I am an amateur photographer who mostly shoots in automatic mode. I had successfully taken thousands of good photos using a Canon EOS 60D camera over the years. In 2017, setting out on a cruise from Seattle, a bottle of orange juice with a defective lid leaked onto my camera in my bag at the airport. I didn't discover it until I was in Rome. The camera was inoperable. I replaced the camera when I returned with a Canon EOS 77D. I didn't replace the lens (Canon EFS 18-200mm), not knowing if it had been damaged. The new camera has been a source of frustration to the point of just using my cell phone to snap photos. The problem is at random times the shutter won't depress. I have even had it on a tripod, same distance from the subject, and had the shutter depress one time, and not the next. I have never known if I got a defective camera, or if a damaged lens could cause this problem. Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated.
Well the only good way to test this is to use a different lens quite a bit and see if the issue shows up on that lens. If it does you can verify the camera has the problem over the lens. You could try cleaning the contacts on the camera and lens with a microfiber cloth (canon's recommended method), you could probably add a dab Isopropal alcohol via a swab. Sometimes the oil on the surface will get a bit of dirt build up that affects communication. If you did have a bad shutter button, or something inside the camera it seems it was that way from day one. sounds like it may have been that way since day one, maybe call canon and give them the details, they may warranty the fix even though it sounds like you had the camera longer than a year. Its worth a shot anyway.
Thank you for your suggestions. I only have the one general use lens. I will try to thoroughly clean the lens and contacts, and then try it again. If that doesn't work, I'll take your advice and reach out to Canon.
I'm not trying to spend your money, but are you able to pick up a cheap used lens and give it a go for a while to see if it is the lens or the body that has the issue. Gary
