Canon rebel xt error messages
I have a canon digital rebel xt camera. For 3 months, I've been getting error 99 messages everytime I use the camera. It is about 2 years old. I thought it was the battery so I would try to reset the battery even after buying a new one. I took the lense (quantaray 70-300) off and replaced it. This seems to reset the camera. Why is this happening?
Cameras - Quantaray - AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 High Speed Auto Focus Zoom for Minolta
Answers & Comments
I am actually shocked that no one brings up the err99 problem we collectors have had with these lenses for years. O.K. here goes.
Canon does not make their system/lens specs available to 3rd party lens manufacturers. Don't get angry or incensed, that is just their decision and the way it is.
So manufacturers (in this case Sigma) would purchase Canon AF lenses (in this case film camera lenses,) dissect them and backwards engineer them so that their lenses would operate with Canon auto focus cameras.
Now enter Canon's digital SLRs, and a small increase in the lens/body requirements make the film AF lenses made by third parties just give the end-user fits! In some cases the camera has to go back to Canon for servicing (of course using the third party lenses on your digital Canon voids the warranty!)
Early on Sigma and another AF lens manufacturer would refit their film AF lenses for Canon's digital AF bodies but I have heard that that is no longer the case (at least with Sigma.)
If you have a non-Canon lens made for Auto Focus film EF mounts, please do not attempt to use them on a Cannon digital camera.
If you have already done so please power down the camera (if you can,) remove the battery and then the lens and after a period of time, reinsert the battery with a Canon lens affixed (if the camera does not operate correctly, you'll have to return it to a Canon repair facility, you can find one close to you on the Internet.)
Your Sigma/Quantary lens will work fine with a Canon AF film camera, so you might recover some of your losses by selling the used lens on eBay. But please be honest and admit that the lens is for a film Canon EF mount and cannot be used with a digital Canon EF mount SLR!
Thanks and sorry to be the bearer of bad news!
I have the same problem. So far I've contacted Sigma (I believe this is the company that manufacturers the Quantaray lens for Ritz) and they requested I send them a photo of the lens. I just googled sigma lens to find sigma support. I will update you all with any response I may get.
The official word from Sigma is that the lens is too old and they do not have a fix for it. They offered me to trade mine in for a deal on newer lenses that will work, but the price they offered me for the trade in were pretty much what you could get the same thing on Amazon.com for.