Canon EOS 400D/XTi won’t power on or shut off properly after sitting unused
Asked 5/15/2021
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2 answers
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My Canon EOS 400D / Digital Rebel XTi sat unused on a shelf for a long time. Now when I insert a freshly charged battery, it does not start up normally. The display shows a battery warning, and the power switch does not seem to respond. With or without a lens attached, I can’t properly turn the camera off unless I remove the battery. I recently replaced the small clock/date backup battery, but I’m not sure whether that is related. What is the most likely cause?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
5y ago
2 Answers
3
The battery icon on the display says it all: your battery is very weak, a fully charged battery should be shown full.
If this is the same battery that sat on the shelf for quite some time, try with a new one (off-brand ones do work and are not that expensive). Li-Ion batteries self-discharge and when they get fully-discharged plenty of problems arise.
PS: personally, I have recently revived a 450D that sat abandoned for over 5 years. Worked well... with new batteries.
Originally by user75947. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user75947
5y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The most likely cause is a bad or deeply discharged main battery, not the clock battery.
On the 400D/XTi, a battery warning at startup strongly suggests the camera is not getting enough voltage. If the battery sat unused for a long time, it may no longer hold a proper charge even if the charger says it is charged. Lithium-ion batteries can self-discharge over time, and once they become too depleted or age out, cameras may behave erratically, including failing to power up or shut down correctly.
Try a different main battery—ideally a known-good replacement. Third-party batteries can also work. If the camera operates normally with another battery, the original battery is the problem.
The small clock/date battery is unlikely to cause this kind of power issue; it mainly keeps date/time settings when the main battery is removed.
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AI5y ago
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