This article was updated in April of 2009 after Mark at Precision Camera, our favorite repair shop, provided us with some additional information.
This is probably the most boring article I’ve written for LensRentals. (Personally, I like Smashed Front Element the best.) But, I love a good mystery, and I love debunking dSLR “urban legends”. Every so often I run across an online forum where someone makes broad statements about Error 99 which I know are incorrect or at least incomplete. As is my practice, I’ve boldly charged into these online gunfights devoid of intellectual ammunition (i.e. facts). And predictably, the intellectual level of the discussions quickly spirals down from “Is not”, “Is so” into the traditional online-forum sign-offs of “You get Err99 because you’re a bad photographer” and “if you’ve never gotten Err99 you’re obviously not taking many pictures”.
Because Canon Corporate apparently believes that releasing no information about a problem makes it go away, there is little factual information to debunk the online myths regarding Err99 unless you really do a lot of digging. Googling Err99, Canon EOS error codes, etc. brings up several dozen pages of links most of which are the above mentioned “discussions”. There are a few nuggets of truth out there, though. The most complete of these is a multi-year 2,300 post discussion of Err99 problems at Richard’s Notes. There are also a few thoughtful and factual discussions that have taken place in some of the better forums online. After spending far more hours than I intended looking through these sources to settle an online debate, I thought I’d write a summary of what I found and what we’ve experienced here— LensRentals has over 700 Canon lenses and over 50 Canon bodies (as of December 2008), so we have a bit of Err99 experience.
The Myths
Some of the most common Err99 myths are listed below. Strictly speaking, they are not myths; almost every one is true. The myth part comes from thinking that any one of them is actually the cause of Err99. So:
- Err99 results from an electronic communication problem between the lens and the camera.
- Err99 results from using third-party (i.e. Sigma, Tamron, Tokina) lenses.
- Err99 means that electronic circuitry in the lens has failed.
- Err99 means that electronic circuitry in the camera has failed.
- Err99 results from using third party batteries.
- Err99 is a firmware issue, and can be fixed by upgrading to the latest firmware.
- Err99 started with Canon XT and 20D cameras.
There are a lot more. Almost all of them are true for at least some cases of Err99. The best myth, though, is that Canon purposely created error 99 to prevent the use of third party lenses. As best I can tell, that one isn’t really true, but it does make fun speculation. And, of course, Canon’s nearly total silence on error 99 and other problems certainly helps feed the conspiracy theorists among us.
Excellent article. I tried most of the suggestions here, but couldn’t get the error to go away. The only way my 4 year old 40D works is in the Live View. This seems like an issue with the mirror not coming down in time while taking the picture.
Can you please provide some guidance in terms of fixing this issue?
Thanks,
Ashish
Ashish,
I believe you are correct. There are several gears that can jam the mirror and a local camera repair shop can probably fix them without a replacement.
I have a Canon Rebel xti and for the last four months have been getting the Err99. It happens when I use my Tamron lens, 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 Tele-Macro, and I try to move my f stop any higher than the lowest it will allow me. For example: I have it set at f4 and want to move it up to f4.5 it will do the error99. I just recently had it cleaned after vacation to the beach and it still happens. It doesn’t do it with my other lens, Tamron 28-80mm 1: 3.5-5.6 . So I’ve tried the eraser, I’ve tried taking the batteries out, lens off and card out and the problem is still happening. Any other suggestions??
It sounds like there’s a problem with the aperture of the Tamron lens: either electrical or possibly something mechanical in the leaves of the aperture. I’d have that checked first.
Roger
Roger, great article covering the issues. I have a 20D that gives the Err99 with a Sigma 135-400 lens. I have found that the camera won’t stop down with the depth of field preview button on that lens only. When the aperture value for an exposure is smaller than wide open I get the Err99 with that lens. I have tried the lens on three different older bodies; D60 and digital rebel and film rebel and it works fine in all modes and stops down with the preview button. The 20D will stop down with all of the other lens I have tried just not the Sigma. Both lens and camera seem fine but just won’t work together. Do you think the Sigma is just trying to draw to much power? I haven’t tried it with an IS lens.
Bruce, that’s possible, or maybe the aperture electronics are not quite right and just need more power than your 20D is delivering. Trying another high current draw lens like you mention might clarify it, especially if perhaps the 20D battery isn’t quite up to max voltage.
Have the same set up as Susie above- but a Quantary lens- same issue- works fine with the small lens but not the larger…just changed out battery-nothing,changed card-nothing although it took 1 photo then popped up error22…guess we’ll have to take it in and have it checked out…sigh…
I have a Canon 30d and have gone through your list of potential fixes to the Error 99 issue. None seemed to work so I decided plug the camera into the computer and remotely trigger the camera just to see if my computer would say something about the error. What I found is even though I fully charged the battery (original from when the camera was purchased) and the camera displayed a full charge, the computer software warned me that the battery was depleted and advised me to change batteries. When the message would pop up on my computer, the error 99 would surface again on my 30d.
Do you think there is a short in the circuitry or I just need to go out and purchase a new battery?
I’ve had ERR99 on 2 Canon bodies: The Rebel XT (350d) which had been in storage for months…problem was sticking pop-up flash mechanism. A little gentle persuasion fixed that for good.
The second was a 1dMk3 which had developed an autofocus problem (blurred images). As part of the elimination process, I upgraded firmware from 1.2.5 to 1.3.0 which I hadn’t done previously as the 1.3.0 relates only to the wireless transmitter improvements.
I got ERR99 on the first exposure immediately after the FW upgrade.
It went away for a while then came back with a vengeance after the camera came back from repair for the AF issue.
The 1d3 has just returned from it’s second visit to the Repair Centre for ERR99 with the fix simply listed as ‘Reset’
The one thing I hadn’t tried was the date/time battery and I can’t help thinking there is some relevance to to it occurring straight after a firmware upgrade?
Thanks so much for this article. It’s the best info I’ve found.
lol
I have a 20D and it has just now started giving me the err99. It only does it when I try to take a horizontal photo. I can shoot vertical or with the camera pointing straight up or down and it’s fine, though the vertical is having its problems in colder weather it seems …
I’m getting through for now by holding my camera upside down for horizontal shots
It does this with any lens and without the lens. Battery pack or not, cf card or not … I started using 4GB SanDisk cards and I ran my batteries dry in my battery pack the same night I began having this problem. Maybe something to do with that? Or it’s the shutter curtain
Ashish, did you ever get your camera fixed? I have a 40d with the same problem, it only works in Live View and cleaning the sensor manuelly causes the same error, so I’m guessing its a shutter problem.
Roger.. great stuff! I have a eos 400d and just got a 2nd hand tamron lens which was in full working order when sold…
when i put it on my body i get intermittant err99 messages, sometimes at certain angles, sometimes once, twice, three times in between resetting it and shooting a few pics. Any way i can check my batt voltage? will a multimeter do? Its a few years old. Cleaned contacts with eraiser…. im a bit stuck for ideas now?
Thanks.
Henry,
A voltmeter should do it, and be sure to check with the battery partly discharged. Some bad cells can maintain voltage at full charge but not at half charge.
This is the best article on this issue. Fortunately it is linked from the mega thread at Richard’s Notes. I have Err 99 on my 40D. I sent it off for repair and was told 340 USD. I declined and had the camera sent back. It came back with no information regarding the source of the fault or even a repair quote. I was thinking to try the self-doable fixes: lens changing, card changing, battery replacement (button or main), contact cleaning, and shutter blade realignment but if the repair people have more information then I guess that only the last is an outside hope, since the repairers would have tried the others. I note that on Japanese ebay an err99 camera is getting quite a lot of bids suggesting that some folks are hoping for a self fix.I wish Cannon would give us all the more detailed information (maybe using the words “may be”). It also seems to me that this error has a built in obsolency feel too it. So the camera has found an error that it can not diagnose. I wish it would just go ahead and record the photo displaying an error message, even if the quality is degraded. The camera seems to be deciding “if it is not perfect, then don’t take the photo at all.” Please give us the info and the options Cannon.
I have a Canon 450D – I have had it for about 3yrs without fault, until yesterday!! This fault occurred when on live view while taking photo’s of the lunar eclipse – buggered if I know what I did!!
Error 99 appeared out of the blue.. Now when trying to take photo’s noticeably when flash is required it initially displays BUSY then the error 99..
Trying to resolve matter I have checked out various forums – I have recharged the battery, cleaned lens & camera contacts with soft cloth, tried swapping lens – but still the fault appears!!
This article is brilliant – don’t yet know if any of the suggestions will work – but thank you for providing this information..
I am keen to know if others have suffered similar error using Canon 450D.. Did you fix the problem?? What turned out to be the fault??
Regards
Nigel
I just ran into this problem on my 450D while connected by USB using Digikam, trying to download a wad of raw images. It kept occurring, breaking the USB connection, even though I wasn’t taking pictures. Eventually, I determined that it was related to machine load, as I was also tone mapping some HDR images at the same time. I waited for the tone mapping to complete, then re-initiated the download. I successfully downloaded 2.6GB of images, twice, with one connection while the computer was lightly loaded. As a software engineer, my guess is that the Canon USB firmware has some dodgy empirical time-outs built into their code, which are triggered when the USB connection data moves in fits and starts. Either the Canon USB code or the camera throws in the towel, and the non-specific Error 99 is put up (after a number of seconds). Which explains why USB connections with the camera can be hit-or-miss, generally taking several tries before succeeding.
This leads me to believe that “Error 99″ is either a “catch all” error code, dumbed down for the user (as an insult from Canon), or similarly, a general “Communication Failure” error for any subsystem in the camera. Either way, aftermarket lenses that have had to reverse engineer the EOS EF protocol may miss some corner cases, leading to a communication failure. The same problem can occur under a “brown out” (low voltage) condition due to resistive (dirty or worn) contacts or bad battery cells. Logic circuits may or may not operate correctly at low voltage conditions – they are only spec’ed to work above a minimum voltage. Below that spec, you span the gamut of correct to non-operation, including incorrect operation, varying with temperature. Which would lead to communication problems between the camera CPU and the subsystem.
It is unfortunate that Canon has not bothered to answer customer concerns by updating their firmware to display more informative error messages, nor explain the causes of the message. Speaking for myself, I would blame this on poor firmware coding, a lack of coding standards, and a detached management who is more about product marketing than customer support. Too many marketing types are too “busy” to actually learn about the products, and think firmware/software is “magic” and are not interested in hearing about it. Which leads to a lack of emphasis on the firmware, which is dragged and patched from product to product, without the resources to ensure a quality, stable build for each product.
I get error 99 on my Eos20d and the shutter continually activates on turning on the camera. I contacted canon and got the same try this and that email. Not getting an answer from them or a fix I will not trust their products again. Any company who ignores its customers and sells a product that suffers a common fault should be held accountable or boycotted. I would suggest this company is not trading fairly and with the amount of dissatisfied customers kept in the dark about the fault, a petition could be compiled and sent to the office of fair trading standards.
Again in brief, the things that may be done are:
Check: CF card (format), lens (e.g. with no lens), camera lens contacts (clean with rubber), check batteries including button battery, upgrade firmware, de-moisturise, blow clean, realign shutter blades if squew (with risk), try live mode (if it works tells you it is a mirror problem perhaps).
Mine works in live mode. I can’t feel/see/hear anything wrong with the mirror.
Second hand 40Ds are now about the same price as the repair, for about 100 USD more I can get one with a handy lens, shutter replaced. I would have a spare grip, charger and three extra batteries. This cover all tell nothing, high-cost-to-repair error upsets me and makes me think that I’d rather pay someone other than Canon.
I get err99 when the 18-55mm lens is in wide or nearly wide. Zoomed in the problem does not occur. i am currently trying the last fix suggestion from this page. I suspect that it will not work. I agree with some of the comments – Canon are ignoring a common problem..
Wow thank you so much for the article I actually was dissapointed when it ended at page six. I recently bought a Canon Rebel XT second hand and for the first 7 thousand pictures it was fine but recently it has popped up all the time always right when I am about to get the perfect shot. I have narrowed the problem down to my 18-55m IS-F lens as the camera is fine with my 80-210 Tamron. I cleaned the connections and it seems to be really hit or miss. It seems like after I turn it on it will either show the dreaded code right away or not at all until I change the settings. I havent found any rhyme or reason to it yet but I will keep on looking. My question is if I should buy a new lens or a new body. I am paranoid that if I buy a new lense the problem will develop on the other lenses or if I buy a new body the lense will still not work. I knew I should have gone with nikon! lol this week i will go to the camera shop and test the body with differant lenses and the lense with differant bodies. Do you have an idea of what the percentage of cameras have the problem?
Thanks a million.
Hudson,
I have no idea how common the problem is, but if your Tamron is working well I would bet the problem is with the lens. Changing aperture size may show you if the problem is with the aperture system (fairly common).
I have tried the aperature at anywhere from 3.5 to 32 since it started last week and havent found any patterns. I cleaned it with an eraser and it has gotten a lot better but it still randomly pops up from time to time. I took it to the camera store and of course it worked perfectly there. I switched lens and out of the 20 or so shots I took it didn’t show up at all. Tomorow I will be shooting a lot with both lenses so I may find something.