Question For Cannon People/Shooters

Bryce Wilson

I'm not a Cannon person, and because of the bunches of Nikkor glass I own, wasn't ever planning on being one. However, this past weekend at a garage sale, I picked up a Cannon EOS Rebel that had a Tamron 28 to 75 1:2.8 zoom on it for 50.00 bucks. Thought it would make a nice backup to the backup. Seller said it was working, but because there wasn't a charge in the battery, I had to take his word for it.

Trying the camera out, I got one snap off, a little chatter, and now the camera reads "Err 99" and will do nothing. Thought it might be a dirty contact issue, but after cleaning the contacts on both the lens and the camera, the same situation remains.

Is this most likely a lens issue or a camera issue and does anyone know of a fix other than getting it repaired by someone that knows what they are doing?

ThatCanonGuy

I'm pretty sure of the problem: there wasn't a charge in the battery, so that's why. I get err 99 on my 1DII when the battery is very low. Charge it up or get a new one, and I think you'll be good to go

Is it digital or film? That was one DEAL you got there, as the lens is worth a few hundred by itself

Tee Why

error 99 is a generic/non specific error code IIRC. I think error 01 refers to lens not being compatible.
Many things could be the cause. I'd try turning the camera off, taking the battery out, removing the lens, and then retry the camera and see.

The Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 sells for almost $500 so if you got that lens and the camera for $50, you made out well assuming it's functional.

Bryce Wilson

Thanks for the ideas! I think I'll try a new battery as this camera (Digital Rebel) appears to be at least 8 years old and it may indeed be a poor battery at that age.

I will report back with the results.

I too thought that the lens would be worth a fair amount more than 50.00 which is why I made the purchase. I have a feeling they were having problems with the camera (err 99) and is why they had it in the garage sale in the first place. Who knows.

hgernhardtjr

I'm not sure if my memory is correct, but doesn't the Digital Rebel have a "button cell" that may need replacement? It does not just keep the date, but also some other settings, again if my memory serves me.

Double check, and if it does use a coin (button) cell, replace it.

Bryce Wilson

Nope, no coin battery door on this model. For other folks information I found this while doing a "google".

ERR99 (error 99) is an indication that there is a communication problem in the camera. It is most often an indication that the shutter needs to be replaced, but it can be the result of other problems. All digital cameras occasionally need to have the shutters replaced. In the days of film cameras, it was rare to wear out a shutter because the cost of film and developing limited the number of times the shutter was cycled. With all those ones and zeros being considered "free" in digital cameras, it is not uncommon to take several hundred or more photos in a day. Even with a live-expectancy of 50.000 to 100,000 cycles, the shutters in digital cameras do reach the end of their life and need to be replaced.


Shutter replacement (usually associated with error code "99"):
Replacing the shutter on the Digital Rebel series requires more disassembly than most other repairs.
The estimate for shutter replacement is $180 on all EOS Digital Rebel models (depending upon the overall condition of the camera).
ERR99 error codes are related to shutter or mirror operation and are usually associated with a defective shutter. Cameras that have had heavy use may have shutters that have reached life expectancy and need to be replaced.

Looks like I might have another 200.00 to invest in my 50.00 camera!

ziggy53

Yes, there is a Date-Time CMOS backup battery on the Canon dRebel 300D. You can locate it inside the battery compartment after you take out the primary power battery. The Date-Time battery is a button cell and it is inside a holder in the battery compartment. (Battery type CR2016.)

Check page 33 of the user manual which you can download here:

http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/4/0900000274/01/EOSDR300DIM-EN.PDF

hgernhardtjr

Bryce Wilson wrote: »

Nope, no coin battery door on this model. QUOTE]

Maybe, maybe not ... depending on what EXACT model do you have. The oldest silver Digital Rebel DOES have a coin cell in the battery compartment for the main battery (see page 33 of your instruction manual ... if you did not get a manual, get it online here: http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/4/0900000274/01/EOSDR300DIM-EN.PDF ). Its just under the hinge of the main battery cover, and you catch the holder with a fingernail and pull it straight up to get at it.

Most all, if not all, Canon dslrs have a coin battery somewhere, usually well-hidden.

You'll need to replace it, no matter what anyway as old as it apparently is.

Ziggy beat me to the reply I see! We must be on different time zones, though ... my time of posting reads significantly different! Either that or my computer's refresh or internet connection is running very slow!

ThatCanonGuy

That was one deal you got there... the Rebel is worth at least a hundred

Bryce Wilson

ziggy53

hgernhardtjr

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!

I would have never found that without your heads up. I looked the camera over pretty good after the earlier suggestion and just assumed this model didn't have one. They hid that pretty well, even took me a bit after I knew where it was.

I will pick one up on my way home tonight and report back.

Thanks again!

Bryce Wilson

Well, replaced that hard to find button battery to no avail. I have decided that the problem is a lens issue as this error doesn't happen with the lens removed.

Off to the repair shop!

Thanks everyone for their help!

Bryce Wilson

Figured I'd update this thread with the end result.

The issue causing the malfunction was with an internal part inside the lens that was broken. For some reason, Tamron does not make this part available to camera/lens repair folks and the lens had to be shipped directly to Tamron for repair.

After a general camera cleaning in addition to the lens repair by Tamron, my 50.00 purchase cost an additional 240.00. Still, I guess 290.00 total for a decent consumer camera and that particular lens wasn't too bad. Not a great bargain, but I don't feel bad about it either.

Thanks for all who took the time to chime in.

ziggy53

Thanks for the update and good luck with the repaired lens.

WillCAD

Is this the lens?
http://www.amazon.com/Tamron-28-75mm-Aspherical-Canon-Digital/dp/B0000A1G05

If so, then you seem to have gotten a nice bargain, even with the repair cost, because it's a $500 lens, and you got a $100 body along with it for under $300.

Where the body says "Digital Rebel", does it have any letters behind it? XT? XS? XSI? If it has no letters, then it's an original Digital Rebel, which is the 300D that Ziggy and Henry posted the manual for. I own one of those myself, and I got a lot of good service out of it till I retired it last year for a 50D. It was quite a good camera for its day, and is still a fine camera for casual vacation or around-the-house shooting.