Well, I Saved Myself $2K Today – OR – Your Manual: Never! Leave Home Without It!!!

[LEO III]

So, there I was at Coffee and Cars this morning Houston Coffee and Cars (Cars and Coffee) | New Website Launching Soon!, having a grand old time taking pictures of some really fine rides. I was surprised that, given the heat and humidity, there were so many other people there who are just as nuts as I. Well, I was about a half hour and almost 50 shots into the event, when disaster struck. (Mind you, Coffee and Cars only lasts two hours, and there are dozens of cars and people there, so you have to choose and take your shots carefully and quickly.)

There I was, finishing up a couple of parting shots on a beautiful, black 1962 Thunderbird, before moving on to the equally beautiful, royal blue 2002 Ferrari. I Lined up my shot, adjusted the exposure, focused, inhaled, partially exhaled, and gently pressed the shutter button, and…

Nothing! Zip! Zero! Nada! Err 01!

Tried again! Same results! Err 01!

Tried again! Same results! Err 01!

(Forget not Einstein’s definition of insanity.)

Now, I’m still a newbie, and I’m not using top-of-the-line equipment, but I have been reading all of the great information on this forum for some time now. Naturally, I feared the worst – one to many clicks on the shutter. I already knew it wasn't my battery, but I hoped that it might be that my card simply threw craps on me. Hoping against hope, I changed the card, and…

Nothing! Zip! Zero! Nada! Err 01!

Holy S _ _ _, Batman!!!!! It’s Saturday morning, and I’m leaving Monday morning on a two or three week safari to Florida. I have planned my trip with two of the most important things in my life in mind, my stomach and my photography. The first week is probably the most photo-heavy, and my camera decides to take a powder!

I’ve been lusting after a 7D ever since they came out, but I’m making myself wait until my photography skills are good enough to warrant such a fine piece of equipment. (No, a 7D itself is not the answer to my photography problems. I just need to learn, learn, learn and practice, practice, practice.) Besides, I really cannot afford the $2K right now, and while I could probably rush around and get the deal done today, I really don’t want to pull the trigger just yet.

I could take my point and shoot. (That would be a lot of fun. Not!) I could try to rent something, but that would be about as easy as buying, though not quite as expensive. I didn’t even think of borrowing my son-in-law’s 20D, but I think he’ll need it before I get back.

Although I was feeling generally crappy, I asked to my stupid self, “Stupid Self: Do you know what the Error 01 code means?”

Stupid Self said, “Well, since the worst thing that could possibly happen would be a shutter problem, that's got to be the meaning of Err 01.”

“Well, why don’t you march your fat ass over to the car, open your camera bag, and check the manual, Stupid?” (Sometimes we’re on a first name basis.)

“OK, OK, I’m on the way!”

Manual Says!!!: “Err 01 --- Communication between the camera and lens is faulty. Clean the lens contacts.” (Glad the manual didn't call me by my first name too.)

So, with a few swipes with the micro cloth on the contacts on both the lens and the camera, I’m back in business and have saved myself $2K. Voila! Needless to say, I couldn’t be happier!

Mind you, this whole episode (first Err 01 to back in business) took exactly 14 minutes, but it seemed like forever. I still had over an hour of shooting (and 100 shots) ahead of me.

So, the moral of the story, especially for newbies like myself, is always have your manual with you. You never know when it might save you a couple thousand bucks.

[Rson]

Better than the all descriptive Err99

[pjt72611]

Love the narrative style of your story. Glad it turned out okay for you.

[utdbear]

I had that happen during a wedding, right when they were about to open the doors to reveal the bride. Talk about time going into slow motion.

[rphoto]

Glad your turned out good. Wish mine turned out that way. I had the error 99 come up on my 1D mark III back in June and sent it off to Canon and today it is still at Canon on it's third trip in two months still with an error 99. I have a big shoot coming up so I had to buy a new mark IV but at least now I will have a good backup.

[sheribeari]

have manual, will travel :o)

[markfh]

You didn't save yourself 2k you denied yourself an opportunity to upgrade with a clear conscience...

[SCone]

Ahhh, the "stupid self".... know what you know... know what you don't know... & never confuse the two... or "Meta-Conscious Competence"

[texxter]

Nikon cameras come with no User's Manual


Nah, just kidding. Glad it wasn't serious!

[NIZMOZ]

Have a good vacation man. I actually started the Coffee and Rides here in San Antonio, and it has taken off really well. Coffee and Rides San Antonio, TX

[richardsfault]

Reminds me of when I got an "FEE" on my D50 a few years ago, which was caused by an aperture ring not being locked at the minimum stop.

[corralup]

That was most enjoyable to read. My shutter on my D300 actually got stuck in a up right position. It said it had enough of me. They say 150K clicks. I think it made it to 120K.
Nikon fixed it nicely and all is good again.

[Imagebuffet]

Apple is releasing the iCamera. It simply works.

[ka5txl]

It's buried somewhere in part 97 of the FCC's rules, hams aren't allowed to read the manual before the radio goes back for warranty work at least once. I'm sure there's some sort of same rule for photography

[jeffkohn]

Good on ya for having the user manual with you!