Very very interesting problem

OK, so I don't know if any of you will have any idea what's going on here, but I most certainly don't, so I figured I would post it up.

I bought a 10d+BP for 300 from a wedding photographer because the flash and the hotshoe didn't work, just looking for a remote camera for sports shots. Hadn't really had to chance to use it that much before today when I was toying around with it.

WHen I turn it on, all that will show up on the LCD before depressing the shutter button any is the aperture. when the shutter button is depressed slightly, the shutter speed will pop up. at this point, spinning the top dial will do a program shift, and change the aperture depending on the direction of the dial, and change the shutter speed accordingly (like it would normally in Av mode). the back wheel changes exposure. Ready for the kicker? The camera is in Manual mode. Even more of a kicker? It does this in EVERY mode. It's like its stuck in Av mode. I can only get it into manual mode about 5% of the time, and then I pressed the focus button and it goes back into Av

What I've done:
Restarted it many times
Reinstalled Firmware
Different CF Card
3 different lenses
Cleared all camera settings
Cleared all CFn's

oooo, ready for even more fun? These two shots were taken back to back, within probably 1/4 of a second of each other. Mind you, the camera was on single shot drive.

f/1.8, 1/15 , ISO 100. Exposure program? That part is BLANK.
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/9831/img0439ey6.jpg

f/5.6 1/125, ISO 100. Same unrecorded exposure program.
http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/6650/img0440ph2.jpg


now I like to think that I know cameras well enough to switch settings quick enough, but changing aperture and shutter speed so many stops within a quarter of a second? No, not happening.

My initial though on the second shot was that the mirror was still closed, but pulling the levels to the left, shows us that everythings still there...just horribly underexposed

http://content.imagesocket.com/images/IMG_0440175.jpg

So I ask my question to any brave soul that may wish to tackle this one...what the hell is wrong with this camera? according to the photographer who sent it (who is trying to help me figure out what's wrong with it and is reputable) he used it in manual and never had a problem other than the hotshoe and flash not working.

Will he take it back? That would be my first choice. Anything wrong with a DSLR is expensive... If he's a pro wedding photographer, that camera has a lot of shots on the clock. I remember that you were just looking for a remote camera so you probably wouldn't use it much - but I'd try to get out of this deal.

I don't know anything.....

Send it to a Canon Authorized Service center and they might diag for free...

sounds like a faulty mode dial, no idea how much it would cost to fix. I have similar results from my eos 5 (that has seen so many photos it has been through 2 mode dials and 1 shutter. now the lens mount is coming loose so it just locks up if it can't establish a good electrical contact with the lens. my only other thought would be moisture damage probably from condensation during transit in which case unless it is looked at very soon it will slowly die.

skyman... The mode dial I do not think is the problem, as I can feel it turning and locking into place, unless it is an internal thing that's just a connection error. I didn't take it to the store today because I didn't have any time, but tomorrow or the next day it'll be going in.

I contacted the original seller, telling him I was going to be sending it back because if it doesn't go into manual mode it's essentially useless for what I want to do with it, and he was very nice about it, saying he would credit my money back to my paypal account within a week. Then he told me I could keep the camera anyways, because he has moved to nikon and it would just end up sitting around collecting dust anyways, and it would save on shipping for me even if i never used it again. SeaDog on the Fredmiranda forums is a very very nice guy, that's for certain!

Brent,
Call Canon Support and ask them for directions to a "Hot Reboot", this will occasionally fix this issue in the 10D and some other Canon bodies (including the original 1D like you and I have).

JS

called customer support and was told a hot reboot is just simply the act of pulling all the batteries and cf out, then clearing all Cfns and settings. He suggested i send it into the canon service center.