Powershot G2 problem

[tredzwater]

Hi. I'm strictly an amateur and use my Canon Powershot G2 for the usual amateur snapshots. It's my only camera and, to be honest, I can't afford to buy another one.

The problem I'm having is that when I turn the camera on I get the screen for setting the date and none of the buttons work. I thought it needed a new date battery so I installed one but the same problem continues.

The arrow buttons for setting the date do nothing. It does "take" a picture (apparently...the picture flashes into the LED screen for a moment) but there is no way to view the pictures on the card because I can't get rid of the date screen.

I hope this is a clear enough description. Although I'm 65, I love new technology but I'm not expert enough to be sure I'm using the correct terminology. I'd be very grateful if anyone can tell me what I need to do next.

Thanks so much.

[jekostas]

I don't think I've ever heard of this problem, actually. Googling doesn't seem to help much either.

Have you tried clearing the date display by toggling any of the physical buttons on the top of the camera, such as the mode dial or the Camera/Playback switch? If the soft buttons don't work, they should at least give positive feedback on a mode change.

Try this: the next time you turn your camera on, try toggling the Camera/Playback switch back and forth a few time, see if that works. If not, try the mode dial, on a different picture-taking setting (you can always set it back to the one you want afterwards).

Next step would be e-mail Canon's support system - they are generally pretty good at getting back to you.

[Beowulff]

Um...

When you remove the SD card from the camera after you've apparently "taken" some pics, can you view 'em on your PC by using a card reader? Or is there literally nothing on the card to view?

Cheers :)

[S_p_i_d_e_r]

Take out the main battery(ies) and the date battery. Leave the camera without batteries overnight, then replace all batteries with fresh ones. Maybe this will help.

Also, if you have a meter, check the date battery you replaced lately. If the voltage is below 3V you might have an internal short circuit that quickly runs new battery flat. I had couple of S5 IS and many SX100 IS with this malfunction.

And... are you sure that buttons are clean and no liquid was spilled on them? :)

[tredzwater]

Thanks so very much for all the replies.

Yes, I'm sure that no liquids have been spilled on the camera. Otherwise, I have no idea how to check for cleanliness or how to clean it if it is dirty.

I'll take out the batteries and leave them, as suggested. My "big" battery is also new. I'll get a new date battery since the one I put in it came 2 to a pack and if one is bad the other one is likely to be bad, too.

I just checked the card and it did have the two "test" pics I took when the problem started. They had a date of Jan. 1, 1980 on the Properties info.

Once I do that, I'll try the top-of-camera buttons as suggested. If that doesn't work, I'll check back here before I email Canon. Do they give advice for free and do you think they'll advise on such an old camera?

I've read a bunch of posts and this seems like a really nice forum. I'm blown away by the quality of the pics I've seen attached.

I admit to a bit of drooling when y'all talk about your high-end cameras but, to be honest, with the use I get out of it the one I have is good enough for me.

Maybe, when I become rich and famous because of my incredible good looks, :D :D :D :D I'll get a new camera and take real pictures.

Again, my thanks...

[Beowulff]

If all else fails (!) ...

If you send in your camera, with this completed form

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/app/pdf/dealer/FSC.pdf

to:

CANON FACTORY SERVICE CENTER
1440 CHASE AVENUE
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
(630) 250-6500

... and briefly explain the situation and request a "courtesy repair" Canon could possibly fix it for free if it's some sort of acknowledged, back-dated issue with the G2 that they have on their repair database. But... don't hold me to it LOL.

Bear in mind that — and considering the G2 was nearly $1000 seven years ago (!!!) — it still takes an extremely good quality image for a 4MP sensor, and particularly with that nice fast ƒ2 lens. Obviously, if it comes to the crunch, you're gonna have to weigh up the potential repair costs for such an old camera, versus buying a better-equipped, technically updated current model for less than half the G2's original price.

Cheers :)

[tredzwater]

Beowulff, I've thought of that. I was reading the S3 thread and looking at all the marvellous pics and looked into the S2 which was mentioned as almost as good.

I found one on Amazon for $100...used, which is always iffy. Also, it will probably be gone by Oct. 3rd which is the next time I'll have any money at all. It does seem as if an S2 might be a possibility.

Thank you for the link to the Canon form and I will definitely check into it. If I can't get my G2 fixed for less than a used S3, that may be the way I'll go. I've dearly loved my G2 and would hate to give it up so I'll try everything else, first.

What do you think about buying a used camera from Amazon? I'd be chary of buying such from a stranger but Amazon does have a good reputation. I'd be grateful for your honest opinion. I'm not the sort of person who just wants people to validate my own ideas and I will definitely weigh any advice most carefully.

Seeing how you respond to each other and how those of you with vast expertise don't seem to think that advising newbies is a waste of time or that anyone who spends less than 5 grand on a camera is beneath contempt (which is what I've seen on some other sites...), I may just try adding a new learning experience to my "golden years". Heh.

[Beowulff]

Unfortunately, I'd be a bit (no... make that very) cynical about buying a second-hand camera through Amazon or eBay or any other online auction site for that matter.

Sure; there's some excellent bargains to be had online, and many of the guys here will've had absolutely no problems buying used camera gear from online sites.

But... if you read a lot of forums, you'll also see some real horror stories about buying stuff online (and particularly new stuff that's been greatly misrepresented in some way).

It's almost the flip of a coin in my opinion... sorry, that's a great help ain't it LOL.

Buying second-hand means that basically you're putting a lot of trust into the seller's hands, and personally, I'm not prepared to do that. Call me old-fashioned, but I'm a bit of a Luddite with regard to buying and selling things over the internet. I much prefer dealing with bricks 'n' mortar stores — who might charge me an extra $30 or $50 for the goods, but at least they're still gonna be there in 6 months' time when something goes wrong with my new toy.

I dunno what it's like in the US, but downunder most major towns have reputable camera shops dealing in workshop-tested, second-hand camera gear, and who in many cases provide their own limited guarantee (maybe 3 months, or 6) — even though it's a pre-owned item.

The other path you could follow is to check out what are known as "refurbished" cameras. These are cameras that've been returned to the manufacturer for some reason — which sometimes can be quite minor, like a blemish on a bit of chrome trim, or a broken (but repaired) hinge on a battery door, or a bare-metal scratch on a black case. Sometimes customers return as-new cameras because something like a relatively minor electro-mechanical fault (that's easily fixed) gets 'em all hot and bothered, and they decide they don't want that model ever(!) again. And all DOA cameras get returned — and once again it can be for some simple, easily fixed factory repair that doesn't affect the operation of the camera one iota. So, these sorts of cameras become "refurbished" and can be a great bargain.

You'll have to check in the US, but several of the manufacturers themselves actually sell refurbished cameras directly to the public and at reduced prices.

And finally; yep, we are are pretty easy-going bunch around here! No camera snobs allowed LOL. But then Jeff runs a pretty tight ship, unlike some other review sites' forums I could name.

BTW, I'm 62, but I've grown up with cameras and computers (purely as a hobbyist) so don't worry too much about "us" golden oldies — we can more than adequately cope LOL!!!

Cheers :)

[tredzwater]

Sorry for the delay in answering, Beowulf. We've had a lot of rain and then, plop in the middle, two lovely sunny days. I've been busily doing outside stuff to get ready for winter.

I never thought about refurb! I feel like doing that forehead-smacking thing. I'll definitely look into it and will also not take a chance on used cameras.

I certainly have gotten a lot of great advice and I'll let you all know how it all finally turns out. Meanwhile, I'm gonna lurk and learn as much as I can.

I really like this forum.