400D CF card error

[tenohfive]

I've got a 400D with a fairly new Sandisk Ultra 8GB 30MB/S. The camera is chucking a wobbler and coming up with a CF card error. I tried to format in camera and it came up with a 99 error code (which I gather means, 'It's broken but we don't know why'). Having tried blowing on the card, the CF slot in camera, lot's of switching off and on's and a couple of battery removals I plugged the CF card into the PC. It reads fine, held all the photo's I thought would be on there and transferred 700MB of photo's to the PC without issue. I then plugged it back into the camera and it's still coming up with the same error.

Some googling suggests this is more likely to be a fault with the camera than the card, but I thought I'd stick a post up on here on the off chance there was a known fix. I'm hoping to borrow a CF card just to rule it out before I do anything mind.

Does anyone have any experience of using Canon for non-warranty work and the costs involved? I gather they'll probably charge a fee to look at it and give an estimate but does anyone know how much or if it's worth considering a non Canon approved place? (I can only see 3 official repairers from their website, one of which is Canon itself.) And any idea of the cost of a general service/sensor clean etc and if it's worth doing at the same time?

[XG332]

Tried formatting the card on the computer?
Firmware update?

Double check you haven't bent a cf pin.

[tenohfive]

Forgot to mention that it formats on PC fine.

Looking inside the camera one of the pins does look slightly bent, and at roughly the corresponding point on the CF card there seems to be some slight damage. I haven't got a clue how I'd straighten the bent pin though

[XG332]

Long tweezers

[K12beano]

Oops! That'll explain it.


So, take the risk and with lots of care (long tweezers, like wot 'e sez) OR seek professional help? Depends how much it's bent.

Good luck either way.

[XG332]

From my time at Jessops repairs can be £100+

[tenohfive]

Tweezers worked. Brilliant.

Now I'm trying to get it to connect via USB cable to minimise the chance of it happening again. After an hour of messing about, googling and registry tweaks I've managed to install EOS Utility without a CD. And it still doesn't connect. I'm out of ideas and fast running out of patience. Anyone got any ideas?

[XG332]

The computer isnt seeing the camera?

Easiest thing would be to try another computer.
If not. It shouldnt need any installed anythings to work. Does the camera recognise being plugged in. I believe the read/write light flashes.

So the camera is back to working order? But just isn't connecting via USB?

[LongQ]

tenohfive said:

Tweezers worked. Brilliant.

Now I'm trying to get it to connect via USB cable to minimise the chance of it happening again. After an hour of messing about, googling and registry tweaks I've managed to install EOS Utility without a CD. And it still doesn't connect. I'm out of ideas and fast running out of patience. Anyone got any ideas?

Have you installed Zoombrowser?

FWIW I have never connected my 400D via USB for downloading (other than when controlling it remotely and opting to save to computer) and have had no problems with the CF card connectors.

Bear in mind that the USB connection is, iirc, USB 1 and so will be rather slow compared to using an uptodate card reader.

[tenohfive]

Camera is in working order - have taken a few photo's with it and downloaded them with a CF card reader (after banging my head against a wall trying to sort the USB.) I know USB is slower but I can live with it for small downloads and use the CF reader for when the cards more than half full, and ultimately the less I use move the CF card the less chance of having to fiddle with tweezers.

When I connect the USB cable it comes up with something like 'USB device not recognised,' and if I go so far as to identify it manually (by manufacturer etc) it only comes up with printers. It's doing the same on my HTPC (which runs XP.) I'll see if I can find another cable but I'm pretty sure they're all standard.

I've not installed Zoombrowser, going through the headache of finding the original file (and not the updater) is something I've been putting off. Will give it a go later though on the off chance.