Errors 1D MKII

I know this subject has been touched on in another thread but error codes weren't mentioned so
on a recent action shoot, auto servo, hi speed, I would get error 99 & error 1 & it felt like mirror just locked up. The only way to get camera working again was to shut power off. I changed lenses w same result. Didn't try single shot. I looked thru book & it suggested a communications problem.

A call to Canon Tech Support led to my cleaning the contacts <both sides> with an eraser & a dust off using a lens cloth. That didn't do much.

Does this sound like a dying shutter or something else? Comments, speculation, suggestions before I send it all off to Canon Repair <estimate +/- $500> would be appreciated. Price includes camera + 2 lenses.

Thanks.

--
Jan Rifkinson
Ridgefield, CT USA
1D MKII, W2K SP4, RSp, LR, DLp, BBp, PS

Did you try a different memory card, or reformatting — in computer — the one you were using? Also check the on/off switch on the vertical grip. Once in a great while I'll accidentally hit it and it will come to rest halfway between the on and off positions, with predictably erratic results.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

How's your battery?

I've gotten an err 99 when using an IS lens (specifically a 70-200 f/2.8L IS) when the battery was low. I switched batteries and the problem went away.

Tom Henkel said:

I've gotten an err 99 when using an IS lens (specifically a 70-200 f/2.8L IS) when the battery was low. I switched batteries and the problem went away.

Click to expand...

The 70-200 f/2.8L IS is notorious for err 99's. Remember the huge thread at RG?

- DL

Actually I can't believe I'd forgotten about it. But then I used to get those same lockups a lot with my 100-400L on my old EOS3. It never told me what the error code was though. ;-)

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

Thanks for all the responses.

A: Nill, I did not try a different memory card & did not reformat the card. Is it a good idea to re-format every once in a while/each use? You asked in computer: did you mean computer or in camera re-format? I can do both/either.

I did not check the verticle on/off switch but will store that away if it happens again.

A: Tom, I think my battery(s) are ok but will try swapping out should it happen again. At the time I was using a 75-300is, then changed off to 28-105 f3.5 where it happend again so there seems to be a common denominator -- camera, battery, switch...???

-----

Any reports on these lenses? Thanks.

Jan, *very* occasionally if the file system on the memory card gets hosed it can cause camera lockups. I only know this because it happened to me a couple of weeks ago. Reformatting might have worked, but I had images on the card already and didn't want to lose them, so I don't know. And of course if the camera is completely locked up then you can't use it to reformat anyway.

Whether to reformat regularly is one of those religious questions that you'll get a lot of very strong opinions on going both ways, with no real objective support for either position other than "that's what I do, and it works for me, so that's what you should do too." Personally I almost never reformat a card unless I'm forced to, which seems to happen less than once a year (and I shoot about 100,000 frames a year).

Chances are slim that this is the problem though, but it's worth a try, you never know. If after cleaning the contacts you're still have the same problem with more than one lens and with fresh batteries, then it's likely to need service in my opinion.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

Then the battery might not be the problem...

Jan,

In my situation the battery indicator on the camera body was showing low power. I was trying to squeeze in a few more shots and got an err 99. I replaced the battery (I always carry a spare) and all was fine. I've used the same lens and battery combination since without incident. I suspect the battery was low enough that the IS on the lens wasn't getting the right power levels and decided to stop working (probably a good feature unless you're shooting something interesting at the time it happens).

As Don said, the 70-200 f/2.8L IS is somewhat notorious for err 99 problems (although this was the only problem I've had so far).

I sure wish Canon would put a more informative battery power indicator on the next generation of 1D. On my 1DMK2, when the indicator shows low power it pretty much means the battery is dead. It would be nice to have a battery indicator that showed a 75%, 50%, 25% charge. Then you could plan ahead. The problem I have is the battery life on the 1D is so good, I tend to forget about it -- unitl I happen to notice the low battery indicator. And, of course, that always happens at an inconvinent time. ;^)

Tom

Tom Henkel said:

...On my 1DMK2, when the indicator shows low power it pretty much means the battery is dead. ...

Click to expand...

Really? Not on either of mine. In fact I know on more than one occasion I've shot a complete soccer match (which for me means about a thousand frames) with the indicator showing only one bar, and at least once or twice I've shot a whole half with the indicator blinking! In fact, I'm not entirely sure I've ever succeeded in running a battery down all the way to dead in a Mark II.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

Tom Henkel said:

[snip]I sure wish Canon would put a more informative battery power indicator on the next generation of 1D. On my 1DMK2, when the indicator shows low power it pretty much means the battery is dead. It would be nice to have a battery indicator that showed a 75%, 50%, 25% charge. Then you could plan ahead. The problem I have is the battery life on the 1D is so good, I tend to forget about it -- unitl I happen to notice the low battery indicator. [/snip]

Click to expand...

Honestly I still don't know how to read the battery indicator. I have to guess what it means & probably change/charge batteries more often than I have to. They sure do last a long time.

Humm, interesting

Nill Toulme said:

Really? Not on either of mine. In fact I know on more than one occasion I've shot a complete soccer match (which for me means about a thousand frames) with the indicator showing only one bar, and at least once or twice I've shot a whole half with the indicator blinking! In fact, I'm not entirely sure I've ever succeeded in running a battery down all the way to dead in a Mark II.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

Click to expand...

Yes, on mine one bar means "living on borrowed time" especially if I'm using an IS lens. The err 99 situation I mentioned was on one bar (of course since it was a 70-200 f/2.8L IS you have to wonder whether it was just the much reported err 99 problems with that particular lens). I wonder what others have experienced vis a vis low battery performance.

Tom

Nill Toulme said:

[snip]with the indicator showing only one bar, and at least once or twice I've shot a whole half with the indicator blinking! [/snip]Nill

Click to expand...

Sorry.... (veering off tipic slightly) do you mean the indicator in the top display panel blinks? And what do you mean by one bar? The only difference I've seen in the battery display is the same size bar that seems to be sliced instead of being solid. It is soooo subtle as to be extremely confusing.... what am I missing something?

Huh... I had never noticed that "slice" before. I'll try to remember to pay more attention to that next time out. Maybe that's a halfway mark or something? Don't know.

Anyway, as I recall, when the battery gets down pretty low, only about the leftmost one-third or so of the little battery icon shows. Then when it gets *really* low, that leftmost one-third starts flashing.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

Nill Toulme said:

Huh... I had never noticed that "slice" before. I'll try to remember to pay more attention to that next time out. Maybe that's a halfway mark or something? Don't know.

Anyway, as I recall, when the battery gets down pretty low, only about the leftmost one-third or so of the little battery icon shows. Then when it gets *really* low, that leftmost one-third starts flashing.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

Click to expand...

The only activity I ever see is when the battery is low the indicator changes so that only the left most side is still black. I'll take your word for it that it starts flashing when it gets really low -- I've never let it go that far. As for the slice, I've noticed it but never really knew what it meant.

Tom