Try these links for information on bud drop:

http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0202/

http://hgic.clemson.edu/PDF/HGIC2053.pdf

Thanks for the references, ForrestAL.
There are many in ground beautiful Camellia plants here, but mine is in a large container.
Currently, it looks like "Charlie Brown's Xmas tree in the Peanuts comic strip".
I have beautiful green foliage on one branch. This is Mrs. Charles Cobb, that has two bare branch stems. Also thirteen leaves and thirteen flower buds, some of which look plain sick, but with other new growth starting on these bare branches. She definitely is not the best looking lady on the block...:)
This is a new gardening area for me, so I may be best trying something else.
Again, thanks for the info.

How's the drainage in the container? Not sure where you are in California but I know that right around now has been sortof the rainy season for the state, including the south where I recall seeing that there was some significant rainfall all at once in a few instances recently. Could be the plant is water-logged in the container if you're in an area that got the rains?

We have three Camellias in our garden two are fantastic but one is giving us a problem ie.leaves are light green buds fall to the ground before flowering leaves fall throughout the summer leaving bald branches.

If the leaves have a bronzed look, that would signify that they are getting too much sun. If they are turning light green, the soil pH may be too alkaline; in this case, the leaf veings would remain dark green.

Leaf buds would notrmally drop due to moisture (too little or too much or just simply erratic moisture). Constantly moist soil (not dry, not wet) should be the goal. Flower buds do that too; they also abort when there are large temperature swings.