ERR99 on Camera/Lens combos

I'm curious to see what camera/lens combos produce err99 messages. I have a theory that f5.6 lenses on the XT tend to run into the limit of the XT's focussing setup and hence occasionally the camera produces an err99 as a result.


Has anybody else noticed any such problems?

I have had that 2x happen on my xt if I remember right, once my fault, lens was not fully seated home (both kit lens).
Other time I removed battery and reinserted, was fine.

Not seen one on my 30D yet. Although I discovered if I use adobe bridge to browse the memory card with 30D when you reinsert memory card in camera the camera will sometimes freeze. Easy fix, don't browse the memory card, copy contents to desktop.

You should really have a choice for those of us that have had very very few. I can recall maybe 3 or 4 over a 5 year period and across 6 Canon DSLR bodies. This amount would hardly be called a problem.

I've seen it once on a Digital Rebel (300D) and once on a 20D, both with the kit lens. I've never seen any errors on the 30D, 1D, or 1D MkII
Some people make it seem like it happens every day (like the guy on here a while back that wanted to sue Canon because his camera was giving him Err99...)

I get an error with the 400D and Sigma.

Canon 30D & sigma 80-400 for me

Oddly enough, I've had it a few times. On my XT I think it's more related to light levels than anything else. There's a critical point at which I get the errors. I can use my 70-300 in the dark with no problem. I can use it in bright light with no problem. Use it at dusk or just before and the err99s come thick and fast. That's the Tamron. Now I tried with the 18-55 and 50f1.8 and got the same result. This makes me suspect it's a light level thing more than a camera/lens thing. Having said that I wonder whether others have noticed a particular lens/body combination on which it happens most often.

i dont have any combo that does this reguarly (ive only had it happen twice total mabye). as i recall there was a detailed survey of this sorts on someone's site a few months ago, dont know where the thread with the link to it is though.

Billginthekeys wrote in post #2622252
i dont have any combo that does this reguarly (ive only had it happen twice total mabye). as i recall there was a detailed survey of this sorts on someone's site a few months ago, dont know where the thread with the link to it is though.

I don't get it regularly. That's why it's so hard to nail down a cause. It's not the lens because it doesn't happen every time I use the same lens. It's not the body because it doesn't happen all the time. The only factor that's left now is light levels - which makes more sense although I haven't got an independent light meter to measure the level when an err99 occurs.

every time its happened to me its been because of lens contacts, and has been fixed by making sure they were clean and putting the lens back on.

Billginthekeys wrote in post #2622513
every time its happened to me its been because of lens contacts, and has been fixed by making sure they were clean and putting the lens back on.

I was at the zoo, taking animal closeups. I took 160ish photos with my 70-300. Half way through, the camera said "err99". I had not removed the lens nor changed my settings. The camera was still in Aperture priority. So what caused that? Plenty space left on the memory card. All I can figure is it is triggered by a specific light level because each time it does that the light is around that level. It doesn't matter whether I'm using a Tamron or a Canon lens. It's just something interesting that I noticed.

All my Err99 happened with Canon lenses, either with the 300/f4 or the 85/1.8.

All my Sigma and Tokina never give any errors.

Just got my first-ever err99 . . . happened on my 350D+Sigma17-70. Both were purchased used. Happened when I was just shooting different things @ 70mm f/4.5. I took a shot, tried to take another one and just noticed a noise coming from the lens when I pressed the shutter. I looked down at the camera and saw Err99.

I just turned it off and turned it back on . . . am I supposed to do anything else? never happened before, so don't know what to do.

markubig wrote in post #2623085
Just got my first-ever err99 . . . happened on my 350D+Sigma17-70. Both were purchased used. Happened when I was just shooting different things @ 70mm f/4.5. I took a shot, tried to take another one and just noticed a noise coming from the lens when I pressed the shutter. I looked down at the camera and saw Err99.

I just turned it off and turned it back on . . . am I supposed to do anything else? never happened before, so don't know what to do.

That's my solution too. Some people need to do crazy things like removing batteries as well.

I think I nailed the problem to specific light levels.