X-T1 and vertical grip failure

[Mike B]

Have had my X-T1 with a vertical grip for years. Went to use it the other day and the camera will not turn on if the grip is attached. Thought that maybe the batteries died and changes all with fresh. Still wouldn't turn on. In attempting to resolve I found that with the grip off the camera it turns on and everything functions fine. Ass soon as the grip is attached the camera goes dead. Further attempts to determine what is happening discovered that if there is no battery in the grip the camera functions. If there is a battery in the grip it will not.

 

Has anyone run into this?

 

Mike 

[Guest mikEm13]

Any of the pins on the grip bent or broken?

[RM_Photog]

I haven't heard of this before. Did you try swapping the batteries around? Maybe the battery in the grip is shot. Are either of them third party batteries? Try cleaning the contacts between the grip and the body, and the contacts for the battery inside the grip. Also check to make sure all the pins are straight and working properly like mikEm13 suggested.

[Mike B]

mikEm13 and RM,Thanks for responding.  I have tried all eight of my batteries and have looked at and cleaned the contacts. I have discovered that the grip works just find without a battery in it and actually works with a battery in the grip if I don't close the grip door.  With the door open the camera does not register/display the battery in the display. The is a dean-man switch in the grip door that appears fine and that is the switch that once closed, it turns off the camera. I have also re-loaded the firmware without any change in results. If I knew if the problem was in the camera or in the grip at least I'd have a chance on knowing where to go next. I'll see if I can talk to someone at Fuji USA tomorrow. Was hoping someone may have been down this road ahead of me.  

Mike

[RM_Photog]

mikEm13 and RM,Thanks for responding.  I have tried all eight of my batteries and have looked at and cleaned the contacts. I have discovered that the grip works just find without a battery in it and actually works with a battery in the grip if I don't close the grip door.  With the door open the camera does not register/display the battery in the display. The is a dean-man switch in the grip door that appears fine and that is the switch that once closed, it turns off the camera. I have also re-loaded the firmware without any change in results. If I knew if the problem was in the camera or in the grip at least I'd have a chance on knowing where to go next. I'll see if I can talk to someone at Fuji USA tomorrow. Was hoping someone may have been down this road ahead of me.  

Mike

 

 

Is it a Fuji grip or a third party grip? I know of some third party grips that have an issue with the battery door similar to that. I had one myself. The problem was the spring behind the battery was too strong and it pushed the battery away from the contacts and eventually pushed the battery door open. The solution was to cut the spring down some. Worked fine for about a year after that until the spring wore out and was too weak. The battery started to move around and turn the camera off randomly. 

Try to fold up a small piece of paper so it's a few millimeters thick then stick it between the door and the battery so it pushes the battery in place more. 

 

 

Another thing to check, open the battery door and look above the battery and to the left of the clip that holds the battery in place. There's a small hole with a little black switch. That's what actually tells the camera that the battery door is open or shut. Try to push that in with a paperclip or similar item to see if the camera shuts off. It shouldn't shut off. It should turn the screen black for a second, and then come back on with the second battery in use.

[Guest mikEm13]

Is it a Fuji grip or a third party grip? I know of some third party grips that have an issue with the battery door similar to that. I had one myself. The problem was the spring behind the battery was too strong and it pushed the battery away from the contacts and eventually pushed the battery door open. The solution was to cut the spring down some. Worked fine for about a year after that until the spring wore out and was too weak. The battery started to move around and turn the camera off randomly. 

Try to fold up a small piece of paper so it's a few millimeters thick then stick it between the door and the battery so it pushes the battery in place more. 

 

 

Another thing to check, open the battery door and look above the battery and to the left of the clip that holds the battery in place. There's a small hole with a little black switch. That's what actually tells the camera that the battery door is open or shut. Try to push that in with a paperclip or similar item to see if the camera shuts off. It shouldn't shut off. It should turn the screen black for a second, and then come back on with the second battery in use.

 

 

 

This is should tell you if you need to send it in for repair.

[Mike B]

Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions guys,

 

I am all the way to this point already. The camera functions with the grip attached without a battery installed (shutter,AF-L,F.A.,AE-L). Door shut or open.  With the battery installed and the door shuts, off it turns the display and nothing functions on the camera or grip. What I can't determine at this point is there a short/failure inside the grip or is it something in the camera. I don't have another grip to try. My analytical mind just wants to know what failed. At this point it seems like I'll have to send both to Fuji to have them tell me. Since it is functioning without the battery in the grip and My X-T2 is already back at Fuji under warranty for a shutter failure, I'll have to get by. I am going to send an e-mail to Fuji to see if they have any suggestions.

 

Thanks Again,

Mike   

[RM_Photog]

Mike B, did you read my last post? I told you what things to check on it. 

 

 

 

Try to fold up a small piece of paper so it's a few millimeters thick then stick it between the door and the battery so it pushes the battery in place more. 

 

 

Another thing to check, open the battery door and look above the battery and to the left of the clip that holds the battery in place. There's a small hole with a little black switch. That's what actually tells the camera that the battery door is open or shut. Try to push that in with a paperclip or similar item to see if the camera shuts off. It shouldn't shut off. It should turn the screen black for a second, and then come back on with the second battery in use.

[Mike B]

RM,

 Yes I did. Tried a variety of ways.  The battery and contacts all appear fine. It doesn't appear that it is a contact or battery fit issue. Did try manually tripping the door switch. Again, with battery in it shuts down. No battery no issues. It is when the door switch makes contact while the battery is in that the problem occurs. If the belief that the door switch is when the camera sees that there is a battery in the grip, then it does see the battery yet it doesn't like it (either a short or other electrical issue). when no battery is in the grip and the door switch closes, it allows everything else to work. Can't believe all my batteries would have the same issue. So I believe it is something with the the moment that the camera knows that the is a battery available in the grip. Short? Software? diode?  

 

Mike 

[RM_Photog]

Oh ok... I'm stumped then. I was just suggesting ideas based off of issues I've had with grips. I'm guessing your issue must be internal. There aren't any small pieces of something sitting across the terminals inside the battery bay right? I'm sure you would have noticed if there were. Maybe shake the grip and make sure there's nothing loose down there? Other than that, I'm not sure what else to check. 

[pppettterrr]

Mike B,

 

I had / have the same issue with the grip. Grip had been sent to Fuji, they can't produce the issue, so grip should be working as designed.

 

Mount grip again and i got stil the same issue, XT1 sent to Fuji, as espected no issues Fiji said.

 

Mount grip on XT1 and the first shot, XT1 was dead so probleem stil exist.

 

At Home i put my Fuji with grip mounted on a tripod, put my IPhone in recordinternational mode and switch my XT1 on, still the same issue, while IPhone is still recording and XT1 is power on, i remove the grip and ableyes XT1 is responding.

 

XT1 and grip are sended to FUJI and they replace the motherboard in it.

 

I got my Fuji back and of course issue is still available, i went back to shop and they give me another grip to try, yesterday i was making me first photos with this grip and as far i don't have any issues on this moment.

 

I will take more pictures before i will say: issue solved....

 

Frustrating how Fuji handles with these kind of issues.

 

I will keep you informed, best regards,

 

Peter

[Scott555]

I came across this old post, because I started having the same exact issue.

It was VERY difficult to see the difference, but there was one pin that was slightly bent and recessed, so it didn't have any pressure against the contact pads when seated.

I was able to carefully bend that one pin straight so it would regain it's "spring" and the camera/grip functions properly now.

I'd have never believed this if someone else told me.  I looked at those pins a dozen times, cleaned the contacts, etc... and never noticed it.

ONE pin, and I couldn't close the grip battery door without the camera shutting down.  (only with a battery inserted into the grip)

I hope this helps someone else who might have this rare problem pop up for them too.

 

-Scott

[DorinS]

I've got the same problem. Started all of a sudden, after years of use without an issue, with the camera not seeing the second battery (the one in the grip) occasionally. I would have to take the grip off and put it back on and it would - eventually - see the grip and the second battery. 

Then it started doing exactly what Mike B described above.

I'm not sure if there is a connection/causality, but these symptoms started after I changed the regular strap for one connected to the tripod mount on the bottom of the grip (this one: https://www.adorama.com/br481005.html )... 

Very disappointed... Especially since I read that X-T2 and X-T3 have issues with the battery grip (and without the battery grip the camera is not interesting at all..