Quantaray 75-300 lens problem

[gavmar]

Just got my 300D (DRebel) and tried my old (10year old) Quantaray lens. Got the Err99 message inermittently. :( On searching various forums I have seen everything from stuck apperture to incompatible lens as the reason. Given the number of posts on this I realise that it has probably been asked before but here goes anyway.

Is there any hope for me getting the lens to work on my new camera. IF there is a fix, is anyone aware for where sucha fix can be obtained in Australia ?

Thanks

[Belmondo]

I'm not optimistic. error 99 is a catchall error code that Canon uses for problems the camera can't define, so your issue could be almost anything. Some people think it means there's a communiction problem between the lens and the body, but there's a separate code specifically for that. In other words, error 99 could be almost anything, and whatever it is, it is extremely unlikely you can do much about it unless Ritz is willing to retrofit the lens to make it compatible. (Ritz? Customer service? Same sentence? Not likely.)

The even harder truth is that the lens is probably not worth spending any money on to upgrade, if it can be done at all.

[Jesper]

I've never had Error 99 myself, but one of the tips that's often given is to clean the electrical contacts on the lens and the camera body - a dirty connector can disrupt the communication between the lens and the camera.

Your Quantaray is probably not a very good quality lens. Maybe you'd be better off looking for a new lens...

[Belmondo]

Reading back over my last post, I might have given the impression that error-99 does not mean a communication problem with the lens; that could very well be the case, but if the camera doesn't specifically recognize it as such it will give you the error-99 message. It would certainly be worth taking the time to clean the contacts. That's about all I'd do for that particular lens, however.

[RichardtheSane]

Quantaray = Sigma I believe

Old sigma lenses do not work on new canon bodies without rechipping, however I don't know if Sigma will chip a Quantaray lens...

By old I mean more than 3-5 years old.

[gavmar]

Thanks for the responses. I take the point about the lens quality but a new lens will have to wait for a while. I'll try cleaning the contacts in the meantime.

By the way, talking about lenses, I have the 18-55 kit lens but also have an older 28-80 EF 1:3.5-5.6 II lense that I have used on my film camera. Any recommendation as to which of these is considered a better lens.

Cheers

[timmyquest]

I don't know if Sigma will chip a Quantaray lens...



Nor do i think he would want to waste his time doing so.

[gavmar]

I tried one last thing - setting the camera to aperture priority and using maximum aperture. I'm pleased to report that with these settings I quickly shot off 30 shots or so and no err99. So I get to keep using my trusty (yes I know, clunky not very good lens). Until I can afford a better lens some time down the track.

I tested the lens outside in sunshine and it appeared to work fine no blown highlights even at rightly lit scenes. (Mind you the maximum aperture is 4 on the lens)

[RichardtheSane]

I don't know if Sigma will chip a Quantaray lens...



Nor do i think he would want to waste his time doing so.

I'm in total agreement with you there.

[Ishred2]

gavmar-

I experienced the same problem with my 300D and Quantary 75-300mm lens. But I didn't experiment, as you have.

I also have the same problem with my very nice Sigma 24mm lens.

So I sent a note to Sigma, asking if re-chipping of both could be done, since I like these lenses allot (where I've been using both successfully for a number of years, with my film Canon EOS 350, which I still like to use).

Sigma's reply: "Not re-chippable. But we'll offer you a trade-in deal." They would sell me two similar/comparable lenses, for apprx $250-300 each, with my old lens as a trade in! :o

Give me a break! :shock: Maybe I'm not being fair, since I'm no expert on lens' costs, but it seemed like a ridiculous alternative offer... (to me anyway).

Shredder

[Ishred2]

:oops:

gavmar/others...

If you're wondering what the heck a Canon 350 film camera looks like... forget it!

It's my Canon 650, which I still use allot.

:oops: