err 99

[webbco]

i have a rebel xs and have started getting  the err 99 error.  after taking out the battery and sd card and taking off the lense  and letting it sit for about half an hour and various other quick fix attempts,  i started doing some trouble shooting to narrow down which component the problem seems to be stemming from.

I have found that if i turn on the camera with the sd card in it gives me the error when i try to take a picture (several attempts in different setting with different lenses after removing the battery  and not, etc etc)

however

if i turn on the camera with no sd card then insert the sd card once it is on, it seems to work fine until i turn the camera off (or it times out, a feature i have since disabled). then when i turn the camera back on with the card int it the error shows up. if i take the card out before turning the camera back on all good again.

it is a brand new card and i have formatted it in the camera. the whole taking the card out and putting it back in is a bit of a pain in the butt  as well as slows things down for those spontanious pictures.

anyone have an idea if this points to a particular problem and if it may have a fix i can do my self. I haven't tried the the reboot taking both batteries out yet, only with taking the main battery out, not sure if this would make much difference for what i beleive is an sd card issue.

Any thoughts? 

[RobertTheFat]

Newer cards can confuse older cameras, either by being unfamiliarly large or by using a slightly different formatting protocol or whatever. Does it still work with cards of approximately the same age as the camera? If so, something about your new card is probably not being properly recognized.

Also, of course, there's the problem that counterfeit cards abound, and one can't expect them to work very well. Make sure you buy your cards only from a reputable source.

[TTMartin]

---

@RobertTheFat wrote:

Newer cards can confuse older cameras, either by being unfamiliarly large or by using a slightly different formatting protocol or whatever. Does it still work with cards of approximately the same age as the camera? If so, something about your new card is probably not being properly recognized.

Also, of course, there's the problem that counterfeit cards abound, and one can't expect them to work very well. Make sure you buy your cards only from a reputable source.

---

I agree. 

Be sure your 'new' SD card is an SDHC card no larger than 32GB.

Cards larger than 32GB or cards using the SDXC format were introduce after your camera and are not compatible with it.

Before spending money on servicing your camera, be sure to rule out the card.

[ebiggs1]

Err 99 is the most dreaded error a Canon camera can have.  It means something is wrong and the camera doesn't know what.

It can be anything.  You can do the tedious troubleshooting or send it for repair.  I don't believe Canon still repairs the XS but they may.  If it does need repair it may not be worth it. The phone number for Canon technical support is 1-800-652-2666.

It can be the SD card, the lens, the contacts.  Do a total reboot of the XS.  Almost anything. A replacement camera body!

[webbco]

the sd card is a 32gb sdhc lexar  i bought at walmart on the weekend so it is very new and a larger card. i may try a smaller one. As for trying an existing card i dont do much on sd cards so the only ones i have are pretty old (like older than this camera), would that make a difference?   i appreciate the input

[ebiggs1]

Don't dwell just on the SD card.  It is only one place to look.  Check it out.  It should be what your manual suggests you use.

it isn't uncommon for the SD slot to fail.  You can't do anything about that.