Err 99 problem with my Tokina!

mr peas

Well, I ordered a Tokina lens from Ebay (19-35mm). It worked good for the first few hundred shots. It was a used lens, so that may have something to do with the problem. I've had the lens for less than 48 hours, the problem occuring during the first 24.

This morning, the lcd screen began to state 'Err 99'. I changed out the Tokina lens for another lens, my Canon 50mm 1.8 mk1, and it worked fine. But the Tokina as soon as I insert it into the mount and try to take a photo on aperture priority, wont work and states the Err 99 code.

I believe its the aperture blades. I think they're stuck in position.
Is there any other way to hopefully fix the problem?
I tried cleaning the contacts with a rubber eraser, it still does it.

I think I'm going to have to file for a refund from the Ebayer, I just hope they will refund me. I mean, buying a lens and having it arrive, working at first then dying on you during the first day should be replaced, right?

What do you guys/gals think?

Bakat

Send me a link to the auction.

If it didn't arrive DOA and the seller offers no return policy, you may be out of luck.

Did you pay thru Paypal? If so you may have some recourse there.

Kat

mr peas

Bakat wrote:

Send me a link to the auction.

If it didn't arrive DOA and the seller offers no return policy, you may be out of luck.

Did you pay thru Paypal? If so you may have some recourse there.

Kat

I did pay through paypal. It was working when it arrived, however after a few test shots, it stopped working. Understand that if it was the aperture blades, it can easily go on and off. So the seller could have found out that the blades didnt work and then have it sent out after it started working again. But I doubt the seller did that on purpose.

I just want to get part of my money back, but I really doubt this will go through with this person. I think I will have to go through PayPal and dispute it.

I sent you a PM with the auction.

Oh man.. I feel really bad now. I should have just bought a new lens from BHphotovideo. But I'm still strapped for cash and I needed a lens to do some minor photography work.

At least I still have one back up camera I can use.

But boyy.. I just feel really down :cry

Thankgoodness the sellers on Dgrin and FM are always more compassionate. This seller claims they sell thousands of dollars on Ebay but are not willing to go through a compromise to make a customer happy. Just uncool of a seller to do it. This is my first real negative experience on Ebay.

mr peas

Tokina..back from the dead?
Well okay.. I'm totally stumped.

I thought my Tokina lens died on me spitting out Err99 on my lcd.
But this evening, as I gave it one 'last shot' before I sent out another order for a lens, to my surprise it works again!

Could it be because after being fed up with it not working, that after a few days of me not even touching it it just needed a break from being used? The problem was that the aperture blades got stuck before, now I think I will shoot at wide open from now on (well at least when I need to do a lot of shots) that way the blades will stay in one position and wont wear itself out.

But what do you guys think happened? This thing has been bugging my mind lately. I didnt want to buy another lens and the seller has been giving me crap all this time, its been messing with my head. I shouldnt keep my hopes up though, I should look into a replacement still even though its working, but what makes you think allowed it to work again?

mr peas

update: it broke again when and if i put it to F22, it seems to get stuck in that position. HINT: do not go over F4.5 when it fixes itself again

mr peas

last update: Okay.. I opened up the lens and set the aperture back to wide-open. Good news: I can shoot at 3.5-4.5 now. Bad news: I can ONLY shoot at 3.5-4.5 now.

I suppose its not a bad deal, because I use the lens for work (mainly nightlife photography), so I usually shoot wide-open with flash anyway, I dont really need to stop down. But it just sucks to have bought a lens that is only half-mechanically sound. The images look great though for the price, I have to admit. But man.. I wish I could stop down more. Oh well, like usual.. you get what you paid for!


3.5 - 0.3" - iso100 - not bad for my beater handicapped lens haha..oh well it gets the job done..for now.

SpeshulEd

I think I'd still try to get a refund from the seller, there's obviously a problem with the lens that he didn't advertise.

ESiggins

If I were you, I wouldn't feel bad about claiming that his lens was DOA. 24 hours of working? Hell no. That's like driving a car off the used lot to find out 24 hours later that the milage has been altered. And maybe it's just me, but I think not being able to use the aperture over 4.5 is terrible, especially if you use flash (how else do you alter the exposure?) and considering that most lens' optimal sharpness is arounf F8.

ziggy53

I have an older Sigma 70-210mm, f2.8, that was rated for film only Canon EOS cameras. I knew that when I bought the lens, but I figured I would try it on my XT anyway.

It also gives an Error 99 on any aperture other than f2.8.

It may be that you have a lens which is incompatible with digital EOS cameras. You may be able to verify that through Tokina, sending them the specifications of the lens and the serial number.

They may be able to re-chip the lens, which is usually a nominal charge.

If it is the problem, that this is an older film only lens, then it is a communication problem, between the lens and the camera.

It appears that Canon, at some point, changed the communication protocol or communication speeds or a delay loop or ... something, which caused many older 3rd party lenses to be incompatible with newer bodies. Most of the documented problems are with older Sigma lenses, some of which can be re-chipped.

In my case, the lens can not be re-chipped. For the amount that I have in the lens (I believe it was $150), and considering how well it works wide-open, I decided to keep the lens, as I use it wide-open anyway. It has absolutely superb optics, so the decision was simple.

P.S. I just tried something, and I think I have a better understanding of what is going on. I have 2 Canon bodies with a DOF Preview capability. The Sigma lens aperture will not actuate using the DOF Preview, but it doesn't lock up either, it just does nothing. I believe that is the incompatibility, that the camera sends a "DOF Preview" signal to the lens, prior to allowing the shutter to fire. Without a "reply" from the lens, following the command, the camera sends an error message.

So try your Tokina lens using the DOF Preview with the camera at f8 or so. If that doesn't work, I believe you may have an incompatible lens-body combination, most likely a film EOS only lens. In that case, contact Tokina for a definitive evaluation of the problem, advising them of your suspicions.

If all that proves the lens incompatible with digital EOS cameras, I believe you may have an actual grievance with the seller, that I can corroborate, and that the seller had the responsibility to test for that condition, and at least label the lens as "film camera only" or some such as part of the lens description.


ziggy53

mr peas

oh okay, wow i never thought it through to this level. ill ask tokina and tell them im the combination im using. ill give the seller a ring again and pass the word to paypal when they give me a ring.

mr peas

Update: well for some reason it works normal again. then again i havent shot @ anything smaller than F8. But I've been able to shoot under F8 all the way up to wide open for several hundred shots and have no problem. I just left the black cover off in the back of the lens so I'll be able to jab the diaphram adjuster manually to open it up just in case it gets stuck.

Also, PayPal made a decision for my case and it went towards the seller's story. I figured that was going to happen anyway. Oh well, I suppose the lesson I learned throughout this ordeal is to stay away from ads that state that the item for sale is 'As-Is' without any chance for returns.

At least the lens still works perfectly @ wide-open and I've been able to use it for at least a dozen shoots so it paid itself off a long time ago. Maybe when I get a new lens, I'll send this one in to see whats really wrong with it. But for now, I'll keep it.

XHawkeye

mr peas

XHawkeye wrote:

a canon joke! har har. nice find!

btw, lens still works, .