Canon EOS Rebel T6i Troubleshooting

This troubleshooting page will help you diagnose problems with the Canon EOS Rebel T6i camera.

The camera will not respond to the power switch being switched to the on position.

Ensure battery is inserted correctly using this Battery Replacement Guide. Also, make sure the battery is charged. If unsure, put the battery in its charger and plug it in to the wall. If the battery will not charge, consider purchasing a replacement charger or battery.

Under heavy use, the motherboard can overheat and become damaged. In this scenario, the best course of action is replacing the motherboard using this Motherboard Replacement Guide.

Pictures from the camera contain spots and do not look clear.

A dirty lens or mirror can be the cause of these spots. Cleaning the lens and mirror are simple fixes. Turn the camera off and remove the lens from the camera body. Using a microfiber cloth (a glasses cleaning cloth works well), gently wipe the glass on the front and back of the lens to remove any smudges or excess dust. Removing the lens is necessary to clean the mirror as well. Look inside the body were the lens attaches. There should be a mirror tilted slightly towards the top of the camera. Using the microfiber cloth, gently wipe away any smudges or dust. Replace the lens, and turn the camera back on.

When taking pictures in autofocus mode, the camera will not focus on the subject.

First, make sure the switch on the lens is switched to autofocus (AF) mode. If it is on manual focus (MF) mode, the camera will not focus automatically.

This is a complicated fix. Consult the user guide or the manufacturer.

Sometimes there actually is not a focus problem at all. If your pictures are coming out clearly, but the image in the viewfinder is not in focus to your eye, the viewfinder may simply be out of focus. After turning the camera on, look for the thin black lines that appear in the viewfinder (called AF points). Once you have recognized these, turn the small dial on the top right corner of the viewfinder until the lines appear sharp.

If shooting pictures in a dark area, and the flash does not operate correctly, the camera will have difficulty focusing. First check to make sure flash is enabled. Check the dial on top of the camera to make sure it is not set to the "no flash" mode. If the flash is still off, try pressing the "flash" button on the side of the camera to manually enable flash. If this still does not work, consider replacing the flash mechanism using the Flash Assembly Replacement Guide.

The camera is not responding the way it should.

If the camera isn't working how you expect, you may need to clear the camera settings. To do this, simply turn the camera on and press the MENU button (this is located on the top left corner of the camera). Using the arrow buttons, cycle to the tab with the wrench with four dots above it. You should see a "Clear Settings" option. Use the arrow keys to highlight this option, and select it using the SET button. Next select the "Clear all camera settings" option. Select "OK", and give the camera a few seconds to reset.

After inserting an SD card, the camera is having issues reading it.

If the SD card is not inserted correctly, the camera will have trouble reading it. In order to insert the card, open the flap on the right side of the camera that is labeled "card open". Then, insert the card into the slot with the card's small notch facing the top of the camera. Push until inserted fully, close the flap, and power the camera on.

If facing the screen of the camera, the SD card slot is at the bottom right of the camera. First, make sure the SD card is present in the drive slot. The card may require formatting in order to function on the camera. Also, make sure there is not a lock on the card. This will prevent any new data or access to the card while this key is pressed. This lock can be found on the side of some SD cards. Formatting can be accessed by opening the Menu on the camera. Furthermore, check the card by placing inside a computer with SD compatibility. This may refresh the card if it was improperly removed when on the PC.

This button can be found in the upper right-hand corner of the back face. Move the screen with the directional pad and select the wrench key with one dot. Scroll down the screen and select “Format Card”. Press set to start the process. [Warning ] if any data in on this card prior to formatting, this data will be deleted and unretrievable. It is recommended to use a new card in this process. Select the OK command and use the set button to confirm. Your card should now be formated and usable on the device. If the problem persists consult the manual.