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Help needed solving a problem with my 350 D


Graham

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Hi all.


My Canon 350 D has developed an annoying problem.


I use mine in conjunction with my PC via BYE so all the subs are downloaded directly to the PC not the memory card.


 


It is powered from the mains so no battery involved.


 


What is happening is after shooting several subs the camera will get stuck downloading the sub to the PC.


This in turn causes the camera to disconnect from BYE.


 


Now at this point if I look at the display screen the Camera is still trying to download or do something although it has disconnected its self from the PC.


 


The only way to resolve it is to switch off the camera and unplug it from the mains adapter.


I can then plug it back in switch it on and it immediately connects back to BYE and I can continue shooting subs.


 


I thought it was a power problem with the dummy battery not fitting properly but now it will do it when shooting Darks. This means the scope is not moving so the battery should not move either.


 


Any thoughts I would be grateful as it is starting to grate a bit.


It also means I cannot leave the obs in case it happens and I miss hours of sub time.


 


Many thanks


Graham.


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Here I go again, trying to answer AP questions........  :facepalm2:


 


Hard drive filling up?


 


Also, I think I have seen discussions on here about laptops / P.C's unable to handle large amounts of images at once (programs that stack, DSS for example), could your P.C be experiencing memory issues when trying to store the files?


 


I take it these are RAW files we are talking about?  Are RAW files not massive?


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Hi Darren


Yes RAW images.


Memory not a problem mate 4 gig of ram.


Never used to have this problem it is growing as time passes.


 


When it downloads you get the spinning wheel in the top right hand corner of BYE.


When the fault occurs this wheel just keeps spinning round and around until eventually I presume the camera/program times out.

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Graham


 


I had exactly the same problem with my Canon 40D so you are not alone and that was with Maxim DL.


 


Sorry never solved it...all i could do was disconnect power, power up again and it started as you say.


 


So its not just BYE and not just your camera.  Will check with Stephen but am sure we never got to the bottom of this cycling error with the camera


 


 


Sheila


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Thanks you two.


Well if it gets any worse I might be going over to the real dark side ..... CCD :facepalm:


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Reinstall bye ?,whys the download time of the file? Sounds like bye is corrupt

Pat try thr free apt graham if its compatible with your camera to see iff its cam or software ?

 

Cheers Pat but it would seem I am not alone with this one.

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I have a suspicion that the issue is with the Canon cameras.

 

I have a suspicion you may well be right there Mike.

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Both of my canons (1000 and 600) shut down when connected to backyard eos when i was imaging the sun; i'm still investigating why and my idea is that the sensor gets too hot. But they work fine at night.

Are you saving the files as raw and jpeg? Might the delay in composing the jpeg files be introducing a delay and some electronic confusion?

Have you just tried to save the data only to the camera memory card and not try to transmit it to the computer?

I'm no expert but these were just my ideas.

I hope it gets solved quickly.

Also, how long is the usb lead? Have you tried with a standard length lead?

James

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Sounds like buffer overflow to me - are you using serial, parallel, or USB 1, 2, 3 for your picture data?


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James - only ever use RAW. The usb is runing on a 5 meter repeater lead.


Kim - using usb 2


thanks


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USB 2 should be ok USB 3 would be better - whichever so long as the lead is an "active" lead. :)


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do you use a delay between images?

 

Didn't make a diference with mine and APT, it would do a random number of shots no problem, then just freeze up. Sometimes 20 shots, next time maybe only one or two and I was at that time leaving 40secs between shots.

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Kim - yes it is an active lead.


 


Steve - Yes always leave a cool down  delay between subs.


 


Pat - My computers are indoors in the warm so theres no problem with them.


 


Thanks folks


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Hi Steve


I use a separate hard drive for my images.


it is 82 % empty


cheers


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How separate is the separate hard drive, is there a delay in writing to it which somehow causes a back log and a crash?

Can you tell the camera to just write to its memory card, and if so does the problem still happen?

I hope you get to the bottom of it, sounds annoying.

James

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Pat - If it comes to it I might just have to but if I go down that route it will defeat the object of my set up.


It also means I will have to download to the memory card.


I like the fact that I can sit in a nice warm room and watch each sub come in. This way I can edit out the bad subs as I go which saves me loads of time when it comes to processing.


 


James - the hard drive is inside the PC so no delays.It also does it if I use the main hard drive as well.


If I get it to write to the memory card the only way I will be able to tell if it has gone wrong would be to go out to the dark obs climb up a step ladder to be able to see the camera screen. see reply to Pat.


This could disturb the scope and mess up what it is doing  or worse I could slip off the step ladder in all this icy weather and damage the scope.


After talking to Sheila,Mike,Martin and several other people it would appear this is a common problem and I am going to have to live with it.


The stupid thing is some nights I can shoot 3 to 4 hundred subs without a hitch other nights it will freeze after only 20.


If there was a set pattern to it I would be able to trace the fault or at least work around it.


I have sent an email to Canon to see if they can come up with an explanation.


many thanks for the input I am sure there must be a simple answer to this its just finding it. :lol:


Edited by Graham
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 Pat - that would be the stupid miniature usb plug you are talking about.


I have planned to clean that all up with contact cleaner.


I recon I can fab up a clamp bracket to hold it in place once plugged in.


thanks I will try that if we ever get another clear sky :angry::lol:


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Cheers Paul.


All my cables are in a purpose made harness fitted to the pier, mount and scope.


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I had this with BYE a while back and cured it by removing the memory card I had left in the camera after using it elsewhere.


Have you tried using the camera with the memory card removed?


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I had this with BYE a while back and cured it by removing the memory card I had left in the camera after using it elsewhere.

Have you tried using the camera with the memory card removed?

 

Andy :) :) :)

I did not know it would work with out a card in it.

I just left it in there because I thought it had to have one.

Now you have said this i used the card a short while ago before this problem started getting a PITA.

So hopefully you could be right.

I will give it a go first chance I get.

In fact I may just set the camera going taking subs of the inside of the obs to test your theory.

Sod it that is exactly what I am going to do right now.

Let you know how I get on.

Thanks Andy.

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