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Photo Forum / Digital Photography / DSLR Cameras / May 2008Is shutter failure imminent?
This afternoon I was taking pictures with my Rebel XT. On one shot, the shutter didn't make the usual noise -- it was higher pitched and shorter than normal. At that point the display read "Err 99", which according to the manual is a "none of the above" error. It also says this error may occur with a non-Canon lens, but the lens in this case is a Canon 100-400mm L. I cycled the power and tried again, with the same result. The meter showed the battery was low, so I replaced it with a fully charged one. On the first shot the result was the same, but after I cycled the power again it worked fine for a couple dozen shots. I've taken about 47,000 pics with this camera. Does it sound like the shutter is going bad, or is this just a temporary glitch, possibly due to a low battery? It's never had any problems before. If the shutter does fail, how expensive is a repair likely to be? I don't mind having an excuse to buy a better camera, but I'd like to keep the old one as a backup in any case.  SignatureRay (remove the Xs to reply) > This afternoon I was taking pictures with my Rebel XT. On one shot, > the shutter didn't make the usual noise -- it was higher pitched and [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > don't mind having an excuse to buy a better camera, but I'd like to > keep the old one as a backup in any case. My Nikon D200 made similar sputtering & gagging sounds as it faded, and yes that's a lot of frames. It cost me $200 plus shipping & took 3 weeks. Good excuse to upgrade & have it fixed for a backup. SignaturePaul Furman www.edgehill.net www.baynatives.com all google groups messages filtered due to spam >> This afternoon I was taking pictures with my Rebel XT. On one >> shot, the shutter didn't make the usual noise -- it was higher [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > and yes that's a lot of frames. It cost me $200 plus shipping & took > 3 weeks. Good excuse to upgrade & have it fixed for a backup. A general thought about DSLR cameras and buying a used one. If DSLR users are using 8GB cards and popping off 1,000 to 2,000 images on a weekend of shooting it wouldn't be too long before, at least, the shutter would be worn out and need replacing. Unlike film cameras where cameras were used more cautiously it might be years of use before even 1,000 images are actuated. Doesn't it mean that you need to be cautious about buying even a very late model DSLR that might be worn to a frazzle? I would. >>> This afternoon I was taking pictures with my Rebel XT. On one >>> shot, the shutter didn't make the usual noise -- it was higher [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > about buying > even a very late model DSLR that might be worn to a frazzle? I would. Yes. On Nikons you can check the total shutter count in the exif data. I used mine for a lot of time lapse movies and got to about 80,000 frames (supposed to be rated for 100,000 but I dragged it around in the dust & salt spray & banged it plenty too). Along with the repair, they replaced several other parts like the battery door just to be safe and reset the shutter count so it should be in good shape again. SignaturePaul Furman www.edgehill.net www.baynatives.com all google groups messages filtered due to spam >>> This afternoon I was taking pictures with my Rebel XT. On one >>> shot, the shutter didn't make the usual noise -- it was higher [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > about buying > even a very late model DSLR that might be worn to a frazzle? I would. Some dslrs have total shutter count embedded in exif data. AFAIK Canon don't. OTOH, if it's only $200 to replace the shutter, it's not the end of the world if the shutter fails. >>> This afternoon I was taking pictures with my Rebel XT. On one shot, the >>> shutter didn't make the usual noise -- it was higher pitched and shorter [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > buying > even a very late model DSLR that might be worn to a frazzle? I would. Also, what about point-and-shoot cameras? When I first got my Fujifilm E510, I bet I shot off 2,000 shots in the first week, and I didn't slow down for quite some time. (I should check the picture number to see what I'm up to on that camera.) Then I got my Canon A720, and I went a bit nuts for the first week or so with that camera as well. But, I've been reading about these shutter failures and thinking that from 40,000 to 90,000 clicks really isn't that many in the big scheme of things, so I've started to be a bit more judicious when choosing when to click. While the point-and-shoots don't have the mirror to worry about, I assume there is some sort of shutter curtain that still opens, and which probably wears out. does anyone know if this is a potential pitfall for these cheaper cameras? Thanks, Dudley > While the point-and-shoots don't have the mirror to worry about, I assume > there is some sort of shutter curtain that still opens, and which probably > wears out. Well, some sort of shutter all right but not the sort of complex focal plane shutter that DSLRs have, so from that standpoint I should think compact camera shutters might be longer lasting. Neil >> While the point-and-shoots don't have the mirror to worry about, I assume >> there is some sort of shutter curtain that still opens, and which [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > plane shutter that DSLRs have, so from that standpoint I should think > compact camera shutters might be longer lasting. Most compacts have an electronic shutter, no mechanical shutter. On compacts the diafragm, zoom and focusing is mechanical. Further more the CCD is exposed to light far more time than with an DSLR. Dust is also a factor. So on compacts there are other ways that it can not be used anymore. - Failure of the battery and economic not viable to replace the battery. - Failure of the mechanical lens system (zoom, focus, diafram). - Dust bunnies on the sensor. - Sensor which is not working properly anymore. - Backup/litium/internal battery, so you have to set the date/time everytime you start up (or often). - Electronics in general. (Moist of plain water might give a problem). - The buttons wear out. All this is more likely to cause failure than the electronic shutter. ben >>> While the point-and-shoots don't have the mirror to worry about, I >>> assume there is some sort of shutter curtain that still opens, and which [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > ben You are probably right, Ben. I've got an old Canon A70 that seems to have a dead sensor. I keep thinking I should take it in and see how much it would cost to fix. But, a 3meg sensor would only be of use for shooting in really crappy environments where the risk of damage to camera could be high. Take Care, Dudley [] > You are probably right, Ben. I've got an old Canon A70 that seems to > have a dead sensor. I keep thinking I should take it in and see how [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Take Care, > Dudley There was a recall on cameras with a certain Sony sensor some time back - free repair. I don't know if the A70 was an affected model. Yes - it was. Read (long URL follows): http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=PgComSmModDisplayAct&keycode=21 12&fcategoryid=221&modelid=9449 Cheers, David > My Nikon D200 made similar sputtering & gagging sounds as it > faded, and yes that's a lot of frames. It cost me $200 plus > shipping & took 3 weeks. Good excuse to upgrade & have it fixed > for a backup. $200 is a lot less than I'd expected. I had been assuming shutter repair would cost $500 after 50,000 cycles, which works out to a penny a shot. But if it's only $200, that's 0.4 cents per shot. And the money I save can go toward an upgrade ;) SignatureRay (remove the Xs to reply) > This afternoon I was taking pictures with my Rebel XT. On one shot, > the shutter didn't make the usual noise -- it was higher pitched and > shorter than normal. At that point the display read "Err 99", which > according to the manual is a "none of the above" error. It also says > this error may occur with a non-Canon lens, but the lens in this case > is a Canon 100-400mm L. Is it possible it was caused by dirty contacts on the lens or body ? > I cycled the power and tried again, with the same result. The meter > showed the battery was low, so I replaced it with a fully charged one. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > don't mind having an excuse to buy a better camera, but I'd like to > keep the old one as a backup in any case. > Is it possible it was caused by dirty contacts on the lens or > body ? Good thought. I'll take a look at the contacts. SignatureRay (remove the Xs to reply) >> Is it possible it was caused by dirty contacts on the lens or >> body ? > > Good thought. I'll take a look at the contacts. The contacts looked fine, but I cleaned them on general principle. No failures so far, but I haven't taken many shots yet, so it's too soon to tell. SignatureRay (remove the Xs to reply) > This afternoon I was taking pictures with my Rebel XT. On one shot, > the shutter didn't make the usual noise -- it was higher pitched and > shorter than normal. At that point the display read "Err 99", which > according to the manual is a "none of the above" error. Either your shutter is failing or you have dirt in the mechanism, which will eventually cause it to fail. You would be better off getting the camera serviced now rather than waiting for it to quit completely. SignatureWaddling Eagle World Famous Flight Instructor |
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