Canon EOS 450D photos are black on one side and show Error 99
Asked 5/26/2017
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2 answers
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My Canon EOS 450D is only recording part of the image. The photos come out with black areas on the sides instead of a full frame, and the camera is also showing an "Error 99" message. What could cause this, and is there anything I should try before getting it serviced?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
1
It looks like a faulty shutter is blocking parts of the sensor.
It could also be something else blocking light from reaching the sensor. Based on the definition of the edges of the dark parts it would have to be something fairly close to the image sensor, though.
An 'Error 99' in the Canon system is a fairly general error and could indicate a problem in any one of several areas. Before giving up and sending the camera in for servicing (or abandoning the camera because it is not worth what fixing it would cost), try these steps. They're what Canon will tell you to do if you contact them before allowing you to send them a Canon camera that is under warranty if it is throwing 'Error 99' codes when shooting.
Carefully clean the 8 gold color lens contact pins on the camera body lens mount with a pencil eraser. Do this while holding the camera so that any eraser dust will not fall into the camera.
Take out both batteries. Yes, there are two. The main battery and the smaller Date/Time battery. Also remove the CF memory card.
With the batteries removed, turn the camera switch on for 3-5 minutes. This clears the memory.
Turn the camera off and put the batteries and CF card back in.
Re-attach the lens and turn it back on.
If you have more than one lens and/or battery and/or CF card, use different ones when you turn the camera back on. If only one lens causes the 'Error 99', then the lens is faulty. Carefully clean the contacts on the lens. If that doesn't work then the lens is faulty. If only one battery or one CF card causes the 'Error 99', then either the battery or CF card is faulty. Replace with a different battery or CF card.
But in your case, the example image strongly suggest the issue in your case is with the shutter.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The most likely cause is a shutter problem. On a DSLR like the 450D, if the focal-plane shutter isn’t opening or closing correctly, part of the sensor can be blocked, which produces dark bands or a half-black image. That also fits with Canon’s generic "Error 99," which often appears when there is a hardware fault.
Before assuming the camera is dead, try basic troubleshooting:
- Remove and reattach the lens.
- Carefully clean the lens/body electrical contacts (the gold pins on the mount).
- Test with another lens if available.
- Remove and reinstall the battery and memory card.
If the dark area is still sharply defined across the frame, especially on every shot, that points strongly to a failing shutter or another internal obstruction near the sensor rather than a settings issue.
If these checks don’t help, the camera likely needs service, and on an older 450D it may not be economical to repair.
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