Sell My EOS 3,Proceed to ERROR-99

[canonone]

I have been contemplating selling my EOS 3 and
purchasing either a 10d or digital rebel(300d). But
after researching the web and reading about all the
error 99 reports and problems,I just don't know what
to do now.(Maybe just keep my EOS 3 and continue
taking great pictures and wait till the bugs have been
fixed by Canon.)

[CyberDyneSystems]

What lenses do you have? Most error 99 are caused by older model non-Canon lenses.

[robertwgross]

What CDS just stated is true.

If the camera body shows an ERR 99, either it has to be the fault of the camera body or the fault of the lens (or the fault of the operator ). It is possible for it to be something intermittent in the interface between the two. From what I can see, nearly all of the ERR 99 problems came from relatively old (pre-digital) non-Canon lenses.

There are probably a couple of exceptions.

---Bob Gross---

[canonone]

I have a Canon 28-135 usm-if, and Canon 100-300 usm.
But what I have been reading about the error 99 flag.
Is the fact that other issues have been found to cause
it,(anything from dirty lens contacts-to how you do or
don't format your storage device). And then I have
read where numerous owners have been told by
Canon to return their cameras for repair. I just don't
think I want to spend $1500 and have to face all of
that.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Hmm well I have 15,000 plus pics taken on my 10D with out a single error (well except the time I tried a really oooooold lens on it)

The lenses you have will not cause any problems (unless they are somehow defective)

[Belmondo]

canonone wrote:
I have a Canon 28-135 usm-if, and Canon 100-300 usm.
But what I have been reading about the error 99 flag.
Is the fact that other issues have been found to cause
it,(anything from dirty lens contacts-to how you do or
don't format your storage device). And then I have
read where numerous owners have been told by
Canon to return their cameras for repair. I just don't
think I want to spend $1500 and have to face all of
that.


I have no written testimonials or hard data to prove what I'm about to say, so please don't ask me to provide any. (How's that for a disclaimer?)

Anyway, I firmly believe that that vast majority of 10D owners have had absolutely no problems with their cameras. There are some very well documented cases of focusing issues, but I believe we hear so much about those cases because the affected owners are simply more vocal than the silent, contented majority. Although I've not spoken to any owners directly who have experienced problems, I'm sure they exist and have stories to tell.

On the other hand, I have conducted an unscientific survey of two of the local retailers who sell the 10D in my area. Neither one of them reports any returns. One of those retailers is a large national chain with a yellow price tag as a logo, and the other is an independent photo shop. One has sold several, and the other has only sold a few. Neither one has had a return of a single 10d because of problems with the camera.


Don't be scared off by naysayers. Some of them (though not all) have an agenda to make Canon look bad, and are no doubt pleased at the concern they've created in your mind. Just apply a little logic and ask yourself if you really believe a company like Canon would deliberately foist an inherently defective product on an unsuspecting public, much less continue to manufacture and sell it after the defect has been identified.

Fat chance.

The error -99 problem seems to be much more prevalent with third-party lenses. There do appear to be compatibility issues which you're not likely to be bothered with if you stick to Canon lenses.

[robertwgross]

If you don't format your CF card, then you can get an error message, but it won't likely be the ERR 99. Let's not let that be a confusing factor.

Like I mentioned earlier, when I wear my baseball cap and the bill protrudes over the top of my camera, and then I let the camera pop up its internal flash, the flash assembly tries to pop up and it hits the cap bill. So I get an error message.

Geez, that is not the fault of the equipment. That is a user error. A few people run around like Chicken Little claiming that the sky is falling because they get an error message.

I'm becoming convinced that common sense is not so common anymore.

---Bob Gross---

[MediaMagic]

robertwgross wrote:

Geez, that is not the fault of the equipment. That is a user error. A few people run around like Chicken Little claiming that the sky is falling because they get an error message.

I'm becoming convinced that common sense is not so common anymore.

---Bob Gross---


I absolutely agree... and god knows I've had my share of "common sense" mishaps. I've tried to take time lapse shots with the auto-focus on, I've thrown the wrong filter on the lens, I've tried to take shots using a slave flash with the damn base backwards, I've blown the only chance I've ever had to get a bald eagle in flight because I forgot to put the CF card in the camera and had the Custom Function for that set to allow operation without the card, I've set the AF to use the * button and then cussed for 10 minutes then next day because the AF had ceased to function... the list goes on.

The one thing I've never had is an 'equipment malfunction' or a bad shot caused by the camera. If my camera could leave the idiot at home, all my shots would be fantastic.

David

[Derek Smith]

Take your lenses along to the store and put them on the 10D to prove to yourself that they do not give ERROR 99.

I had one Sigma which gave the E99. It cost me £5 and the postage to have it rechipped and it took 2 days. I am now thousands of shots down the line and have not had one more E99.

E99 should not be your worry. However!!

If you already use Photoshop (etc) then you will find the 10D to be much more of a camera than you could ever have possibly dreamt. Shoot in RAW and you will find you photographic horizons blow wide open when you combine the power of the 10D with the power of PS.

If you don't use PS or graphics reprocessing software, you are likely to be a bit disappointed until you realise that the 10D and PS are the two symbiotic halves of your new image production system. Alone each is good, but together they just blow the top off of conventional photography.

Before the advent of drugstore development, half of photography was done with the camera/lens/film, the other half was done in the darkroom, and inspirational pictures only existed because of the combination of expertise in both areas. When 'Standardised Development' came along, that half of photographic creativity was lost to us.

Now! the 10D(RAW) and Photoshop (etc) gives you back the darkroom, but the penalty is that you need to learn how to use the darkroom to its full potential - and that takes time and dedication if you have not already mastered the skill of using tools such as Adobe Photoshop.

Without the darkroom (PS) you might struggle a bit with the 10D to achieve what you were used to with the EOS3, but together, photography is in the process of taking a giant step forward. It really is an exciting time to be producing images - come on in - the water' sparkling.

Derek

[ssim]

I am approaching the 9000 mark on my 10D and I have yet to have an Err99. True, there have been some threads on here about that but consider the number of 10D's there are out there I think it is a very small percentage (probably less that 1) that have this problems consistently. Reckless care of your camera gear (letting the contacts between the camera and lens get damaged or dirty) can lead to this.

I have 9 lenses and change constantly and have never had this. Perhaps I am lucky but I doubt it.

I certainly wouldn't have a problem recommending the 10D to anyone.

[defordphoto]

I'm inn the same boat ssim. I have well over 10K photos on my 10D and over 6K on my D60 and haven't seen an ERR99 yet on either. I change lenses hot and everything and have had no issues. Nor have I even read that many complaints on the forums about ERR99's. Not that they don't happen, but it's usually a camera maintenance (poor camera care) issue that causes them; dirty contacts, etc.

[Vita Rara]

Canonone,

I bought my Rebel Digital a few weeks ago. My only previous EOS was a 620 and I have two lenses from that era, a 70-210/f4 and a 35-70/f3.5-4.5. Both of them have worked flawlessly with the Rebel. I took the 70-210 out yesterday and did some fall folliage and it was great.

I purchased the EOS 620 and the lenses near the end of 1987. So they are pretty much first generation EOS stuff.

Later,

Mark

[Webster]

I absolutely agree... and god knows I've had my share of "common sense" mishaps. I've tried to take time lapse shots with the auto-focus on, I've thrown the wrong filter on the lens, I've tried to take shots using a slave flash with the damn base backwards, I've blown the only chance I've ever had to get a bald eagle in flight because I forgot to put the CF card in the camera and had the Custom Function for that set to allow operation without the card, I've set the AF to use the * button and then cussed for 10 minutes then next day because the AF had ceased to function... the list goes on.

The one thing I've never had is an 'equipment malfunction' or a bad shot caused by the camera. If my camera could leave the idiot at home, all my shots would be fantastic.


David, you must be real stoopid. I've had all those errors and every one of them has been the camera's fault. All the lousy pictures I've ever taken have been the camera's fault, too. Any great pictures, however, must be the result of my great skill.

Prior to flaming, please consult CDS' sig.

[jimsloy]

I've always heard that Ford Automobiles are the worst car you can buy b/c of the service issues. However, look around, you can't go 10 seconds out on the road without seeing a Ford. Must be something good about it or else no one would have one.

Buy the camera, the chances of your Ford Mustang AND 10D biting the dust are about as high as the Cubs winning the World Series this year...oh yeah..they didn't make it!

[rdenney]

canonone wrote:
I have a Canon 28-135 usm-if, and Canon 100-300 usm.
But what I have been reading about the error 99 flag.
Is the fact that other issues have been found to cause
it,(anything from dirty lens contacts-to how you do or
don't format your storage device). And then I have
read where numerous owners have been told by
Canon to return their cameras for repair. I just don't
think I want to spend $1500 and have to face all of
that.


The "err99" message is what the camera says when it cannot control the lens properly and doesn't know why. It happens when the appropriate eletrical contacts are present but the lens does not respond in the appropriate ways.

It only happens with Sigma-made lenses made before 2000. I've never seen a report of a problem with a newer Sigma lens, with any other maker's product, or with Canon lenses of any age. Your lenses will work fine.

And even if you have a Sigma-made lens, Sigma will repair it for you free of charge. When I bought my 10D, I had two Sigma lenses repaired: a 14mm wide angle and a 28-70/2.8 zoom. Sigma had them back to me in 10 days.

Note that Sigma made lenses for others at times. Some of the Quantaray lenses sold by Ritz are made by Sigma and have the problem. But Sigma will fix those, too.

Any complicated device can fail, and so there is always a slight possibility that any new camera will have a problem. But be careful of taking the accounts you see on the Internet and drawing the wrong conclusions from them. Folks who feel wronged become disproportionately articulate, while those who are not wronged haven't had their expectations violated and don't therefore feel the need to broadcast that everything went well. The vast majority of those who have bought digital cameras have been happy with them, once they understood how to use them properly.

As to dirty contacts, remember that your EOS3 depends on those contacts as much as a digital SLR. If it hasn't been a problem on the EOS3, why should it be a problem on a digicam? Dirt on the sensor will be a bigger problem!

I've never had to even format my memory card in my 10D, but like all electronic devices, you have to handle with care to avoid static discharge damage. Just think of it as the same care you take to keep from fogging your light-sensitive film.

Digital cameras incorporate many new technologies that film photographers aren't used to, and that requires some patience to go through the learning curve.

Rick "who sees no cause for fear" Denney

[MarkH]

I'll add my voice to the mix here.

I have a 10D and I have made mistakes, but the camera has taken over 6000 shots and it is not to blame for any errors.

I would suggest buying the 10D, the chances are you will have no hassles at all.

[jcsorensen]

Many of you elitest make it sound like all ERR 99s are user error, and that anyone mentioning the problem are Nikon insiders infiltrating this great forum. I've been using Canon products before many of you were born and am a loyal Canon fan--but that does not mean I have not had some dissatisfaction along the way to include numerous ERR 99 issues which have not been my fault, but have been the results of a highly technical piece of equipment having some problems.

Someone above suggested that ERR 99 only happens when using Sigma and Quantaray lenses. My kit includes almost all Canon lenses with one Quantaray piece of glass. Have had ERR 99s on all lenses. When sent to Canon it turned out to be a bad shutter element--nothing to do with the lenses. I've also had a couple of othe ERR 99s just as the battery goes dead.

Overall, I'm exceptionally pleased with my 10D--would not trade it for the world or any other piece of equipment (except maybe a nice Hasseblad outfit ;-)! But I'm also excited about my Pontiac Grand Prix, even though it has had to go to the shop for warranty work on occassions. Even BMWs, Mercedes, and Lexus's find their way to the repair shop for work. Anything with more than one part has a statistical chance of having mechanical problems--and the user is not always the one at fault (even though I have had some problems that are my fault--but not the ERR 99s I've had on my camera, with the exception of not keeping my batteries fresh all the time.)

So be careful before labeling all ERR 99 causes as user error or bad lenses. The code generally speaking means that the camera has experienced a problem that the computer code in the camera can not interpret.

Now for he/she that started this thread--go out and by the camera--you will find it one of the most enjoyable purchases you've ever made in your life. If you don't make a purchase everytime there is a chance that you might get a lemon, you'll end up with a very big savings account and will go through life wishing you had had more fun along the way.

Let us know when you make your decision.

[CyberDyneSystems]

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze2hdzu/pics/humor.gif

[Belmondo]

The local friendly camera shop had a Sigma 2.8 24-70 zoom sitting on his shelf and was willing to sell it at what seemed to be a good price. I figured I'd take my body in and try it in the store before slapping it on the credit card.

My first picture out the window came back with an Error 99. Needless to say, I did not buy the lens.

I've never had an error-99 before, so now I feel like 'one of the guys.' He's going to send it in and have it re-chipped, and maybe I'll look at it again when and if that happens. So far, my confidence factor with Sigma lenses is quite low. (I had a 17-35 that simply wouldn't focus, although it did not give error messages)

Lenses that I use regularly without trouble (all Canons)

50mm f/1.4
100mm f/2.8 macro
17-40L
28-135 IS
75-300 IS
70-200 f/4.0L
100-400 L
400 f/5.6L

I sense a pattern developing here.

Tom

[rdenney]

jcsorensen wrote:
Someone above suggested that ERR 99 only happens when using Sigma and Quantaray lenses.

That was me. I didn't say that only bad lenses can cause it, I said that err99 was a general error that the camera reports when the lens does not behave in the way it should, for reasons that the camera cannot determine. Thus, there may be any cause for the error, but yours is the first I've seen that wasn't caused by an older Sigma lens.

I hope there was nothing in my post to suggest that user error has anything to do with it.

Rick "who has used Canon products since 1972, as well as Mamiya, Rollei, Schneider, Cambo, Pentacon, Zeiss (both of them), Yashica, and even Kiev products, none of which are perfect" Denney

[jaxpcs]

I had to rewrite this numerous times to avoid insulting anyone. I can tell you that I received my 10D back from Canon about 2 weeks ago. They repaired it within 6 weeks. The body was only 8 weeks out of the box when it failed in August.

The ERR99 was not due to a faulty lens. I use only Canon lenses.

The trouble was in the shutter assembly. The entire shutter assembly was replaced.

The irritation comes from the fact that Canon knew of the trouble. The tech support person I spoke to in New Jersey said that although not widespread, the trouble was common and quickly repaired. Many of the larger camera shops would simply swap out the body for a new one and return the bad body to Canon. Needless to say, most shops ran out of bodies by June of this year.

I have not experienced the trouble since the camera has been returned and have been very happy with the quality of the image.