Canon DSLR Error 99 fix
Friday, April 29th, 2005
Please do not post a comment in this thread unless you have read this post fully including the updates and tried the various fixes listed. When you do post, please tell us the type of camera you have, the lens on at the time, whether you tried other lenses, etc. Read this before you post. Thank you.
Recently I started getting occasional errors when taking pictures with my Canon Digital Rebel (300D): error 99. I’d have to “reboot” the camera by turning it off and then back on to get out of the error mode and in the process I’d lose the last picture I took that produced the error dialog.
I searched around on the web in various Canon discussions and could not find anything definitive on this error. Some folks seemed to think it was a battery issue, some a card issue, some a lens compatibility issue. I was feeling pretty bummed out that my year old camera was showing signs of giving out. Then I called Canon Tech Support (should have done that first).
The guy at tech support listened and then told me that the lens contacts were dirty and to get a pencil with an eraser on the end, just a regular old pencil with a red rubber eraser. Detach the lens from the camera, hold it so that the lens’ gold contacts are pointing down and lightly erase their exposed surface, cleaning them of any hand oil that might have gotten on them.
Do the same thing with the gold contacts inside the camera body. This is a bit harder but it’s doable: just hold camera so lens opening points down so no gunk falls in. Erase lightly. I used a lens cloth and dabbed at the contacts rather than blow them so as not to blow the erasings inside the camera.
I did this to each of my three lenses just to be sure. Lo and behold, it worked. I’ve shot numerous pictures with each lens and have not gotten a single error 99 message. I’m psyched, I feel like I have a whole new camera now.
More Reading
If you want to learn more about how your camera works and get a deeper perspective on this problem, I highly recommend reading Roger Cicala’s article: Canon’s error 99: the Man, the Myth.
Update
If you are just discovering this thread and plan to post a comment about your error 99 experience I’d appreciate if you could post:
1. Short description of what happened.
2. Type of Camera you were using: Canon 300D (Digital Rebel), 350D (Digital Rebel XT), 10D, 20D, 30D.
3. Lens on camera at time: Canon, Sigma, Tamron. Focal lengh, speed
Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4
Sigma 24-70mm F/2.8 EX DG
Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD
Etc.
4. Did you try another lens too? If so which one?
5. What was the mode dial on the camera set to? Auto, P, Av, Tv, M, other?
6. How much charge was on the battery when it happened? How old is the battery?
7. Did you try any of the remedies in this thread: cleaning contacts, pulling battery, etc.?
8. What country you bought, live in, and use the camera in.
Thanks.
Update #2
One of our participants in the long comment thread below (Tom) got this in a message from Canon USA. It may help some of you isolate the problem before you post a comment/question.
To isolate the cause of the issue, we suggest that you do the following:
1. Turn off the camera.
2. Remove the lens, battery, and CF card.
3. Allow the camera to sit without power for approximately 20 minutes.
4. Insert a fully charged battery, and turn on the camera.
5. Depress the shutter button as you would to take a picture.
Does the “ERR 99″ message appear? If it does, then the camera should be
serviced. If it does not, then please proceed to the next set of steps:
1. Turn off the camera.
2. Insert the CF card.
3. Turn on the camera.
4. Format the CF card in the camera.
5. Depress the shutter button as you would to take a picture.
Does the “ERR 99″ message appear? If so, then the CF card is the most
likely source of the issue. Try using a different card.
If the message does not appear, please complete the following steps:
1. Turn off the camera.
2. Clean the lens contacts by gently rubbing them with a pencil eraser
or soft cloth. Be careful that you do not let any debris fall into the
camera body.
3. Reattach your lens.
4. Turn on the camera.
5. Depress the shutter button as you would to take a picture.
If the “ERR 99″ message only appears when one particular lens is attached, then that lens should be examined by a service technician.
If you see the “ERR 99″ with a different Canon lens attached, then the camera should be serviced.
Update #3
Thanks to Alyssa for this tip from Canon tech support.
If you have a later model Canon DSLR that has Automatic Sensor Cleaning try turning that feature off to see if it stops the error. If it does, test to see if manual sensor cleaning still works. If it does you’re all set. If it doesn’t you should probably have your camera serviced to have it fixed, although you can shoot without this feature if you don’t change lenses much.
You’ll find the control of that feature in the camera’s menu system.
Richard, You may feel that you have a whole new camera, but what you really crave is a Canon 20D!
That’s right Gary! We can’t let Richard off that easy. ;-)
I’ve been having the *exact* same problem with my 2nd hard Digital Rebel. Now I know what I need to try this evening. :-)
Thanks,
Jeremy
Jeremy: Dale has recommended taking the battery out and letting the camera sit for a few minutes batteryless, then putting it back in. This can have the same effect as resetting a problem. I’ve tried it as well and it’s worked. If you come up with something else, let us know.
I’m no technician, but after trying to clear the ‘error 99′ from my 10D using all of the above, I finally looked inside. Try this… lift the mirror and visually inspect the shutter curtain. If each segment is not completely straight, touch it lightly with your blower bristles and try to pop it back into alignment. Mine took about 1 second. I remounted the lens and voila! Back to business!! Not sure how long it will last, but so far so good.
Jason: wow, great move. I wonder why the Canon guy thought all error 99s were lens related. I somehow think it a more generic error that crops up whenever the camera/lens needs to be “rebooted.” Dale solves his by taking the batery out for a minute, then putting it back. Thanks Jason.
I got “error 99″ on my 20D… and it was lens/contacts
related. Nothing works (removed batteries from GRIP
for more then 5 minutes, removed card, shoot down
with batteries inside… nothing) I just clean contacts on
both camera and lens and… WOW everything get to normal
Good luck and happy shooting
Peter, yep, that worked on my Rebel as well. The question is, how do the contacts get dirty? I don’t know about you all but I never touch those contacts, ever. So?
i’ve been having the same problem for sometime, i have tried cleaning, removing battery etc but no joy, i think its the shutter thats causing the problem, im gonna try jasons lift the mirror inspect the inside. i feel like i am blind without my camera. i don’t have warranty either as i got it 2nd hand [but in perfect con] hope i can get it fixed.
any ideas how much it will cost to send to canon for them to fix it and return it?
Mat, I don’t know but you should call Canon support on the phone first as they’ll have more ideas on what to do before you send it in. Does it happen sporadically? With a certain lens? Is there a pattern?
I’m glad I came acrross your page regarding the “error 99″. I cleaned the contacts with the eraser AND checked the screen under the mirror, which returned to alignment with a light touch with a brush. Turned the camera back on took a picture and….. IT WORKS!
Fantastic. This is great news. Of course, let us know if it pops up again, it might.
it happens all the time, my local LCE checked it with different a lens and tried my lens on a different body, its my body thats at fault. got the canon service number so gonna give them a ring and see where i stand. thanks for this page and your help.
Mat, it was canon service that told me about the eraser but I’ll be interested in what they tell you and if you have to send the lens in for work.
I’m getign the same problem (EOS 20D). Removing the battery worked for me. Sure wish there was a definitive answer though, as to the cause.
Jim
Jim: if you call up Canon they say error 99 is a lens issue but that’a a big embrella because there are many issues that could cause a problem: the lens contacts, the firmware in the camera being compatible with the lens, etc. I think pulling the battery does a system reset so that whatever the issue was goes away until… well, it comes back. But, at least you’re back in business for a while.
I had the issue once time with my 20D and it happened when I took my 50mm f1.4 off and put my 100mm f2.8 on. I figured it was the 100 but then I realized I’d changed lenses without turning the camera off. The next time I switched lenses I made sure the camera was off and do that each time now. I’ve not had the problem since.
Just out of curiousity, anyone reading this thread who’s experienced the problem: do you turn your camera off or leave it on when switching lenses?
Richard: Strangely, I’ve actually had the same lens on for a while (28-70 2.8L), and have shot dozens of photos quite happily. That’s why I was quite shocked when I saw the error. Removing the lens and CF card (Lexar 80x, 1Gb) achieved nothing, it was the battery-removal which sorted the problem. Worrying though…
Jim
You should still send in the lexar card, there’s a recall on them that may or may not have something to do with these errors. Hmmm, this is the first I’m thinking that there’s a connection.
I’ve sent mine in and am using two types of Sandisk cards: a Sandisk Extreme III 1 gig card which is the equivalent of the Lexar and a Sandisk Ultra II 1 gig card. I have not had an error 99 since switching.
Hmmm….
Here’s something to try or check out if your having err 99 problems. I’ve had my 10D over a year now and just started having problems. It has progressively worsened over the past two weeks – after doing the whole “turn off, take off lens, remove batteries routine” it would work for a little while and then misfire again. I’ve already cleaned the contacts as well as other remedies but no luck.
Some people say it’s the lens, some say batteries, some say shutter. I’ve found MY 10D will no longer shoot in “Program mode” hardly at all BUT I’ve discovered I can switch over to “Shutter priority” and not have a single error 99. As soon as I switch back to Program – instant err 99.
I’ve tested practically every shutter speed in Tv without getting an error for 100 shots or more – switch back to P and bam.
I’m not too confident that’s going to keep working though. BTW I have had err 99 plenty of times in Av mode as well – only shutter priority seems to be error free……. so far.
Carl, this leads me to believe that error 99 is a generic error code that covers a lot of territory: lens contacts, CF cards, battery contacts and more. If this is the case then looking for patterns may be a mistake, at least pattens that apply to all situations.
My current pet theory is that it may be a card issue. What brand and speed CF card are you using Carl?
yeah, this damn Err 99 issue on the 20D. just had it happening again. it didnt happen for a long time and, although, taking out the battery and putting it back in resolves the issue, it is an annoying thing to happen, especially if it happened in the middle of a commercial job. i am using sigma lenses (17-35 and 24-70) and a, you guessed it, LEXAR 1GB. If it happens again (and again), which i certainly dont hope, then it is time for another brand of card. good to know that the SANDISK seems to work fine.
in the manual, as all of you know, it says lens compatibility issue so i was very worried that my (not even one year old) SIGMA lenses were the issue but seems like it shouldn’t really be that.
good to know all the possible fixes for this issue. THANKS !
Teejay: I have only Canon lenses and have had error 99 issues with said lenses and a 300D Rebel and the 20D. However, I’ve not had a single issue since I switched to the Sandisk cards. Probably a coincidence but it does make me stop and think.
just a note to say im using a scandisk 512mb card and i still have the error. my problem is a shutter issue and nothing to do with the lens or card. As its a catchment error message its so hard to tell what the problem actually is. i think canon need to improve their error messages in firmware etc for future users.
Mat: I agree, a generic error message doesn’t do anyone any good. The support person telling me it’s a lens issue was plain wrong when pulling the battery can stop it. Argh. Thanks for the update on the card you’re using.
Just out of curiousity though, is your Sandisk care high speed, meaning, relatively new and something like “extreme III?” I do think there are issues with high speed cards and canon firmware although canon seems to be saying it’s all Lexar. God knows.
interestingly i switched my 300d into sensor cleaning mode, and i now have a fully functional camera bar continous shooting mode, which does seem to work in ‘sports’ mode. which is a little strange and unexplained. but im glad i have most of the functionality back, enough to carry on with, until it returns or til i can afford to send it to canon for repair.
oh and my scandisk card is less than six months old, doesn’t say extreme III tho.
I never had a problem with err 99 with my 10D or d60 but my 20D has constant problem with err 99. Normally, when I have this error I just turn off the power, remove and reinsert the cf card and power back on and that will fix the problem. But this weekend on June 18, 2005 during a big wedding, after 3 hours shooting, it happened again, ERR 99 flashing – big time. I missed some shots and very annoying and embarassing situation. But this time the old trick did not fix the problem and even replaced the battery, switched the cf card between 1gb lexar and 512 scandisk . I had to swith to my old reliable D60. When I got home 20d is working fine. Folks we have a big problem with 20D.
It’s not just the 20D, it’s the original Rebel (300D) and the Rebel XT as well. It may be firmware which means that a simple upgrade is on the way. I have not had this problem much with my 20D and I’m thinking that one reason I had it was that I changed lenses without turning the camera off (I’m not sure if one is supposed to or not).
Let’s not go nuts here, there are problems but there is no single cause so until Canon releases something that says exactly what it is all we’re doing is making up theories based on our own experience. Not a bad thing to do but not exactly definitive.
I have also had this err99 code come up on my 20D which is less than a week old, it does it with any one of my canon lenses fitted but only when the aperture is set to wide open, it will then error without fail.
I will try cleaning the contacts but my guess is that its a firmware problem..
Franco, yes, the various circumstances that are causing this are so varied that it does look that way to me. Hopefully they’ll solve it soon.
I got a 300D in October 2003 – 4 months later it was giving me Err99′s every few shots. I only ever used Canon lenses, and all my CF cards are Sandisk. I tried cleaning the points, but still only got a few shots before the Err99 reappeared. Sent it into Canon and they sent it back saying they’d replaced the shutter. Never had a problem after that.
Upgraded to the 20D in November 2004, and haven’t had a problem, yet, but I do use all Canon lenses, only use Sandisk Extreme cards, and always format my cards before use (something I didn’t do with the 300D).
So far so good… touch wood.
Nicola, yes, touch wood. I use all Canon lenses, Sandisk cards, and have a 20D. I had the problem many times with the rebel and only one time with the 20D. I have no clue now… so many people with such varied experiences are posting about this that it’s hard to see patterns. Thanks for your report.
I’ve just bought a 300d, and am having trouble with the error 99. I was going to return it to the store for an exchange, but from what you’re all saying, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.
I have the option to upgrade to the 350d. Does anyone know whether the error 99 problem applies to that camera too to the same degree?
I’ve heard of error 99s associated with the original Rebel, the Rebel XT (350D) and the 20D. Not sure if any suffers worse than any others. I can tell you that it’s not any one thing but seems to be multiple things which leads me to speculate that it’s a firmware issue with all the cameras.
Andy, I’d keep the camera if you want that camera instead of the 350D. There are reasons to get a 350 but I’m not sure the avoidance of error 99s is one of them.
well just another note from me, after a few shots in auto modes. i tried all apertures, all shutters and on every setting and i have no error 99 at all, from having it for about a month and not being able to take a single shot [very depressing!],I am back without any restrictions at all, very strange indeed.
My remedy was to switch the sensor clean mode on and leave it till the battery dies, cleaning the contacts didn’t have any effect before, but i guess its good practise to keep them clean, im alot more careful with removing the lenses/batteries/cf card when the camera is switched off. i recommend you all do the same.
as my problem was a body related error i guessed it was the shutter, so by locking it up in place to clean the sensor somehow put it back into shape or something for everyone else who is unsure what is causing there error take it into a london camera exchange and they will try your body with a different lens and vice versa , that way you can narrow it down to a lens issue or a body issue. least your closer to figuring it all out.
Canon need to issue a statement of some sort.
I agree, error 99 seems like a generic system warning that covers everything from lens contacts to battery contacts to card reading to sensor issues and more. Not very helpful to give an error a code and then not be able to track and correct it.
I have a Rebel (going on a year now), a Lexar 80X 2 gig card, all Canon (USA) lens, and 2 batteries. I always turn off the camera before switching lens. I always switch the batteries in rotation as they run down. I leave the Lexar in place (have only swapped it with another card once). I have not had the error 99 – yet! No way am I immune, but just wanted to add my 2 cents on the 99 error and my personal camera hygiene. One for science, one for all!
Scott, I’m moving to St. Louis. Got room in your drum room?
ricci,
you are always welcome. guest bedroom is currently clean (can’t say for how long). drums are optional of course, but your head is not! the pillow is calling, calling, calling…. ok, back to reality. are you saying i’m just lucky?
scott
I had the same error when putting on a canon prime lens which hadn’t been used for a while on my XT the lens didn’t seem to be able to change the aperature. I tryed the contact cleaner eraser trick mentioned above it seems to work. A warning is needed DO NOT use this method of cleaning TOO often as erasers can remove some of the thin layer of gold eventually all the gold will wear off resulting in a bad contacts! This was an old trick used to clean contacts on PCB boards. There are other ways of cleaning contacts but they involve using liquids.
All of that said, I’m not absolutely sure that cleaning the contacts is what’s doing it so coupled with Ryan’s warning, I’d say do some other things first like turn the camera off, remove battery and CF card, things like that that have little impact on the longevity of the camera.
No one has mentioned a software reset through the menu: I’m sure there is a menu item that reverts the camera back to its default/stock settings. I’ll bet that would kick it in the butt too. If this happens to me again I’ll try that but touch wood, it’s not happened on this 20D except once and I’m pretty sure that was because I changed lenses without turning the camera off.
Richard,
Are you still experiencing error 99 with the 20D?
No, never.
Hi folks,
I am having this “ERR 99″ on my EOS 300D.
It works fine with the standard Canaon lens that came with it, however I use it for taking pictures of skydivers coming into land etc – basically pointing it into the sky!
It works fine until there is a bright background and then it just locks up and the error message comes up. I am using Sigma AF lenses (none of them specifically desogned for Digital AF-S).
I have tried cleaning the contacts as advised above, but it still comes up each time – and it is in the “Sport” mode that it is most pronounced – use it on AV and things seem fine …….. but this is going to be a pain due to the fast’ish moving subjects, hence the sports mode.
IS this a software or compatibility problem, should I simply give up and get myself one of the newer “Digital” desiged AF-S lenses?
Cheers
Wayne
PS – sorry about the spelling above, I really should check before hitting “send” ! :-)
Hi guys,
I’m getting Err 99 with EOS 350D and my old Sigma 100-300mm. The lens that came with the camera seems to be working fine (touch wood), so I think it is lens-related.
On the Sigma lens, Err 99 seems to depend on aperture and focal length:
At 100mm, I can shoot fine with aperture up to 5. Anything over causes Err 99.
At 300mm, I can go up to aperture 5.6.
This holds true in any mode.
I tried all the tricks described above (clean contacts, remove battery…), no luck.
The Sigma lens seems to be working just fine with any f stop on my old non-digital Rebel G.
Anyone else having similar problem?
Cheers,
Filip
Wayne and Filip: I’d try resetting the camera in a variety of ways to make sure you really reset it: battery, menu, remove card and lens, etc. and start it up again with all in place. I’m pretty sure that error 99 is more generic than we think and covers any time the camera hiccups. Lots of people are posting about this problem so I’ll bet Canon is working on a firmware up grade. They just released one for two of their higher end cameras so maybe us poor slobs with low life 20Ds, 300Ds and 350Ds are next.
After I cleaned the contacts (on lens only) the problem did not completely go away but it did reduce in frequency. If I made the lens work hard by rapidly forceing the apperture to change I could get the 99 error. But the more I used the lens the less it happened. Yesterday I shot 190 pictures at the Toronto Gay Pride festival and not one error.
This makes me think that for my 99 error with the canon 100mm 1.8 lens the problem is the apperture was responding a bit slower then it should and causing the computer to throw an exception hence err 99. And after some use the lens loosened up and reacted slightly faster. I suspect a slight firmware alteration will be the fix for my version of the 99 error. I also suspect that considering the discription of the error in the manual that Canon tightened the specs as a marketing ploy to make their lens appear to work better then the competition’s. Then they got caught with their own product throwing the same exception. I hope more people with canon lens complain so they are forced to come up with a fix.
Ryan: thanks for the report and I agree, Canon needs to come clean about the fact that error 99 is a generic error code that means nothing except that there is a problem and it could be any of a range of problems. But, the more we know of what others have done to successfully deal with it the better and the more things we can try to help get back up and running when we run into it. Thanks for adding more info to the pot.
Have a 350D for 3.5 months, 99% of the time with the kit lens and never had err 99 till yesterday, when I got an old sigma 70-200mm lens. My short experience is similar to what Filip wrote – that it depends on aperture and focal length, though, it seems that cleaning the contacts as Richard wrote, improves the situation a bit.
Thanks for this thread,
Ronen
Hi guys,
Thanks for your valuable comments. Ryan’s point about tightend spec to disadvantage non-Canon lenses sound plausible (welcome to the desert of the real!).
I think I found the root of my problem. And it has nothing to do with the camera, I have to humbly admit (not that I believed one bit in innocence of marketing departments)…
My Sigma lens is faulty. I spent a lot of time mucking around with the lens and both my 350D and Rebel G. I noticed that the aperture diaphragm never changed – it remained fixed at full open. Taking picture with 350D with any aperture other than full open would result in Err 99. Rebel G did not seem to care, it would take the picture at any set aperture, but the diaphragm would not change.
A good test is to use the depth-of-field preview button located just below the lens release button on the front of your 350D. In Av mode, with aperture 22, you should see your viewfinder dimming significantly when depth-of-field button is pressed. It did not happen for me.
Then suddenly after taking one picture, the diaphragm closed to 22 and now it is stuck there. I can again take pictures with 350D, but only with aperture 22. Again, anything else produces Err 99.
That means the diaphragm is faulty – sticking for any reason. I’m going to have the lens serviced.