Problem with Canon T70 bulb mode

Greetings everyone!

I recently bought this Canon T70 new in box, never used before. Every time I try to shoot in bulb, it stops working, makes a beeping sound and the LCD goes blank. Am I doing something wrong? I can't find any info online. Batteries are fresh and it works properly in all other modes

Welcome to Apug!


So far I have yet to come across a T70 that is not functional, even the most battered samples still worked. repertedly foun problem them was the bayonet ring having got loose.

What you experience indicates at first sight a nearly dead battery.
However puzzling is that in other modes even the winder still works.

What does the Battery Check indicate?
Find another sample, best from a different batch. Report back then.

AgX said:

What does the Battery Check indicate?
Find another sample, best from a different batch. Report back then.

Click to expand...

I just tried it. And it worked! Wouldn't have thought about it in a million years, thank you so much!

The batteries I was using were pretty fresh energizers and the battery indicator said they were fully charged.

I replaced them with a couple of new, off brand ones and it works properly! It seems that the other ones might not have been so good after all despite not being old.
I'll get some completely new ones first thing on Monday just to be on the safe side! Thanks again!

It's a tremendously good camera and woefully/delightfully underrated. Canons best ever on most counts I'd say.
T90 can fuck off. Big blobby stupid unreliable brick. T70 has it where it counts.

The weaknesses I know of is: Weak parts around the battery chamber. There is quite a lot of tension on the small door and the rim around it. I've seen two examples where it there is cracking in the plastic.
Don't put it down hard or bump it (you never should with any kind of camera really).
There is a capacitor that sometimes whines inside upon half press on two of my examples. That could indicate that they need change at some point.
It's a good idea to keep the capacitors exercised so they stay formed. Especially with older ones like this, no matter the quality. Otherwise you'll be lucky to be able to push them into shape again.
Lastly, not strictly the camera, but the data backs LCD display has almost always bled. Get one where you can still see the important parts.

The battery check is really handy and should be used every time your take the camera out and about and have loaded batteries.
It's not greedy with batteries, but it does have a motor.

Helge said:

It's a tremendously good camera and woefully/delightfully underrated. Canons best ever on most counts I'd say.
T90 can fuck off. Big blobby stupid unreliable brick. T70 has it where it counts.

The weaknesses I know of is: Weak parts around the battery chamber.

Click to expand...

I'd say that despite it's plastic casing, it is a pretty elgant looking little camera. I love the 80's feel and aesthetic it has.

Indeed, there's a lot of tension in the battery chamber door, that's why I'm being extra carefull while handling it. I consider myself lucky finding this camera in the condition it was and I plan to keep her for quite a while. The LCD screen thankfully, is super crisp. In general, the camera and lens are in mint condition!

giannos said:

I'd say that despite it's plastic casing, it is a pretty elgant looking little camera. I love the 80's feel and aesthetic it has.

Indeed, there's a lot of tension in the battery chamber door, that's why I'm being extra carefull while handling it. I consider myself lucky finding this camera in the condition it was and I plan to keep her for quite a while. The LCD screen thankfully, is super crisp. In general, the camera and lens are in mint condition!

Click to expand...

Not “despite”. Because it’s plastic. Unlike AE-1, it’s honest about its materials and wears them with pride. Plastic Brut.

I had a longish discussion about the aesthetics of this camera with some dude on here, about a year ago, that should show in a search.

The whole design is subtly post modernist and Italian high-tech inspired.

Also it has one of the greatest add campaigns ever for a camera: This cyberpunk haiku by Katsuhiro Otomo several years before Akira was released as a film.

https://thirdculture.jp/blogs/news/katsuhiro-otomos-akira-canon-t70-commercial-japan-1984

One of the adds here as a quick taste:

It was the display on the optimal command back that bled.
Not the top display. That always seems to be pristine.