Error 99 Information Collection

[Mark_48]

I've had my 20D for a little over a month now and not had any Err 99 messages and a 300D that's been healthy as well (and I've probably just jinxed myself with this statement). In a few months I have a couple of weddings to shoot and I'm a bit nervous about reliability seeing some of the recent postings of Err 99's cropping up. Bad things usually occur at real inappropriate times.... :shock:

In some cases the cameras get sent back to Canon, some upgrade the firmware as a fix, and for some the problem occurs once and maybe goes away.
In most of the threads very little detail is mentioned other than possibly a suspect lens or contacts of the lens and removal of the battery fixed it maybe for a while.
Maybe it would help when the error occurs, to include as many specifics as can be recalled to see if there is something common to the problem.

1. Model of camera
2. Installed firmware version and did an upgrade or reinstall fix things.
3. Lens(es) that exhibit the problem. Canon or other manufacturer.
4. Make, size, and speed of the CF card(s)
5. Manufacturer of the battery and was the battery running low?
6. Ambient temperature/humidity (if it's dry, could static discharge be a factor?)
7. Using of flash?
8. Settings of the camera when problem occured (this is probably a tough one).
9. Frequency of occurance or reoccurance.
10. What were you doing when it occured?

Would this thread be worthy of "Stickyness" so information could be collected in one place?

Comments or ideas?

Mark..........

[Canuck]

I've had my 20D for a little over a month now and not had any Err 99 messages and a 300D that's been healthy as well (and I've probably just jinxed myself with this statement). In a few months I have a couple of weddings to shoot and I'm a bit nervous about reliability seeing some of the recent postings of Err 99's cropping up. Bad things usually occur at real inappropriate times.... :shock:

In some cases the cameras get sent back to Canon, some upgrade the firmware as a fix, and for some the problem occurs once and maybe goes away.
In most of the threads very little detail is mentioned other than possibly a suspect lens or contacts of the lens and removal of the battery fixed it maybe for a while.
Maybe it would help when the error occurs, to include as many specifics as can be recalled to see if there is something common to the problem.

1. Model of camera
2. Installed firmware version and did an upgrade or reinstall fix things.
3. Lens(es) that exhibit the problem. Canon or other manufacturer.
4. Make, size, and speed of the CF card(s)
5. Manufacturer of the battery and was the battery running low?
6. Ambient temperature/humidity (if it's dry, could static discharge be a factor?)
7. Using of flash?
8. Settings of the camera when problem occured (this is probably a tough one).
9. Frequency of occurance or reoccurance.
10. What were you doing when it occured?

Would this thread be worthy of "Stickyness" so information could be collected in one place?

Comments or ideas?

Mark..........

Well, I can give you a little light on this one...answers as I found them:
1) Canon EOS 10D s/n 04xxxxxxxx
2) 1.0, never needed to update, all is good as is.
3) Sigma 28-80mm F3.5-5.6 and Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 made pre 12/98 which ended up being the problem, needed rechipping. Never did it...sold 70-300 and the 28-80 collects dust. That lens sucks!
4) Not CF related, see above, but rebranded (Jessops) Sandisk, 512MB 4x
5) 1ea Canon BP-511 and Hahnel knock-off BP-511, no associated equipment malfunction noted.
6) 40s, at least 60% humidity it was in England...wet all the time, or so it seems. at that time...not a factor in this case.
7) no flash used
8) It was noted most when stopping down lens, the info didn't get across and caused general err 99. It seemed to work fine wide open 90% of the time. That was great for a consumer grade $70/$150 lens!! :rolleyes: This is by no means a Canon L lens!
9) see #8
10) Trying to take pics of English countryside to planes.
This is only one of many correct answers. I know there are more answers as err 99 is a general fault of sort.