Rebel Xt Sometimes when I try to take a pic it will not work!

Does the little flash lightening bolt light up in the viewfinder to let you know the flash is fully charged? If it does, but when you push release it goes out and then comes on again in a few seconds that is the sign of a bad flash board.

Does the flash go all the way up?

Is the switch that is under the flash come all the way up (not stuck down)?

Alot of times there is residue that has got stuck in between the flash cover and top cover. Turn the camera on and with your nail pry open the flash as you push the flash pop up button with your other hand! Then with alcohol and a couple of q-tips clean every part under the flash pop up. When the camera is facing you there is a arm that rests slightly forward on the left side clean there and on the right side in the back there is a piece of plastic sticking out of the cover. Its black in color clean that with alcohol depress it a few times with the q-tip soaked in alcohol and the arms that push up the flash are silver, clean those real good. Alot of times when a camera is sent in for this it is usually a result of residue of some sort getting in between the flash pop up and the top cover! Even if it looks clean, clean it anyways. Also sometimes the flash pop up is slightly bent you can bend it in place with your hand. Just a little a a time and then try to depress the flash pop up button and see if it works.

Frustrating I am sure. I had the same problem on my first XTi. I cannot remember what the settings were, but I think I was set for portrait and had flash set as the white balance default source. Therefore the camera always popped up the flash assuming that I wanted or needed fill flash.

Change you white balance to sun/shade/tungston etc as is appropriate, choose a faster ISO speed in lower light levels and try using the P or Tv mode and use a shutter speed that generates a middle range aperature for your particular lens.

Sounds like the internal flash is broken. I have seen used cameras advertised with this condition so it is not uncommon.

I'm pretty sure I heard of those buttons going bad when I was researching used cameras...might have to get it repaired unfortunately...

Saw a few ads on craigslist etc. where person said "camera takes pics fine but menu button stopped working recently". Maybe there's a recall?

It seems you have a false contact in the upper LCD screen, its flat ribbon cable or the connector at the main board.

It is necessary to open it and check it.

It is fairly easy to do it, but if the camera has a warranty, I do recommend you to make it valid.

If does not have warranty, then you may try in do it yourself if you have some experience and skills to fix electronic devices, or pay to have it done.

Best regards,

This sounds like the flash obstruction error - a fairly common issue with the Rebel XT. For some reason, the built in flash tends to get sticky if it's not used often. From what i've read, the best work around for this is to "exercise" the flash.

Basically what you do is when you press the flash button, either help it with your finger or thumbnail, close it again, re press the button, and keep doing it a few times. You'll find the flash gets less sticky.

You might also want to see if it gets caught on the Canaon nameplate as it tries to pop up. All it takes a smidge of friction to throw this error

Maybe there's a problem with your camera's pop-up flash.

Contact Canon Customer Support, and see what they can do for you. Probably they will point where you can get your camera repaired.

I use Picasa for me photo handling and sometimes it seems to take forever for the computer to read the camera. Try giving it some extra time to hook-up. WHat do you use to download your pics to?

Philip

I know what you two are talking about. I ordered a Canon EOS 300d from a site called "Keh" and I had never used one before... so I get it in the mail on time. The camera works fine for a few minutes then I get an "error 99" and can't do jack with the camera. I researched online and even called keh ... I read and heard that it has to do with the lens... so I sen't the camera back and got my money.