To customers using the BG-E2 battery grip with an EOS 20D digital SLR camera:
Thank you for using Canon products.
We have confirmed that the BG-E2 battery grip for the EOS 20D digital SLR camera causes issues such as the number of shots being limited or a low-battery warning being displayed immediately when used with a fully charged battery pack or a fresh set of AA batteries. Canon offers its sincerest apologies to all customers who have been inconvenienced by this issue.
Starting at the end of May, we plan to offer repairs free of charge for all BG-E2 battery grips that are affected by this issue. The starting date and more detailed information will be announced soon. With sincere regret for the inconvenience this represents for our users, we ask for your patience until that announcement can be made.
We spare no effort in our quality control process, to make sure our customers can use our products with confidence. Please accept our thanks in advance for your patience and understanding.
I dont have problem using BP-511a on my BG-E2 but when using AA batteries it register battery low even with a fully charge battery, I bought my Bg-e2 2days ago. should I return it for a new one, send for repair? Well I really dont shoot using AA batteries but maybe the new one would be better?
If it works good then don't return it! I doubt that even a new grip would give you a full charge bar on AAs. Those are meant as the very last resort. Even the manual says that you should get about 20 (or maybe it's 80) shots before quiting.
I guess the only problem is when using AA batteries on BG-E2. mine wont start up when using AA batteries. Should I send it to canon for free repair even I will not use the AA batteries or just keep it as is?
Here's what I'd suggest about the BG-E2 and AA batteries...
Buy youself 2-3 more 511s and throw away the AA battery tray! I wish Canon never would have designed that grip to accept AAs anyway. What in the heck were they thinking!?!?
I know the arguments about buying something that should work, using AA batteries in a 'pinch', blah, blah, blah. The fact is, 511s are dirt cheap and if one is prepared (as a good photog should be), that 20d will hardly ever run out of battery power with a set of charged batteries in the grip and another back up charged and ready to go in the bag. I've shot for days on two sets of charged batteries.
DigicIII...does the grip work on the camera with the 511s? If so, IMO I think it would be a total waste to send it in to Canon because it doesn't work well with AAs.
I guess my quiestion is: shouldn't six 1.2v 2250ma NiMh rechargables work just as well as a 7.2v 1200ma BP511? The voltages and milliamps all add up yet the grip won't fire up.
I'm not an engineer and have no clue what the difference is, but I still go back to my post...why mess with AAs when the 511s work like a charm and are so inexpensive? What's the point of even messing with the AAs?
Metal...don't get me wrong, as I'm not doggin' ya...I just don't understand why some get so hung up on the AA issue with this grip.
My problem of the BG-E2 is that it is not tightly secure, no matter now hard I tried. So when I use a flash bracket, the power contact got loose and got error 99. I have to pop the 511 batteries out and re-insert them.
Some member suggested to put a piece of tape/paper on the left side of the grip which I have not tried.
i've had my new grip in for repair TWICE, and both times it came back with the same problem i sent it in for; "the grip has a known factory defect; a shorting problem" as canon explained it to me.
Scott Sewell wrote:
Metal...don't get me wrong, as I'm not doggin' ya...I just don't understand why some get so hung up on the AA issue with this grip.
I've gone to the cheapy BP511s as you suggested and it works great. I'm just curious about the grip bug now as to why it's not working.
The only problem I've had with mine aside from the AA issue is that it has on occasion was not able to wake the camera up with the vertical button on the first or second try. othewise, I feel lucky to not have a lemon like some of the ones described.
DigicIII wrote:
how about with the BP511A? Is there anybody experiencing problem using 2x BP511A on BG-E2?
Not a problem, and I have one of the early, non-retrofitted grips.
I think the only reason Canon added the AA adapter is the same reason all these "prosumer" cameras have those useless pop-up flashes--sales! The idea is to make the camera appeal to a wider group of customers.
Albert4321 wrote:
My problem of the BG-E2 is that it is not tightly secure, no matter now hard I tried. So when I use a flash bracket, the power contact got loose and got error 99. I have to pop the 511 batteries out and re-insert them.
Some member suggested to put a piece of tape/paper on the left side of the grip which I have not tried.
I've got the same problem, let me know if you try the tape/paper solution.
I sent mine in to Canon in Irvine and it came back and attached more securely to the camera. There was a significant difference in how sturdy the combination felt.
However, Canon said that I would have to send in the grip with the Camera body if I wanted the power drain problem corrected. They even said on the invoice from service that the grip was tested and worked perfectly... no problems. The post does not mention if Canon would need us to send in just the grip or the camera and the grip.
I never sent mine back. instead, gor 4 cheap 1500mAh BP511A and at approx 400 shots per fully charged battery, i can learn to deal with the issue.
However, Canon said that I would have to send in the grip with the Camera body if I wanted the power drain problem corrected. They even said on the invoice from service that the grip was tested and worked perfectly... no problems. The post does not mention if Canon would need us to send in just the grip or the camera and the grip.
I think that was their tactic before they became certain there was really a problem with the grip. Despite what users might have thought were detailed descriptions, the technicians would have needed both devices to determine where the problem really lay. Now they apparently know.
From the Canon service message, I'd guess that they know it's a problem, and they know it's going to require a recall. The English version has removed about 2/3rds of the appologetic language of the Japanese version (as I've seen it translated).
Mine went back to Canon for service twice in three months, using nothing but BP-511s. I've gotten it back, but, haven't shot enough with the 20D to figure out if it works correctly now that it is a back-up.
They fixed it under warranty both times...no charge for getting no charge from the battery grip ;-}
