Canon 40D Err 99

[mr.mike]

Hi,
Now I have a new problem. My Canon 40D works great then goes to Err 99 after about 6 photos. I remove the battery, pop it back in, back in business for a few more shots. Seems this is an ongoing issue and many have had the same experience over the years. I'm wondering if anyone has finally found the actual reason this error continues to plague these cameras?
Mike

 

[TCampbell]

According to "official" documentation, Err 99 means "something is wrong". It's basically a catch-all that doesn't provide much specific information.

But on the positive side... people have been getting this error, then ultimately finding the reason for the error... for so many years, that there is now a pretty good knowledge base of all the things you can try.

I noticed that you said it "works great" for about 6 photos... and then produces the error. What I think is interesting here is that some people with Err 99 get a situation where it happens with every shot, but you're getting off a number of shots before you get the error. A couple of the causes of the error can be battery related where an old / failing battery with a bad cell is no not dead... but it's also not putting out the correct voltage and the low-voltage problem triggers the error when the camera doesn't have enough power to run itself, plus the lens AF and IS components (and apparently lenses with higher power draw requirements can have the error, while lenses that don't have IS or have lower power draw needs might not ever give you the error.)

But before you race right out and buy a new battery, you should probably read Roger Cicala's (at LensRentals.com) blog article on Err 99. LensRentals is in a somewhat unique position because they "own" more camera bodies and lenses than anybody (even more than major camera stores like B&H Photo or Adorama -- who "sell" the products, but do not actually own and use them in the volume that LensRentals does.) That means they see all sorts of errors far more often then anyone else, and they get to experiment with causes and fixes more than anyone else.

SO... here's that blog: LensRentals.com - Canon's Error 99: the Man, the Myth

It's 6 pages long and has a lot of info. They get to the various fixes near the end and he even provides a ranked list. But keep in mind his ranked list of causes & fixes include hard failures (for example, a broken shutter mechanism such that every shot attempted will result in an error. Clearly you're not in that same situation because you can shoot a number of shots in a row before the error occurs (which is why I'm particularly suspicious of power-related causes.) The solution might just be as easy as buying a new battery.

Good luck!

 

[mr.mike]

According to "official" documentation, Err 99 means "something is wrong". It's basically a catch-all that doesn't provide much specific information.

But on the positive side... people have been getting this error, then ultimately finding the reason for the error... for so many years, that there is now a pretty good knowledge base of all the things you can try.

I noticed that you said it "works great" for about 6 photos... and then produces the error. What I think is interesting here is that some people with Err 99 get a situation where it happens with every shot, but you're getting off a number of shots before you get the error. A couple of the causes of the error can be battery related where an old / failing battery with a bad cell is no not dead... but it's also not putting out the correct voltage and the low-voltage problem triggers the error when the camera doesn't have enough power to run itself, plus the lens AF and IS components (and apparently lenses with higher power draw requirements can have the error, while lenses that don't have IS or have lower power draw needs might not ever give you the error.)

But before you race right out and buy a new battery, you should probably read Roger Cicala's (at LensRentals.com) blog article on Err 99. LensRentals is in a somewhat unique position because they "own" more camera bodies and lenses than anybody (even more than major camera stores like B&H Photo or Adorama -- who "sell" the products, but do not actually own and use them in the volume that LensRentals does.) That means they see all sorts of errors far more often then anyone else, and they get to experiment with causes and fixes more than anyone else.

SO... here's that blog: LensRentals.com - Canon's Error 99: the Man, the Myth

It's 6 pages long and has a lot of info. They get to the various fixes near the end and he even provides a ranked list. But keep in mind his ranked list of causes & fixes include hard failures (for example, a broken shutter mechanism such that every shot attempted will result in an error. Clearly you're not in that same situation because you can shoot a number of shots in a row before the error occurs (which is why I'm particularly suspicious of power-related causes.) The solution might just be as easy as buying a new battery.

Good luck!

Thank you Tim,
What you say seems to make sense. I'll try changing batteries and let you know how I make out. I'm also going to read the post you sent me.
Thanks again,
Mike