getting wet has caused any problems so I'm a happy camper.

OTOH, the lock knobs on both my TS-E II 24 mm and TS-E 45 mm have gotten stuck for no apparent reason.  Canon repaired them both for free under warranty (very fast return) and now that the lenses have been used more the tendency for those knobs to stick has disappeared.

[Clyde RF]

wilyums...Check out Michael's "Whats New" report in the archives, dated Feb.7, 2009--titled "Antarctica: What Worked and What Didn't." On that trip, an inordinate number of 5d Mark Twos failed in one way or another. 

[David Good]

I had my 5D stop working last year, error 99 I believe. It was sent to Canon repair here in Canada, and I accepted the estimate to repair. The final invoice indicated they replaced the PBC assemblies, both digital and DC/DC (printed circuit boards) and performed the mirror fix as well. All is well with the old body now.