Err 99

If you've never had an Error 99 failure, you're a lucky person. Error 99 seems to crop up now and again on pretty much all the camera models and if you've never seen it before, it can be quite daunting as it locks the camera out and stops you being able to do anything.

What causes it is more of a problem to diagnose though. Error 99 is basically a catch-all term. Think of it like the camera telling you that something is wrong, but it's not sure what it might be. Unlike the other error codes, of which the are about a dozen, the camera doesn't give too much guidance.

So how do you clear it, and what are the potential causes? In the first instance, turn off the camera, remove the memory card, battery and lens. With the lens off, take a look at the contacts and see if they're a bit grubby and need a clean (if they do, use a pencil eraser to rub them gently). With that done, put it all back together again and the camera should come back to life.

If you see an Err 99 once, it's not a cause to worry. If you start seeing it regularly, then you should seriously consider getting the camera into your nearest service centre as it will be pointing to an underlying problem that needs solving.

As we pointed out in this post on the EOS-1 Series Mark III firmware updates they now have a bit more information included and in fact, you're less likely to see Err 99 anyway.

So, how many of you have seen Err 99? Was it a one off or did it recur? Did you get it solved or is it ongoing?

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