M50 (original) battery for date/time?

[WillyB46]

I've replaced the "button" battery in my 5Dmk2 when it died and lost the date and time. Now my original M50 (lesson learned btw: Don't buy a new Canon model until either price cut or Mk2 released) has lost the date and time. I've looked all over the camera and in the manual and cannot find a spec for a CR2032 or similar button battery for this camera.

Disclosure. The camera has been unused for a few weeks, and when I turned it on, the battery was also discharged. Is it possible that this camera doesn't have a separate replaceable battery for settings?

BTW, I'm a new dpreview user now but was a regular under a lost username from 2002 until about 2016.

Thanks.

--
WillyB

 

[nnowak]

I've replaced the "button" battery in my 5Dmk2 when it died and lost the date and time. Now my original M50 (lesson learned btw: Don't buy a new Canon model until either price cut or Mk2 released) has lost the date and time. I've looked all over the camera and in the manual and cannot find a spec for a CR2032 or similar button battery for this camera.

Disclosure. The camera has been unused for a few weeks, and when I turned it on, the battery was also discharged. Is it possible that this camera doesn't have a separate replaceable battery for settings?

BTW, I'm a new dpreview user now but was a regular under a lost username from 2002 until about 2016.

Thanks.

There is an internal battery that maintains the time and date. This internal battery gets charged via the LP-E12 battery. Charge up your camera battery and then insert it into your camera and leave it sit overnight. Hopefully your internal battery is just discharged and not malfunctioning.

 

[WillyB46]

I've replaced the "button" battery in my 5Dmk2 when it died and lost the date and time. Now my original M50 (lesson learned btw: Don't buy a new Canon model until either price cut or Mk2 released) has lost the date and time. I've looked all over the camera and in the manual and cannot find a spec for a CR2032 or similar button battery for this camera.

Disclosure. The camera has been unused for a few weeks, and when I turned it on, the battery was also discharged. Is it possible that this camera doesn't have a separate replaceable battery for settings?

BTW, I'm a new dpreview user now but was a regular under a lost username from 2002 until about 2016.

Thanks.

There is an internal battery that maintains the time and date. This internal battery gets charged via the LP-E12 battery. Charge up your camera battery and then insert it into your camera and leave it sit overnight. Hopefully your internal battery is just discharged and not malfunctioning.

Thanks, nnowak. I just saw your reply and will test it overnight. I had previously called Canon tech support and was told I should ship the camera to them for evaluation. Of course I didn't. I will report back here if this turns out to be the answer and the good news I hope it is, as this little camera is perfect in many respects. We have a house full of EF and a couple of EF-S lenses. My Tamron 16-300 and Sigma 8-16 make up my regular lightweight carry set, although I sometimes use one of my wife's EF lenses with a Metabones Speedbooster adapter, because I like having a 57mm F1.0, a 27-119mm F2.8, or a 340mm F2.0!

Thanks again. I'll get back here tomorrow.

 

[WillyB46]

Fully charged battery was in the camera around 2pm yesterday and had been in the camera for at least a week. Date and time were correct. I could remove the battery, wait a minute or two--as when swapping batteries, and the date and time were maintained.

This time I left the battery out. 8am this morning, I put the battery back in and turned on the camera. 01/01/2017 00:00:00. So, the internal battery can retain a charge for a few minutes but not even 18 hours. Since this is a "mark 1" version, it does not have USB-C allowing a battery charge inside the camera. I have two batteries, of course, and the only way for the date and time to be maintained is to have a charged main battery in the camera at all times.

I don't know how much Canon saved by not making the clock battery replaceable. I do know that the built-in battery will not hold a charge for 18 hours after having had a charged main battery installed for a couple weeks. I could send this to Canon for "repair", and after $25 shipping and $150 minimum evaluation and repair, I'd have a camera I could sell to a used camera dealer for $100 maybe.

For certain, though, I know to not buy a new Canon camera until the Mark 2 at least. When my wife wanted an R5, I suggested she wait for the Mark 2. She did. It's obvious to me that the last round of beta testers for new Canon cameras consists of retail customers, and the first actual production cameras are the Mark 2 versions.

 

[nnowak]

Fully charged battery was in the camera around 2pm yesterday and had been in the camera for at least a week. Date and time were correct. I could remove the battery, wait a minute or two--as when swapping batteries, and the date and time were maintained.

This time I left the battery out. 8am this morning, I put the battery back in and turned on the camera. 01/01/2017 00:00:00. So, the internal battery can retain a charge for a few minutes but not even 18 hours. Since this is a "mark 1" version, it does not have USB-C allowing a battery charge inside the camera. I have two batteries, of course, and the only way for the date and time to be maintained is to have a charged main battery in the camera at all times.

The M50 II also does not have USB charging. Only the M6 II received that feature.

I don't know how much Canon saved by not making the clock battery replaceable. I do know that the built-in battery will not hold a charge for 18 hours after having had a charged main battery installed for a couple weeks. I could send this to Canon for "repair", and after $25 shipping and $150 minimum evaluation and repair, I'd have a camera I could sell to a used camera dealer for $100 maybe.

Technically the battery is replaceable, but it will require disassembling the camera and possibly soldering on the motherboard. An independent local repair center may be able to help you out. As for sending the camera to Canon, they don't repair M cameras. They just get swapped for refurbished units. As you are well out of warranty, the cost of the refurbished camera would likely be more than just the $150 repair fee.

 

[WillyB46]

My granddaughter has an R50. Since it's the same small body, I don't imagine the clock battery is a user-replaceable item in that one either. It does have USB-C and I'm told the battery can be charged inside the camera via that connection.

I've been considering an R7Mk2 when it arrives later this year, but I'm undecided. My wife's R5Mk2 is really capable but also really complicated. I've become less impressed with Canon lately. My Epson 3880 finally died, and I replaced it with a Canon 1100, which is apparently designed to use $20 worth of ink each time it's power cycled and $10 a month when left on.

I'm not generally a Sony fan, but my friends who moved from Canon to Sony seem pretty happy with their move. Hmmm.

 

[Andy01]

My granddaughter has an R50. Since it's the same small body, I don't imagine the clock battery is a user-replaceable item in that one either. It does have USB-C and I'm told the battery can be charged inside the camera via that connection.

It can, but only with a PD rated charger & cable. Using a "standard" phone charger often doesn't work.

I've been considering an R7Mk2 when it arrives later this year, but I'm undecided.

Also consider the R10. It has a LOT of little features that R50 misses out on and has a similar size & weight to your M50, but will be a MASSIVE upgrade. I replaced my M5 with a R10 and R10 is heaps better in every respect except price. IMO R10 is an upgrade from just about any Canon APS-C DSLR or M body, including 90D & M6 ii.

My wife's R5Mk2 is really capable but also really complicated. I've become less impressed with Canon lately. My Epson 3880 finally died, and I replaced it with a Canon 1100, which is apparently designed to use $20 worth of ink each time it's power cycled and $10 a month when left on.

I have owned Canon printers (smaller versions) for years, and it gets used quite infrequently since my daughter moved out. It doesn't like not printing anything for an extended period (more than a few weeks), and usually does a full clean and prime when switched on. This obviously uses a lot of ink, and also runs the risk of dried ink build-up on the printing head (resulting in head failure).

I now have a fortnightly reminder to do a simple test print of a small Word document I set up which only has a couple of lines of text in each main colour. It has been a while now, and the printer seems to start printing almost immediately whereas previously it took a couple of minutes to run through it's self clean, so I am hoping that this reduces the ink consumption and dried ink build-up issue.

I'm not generally a Sony fan, but my friends who moved from Canon to Sony seem pretty happy with their move. Hmmm.

That may be the case for people who switched a few years ago (before the more recent R bodies), but IMO the recent Canon R bodies (Digic X) are a match (or better) for most Sonys, especially with regard to menus and colours. Sony still has the edge with third party lens availability though.

 

[Mik-el]

As for sending the camera to Canon, they don't repair M cameras. They just get swapped for refurbished units. As you are well out of warranty, the cost of the refurbished camera would likely be more than just the $150 repair fee.

This is news to me. I just sent my M50 with an Err 20 code to Cannon. So they'll send me a refurbished M50?

 

[WillyB46]

Thanks, Andy. I'll give the R10 a look, although I'm still "once burned, twice shy" on any Canon mark 1 vs mark 2. My granddaughter came over yesterday to try out a microphone I have for her R50 (she goes to school at SCAD and does a lot of video), and I'll be darned if barely 18 months old, and that camera loses the date and time if the battery is out for more than a couple hours!

The Canon printer software has a nozzle check page I can print. While it's more extensive than the one on my old Epson, it does look like its ink usage is minimal, and it does use every head nozzle, and that's a plus. I used to print a nozzle check on my Epson once a week. I'm thinking of every two weeks on this one. I have replaced three inks and have five more coming from B&H.

We print a lot less than ten years ago, and now that PSA and our Gulf Coast council are moving to 1920x1080 for digital competition pictures, I see fewer prints in our future, not to mention this 17x25 printer is serious overkill. I still have 25+ sheets of that big paper from Red River under our guest room bed from several years ago.

Thanks again for your suggestion.

 

[Andy01]

Thanks, Andy. I'll give the R10 a look, although I'm still "once burned, twice shy" on any Canon mark 1 vs mark 2. My granddaughter came over yesterday to try out a microphone I have for her R50 (she goes to school at SCAD and does a lot of video), and I'll be darned if barely 18 months old, and that camera loses the date and time if the battery is out for more than a couple hours!

Thanks again for your suggestion.

I sold my M5 and 6D ii last year (June) when I bought my R bodies, and neither of them had any problems - M5 was 7yo and 6D ii was 6yo. Both of these cameras were always left with a normal battery in them at all times.

I wonder if frequency of use has something to do with it ? If a camera is left with a normal battery in it at all times (assuming the battery isn't also flat), then the internal battery/capacitor should remain fully charged. I would guess that if the internal "battery" was allowed to go completely flat a few times, then it may lose it's capacity to maintain a charge ?

 

[Quailane]

Fully charged battery was in the camera around 2pm yesterday and had been in the camera for at least a week. Date and time were correct. I could remove the battery, wait a minute or two--as when swapping batteries, and the date and time were maintained.

This time I left the battery out. 8am this morning, I put the battery back in and turned on the camera. 01/01/2017 00:00:00. So, the internal battery can retain a charge for a few minutes but not even 18 hours. Since this is a "mark 1" version, it does not have USB-C allowing a battery charge inside the camera. I have two batteries, of course, and the only way for the date and time to be maintained is to have a charged main battery in the camera at all times.

I don't know how much Canon saved by not making the clock battery replaceable. I do know that the built-in battery will not hold a charge for 18 hours after having had a charged main battery installed for a couple weeks. I could send this to Canon for "repair", and after $25 shipping and $150 minimum evaluation and repair, I'd have a camera I could sell to a used camera dealer for $100 maybe.

For certain, though, I know to not buy a new Canon camera until the Mark 2 at least. When my wife wanted an R5, I suggested she wait for the Mark 2. She did. It's obvious to me that the last round of beta testers for new Canon cameras consists of retail customers, and the first actual production cameras are the Mark 2 versions.

 

[WillyB46]

Thanks to all who replied with help and suggestions. I now just keep a battery in the camera at all times, with only a minute or less of "no battery" while I swap them. Yes, it's a minor inconvenience, but we put up with a lot of minor inconveniences these days, and in most cases the minor inconvenience is to avoid something worse!

Thanks again.

 

[nnowak]

As for sending the camera to Canon, they don't repair M cameras. They just get swapped for refurbished units. As you are well out of warranty, the cost of the refurbished camera would likely be more than just the $150 repair fee.

This is news to me. I just sent my M50 with an Err 20 code to Cannon. So they'll send me a refurbished M50?

Any update on you M50 repair?

 

[Mik-el]

As for sending the camera to Canon, they don't repair M cameras. They just get swapped for refurbished units. As you are well out of warranty, the cost of the refurbished camera would likely be more than just the $150 repair fee.

This is news to me. I just sent my M50 with an Err 20 code to Cannon. So they'll send me a refurbished M50?

Any update on you M50 repair?

Yes, Canon received it on June 27th, repairs (replaced the shutter) were completed on July 7th and it was delivered to me on July 9th. It cost me $268.62.

 

[nnowak]

As for sending the camera to Canon, they don't repair M cameras. They just get swapped for refurbished units. As you are well out of warranty, the cost of the refurbished camera would likely be more than just the $150 repair fee.

This is news to me. I just sent my M50 with an Err 20 code to Cannon. So they'll send me a refurbished M50?

Any update on you M50 repair?

Yes, Canon received it on June 27th, repairs (replaced the shutter) were completed on July 7th and it was delivered to me on July 9th. It cost me $268.62.

Can you tell if you received your original camera back or if it was a refurb?