A sound coming from my camera

[mr. Unknown]

Hello everybody, I hope this hasn't been already answered but it's really making me wonder. Hope you can help.. Oh, I have a T2i.
Imagine my camera being in a horizontal position. Whenever I tilt my camera up and down - at the beginning the lens is looking straight forward, then it's pointed into my feet and then I tilt it again until it is pointing to the ceiling - I can hear a noise or a sound if you'd like coming from the inside of my camera. It's not the lens and it's not coming from where the flash is mounted. I asked someone who repairs cameras for a living and he rolled his eyes and replied that it's a "small object" inside the camera, which is used to determine how one is holding his camera, horizontally or not.

Now uhm, my Nokia can do that too, and iPhone for example. However there is nothing moving inside the phones. That's why I'm sceptical what he said is true and want to check with you guys. Do your DSLRs do the same?

It's not very loud or something, but if you're <50 years old and alone in the room you should hear it.

And if I for example do a test and shake the camera a bit (it's not much, the same happens to the camera when driving through a hole for instance) I can hear it very clearly.

The pictures and the video & everything else works perferctly, I just want to make sure my camera is tip top by all means and that something won't fall off inside after 12 months of use or smth.

cheers, U

[Jim Bryant]

You know, it sounds as it there might be a loose screw or something rollin around in there. is the camera still under warranty?

[mr. Unknown]

Jim, thanks for helping me on this matter
Uhm, the camera is still under warranty, yes, however this you should know:
I took the camera back the next day, because I wasn't sure what that sound was, and the store guy / operator whatever showed me another one of their canon cameras and it made the same sound/noise.
I left it at that, however as each day passes it puzzles me more. Especially since there is nothing like it on google - at least considering canon and my model: 550d. I hope he didn't trick me by showing me another false camera.

Could you check your cameras for such a noise? - but then again, you would have noticed it by now (heard you're in the bizz a long time).

Any other t2i owners?

[kuvahmagh]

I'd talk to Canon directly if your unsure, I've never heard anything like that though.

[mr. Unknown]

I did try, a 20 years old woman simply directs me to the official repairs shop.. and thats where i bought the camera.

[inkista]

I'd roll my eyes, too. Yes, it's the orientation sensor. You already have your answer. The iPhone or your computer use an accelerometer which is a different kind of sensor, but the camera uses something more primitive, since it only has to detect orientation in a single axis. Pick up any dSLR in the store, turn it from landscape to portrait, and you'll hear the same little click, too. I'm not sure why you think someone would lie to you about this, but google up the "problem" and you'll read the same answer.

[mr. Unknown]

Inkista, thanks for your reply but google really isn't "full" of this, or I'm bad at google.

And you said it has to detect orientation in a single axis.. why does the click happen when you do what I described above (which isn't switching from portait to landscape)?

[inkista]

Because of the way the sensor's placed. It's the best compromise to account for all possible orientations. If you take the shots in the orientation you mention, and review it on the LCD, you'll note that they'll show you one in landscape and the other in portrait.

Whether cameras will move to accelerometers, who knows? With iPhones and the like, they're getting cheaper, but as anyone with an iPhone can tell you, they're not 100% accurate all the time, either.

Or, maybe you really do have a screw loose inside. But to me, if it's that soft little click and not a continual rattling that isn't completely repeatable and controllable by camera orientation, then I'd still say it's the orientation sensor.

If it's bugging you this much--go and return the camera, and start looking for one without the sound. Good luck on that.

[Jim Bryant]

I just shook the hell out of my MK II's and EOS 1D's (all seven bodies) and none of them have a rattle sound.

[Digidave]

Originally Posted by Jim Bryant

I just shook the hell out of my MK II's and EOS 1D's (all seven bodies) and none of them have a rattle sound.

Yea but, how old are you again??

Actually, I've never heard of this either. Just to be clear here. You are doing this & hearing the sound without a lens on? That would eliminate Vibration Reduction thingy in the lens. That sounds a lot like what you are describing.