XT2 Lockup and Odd reply from Fuji Canada support?

[xmac]

So I've shot XT2s since the day they came out. Zero issues. At a recent wedding last Saturday during the mother / son dance at a wedding I take a few shots with one body and it just shows its writing (blinking light) but .... Keeps blinking. Blinking. Blinking.

I use another body with another lens and keep on. I look down at the trouble camera and see it stopped. Wondering what happened, I press play to review the images to see if the card is still good and the same kind of thing happens where it's just loads and loads and eventually the image came up on the screen. I've been using the same cards for a year now and not had any issues. Any ideas? After the wedding I tried to recreate the problem but for whatever reason it's just not recreating - it's working totally fine. It worries me because it was freezing up exactly what I needed to camera to work.

I sent this issue description to Fuji Canada tech support and the reply struck me as ... odd. Without hesitation they said "thank you for contacting FUJIFILM Canada. It looks like one X-T2 has a faulty motherboard. Since this camera model needs to be sent for repair....if you have more than one X-T2 but only one has freezing/lock up issues, even if intermittent, the motherboard is the culprit." 

Since its out of warranty? (purchased in 2016) I have to shell out for a repair job, on an issue, which I don't even know if its actually a legit issue.

Edited July 23, 2019 by xmac
spelling

[CDBC]

Just a random thought; but if there's an intermittent electrical glitch it might be worth considering whether the camera was under heavy use (creating a fair amount of heat) when the problem occurred. If there is such an association then it would make sense that you can't reproduce it easily. 

On the bright side of things, should my guess be correct, then with two X-T2 bodies in your possession then maybe you could work around it instead of throwing money at it?

[xmac]

2 minutes ago, CDBC said:

Just a random thought; but if there's an intermittent electrical glitch it might be worth considering whether the camera was under heavy use (creating a fair amount of heat) when the problem occurred. If there is such an association then it would make sense that you can't reproduce it easily. 

On the bright side of things, should my guess be correct, then with two X-T2 bodies in your possession then maybe you could work around it instead of throwing money at it?

I do shoot weddings with these bodies so having 2 is vital. That being said, despite the fact that these are for pro use and really money should be no object in relation to repairs, I am skeptical that the mother board is 'gone' when the camera is taking pictures totally fine.

It's worth noting I use many really cheap third party batteries along side the OEM batteries. I wonder if this would have something to do with it? At the time of 'lockup' or 'write freeze', I was simply taking shots of a slow dance at a reception and was not running and gunning the camera in any capacity.

[BGoat]

You could try repeating the problem by taking a time lapse, I dont have this camera but I think it does it. A picture a minute for 5 hours maybe. check the time stamps on the pictures from when it went wrong, to see what load it was under and increase it a bit. 

Also somewhere on the web is info on expanding 3party batteries, so that maybe a factor. You could try testing for this as well maybe.Given it has gone wrong then it def has a fault, and the motherboard most likely will be where any dry joins are, is my guess.

edit: Have you an estimate in your business plan for how long your eqipment should last? (aka how long is a pieceof string). sounds like you need to purchase another body, saying this could be well anoying as it is going to be tricky to earn a ton of money as a photographer.

Edited July 26, 2019 by BGoat
extra thought

[FenFotos]

So glad a new (2nd) X-T2 just arrived - thank you Fuji 50% sale, which I missed by a day or two last time round...
Because a glitch far from home without a backup body can be catastrophic for sure!

I agree that it may quite likely have been situational - i.e., overworking, over-heating, or some combination. In the past few years, when I've had similar problems - freeze or refusal to respond to setting or shutter, the suggestion by Fuji itself (and others) has usually done the trick: turning it off and removing battery, and then trying again, battery (or new one) in place. Can be a pain with the grip attached, but that was the "fix" in the field for me once or twice. Out with the camera battery (in the battery). And then in again and re-start. Hasn't failed yet. FWIW.

As for the original (NP-W-126S) versus "other", including the old/discouraged 126 and other brand replacements, I think there's a possibility of something involving this in your (one-off) glitch. Might have gotten heated, or whatever. I've made it a habit given the occasional glitch like this, to be sure the camera has an authentic Fuji 126S in it (as the grip will use its two first anyway), and if I have enough batteries with me (necessary!) I'll favor the Fujis to start off, and when I'm staring battery-death in the face I start using (in the grip or camera) Watson & Wasabi, mindful that if shooting 4K it's going to be a big drain and potential source of heat, in which case I try to be using the 126S batteries as long as I can. 

[craigk49]

I wouldn't want to take a chance on a card that has burned me once. Cards are cheap and a year's use is reasonable. I don't know how busy you are, but I would think a year is enough time for the card to pay for itself and than some. 

[Larryblag]

Just a thought.

Do both bodies have the latest firmware (ver 4.3)? I've heard that some of the earlier firmware has given issues - including random lock-up?