Canon Camera Error Codes: What Err xx Means and What to Do

An Err code on a Canon EOS camera is the camera telling you it has detected a problem, and Canon's first instruction is to follow the message on the screen. If the problem keeps coming back, Canon says to write down the error code (Err xx) and request service.

What Canon's own manual says about Err codes

Canon's online manual for the EOS R6 Mark II has a page titled Error Codes. Its instructions are short. When there is a problem with the camera, an error message appears, and you should follow the on-screen instructions. If the problem persists, you write down the error code, shown as Err xx, and request service.

An Err code therefore does two jobs. It points you to the fix the screen suggests, and it gives Canon a reference number if that fix does not hold.

Why this guide doesn't assign a meaning to each number

People search for Err 01, Err 02, Err 04, Err 05, Err 06, Err 10, Err 20, Err 30, Err 40, Err 50, Err 60, Err 70, Err 80 and Err 99 one at a time, and plenty of sites will hand you a confident one-line meaning for each. This guide only repeats what Canon's documentation states, and the Canon error code text cited here gives one procedure for any code rather than a dictionary of numbers.

That is less satisfying than a neat lookup table, but it is safer. Acting on a guessed meaning, for example prying at a part the code supposedly blames, can turn a fixable glitch into a real repair. Treat the message on your own screen, and the Error Codes page in your own model's manual, as the authority.

Err code on screen	Canon's first step	If it keeps happening
Err 01, 02, 04, 05, 06	Follow the on-screen instructions	Write down the code and request service
Err 10, 20, 30, 40	Follow the on-screen instructions	Write down the code and request service
Err 50, 60, 70, 80	Follow the on-screen instructions	Write down the code and request service
Err 99	Follow the on-screen instructions	Write down the code and request service

Find the Error Codes page for your exact model

Canon publishes a manual for each camera, and its Camera Museum pages for the EOS R10 and EOS R8 send readers to Canon's official website for each camera's detailed guide. Open the manual for your model, not a similar one, and look for the page titled Error Codes, which is the title Canon uses in the R6 Mark II manual.

Model names matter here. The Rebel T7 is sold as the EOS 2000D in Europe and the EOS 1500D in Australasia, and as the KISS X90 in some locales. If you bought your camera abroad or secondhand, search under every name.

A restart routine to try first

Canon's instruction is to follow the on-screen message. The routine below is general good practice, not Canon text. Its purpose is to help you tell a one-time glitch from a fault that repeats, which is the point where Canon says to request service.

1. Write the code down before you touch anything. Canon asks for it if you request service. A phone photo of the screen works and also captures the exact wording.
2. Read the whole message and do what it says. That is Canon's first step.
3. Power off and pull the battery. Turn the camera off, open the battery door, take the battery out, leave it out for a minute, then put it back and power on.
4. Take the memory card out. Power on without a card. If the code does not appear, the card becomes your main suspect.
5. Take the lens off and refit it. Mount it until it locks, then power on. If the code changes or disappears, the lens connection becomes your main suspect.
6. Change one thing at a time. If you swap the card, battery and lens all at once, you will not know which change made the difference.
7. Stop if the same code returns. Repeating the same steps over and over will not help a fault that persists. Canon's next step is service.

Memory card errors

Cards are the cheapest part of the system to swap, so rule them out early. Know what your camera takes. The Rebel T7 has one SD/SDHC/SDXC slot. The-Digital-Picture notes that the T7 needs an SD Class 6 card or faster for video and calls Class 6 rather slow. The EOS R8 has a single UHS-II SD card slot and accepts SD, SDHC and SDXC cards.

Practical steps for card trouble:

• Back up anything on the card you want to keep, then format it in the camera you are shooting with.
• Try a second card. If the error follows the first card and not the second, retire the first card.
• For video, use a card that meets or beats your camera's stated minimum, and leave yourself margin.
• Don't confuse a full buffer with an error. Imaging Resource reports the R8's buffer at just over 50 frames when shooting raw or raw plus JPEG, and notes you work through it fast at 40 fps. A pause after a long burst is the camera catching up.

Cards, sensors and power at a glance

Camera	Sensor	Card slot	Power note
Canon EOS Rebel T7	24.1MP APS-C	1 x SD/SDHC/SDXC	About 500 shots per charge, per Camerarace
Canon EOS R10	24.2MP APS-C, DIGIC X	See your manual	See your manual
Canon EOS R8	24.2MP full frame, DIGIC X	Single UHS-II SD	LP-E17 battery
Canon EOS R6 Mark II	24.2MP full frame, same sensor as the R8	See your manual	See your manual

On the Rebel T7, a battery near the end of its charge is worth ruling out too, since Camerarace flags its endurance as a limit for long sessions. Charge it fully before you conclude anything.

Lens contact errors

Every lens talks to the body through a row of metal contacts on the mount. If a lens is not fully seated, or the contacts are dirty, the body can lose that connection. The routine is the same on every Canon body: power off, remove the lens, look at the contacts on both the lens and the camera, and refit.

• Wipe the contacts gently with a clean, dry cloth. Skip liquids and anything abrasive.
• Refit the lens until it locks, then power on.
• Try a second lens. If the error only appears with one lens, the problem likely sits with that lens, not the body.
• If you use an adapter, try a native lens directly on the body to remove the adapter from the equation.

Know which lenses belong on your camera. The Rebel T7 accepts Canon EF-S, EF, TS-E and MP-E lenses, and Michael Fil points out it also works with third-party lenses from makers such as Sigma. The EOS R8 uses the Canon RF mount, and Canon describes the EOS R10's Movie Digital IS working together with the stabilization in RF lenses. If an error only shows up with a third-party lens, test with a Canon lens before you blame the body.

Overheating and temperature warnings

The Canon error code text cited here does not cover temperature warnings separately, so the same rule applies: follow what the screen tells you. Long video takes in the more demanding modes are the usual setting for heat warnings. The EOS R8, for example, records crop-less 4K/60p with 6K oversampling and Full HD at up to 180p.

If a temperature warning appears:

• Stop recording and power the camera off.
• Move it out of direct sun and take it out of any bag, cage or tight rig that traps heat.
• Let it cool on its own at room temperature. Avoid a fridge or freezer, where condensation becomes a new problem.
• When you resume, shorter clips give the body time to shed heat between takes.

Moisture deserves the same caution. Camerarace warns that the Rebel T7 is not weather-sealed and that using it in adverse conditions could ruin it. If any camera gets wet, power it off, remove the battery and card, and let it dry fully before you switch it back on.

When it's a repair

Canon draws the line clearly: if the problem persists, write down the error code and request service. Once the same code returns after you have worked through the restart routine, swapped the card and refitted or swapped the lens, you have done what you reasonably can from the outside.

Before you contact Canon, gather:

• The exact code and the full on-screen message.
• Your camera's model name, including any regional name.
• The lens, card and battery fitted when the error appeared.
• What you were doing at the time: stills or video, burst or single shot, indoors or out.
• Whether the code returned after a battery pull, without a card, and with a different lens.

Don't open the body or poke at the sensor or mirror to chase a code. On an older budget body, compare the repair estimate with the cost of replacement before you approve it. Digital Camera World describes the Rebel T7 as the cheapest Canon DSLR you can buy, and the cheapest DSLR of any brand. For more on whether the T7 is still worth keeping, see the Canon Rebel T7 review.

The cameras this guide covers

Canon EOS R50

The EOS R50 launched on April 18, 2023, alongside the EOS R8. Michael Fil notes it has Canon's Dual Pixel autofocus, which the Rebel T7 lacks. Use the R50's own manual for its Error Codes page rather than the R10's.

Canon EOS R10

Canon lists the EOS R10 with a 24.2MP APS-C sensor and a DIGIC X processor. It shoots up to about 15 fps with the mechanical shutter and about 23 fps with the electronic shutter, both with AF/AE.

Canon EOS R8

The EOS R8 pairs a 24.2MP full-frame sensor with a DIGIC X processor and weighs about 461g with battery and card, which Canon describes as the lightest of its full-frame EOS R models. It has a single UHS-II SD slot and uses the LP-E17 battery. If you are still setting yours up, the R8 first-time setup guide walks through the menus.

Canon EOS R6 Mark II

The R6 Mark II shares the R8's 24.2MP sensor in a larger body that Imaging Resource lists at 670g. Imaging Resource reports it can shoot more than a thousand C-RAW files before the buffer fills. Its manual is where the Error Codes text quoted in this guide comes from. Once it is running normally, the R6 Mark II settings guide covers what to set first.

Canon EOS Rebel T7

Digital Camera World calls the Rebel T7 a good buy for new photographers learning on a proper camera, while noting basic autofocus, a slow burst mode and 1080p-only video. It takes one SD card and EF-S, EF, TS-E and MP-E lenses, so the card and lens checks above apply directly.