Error 99 with more disaster. Urgent help needed.

[cyracles]

While shooting with my canon 1000d, I suddenly started getting error 99. After removing the battery and restoring it, it took some pictures that were completely disastrous. Sometimes monochrome with some hagard shades of purple. After switching off, sometimes the memory card light will not go off till the battery is removed. Pressing the shutter halfway does not satisfy the lens' autofocus...the lenses just seem reluctant. I have googled it and most of the solutions I got included removing the lens,battery and memory card for some 20minutes. I tried it after 20minutes without the memory card...it shoots(with some draggy AF) but the brief preview showed ugly pictures which is better described as pouring paints on a canvas.
I can't afford to lose this camera people, it will be disastrous. It runs on firmware 1.0.3.
What can I do please?

[JPS]

Ife,
I think this is a general error code and can be caused by a number of things. Have you tried using another lens? As the auto focus is not working correctly perhaps it is this that causing the error.
Good luck I hope you get it sorted.
Cheers
John

[Dave Humphries]

I would agree, swap out anything you can; lens (try another), battery (try another), memory card (try another) - ok, unlikely to be the latter, but ....

Not sure, as I am Nikon, whether there's a master reset, but it seems you have already googled the code.

Do you have clean lens contacts?

Is the battery being charged by the charger?

You may have to send it for repair though - probably not easy from where you are

Hope it resolves quickly,

[Stagecoach]

Ife,

I'm a Nikon user and although never had this type of problem nikon discussions have talked about a 'Master Master Reset' which entailed removing the main battery and then 'draining' the internal battery by using one of the functions (or it can be left to drain on its own over a few days). This causes a reboot of its software when placing a battery back in.

You say that after the 20 mins with battery etc removed it took pics described as pouring paints on canvas. Were you reffering to a simple well out of focus picture or something way more serious. If you consider it was just a way out of focus picture caused by poor AF eliminate this by trying it in manual focus to see results.

[Ken MT]

Appears that it may be a camera problem. As noted Err 99 is a catchall message which depends on the camera model.

http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/resou...ror_msgs.shtml

[cyracles]

Hello everyone, thanks for your inputs so far. Here is the situation report.
After much more research, i got myself to upgrade the firmware and that seemed to stop the error 99 but the pictures been taken still appear like the camera was put in "ghost mode" with colours splashing every where...any picture i take is not recognizable, if any picture comes recognizable, then it appears monochrome with some splash of purple or red....

Now the camera runs on the latest firmware from canon.

After the latest upgrade, the pic taken appeared in good colour only for the dreaded error 99 to come up again. screwing off and screwing on the lens makes it take some good pictures for a while before going back to its old ways.

Honestly guys, i'm freaking out.

I'm almost afraid to admit, removing the lens from the camera i notices something.....i have not had time to observe the inside of another camera so i can not really tell if this is abnormal. See, there is supposed to be a tiny ring threaded along the circumference that the lens screws or latches on to. Ordinarily, i would expect it to be tucked in round and round where it is but no. There is a little section of it(a segment, geometrically speaking) that looks like it is begging to be tucked in. . .a very thin wire ring it is....

I'll wait to hear from you. Thanks.

[Stagecoach]

Hi Ife,

From what you say dismounting and remounting your lens seems to cure the problem for a while suggesting a mount or contact problem.

Have you tried things with a different lens, although if the camera mounting ring is faulty may not be the best idea ?

I'm not familiar with your canon mount but also unclear of the description of what you have observed on it. I searched for a canon mount pic but can only come up with the below. May be worthwhile describing what you have observed in more detail making reference to this pic and I'm sure someone with that model will be able to give further assistance.



Grahame

[cyracles]

Thank you Grahame, please do take a look at the circled part as well as where the arrow is pointing to.


EDIT:
On closer observation, the circled part above doesn't seem a freak occurrence as i just noticed the same thing in 4 strategic places under the mount and all seem deliberately put there.

This further complicates the problem.

[cyracles]

Update: After shooting with and without memory card as well as changing memory cards, a few pictures come out as they should but most of the look like this:


A very non-flattering picture of my roommate.

As for the error 99, it now only comes up once in a while but not as regular as it did earlier.

[Stagecoach]

Hi Ife,

The item on the mount you referred to and show in the picture I'm guessing is the spring for retaining tension between lens and mount.

Just another thought, is the same problem (strange colouring) occurring on both the cameras LCD when you review them and also on the downloaded files on your computer ?

The example almost looks as if the White Balance is way off although I see from the Exif data that you had it in Auto WB. The image itself is reasonably in focus so I doubt this is a focusing problem.

[cyracles]

Grahame, the strange colouring shows both on the LCD and on the computer.

[Stagecoach]

Hi Ife,

I did a bit of a search but can find nothing about Canons and this intermittent 'colour' problem.

As you say it's intermittent the lens/mount is a possibility but I would only expect that to affect exposure and focus functions.

If you have been taking RAW files check the Exif for anything strange with respect to WB value shown.

If it were mine and this problem was one I could not live with I would undertake the following in order and if not solved move on to the next step;

a) Clean contacts on lens and body.

b) Try with another lens if available.

c) Try with another card.

d) Try with another fully charged battery.

e) Update firmware, 1.0.6 appears to be the latest.

f) Undertake a 'factory reset'. Remove main battery, remove card, drain or remove the internal battery. Leave 20 mins and replace. Various info available online regarding this.

And as a last resort, it may have to go in for repair

Grahame

[inkista]

Another (faster) alternative for factory resetting (which is basically like flipping the on/off switch on a computer. The camera when it's "off" is more like a computer sleeping) is to remove the battery/lens/flash/card, turn the camera on, and hold down the shutter button for 30 seconds.

Basically that or the 20-minute wait is to discharge an internal battery/capacitor in the camera.

Older camera models have a separate clock battery instead that you also need to remove to perform a reset. But with the 1000D, it's an internal one.

[cyracles]

Thank you Kathy, I will try that and give you a feedback. Thanks everyone.

[Ken MT]

Thank you Grahame, please do take a look at the circled part as well as where the arrow is pointing to.


EDIT:
On closer observation, the circled part above doesn't seem a freak occurrence as i just noticed the same thing in 4 strategic places under the mount and all seem deliberately put there.

This further complicates the problem.

This made me curious, so I checked my Canon 28-135, and it has the same springs as you photographed, and the lens works OK, therefore count out the lens

[Bill Yeung]

Why not sent your request with picture to Nikon company?
(2) Have you face your camera toward a hard sun? Any chance the metering sensor is at fault?
just a little brain and guess.
Good luck.

[Karl]

Try using an eraser to clean the contacts on the lens and the camera as this could be causing the issues as you mentioned it worked fine for a while after your removed the lens and then put it back on as these get a build up of grime.

Just be careful you don't get it on the sensor or inside the lens.

Karl

[gregj1763]

Hi Ife, I have been watching this thread with sympathy. I hope you get things sorted out and your camera up and running asap.
I have no advice, but if your camera has met it's maker, e.g. dead. I offer my Sony A100 twin lens kit to you at no cost other than postage costs.
It has the standard 18 - 70mm f/3.5-5.6 and the 75 - 300mm f/4.5-5.6.
It is basically worth bugger all to sell here in Aus and is in perfect condition, I look after my stuff
I have no idea what it would cost you for postage from Australia to Nigeria but if you are interested just PM me and maybe I could help you out.
Cheers, Greg

[russellsnr]

Hi, Spot on with this suggestion, use the rubber on the end of a new pencil, clean all the contacts gently, camera and lens.
I have read about this problem before with err99 and for some that worked.
Russ