Err 99

A forum to ask questions, post setups, and generally discuss anything having to do with photomacrography and photomicroscopy.

Moderators: MacroMike, nzmacro, Ken Ramos, twebster, S. Alden

Locked
User avatar
Ken Ramos
Site Admin
Posts: 4809
Joined: Tue May 04, 2004 7:58 pm
Location: Western North Carolina

Err 99

Post by Ken Ramos »

This may have already been addressed somewhile back, I don't know but having recently been introduced to dSLR photography, I have had my first Err 99. :shock:

Now Canon says this is a lens contact problem and to clean the contacts with a soft rubber eraser, holding the lens upside down so the erasings wil not fall into the lens assy. Then gently clean with a soft brush or cloth to remove excess.

Others say it is a "firmware" issue, others say a CF card issue, and others a shutter curtain misalignment. All of which can be easily fixed but are annoying because the Err 99 eventually returns. It seems that Err 99 is a generic code or a catch all for any minor malfunction of the camera. I turned off my 20D, removed the battery and replaced the battery and turned the camera back on. Everything was fine thereafter. Hopefully it will not return but I had taken my 100mm off and put my 60mm back on prior to the Err 99 code and the camera was off when I switched lenses by the way

It seems the Err 99 appears in most all of Canons dSLR cameras from the 20D on down as far as I can tell and is a real big problem in some D300 models and unfortunately some 20Ds'. :( :shock:

So.. anyone else have an Err 99 to tell about or have a definite solution for :?: :!:
Site Admin.
Kenneth Ramos
Rutherfordton, North Carolina
Kens Microscopy
Reposts of my images within the galleries are welcome, as are constructive critical critiques.

User avatar
MikeBinOKlahoma
Posts: 1491
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2004 4:30 pm
Location: Umm....Could it be Oklahoma?

Post by MikeBinOKlahoma »

Your information fits with my experience. Seems to become rooted in a particular lens. My 100-400 does it occasionally without warning. Releasing the lens from the mount and reseating it often fixes it. As you mentioned, using an eraser carefully often improves matters--Usually brings a series of errors to an end. Until the next time!

I understand that using a soft eraser is very important. If you clean too energetically (supposedly) with a coarse, harder eraser, you can in theory damage the lens contacts. But I don't know of anyone this actually happened to.
Mike Broderick
_____________________________________________________________
"I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul.....My mandate includes weird bugs."--Calvin

(reposts on this site of my images for critique or instruction are welcome)

User avatar
twebster
Site Admin
Posts: 1518
Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2004 10:55 pm
Location: Phoenix "Valley of the Sun", Arizona, USA

Post by twebster »

Hi ya' guys, :D

If y'all live in very humid climates the ERR99 is pretty common. AFAIK ERR99 is a lens to camera communication error. I don't know of anything else that causes it. If you are using some older, 3rd party lenses (especially Sigma lenses) you will get ERR99 messages unless Sigma is willing to update the chip in the lens.

Best regards to all as always, :D
Tom Webster
Administrator

Phoenix "The Valley of the Sun", Arizona, USA

Think about this...maybe Murphy is an optimist!!!

rjlittlefield
Posts: 727
Joined: Fri May 06, 2005 11:57 pm
Location: Richland, WA, USA
Contact:

Post by rjlittlefield »

twebster wrote:If you are using some older, 3rd party lenses (especially Sigma lenses) you will get ERR99 messages unless Sigma is willing to update the chip in the lens.
Tom, have you heard or seen that these chip-caused ERR99's are ever intermittent? I've never encountered a chip-caused problem, and I've casually assumed that if I ever did, it would be a hard error from the moment I tried to use the lens.

--Rik
Reworks and reposts of my images in this forum are always welcome, as are constructive critiques.

User avatar
S. Alden
Site Admin
Posts: 2780
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2004 8:25 am
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
Contact:

Post by S. Alden »

ERR 99 - Remove the battery, replace the battery, you are usually good to go. And, I was told that by a Canon Dealer. Works for me, but I seldom get an ERR, but when I do, it is 99 :roll:
Sue Alden
Administrator
Repost of my images are welcome

User avatar
Ken Ramos
Site Admin
Posts: 4809
Joined: Tue May 04, 2004 7:58 pm
Location: Western North Carolina

Post by Ken Ramos »

I've researched Err 99 occurances on POTN (Canon Photography on the Net) and several blogs concerning Err 99's. From what I gather, most of these errors are occuring using non-Canon lenses but some do occur using Canon lenses. Several instances which really caught my attention was concerning the 20D, in which the issue was never resolved and the cameras had to be replaced after many attempts by Canon to fix them and that some of the new Mk II's (Sue :lol: ) really have a problem with Err 99 from what I have read.

All together my conclusions come to the fact that most of the Err 99 problems are occuring with those who are using non-Canon lenses, which Canon in its user manual states that non-dedicated lenses and/or equipment other than Canon can or will cause user error problems. Also I suspect that as some have said, Err 99 is a catch all code for non anticipated problems occuring with the cameras that Canon is not or maybe cannot be aware of. Nothing is perfect but it makes one wonder if the old 35mm film cameras might not make a big come back if this worsens. :-k So far I have had only one with my new 20D, my 350D so far none.

Like Sue said, I removed and replaced my battery when the error occured and it went away for now and shortly before that I had turned the camera off and removed my Canon 100mm macro and replaced it with the 60mm. :|
Site Admin.
Kenneth Ramos
Rutherfordton, North Carolina
Kens Microscopy
Reposts of my images within the galleries are welcome, as are constructive critical critiques.

User avatar
twebster
Site Admin
Posts: 1518
Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2004 10:55 pm
Location: Phoenix "Valley of the Sun", Arizona, USA

Post by twebster »

Hey ya' Rik, :D

Outdated chips in lenses generally don't produce intermittent errors. However, certain Sigma lenses (the old 300mm f. 4 and 400mm f. 5.6 HSM lenses for Canon come to mind) will function fine at full aperture but yield ERR99 when the lenses are stopped down. Other older lenses may give ERR99 at certain shutter/aperture combinations making it appear to be an intermittent problem.

Ken, :D

Another source of ERR99 are loose lens mounts. This is mostly a problem, again, with 3rd party lenses but I've seen some of Canon's really cheap consumer-grade lenses have sloppy lens mounts, too. If you are getting ERR99 with a particular lens check to see if there is excessive play between the camera and the lens when the lens is mounted to the camera.

Best regards to all as always, :D
Tom Webster
Administrator

Phoenix "The Valley of the Sun", Arizona, USA

Think about this...maybe Murphy is an optimist!!!

Locked