Please Help ERR message

[camilleri]

Please can anyone help....I was using my S2 and all of a sudden an ERR message showed up, and it is lit not blinking...only the top panel is on but the back doesn't switch on, the camera focuses but doesn't shoot, tried to replace both batteries but still with problems, tried the adapter with no battries but still the same, anyone knows or had the same problem...please can anyone help, it has only 3200 captures what can go wrong! :(

[HulaMike]

the manual says if not the AA's that maybe the CF card slot cover was open during operation. Says to tuyrn camera off, close the cover, start up. I'm sure you have something else going on but this is waht the book said. PS: Hogan's ebook was even worse. Only mentions dead or dying AA's.

[camilleri]

Thanks Hula Mike but it was closed all the time, and tried eveything I could but still with problems, I am really worried about my baby!!

[Keith Cocker]

Is the lens seated properly - is the aperture ring locked? I've had the ERR with both these issues. Might be worth dismounting the lens and trying a differrent one. Switch the camera off before changing the lens. Good Luck

[sandman]

One thing you must do , after changing batteries (it''s normally the 123's ) or connecting it to the a/c socket .
Is to depress the shutter button .

Changing batteries on their own does'nt lose the ERR message .
Lens mounts and aperture ring locking buttons normally give the FEE error .
Try pressing the shutter.

Brian

[Igor]

I had similar (to what Keith described) problem a while back.
Try different lens, preferable AF-S.
Does the ERR go when the camera is set to M mode?

[camilleri]

Tried removing lens and put it back on, replaced both batteries , and connected the adapter without batteries but still with problem, the thing is that the camera still focuses, and also the AF assist lights on but just that.
I am really glad I am here and see you people trying to help..I really appriciate it.

Till now still with the problem, I will keep you updated..thanks again

[camilleri]

I had to take the camera to a Fujifilm Agent in Malta, he accepted my warranty since I bought it from the UK , hope that he will fix my baby....I bought a D70 in order to continue "working", but the S2 is still my best camera, it's slow alright but powerful!!

[jimmyd]

Please keep this board informed. I had the same thing just happen with my S2 at a wedding this past saturday..it did come back this time after some fiddling and battery change.

Real anxious to hear what Fuji tells you....

Jimmy in nc

[Steve_in_TX]

Just thought I'd toss in a comment-

This happens to my S2 every single time the CR123's run down. The only thing that clears it (for me) is:

1. Replace the 123's
2. Switch to Manual
3. Fire the shutter

This info is in the above posts- but I wanted to clarify that I have never been able to clear the error without switching to manual before trying to fire the shutter...

Hope this helps!
Steve

[jimmyd]

Hey Steve,

Thanks for the post. I usually shoot weddings in manual, it is rare for me to switch to program or....but glad you mentioned that.

I had installed new 123's but they are a different lot and brand than normal.. this was the 2nd set of them I had used out of the lastest shipment. Sanyo s I think they are.

It was scary as I was just getting ready to shoot the bride coming down the aisle with her father...

My S2 had never skipped a beat until my last wedding last Saturday. Missed only 3 wedding couples....not too bad, the bride said no problem...as I was going to re stage these shots....

Jimmy

[ThePhotoGuys]

My S2 went to Edison, NJ and all I got was this t-shirt....

When I called Fujifilm, after going through everything in the manual, and what's here as well, I was told a repair trip was needed. It seems there's more than one possible cause, however a blown fuse internally is one of them. I'll post what my issue was and as much technical data as I can after it's back.

I did want to summarize the troubleshooting tips I got from Fuji, step-by-step.

1) remove all batteries and cards.
2) Install an empty, formatted memroy card below 2GB in size (2GB is upper limit of camera, I use a 4GB with custom formatting, but unsupported)
3) Install fresh CR123's
4) Set for mode M and Power-on camera and depress shutter release, power-off
5) Install fresh set of AA's, NiMH or Alkaline, Power-on
6) If Err still shows power-off and remove AA's and install AC adapter and power-on.
7) If Err still shows, call Support and be prepared to ship body for repair.
** All of these steps can be performed with any lens attached, as the lens will not cause an Err message.

Tim

[ThePhotoGuys]

OK, well after 2 days in NJ, my S2 is on it's way back home :righton: with a new Main Power Board at a repair cost of $615.97. :eek: When I asked about causes, I was told anything from improper handling of the camera/memory card (IE Static discharge, bent pins, etc) to dropping the body, etc. Noone had an explanation for why it might fail standing in a parking lot in the middle of shooting. Click, click, click, click, err. Four good shots, and then mysteriously it's out of commission. Perhaps it's like asking why a lightbulb, or any other product dies, but this is one expensive little problem

If a search for an answer leads you here as mine did, I can only hope that your problems are less severe than mine have been. I love my S2, and can't wait 'til she's back home, monday or tues. Oh, and my $$$ does buy a 6 month warranty following the repair.

Tim

[jimmyd]

Tim,

Thanks so much for your timely replies. I hate that that happened to you. I have, I guess one of the first S2's with a serial number that starts with 22...is your camera in this group??? I was lucky, I guess, that mine cleared up..but I am now of course, gun shy..My camera only has about 12,000 shots on it.

Is the 6 mo warrenty just on their repair( just the board)??? I have been very careful with my camera but I guess static electricity could be a culprit this time of the year.

Again, thank you for posting the previous post also..will write this down and have it with me when I go to weddings, etc.

Jimmy in nc

[camilleri]

Dear all, I recieved my S2 back and they had replaced the MAIN Board, they cleaned the housing, recalibrated the focus and cleaned the ccd, under warranty, to tell you the truth I think it is better now because I used to have a bit over exposure with the sb800 but now exposures are spot on, I really don't know what might have damaged the main board but I have a slight worry that since I bought rechargables CR123'S from Hong Kong but I have been using them for about 3 months, who knows might be an issue. The photoguys had the same problem as me, so it concludes that the problem are not the cr123, they are expensive here in Malta, I'll have to try to find cheaper and stock quite a few from the internet, anyway GOODDAY to all

[jimmyd]

Camilleri,

Thanks so much for posting your conclusion. You are a person of your word...

I noticed with my S2, my serial number is close to one (4 cameras different) that is posted on dpreview with problems. That problem is main circuit board...does your camera serial number start with 22A????

My camera has not missed a beat since that Dec 4 error message...don't know if mine is a main board problem or if it was just a minor problem...battery conncection..it does not give me confidence though...

It sounds like you got back a better S2 than you sent in. I am glad for you.

Jimmy in nc

[camilleri]

Yeah I am really happy with my 'NEW' S2 and I really love working with it, the serial number begins with 42L it was far from the ones that suppose to have the error message, hope yours won't be the case, is yours still under warranty? because Fuji said it was an expensive part change, mainboard replacement!

Jimmy, when you said it gave you an ERR message, what where you doing? I mean where you using the camera and the batteries ran out....etc, take note of the actual event it helps alot in fault finding. The ERR message is quite 'vast' because the camera is the only word it knows :)

[jimmyd]

Hey Camilleri,

I bought my camera in june 02, so it is an old one and not in warrenty. I did call Fuji and they say 400-500 to replace main board at least I think they said that.

When I got my error message, I was at a wedding, had just changed batteries (AA) a few shots earlier...maybe 10-12 shots..was shooting the bride coming down the aisle..you know, at the most inconvienient time to have a problem. There was no image or nothing happening other than an error message on the top screen..camera would not fire... I changed AA's back to the old ones...and just as the bride started down, decided to fake a shot...and lo and behold, it started working again...I kept those batteries in it until the reception and changed to a new set of batteries. Camera has not missed a shot since...I even put the batteries in the next day that were in when I had my problem...and could not get the camera to repeat the problem...

I keep hoping maybe I had some electrical problem, media door partially open, a switch maybe partially operating, or maybe batteries not making a good contact..the on/off switch maybe not all the way on......something...that was temporary and my fault...not the cameras.

Glad your S2 is so good now...and again, really appreciate your response and help here...

Jimmy in nc

[brooklyn69]

I was shooting a rehersal for a Mardi Gras Ball this morning when the Err message came on. I was shooting in Manual Mode with a Quantum T2 and Turbo Battery. I had shot approximately 75 shots. The Err message was Not blinking. I did depress the shutter and it (the Err light went away). This happened twice in a row.

I powered the battery off, took a photo in manual with available light and the photo looked fine. Turned camera off, turned battery back on, turned camera on and took a few more shots and the flash and camera worked fine.

I replaced all the AA batteries with new ones and will do the same with CR123s just as a precaution. I only hope that I don't have the same problem while photographing the ball TONIGHT!

Does anyone have an approximate idea of just how many shots / photos you can take with AA batteries before an Err light comes on? My battery power indicator looked just fine, when the Err light came on, so I start to wonder if it's the A) camera B) AA batteries C) the battery power indicator.

It's ashame that the amount of money one has to spend for an S2, that these problems should occur or even as frequently as they seem to.
Has anyone heard about similar problems with the D100 or D70?

Thanks for your time.

[camilleri]

Listen, when ERR message happens, first thing to do is to change the batteries especially the CR123A's and try with fresh ones, if still with the problem remove all batteries and plug the ac adapter....at least that what I know, anyway the Battery indicator on the S2 is just there for nothing because it doesn't show the proper battery life, keep always a tray in your back pocket and a set of CR123A's just in case, I learnt this when I was in a Baptism and when the child is being baptised the batteries ran out, it was my first job with the S2, since then I bought 2 trays just in case I run out of power....don't worry about these problems because the S2 is still the best DSLR in my opinion...haven't tried the S3 yet , to be honest but I love my S2 more than anything else!! :rockon:

[jimmyd]

I always put in new cr123's before every wedding...get them for about a dollar apiece...I am still operating on the cr123s from dec 4th that were in the camera the day I had my error problem...If the error is blinking, then I know it is the batteries...my error was not blinking that day..and yes, the battery gauge is worthless on a S2.

Again, hope it was just a glich....cannot afford any problem at this time...business is down about 600% from last year which was down 400% from the previous year...please bring Clinton back.....

Jimmy

[xuja]

Dear all, I recieved my S2 back and they had replaced the MAIN Board, they cleaned the housing, recalibrated the focus and cleaned the ccd, under warranty, to tell you the truth I think it is better now because I used to have a bit over exposure with the sb800 but now exposures are spot on, I really don't know what might have damaged the main board but I have a slight worry that since I bought rechargables CR123'S from Hong Kong but I have been using them for about 3 months, who knows might be an issue. The photoguys had the same problem as me, so it concludes that the problem are not the cr123, they are expensive here in Malta, I'll have to try to find cheaper and stock quite a few from the internet, anyway GOODDAY to all

After you replacing the main board is everything ok? and it lasts till today?
I am interested to know as my S2 needs replace main board, too for $600.
I finally decided to repair it instead of discard it. But I worry about this machine's future.....