900 miles from home, Canon 1DS III, and ERR 01 Options

[dwdallam]

I'm on a on a photo trip right now 900 miles from home and in the middle of what might as well be nowhere as far as Canon repair or renting equipment is concerned.

Had a model with me tonight scouting locations downtown, and got ERR 01 on THREE lenses, 16-35, 70-200 ands 24-70. Could not get it to clear.

I was on top of a parking garage shooting down on her. I came about 2 hairs away from tossing the POS off the side of the parking garage. But then thought, "It's not an insurance problem, it's a Canon problem" and caught myself before I flung it off the 5 story garage.

No, I didn't pack my 5D as a backup, which was more of an oversight. But then again, when you buy an 8, 000 dollar camera, you don't expect it to ghost on you after 5K shutter releases.

I got back where I'm staying and clicked the shutter to duplicate the problem so I could search with exact error code and phraseology. Then after I got the error, now it's working with the 24-70--but for how long who knows. And yeah, I'm pissed off at Canon, REALLY pissed.

Any ideas on this or am I done with my trip to return home to entertain myself with Canon tech support?

Thanks

[Lust4Life]

Curious if you tried removing the battery, let the camera site for a minute, then reinstalled?

Sometimes that will clear a lock up in the OS.

Jack

[michael]

Also try cleaning the lens contacts. Since it's multiple lenses, do the body first. Just rub hard with a clean t-shirt.

Michael

[woof75]

You learnt a super important lesson and got away with it without it costing you much it seems, think yourself lucky. Always take a backup camera when you can't easily rent a replacement. I just got a rebel Xsi as a backup, it's same image quality as a 5d (to my eye) and weighs nothing and costs about the same. It's not the same as a lovely big viewfinder but it will get you out of a tricky situation.

[schaubild]

..... to return home to entertain myself with Canon tech support?

If the service provided by Canon is similar like what is common for them in Switzerland then: GOOD LUCK!

[DonWeston]

ANY TIME one needs the images, you have to have a spare ....if a pro job, at least two if not three of all things. It is a hard lesson to learn, but all gear, no matter manufacturer, can konk out, and the xsi [don't have one as I shoot Nikon right now, but have a D60 as a backup and I am NO professional shooter] makes good images, which is better then no images. You can do a job if one lens dies, but with only one body.....just gives me too much pain to think about it. One lives in denial if you never have had something die and have been just plain lucky PERIOD. IF you do something enough, eventually shit happens. I ended up years ago, going on workshop with a brand new 10D and original rebel...day one of shooting, two hours in, 10D was DOA, shot entire trip with DR. Sorry, don't mean to preach, but once burned, lesson learned...

[gwhitf]

yes it's a drag, but NO piece of equipment is guaranteed not to have a hiccup every now and then. direct your anger at yourself -- you drove 900 miles from your home and didn't bring a backup body? who's more at fault -- you, or Canon? i agree with mr reichmann, i'm betting it's a dirty contact issue. i got the same thing recently with a 1ds3, an Error 99. but i quickly and quietly reached for a backup 1ds3, (without the client noticing), and kept shooting, and then dealt with it in the hotel room later.

makes no difference how much something costs -- you want problems? then drop forty or fifty grand on a medium format system and then have that go down. that's when you really get frustrated. but again, it's just a machine that's mass produced. guaranteed to fail, sooner or later.

[k bennett]

Sorry, man, but I have to pile on here. A professional has backups for everything, and then backups for the backups. It doesn't matter how much something costs, it can and will break at the least opportune time. Mr. Murphy is always waiting to pounce....

[canmiya]

i don't go 900mm away from home to shoot without a second or third camera....or a spare battery pack and heads for lighting....i suspect after this experience, you won't either....
sorry to hear your camera issue...let us know what the resolution is...

[dwdallam]

Thanks for the "told you so" remarks, but that doesn't solve or try to solve the problem. The reason I only took the DS3 was because like I said, it was an oversight, and second, I had only planned to do landscape and other object oriented photography. The model thing was a "heard through the grapevine" deal that would have paid for my trip.

It didn't reflect badly on me as a professional simply because I explained why I didn't have a back up and why I really didn't want to bring one. They almost didn't get me to do it anyway because I DIDN'T want to do people this time out. And since I was shooting landscape, I didn't want to shoot with the 5D. I wanted and needed the extra pixels--which I don't often need when doing people. I figured if something goes wrong with the 1DS3 then I'll turn around and save the money until it's fixed. But I never thought a camera this young and expensive would pull something like this. Perhaps a failed main board, but this problem is all over the net.

Regardless of mechanical breakdowns which do occur, really, should their be a contact problem ERR 01 with so many people out there, or a focus screen problem, or ERR 99? I mean this is a camera that is unrivaled in both price and photographic standing. It's a Mercedes Benz, not a Kia.

--------

Yes, I did clean the contacts on the body and the lens. First time I used a rag and some rubbing. Today I figured I didn't have anything to lose except time and money, since if it needs Canon repair, it's going in anyway--so I cleaned it with a firm pencil eraser. Yeah I know, thin coating of gold gets rubbed off using this technique originally used to clean soldered circuit boards from oxidization. Yadda yadda. I also removed the battery. It's not locking up, meaning will not shoot at all. I can simply turn the camera off and the shutter comes back down and I can shoot again. What happens is that a dead giveaway that it's going to error is that it won't auto focus--because there is a communications problem. However, sometimes it WILL auto focus, release the shutter, and then error.

After using the pencil eraser, I shot 20 shots with the 24-70 and had no problems, but I'll bet dollars to donuts, it's an internal situation and it'll be back. In any event, even if I don't get a repeat up to the time I call Canon, it will be going back to Canon after I get home if Canon support thinks it needs to.

Micheal: Yes, thought of that, but it's on all three lenses leading to the conclusion that it's the camera. But I did clean the contacts on the lenses too. It almost looks like the springs behind the contact pins on the camera are not strong enough to stay out far enough, or they get sticky and can't punch out far enough. It could be a part defect in that respect. That's why perhaps why I read that people who have this problem have no other problems after sending the body into Canon for repair. Who knows. Thanks for responding.

[BernardLanguilli...]

Just guessing, but if it is an internal contact problem (wrong weld), it could be affected by the heat.

You could perhaps try protecting the camera with a white cloth when shooting in the sun? that will cut down as many as 6 to 8 C and could slightly extend the shooting period before the problem shows up. Adding some ice to the mix in a sealed plastic bag could help further... if heat is indeed the agravating factor of course.

Cheers,
Bernard

[James R Russell]

Also try cleaning the lens contacts. Since it's multiple lenses, do the body first. Just rub hard with a clean t-shirt.

Michael

Absolutely.

On all digital cameras before every project you must clean the lens, back, prism (if it has those) contacts.

Actually cleaning is not the best work, polishing them like silver jewelry is more the term.

JR

[canmiya]

is your 70-200 an is lens? if it is, the is motor could be a possible source of your issue. if the camera is working with the 24-70 on at this point, i would try not to change lenses if at all possible until you get home and talk with the canon techs.

[DonWeston]

. It's a Mercedes Benz, not a Kia.

--------

Well, guess you have never read Consumer Reports about Mercedes....
Despite the reputation of quality, and costs of ownership and depreciation, not a very reliable car maker, either that or most owners are whiny PIAs...your decision...best of luck....

[woof75]

Thanks for the "told you so" remarks, but that doesn't solve or try to solve the problem. The reason I only took the DS3 was because like I said, it was an oversight, and second, I had only planned to do landscape and other object oriented photography. The model thing was a "heard through the grapevine" deal that would have paid for my trip.

It didn't reflect badly on me as a professional simply because I explained why I didn't have a back up and why I really didn't want to bring one. They almost didn't get me to do it anyway because I DIDN'T want to do people this time out. And since I was shooting landscape, I didn't want to shoot with the 5D. I wanted and needed the extra pixels--which I don't often need when doing people. I figured if something goes wrong with the 1DS3 then I'll turn around and save the money until it's fixed. But I never thought a camera this young and expensive would pull something like this. Perhaps a failed main board, but this problem is all over the net.

Regardless of mechanical breakdowns which do occur, really, should their be a contact problem ERR 01 with so many people out there, or a focus screen problem, or ERR 99? I mean this is a camera that is unrivaled in both price and photographic standing. It's a Mercedes Benz,  not a Kia.

--------

Yes, I did clean the contacts on the body and the lens. First time I used a rag and some rubbing. Today I figured I didn't have anything to lose except time and money, since if it needs Canon repair, it's going in anyway--so I cleaned it with a firm pencil eraser. Yeah I know, thin coating of gold gets rubbed off using this technique originally used to clean soldered circuit boards from oxidization. Yadda yadda. I also removed the battery. It's not locking up, meaning will not shoot at all. I can simply turn the camera off and the shutter comes back down and I can shoot again. What happens is that a dead giveaway that it's going to error is that it won't auto focus--because there is a communications problem. However, sometimes it WILL auto focus, release the shutter, and then error.

After using the pencil eraser, I shot 20 shots with the 24-70 and had no problems, but I'll bet dollars to donuts, it's an internal situation and it'll be back. In any event, even if I don't get a repeat up to the time I call Canon, it will be going back to Canon after I get home if Canon support thinks it needs to.

Micheal: Yes, thought of that, but it's on all three lenses leading to the conclusion that  it's the camera. But I did clean the contacts on the lenses too. It almost looks like the springs behind the contact pins on the camera are not strong enough to stay out far enough, or they get sticky and can't punch out far enough. It could be a part defect in that respect. That's why perhaps why I read that people who have this problem have no other problems after sending the body into Canon for repair. Who knows. Thanks for responding.

It's o.k. talking about what equipment should be but it's best to live with the actuality of it rather than what you feel it ought to be, yes the 1ds mark 3 is the top of the range but you have found out for yourself that that doesn't actually matter. Also, have you ever heard of the "bathtub failure rate curve" it's pretty fundamental and is ignored at your peril.
I don't mean to say told you so, just helping out for the future because it's sounds to me like your body's screwed so there isn't anything that anyone can tell you except how to avoid it in the future. I learned about the importance of a backup in the same way you did, half hard, and I feel very lucky that it didn't happen with a client stood next to me. You really should see this as a positive experience, you learned a lesson thats as important as any other lesson in photography. If I were you if there are any photography stores near where you are I'd go, buy an Xsi or 5d or something to have just in case and sell it when you get back.

[dwdallam]

It's the body.

I've had the same problem with all my lenses after cleaning them all + the body contacts. I did finish a shoot, but had to take the lens off and on several times. I'm also having exposure problems related to metering. Let's just say at this point the 1DS3 has grenaded in a bad way.

I also understand the backup/failure aspect, but we should be wary about blaming the victims of bad quality control regarding the 1DS3. Doing a search for problems of the 1DS3 makes that point.

[woof75]

It's the body.

I've had the same problem with all my lenses after cleaning them all + the body contacts. I did finish a shoot, but had to take the lens off and on several times. I'm also having exposure problems related to metering. Let's just say at this point the 1DS3 has grenaded in a bad way.

I also understand the backup/failure aspect, but we should be wary about blaming the victims of bad quality control regarding the 1DS3. Doing a search for problems of the 1DS3 makes that point.

Nothing to do with QC with the 1ds mark 3, it can happen with any piece of equipment.

[gwhitf]

Doing a search for problems of the 1DS3 makes that point.

You find what you go looking for.

Every camera model will have an issue sometimes.

Send it in, and get it fixed, and move on.

[Chris_Brown]

While shooting tethered in 100˚F heat (with flags over the camera & computer) I got ERR_01 several times over the course of a week. I simple re-booted the camera and all was fine. My shoot went on without a hitch. I was using only one lens (90mm TS-E) the entire time, and it has some miles on it.

I do have a 1Ds2 for a backup, with all the "old style" battery gear.

[infocusinc]

You find what you go looking for.

Every camera model will have an issue sometimes.

Send it in, and get it fixed, and move on.

Ditto.

MY copy of hte 1DsMKIII has serious problems at less that a month old. Sent it in, it came back, and has been flawless ever since.

Was I happy? Nope. Did Canon make it right? YA move on.

Did I tell you about the brand new car I bought that needed the fenders removed and the entire cowl area rewelded because the car was splitting in two? Fixed and 80k have passed. Ya move on.