Another Error 99 Question

[skydork 0]

Just put a Sigma 18mm - 22mm lens on my digital rebel xt

It works great indoors but as soon as I try and shoot outside I get the error 99.

I'm guessing the lens is older than the camera.

What can I do to resolve this?

thanks!

[PhreeZone 20]

The Sigma 18-22?I've never heard of that model before. Sigma has an issue with lots of their older lens on Canon bodies that the chips in the lenses do no work with the newer bodies. If you shoot wide open the lens will work just fine but once the camera tells the lens to step down to a lower aparture the lens is unable to do this so it errors out and the camera body gets the Error 99.

Shooting indoors tends to be wide open since there is not much light. Once you step out side and the camera needs to shoot a smaller aparture it causes the issue. Sigma may be able to rechip the lens (they used to charge about $100 to do it) but for older lenses (pre 2000) I was told they couldn't help me on my 75-300mm and told me the only option was to shoot wide open or get a different lens.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[mnealtx 0]

Something else that *MAY* be causing it is a sticking aperture motor. I remember a post on POTN recommending that the lens be set to the minimum aperture and pressing the DOF preview button multiple times to cycle the motor.

I had a Sigma 24-70 that used to err 99 on me regularly - once I did this (I think I did it about 25 times in a row), the frequency of the err 99 glitches went WAY down. I picked up a 24-105L shortly thereafter and sold the Sigma.

Worth a try, anyway.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[skydork 0]

Sorry, Just a 18mm wide angle.

[VectorBoy 0]

It may be the contacts between the body and lens at least on canon board claims it as an err99 symptom. Can be cleaned with a pencil eraser.

[mnealtx 0]

Quote

It may be the contacts between the body and lens at least on canon board claims it as an err99 symptom. Can be cleaned with a pencil eraser.

It certainly doesn't hurt to clean them, but I doubt that is the OP's problem - he says it works fine indoors, but craps out when he tries outdoor shots.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[VectorBoy 0]

Yup err99 is a catch all for a bunch of issues.

My XT has currupted two CF cards for no reason. Its shooting and storing fine one second and then it just freezes up, locked out, CF card and all contents gone for ever. Display says err99.

[mnealtx 0]

err99 = "We don't know WHAT went wrong, but SOMEthing did."

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[skydork 0]

Going to calla Sigma Monday.

[ltdiver 3]

Quote

digital rebel xt

How I love my 300D (original Canon DSLR). The more I read about the newer models the more I appreciate the fact that my 300D has never had -any- of the problems that crop up here.
ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[mnealtx 0]

*holds ball-peen hammer behind back*

Lemme see your camera for a minute, Lori...

Honestly, it seems to be a crap shoot. I only had problems with the err99 with that one Sigma lens on my XT - all of my other lenses were fine. Now that I've got the 30d, I've not had any errors (crosses fingers).

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[PhreeZone 20]

Sigma back engineers the chips for their lens to work on the bodies. This means if something is overlooked due to the reverse engineering then the lens needs fixed to work with the body usually. I've seen ERR99 on a few 300D's and even older 10D's due to the Sigma cip issue. My 10D found not accept the 75-300 unless it was wide open and would error out, same with the 300D I tried it on.

Its luck of the draw in terms of if some of the 3rd party lenses work correctly on the bodies if they are older lenses. The newer lens all work correctly but the pre-digital lenses are a trial and error99.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com