Error99 - contacts need cleaning?

[tim-b]

I started having problems with my 70-300 lens (EF mount on Canon 30D body), it seems the aperture was 'sticking' after taking photos, especially at high f-numbers (shootng wide open seems fine). Also often this prompts an Error99 message and have to turn off/on the camera and sometimes even take out the battery to reset it. I thought the lens was knackered as my EF-S 17-85 was fine, so was looking for a replacement telephoto. But then I happened to use my 50mm prime (EF) and had similar problems with that too. So I'm now thinking that the contacts for the EF lenses are either damaged or dirty, does anyone have any experience of this? Can I clean them myself of should I get a service on the camera? It's now 3 years old and has had plenty of use, but i'd rather not spend £££ and lots of time to put it in the 'shop....

[baz7175]

I used to get the E99 errors on my old 20D body quite a bit, bear in mind that E99 is quite a generic code and isn't pinpointing one particular thing.

Anyhoooo, I brought back a PCB eraser one evening and gave all of the contacts a rub and it rarely did it again...also seems to relate to the lenses being used as well as even when I was at the height of the E99's popping up if I put on my 55-200 Canon lens it would work all day long without a peep, any of the other lenses would assist in bringing the error up...

[Simpo Two]

tim-b said:

I started having problems with my 70-300 lens (EF mount on Canon 30D body), it seems the aperture was 'sticking' after taking photos

I had a Sigma 70-200 which started throwing in random over-exposures - it turned out to be sticking aperture blades. The aperture couldn't reduce fast enough to the chosen aperture take the photo - so the higher the f-number, the more obvious the problem. It went back to Sigma for a £75 overhaul and was fine after that.

[tim-b]

Thanks chaps, i've just ordered a pcb eraser so hopefully that will do the job!

[Simpo Two]

Meths is an excellent degreaser and one 99p bottle will treat all the cameras in the world for ever

[baz7175]

Good luck with it Tim, hope it works like mine did

[Taita]

Simpo Two said:

tim-b said:

I started having problems with my 70-300 lens (EF mount on Canon 30D body), it seems the aperture was 'sticking' after taking photos

I had a Sigma 70-200 which started throwing in random over-exposures - it turned out to be sticking aperture blades. The aperture couldn't reduce fast enough to the chosen aperture take the photo - so the higher the f-number, the more obvious the problem. It went back to Sigma for a £75 overhaul and was fine after that.

I had exactly the same on 7 cameras at my last place. Using Canon lenses though. Sent them to be serviced and was sorted.

[Jag-D]

As stupid as it sounds, but a dodgy memory card seems to bring this error up too...had it a couple of times at silverstone and it turned out that some of the information was corrupt