BULB mode issues (Canon 600D)

[Iem1]

Hey guys,

I have just started my journey into astrophotography (what a learning curve!) having no real previous experience with DSLR's or telescopes.

I am enjoying it a lot, and have had a grand total of 2 nights out using my setup thanks to the glorious British weather. I am now comfortable with the basic techniques of polar alignment and I can find my way around the sky by sight, but I am having a few issues and would love some advice.

First issue I have is my BULB mode on my modified Canon 600D does not seem to work? When Manual and set to bulb I can not take images, even while using an intervolemeter. Everytime I try taking any sort of image in BULB mode the camera says 'Low battery, change battery pack' or something to that effect, and then I have to switch it on and off again. So I am restricted to 30 seconds exposures at the moment. I bought a second battery and I still get the same issue. I did a reset of the camera thinking it was a setting I might have messed with by accident. No joy. 

The camera was bought second hand and already modified from a tech company and came with a service report. Is there a setting I am missing possibly?

The other issue I'd like some advice on is finding deep sky targets. I am using a Sky guider pro with the Zenith Star 73, currently I am star hoping and aiming the telescope as close to the target I can (andromeda for example) and taking test shots and hoping I am on target. Would a red dot finder help me point the telescope where I am trying to aim it a little easier? I know pretty much where I need the telescope to look, but maneuvering it as such is a different ball game entirely!

Thank you for any advice, take care folks.

[david_taurus83]

Hi. When in bulb mode, if you manually hold down the shutter button on the camera, does it still give you the error?

Yes, a RDF will definitely help to aim your scope.

[Iem1]

14 minutes ago, david_taurus83 said:

Hi. When in bulb mode, if you manually hold down the shutter button on the camera, does it still give you the error?

Yes, a RDF will definitely help to aim your scope.

It did briefly after first getting it, I can remember being able to hold down the button and it would work. But now it will not

It tries to work, you can hear the mechanisms starting to work but then is promptly closes again and gives me the change battery pack issue and forces me to turn it on and off again.

All other modes seem fine, and imaging in manual up to 30 seconds is perfect.

Thank you! Will for sure invest in a RDF ASAP 

 

[michael8554]

I assume you've tried with no lens or scope attached ?

Does LiveView work ?  That raises the mirror and opens the shutter, similar to Bulb actuation.

Michael

 

 

[Iem1]

15 minutes ago, michael8554 said:

I assume you've tried with no lens or scope attached ?

Does LiveView work ?  That raises the mirror and opens the shutter, similar to Bulb actuation.

Michael

 

 

Hi Michael, thank you for the response.

Yeah, it does not seem to work with or without a scope attached, and the intervolemeter gets the same results too.

Live view works just fine, no issues at all with it.

[michael8554]

An common websearch  "fix" is to place a piece of thin card between the battery and the battery door, to improve the battery connection to the camera.

Worth a try............

Michael

[Iem1]

On 28/06/2021 at 13:42, michael8554 said:

An common websearch  "fix" is to place a piece of thin card between the battery and the battery door, to improve the battery connection to the camera.

Worth a try............

Michael

Tried with no luck -.-

It doesn't seem like an actual issue with the battery as all other functions and modes seemingly work fine. It is exclusively the bulb mode that gives me the change battery pack error message...very odd indeed!

[Sabalias]

I'm afraid this might not help but I have a modded 600D and do not get this problem. I press the shutter release and the shutter opens, I press a second time and the shutter closes; no battery warning.

Regards,

Stu

[michael8554]

Reload the Firmware ?

Michael

[dobblob]

Does it fail only when the intervalometer is plugged in, in BULB mode?

Battery fail may be due to a short in the intervalometer camera side connector or the intervalometer connector  itself. Do you have another intervalometer you can try?

Also are you sure the intervalometer is correct type for this camera?

Something is happening to cause the camera to detect low or no battery voltage if only briefly and it seems related to the BULB/ i'meter chain.

[Shimrod]

You could try loading the magic lantern software into the camera (it doesn't permanently alter your firmware) and see if you get any different behaviour with that.

[rob_r]

Has the 'mirror lock up' feature been accidentally enabled? If so, disable it and try it again. The setting is under Custom Functions, 8: Mirror lockup. I could be clutching at straws here though as I would think it would not throw out a battery error. 

I have the same model and the bulb feature works fine with a remote shutter.