Canon has released a product advisory on their UK website for the EOS 650D in regard to the front rubber grip that has an identified issue. Units made between a sixteen-day period (May 31st through to June 15th 2012) feature a higher quantity of rubber accelerator than normal and this may cause the rubberized grip to turn white and cause a chemical reaction.

The substance Zinc bis (N,N’-dimethyldithiocarbamate) is the cause of the concern and though Canon says in the press release that the amount detected during testing was minimal, a precautionary measure has been put in place whereby they advise you thoroughly wash your hands with water if they come into contact with a rubber grip that has turned white.  

Speaking to Canon they released a statement saying…

‘Canon has identified a quality issue on a limited number of EOS 650D units which causes the exterior rubber grip used on the camera body to turn white after a period of time. This issue does not affect image quality or camera performance in any way, however we are currently in the process of updating affected stock models before sale. Any customers who may be affected are advised to visit Canon’s customer support site where further instructions regarding our repair procedure are provided. We offer sincere apologies to any customers who may have been inconvienced.’



Canon claims that high temperatures and high humidity may contribute to this condition and to check if your EOS 650D is affected by this advisory you’ll need to check your serial number. If the sixth digit of the serial number is “1” you can visit a dedicated webpage to find out more information on what to do next. This can be found by clicking here.

For more information regarding the EOS 650D product advisory click here.