20D and error 99 of death.

winger · May 18, 2005

So my 20D, it decided well I am just going to error up on you, freeze and die. It was bad I was at a press conference, I could only get it to work with one lens, on maual focus and it wouldnt crash as much.

So two days later I go out and buy a 1D Mark II. And the lens work fine with that (well except now my 70-200 is having a contact probelm....but that is a whole another story).

So I send the 20d, i get it back, I put my wide angle lens on it, and one shot BAM freezes up and is done for the day......

So I call back canon, they say I have to send ALL my lenses in and they will calibarte the body to the lens, its a common problem they say.

Anyone else think this is shady, will I have to calibarte every lens I buy with teh 20d from here on out. This is a major pain, the Mark II is useless with out a lens.....
I have all canon lenses too (in case you are wondering if its a 3rd party lens problem).

I was just wondering if anyone else has experience anything like this.

gus · May 18, 2005

Had 'Error 99' twice in 2 months...stopped shooting ...turned the camera off & dropped the battery out & re-inserted..problem fixed.

The whole process took 20 seconds.

Gus

winger · May 18, 2005

Humungus wrote:

Had 'Error 99' twice in 2 months...stopped shooting ...turned the camera off & dropped the battery out & re-inserted..problem fixed.

The whole process took 20 seconds.

Gus

yeah I wish that was my problem, I used to just pop out the battery, I maybe got it at most once a game........

But now I get error 99 and it complete takes out the camera.
Doestn matter what lens, what battery or what CF card, does em all.

lynnesite · May 18, 2005

Humungus wrote:

Had 'Error 99' twice in 2 months...stopped shooting ...turned the camera off & dropped the battery out & re-inserted..problem fixed.

The whole process took 20 seconds.

Gus

My experience is the same as Gus has had. I've shot 10,000 images since buying the thing in January--doesn't seem to have anything to do with the lenses.

ginger_55 · May 18, 2005

me, too.

Except my heart stops beating every time it happens.

ginger

ginger_55 · May 18, 2005

Oh, in addition to the battery, et al, I turn the camera off, then on again.

The reason I do that is because I was talking to a repair person about the flash, an unrelated strange problem, when something bad happened and everything stopped working. That person had me turn the camera off, then on.

The flash problem cleared up, just by placing the phone call. Kind of like taking a "sick" child to the doctor's. Don't we wish all problems were like that.

ginger, again.......

DoctorIt · May 18, 2005

ginger_55 wrote:

Oh, in addition to the battery, et al, I turn the camera off, then on again.

The reason I do that is because I was talking to a repair person about the flash, an unrelated strange problem, when something bad happened and everything stopped working. That person had me turn the camera off, then on.

The flash problem cleared up, just by placing the phone call. Kind of like taking a "sick" child to the doctor's. Don't we wish all problems were like that.

ginger, again.......

pulling battery = cycling power

:hide

But seriously, lets focus on Winger's problem, eh? This blows major fat goats. Now I know what your last IM to me meant. I hate to say it, but if all your lenses work fine with your mkII (and my 10D as well, by the way), I'd be more persistent with Canon. That's total bullsh*t that you send all your lenses to them for calibration, when they work fine on all bodies but that one 20D. I'd demand a replacement.

This might be a good time to visit Hunt's and demand they help you out. They deal with Canon on a regular basis and you've dropped several thousand dollars at their shop. Don't be a wimp!

DoctorIt · May 18, 2005

This is really bothering me... so I'll keep posting my thoughts here so you can see them perhaps before we meet again and I repeat most of them

- did you ever get that firmware update to work?

wxwax · May 18, 2005

That does indeed blow. And Canon's response is ridiculous. I agree that they should replace the body, it would appear to have an incapacitating problem.

winger · May 18, 2005

DoctorIt wrote:

This is really bothering me... so I'll keep posting my thoughts here so you can see them perhaps before we meet again and I repeat most of them

- did you ever get that firmware update to work?

Yeah I updated the firmware, the error 99 (with the battery replacement) became alot less after that. Until the whole thing went down hill fast.

I didnt buy the camera at Hunts, I bought this one at Ritz (because this was before when hunts was being mean to me)

The guy on the phone seemed so "matter of fact about" the lens calibartion, II hung up and began to think about it. THEY are paying for the shipping, so maybe that should be a sign (unless that is always something they do when you have to send an item BACK for the 2nd time).

THIS IS NOT A SIMPLE POPPING THE BATTERY OUT ISSUE. if I pop the battery out (or change lens or CF card) and turn the camera back on most of the time I wont even get one shot. The shutter will open, and it will be like a long exposure, then when the camera feels like closing, it does.

If this was a simple battery thing that would be different. I would love to use this camera as a second body (especially for remotes), but right now I can only use it as a coaster

Stan · May 18, 2005

Just a thought, but what affect does the memory battery have on the operation of the camera. ( the little button one that keeps the file numbers and date/time correct) COuld that have been faulty? I put the battery in when the camera was new and have not given it another thought.

JHarris1984 · May 18, 2005

Stan wrote:

Just a thought, but what affect does the memory battery have on the operation of the camera. ( the little button one that keeps the file numbers and date/time correct) COuld that have been faulty? I put the battery in when the camera was new and have not given it another thought.

yeah you might want to go up to RadioShack and buy a 3 dollar button cell and replace that before you end up sending it off - worst comes to worst your out 3 bucks

pathfinder · May 18, 2005

DoctorIt wrote:

pulling battery = cycling power

:hide

But seriously, lets focus on Winger's problem, eh? This blows major fat goats. Now I know what your last IM to me meant. I hate to say it, but if all your lenses work fine with your mkII (and my 10D as well, by the way), I'd be more persistent with Canon. That's total bullsh*t that you send all your lenses to them for calibration, when they work fine on all bodies but that one 20D. I'd demand a replacement.

This might be a good time to visit Hunt's and demand they help you out. They deal with Canon on a regular basis and you've dropped several thousand dollars at their shop. Don't be a wimp!

I'm with Doc on this one too. If the lenses function properly on the 1DMkll, then it is hard to believe they are the source of the problem. I would be wanting a different body replacement. I had a computer arrive DOA from Gateway once and checked to see the cards were all seated in the backplane and all, but the box was DOA. Gateway support wanted me to remove each card, reboot, etc till I found the bad card. I told them I paid for a new functional computer, not a customer assembled kit. They finally agreed and replaced the defective box with a new one that I still have today, and I sent the defective bax back to Gateway.
You purchased a 20D with expectations of what it should be capable of doing. Being DOA 1/2 of the time is not what you paid for - get Canon to send you a new body and they can fix the defective one at their leisure. Just my 2 cents....

JamesJWeg · May 18, 2005

by the time I read all the posts to date, I found myself rather happy that I did not go with the 20D.

James.

winger · May 18, 2005

pathfinder wrote:

I'm with Doc on this one too. If the lenses function properly on the 1DMkll, then it is hard to believe they are the source of the problem. I would be wanting a different body replacement. I had a computer arrive DOA from Gateway once and checked to see the cards were all seated in the backplane and all, but the box was DOA. Gateway support wanted me to remove each card, reboot, etc till I found the bad card. I told them I paid for a new functional computer, not a customer assembled kit. They finally agreed and replaced the defective box with a new one that I still have today, and I sent the defective bax back to Gateway.
You purchased a 20D with expectations of what it should be capable of doing. Being DOA 1/2 of the time is not what you paid for - get Canon to send you a new body and they can fix the defective one at their leisure. Just my 2 cents....

hmmmmm I have to call canon again and be aggressive, you have no idea how hard this will be.

So no one else has heard of this "calibarting the camera to the lens" thing I am guessing.
I really dont want to ship them my lens. I mean my 70-200 is having a problem with the connectors, os I have to send that one in anyways, but otherwise, why should i have to ship thousands of dollars of equipment to canon, to get this one little camera to fix. If it works with a lens down there then it should work with mine right?

wxwax · May 19, 2005

winger wrote:

hmmmmm I have to call canon again and be aggressive, you have no idea how hard this will be.

So no one else has heard of this "calibarting the camera to the lens" thing I am guessing.
I really dont want to ship them my lens. I mean my 70-200 is having a problem with the connectors, os I have to send that one in anyways, but otherwise, why should i have to ship thousands of dollars of equipment to canon, to get this one little camera to fix. If it works with a lens down there then it should work with mine right?

Heard of it in a different context. We had a link from a sports photog for the Philly Inquirer who tested each body with the same lens. When he found a body that focused the lens differently, he sent-in the body for calibration. But his issue wasn't anything like the issue you're having.

IMHO the camera's defective and Canon needs to make it right. No doubt you'll have to badger them. But when you spend over a grand on a camera, you have every right to expect it to function properly.

If the lens works on the mkII, then it should darn well work on the 20D. End of story. That's the message for Canon. No calibrating BS. New body that works.

And James, never judge a product by one horror story. You'll find a similar story for every mass-produced product that's out there. Winger's problem isn't one that we've seen a lot of of.

DoctorIt · May 19, 2005

winger wrote:

hmmmmm I have to call canon again and be aggressive, you have no idea how hard this will be.

yes, very aggressive.

and duh, I know as much about your equipment as you do! even though you didn't buy it at Hunts, they are the best dealer around for high end stuff. They should be dealing with Canon on a regular basis and know how to get stuff from them. You bought the camera from another store before you started dealing with Hunts. No big deal. At this point YOU are their customer, several thousand worth. They should help you out regardless. Get it? You have to get over the wimpy thing. If they want your money in the future, they will help you. Bring in your whole bag, flop it on the counter to remind them about your purchases, and then throw the coaster/20D in front of them and get help!

dragon300zx · May 19, 2005

Erik's right. Your not trying to get a date. Your trying to get your camera fixed. Force them to do it.

winger · May 19, 2005

dragon300zx wrote:

Erik's right. Your not trying to get a date. Your trying to get your camera fixed. Force them to do it.

If i was trying to get a date I would of ran away by now, at least now I am trying to stand still and well I dont know after that, but I know I am at least not running away.

DoctorIt · May 19, 2005

winger wrote:

If i was trying to get a date I would of ran away by now, at least now I am trying to stand still and well I dont know after that, but I know I am at least not running away.

just come get me, i'll go with you for moral support.

Seymore · May 19, 2005

DoctorIt wrote:

just come get me, i'll go with you for moral support.

:lol4 Sounds, to me, like "the DR" is askin' fur a date!!! :stud

:hide

20D and error 99 of death.

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