Canon EOS Rebel XS Troubleshooting

Go to the Canon EOS Rebel XS device page

Camera does not appear to be powering on.

Move the command dial to something other than the L position to turn the camera on.

Make sure that the batteries are fresh and placed into the camera correctly. The camera has an internal battery as well as an external. the internal battery has a lifespan of about 5 years; if your camera is well over 5 years old, the backup battery can short-circuit, preventing the camera from starting up.

If the LCD is not working, the camera may appear to be off. Try pressing the shutter button and listen for the camera shutter sound to make sure that it is the LCD that is broken and not something else.

If all else fails, it likely you have an issue with the camera's wires or components on the motherboard may have come loose or damaged.

Nothing appears on the LCD.

Move the command dial to something other than the L position to turn the camera on.

Make sure that the batteries are fresh and put into the camera correctly. Also make sure that the battery contacts are clean. Clean with a dry cloth.

After 5 years, the LCD may be difficult to read. Replace the LCD. For instructions on how to replace the LCD.

A wire or component on the motherboard may have come loose. If not, a component on the motherboard could have gone bad.

The flash bulb wont pop up

Make sure that the batteries are new and placed into the camera correctly. Also make sure that the battery contacts are clean. Clean with a dry cloth.

The flash button can be pressed to make the flash bulb pop up. The flash button can be found on the front, left side of your camera marked with a bolt-like arrow.

To test if the flash will automatically pop up, the command dial must be set to full auto mode (green frame), portrait (face), or macro (flower).

The flash may be jammed, closed, or stuck on something. Make sure nothing is in the way of the movement of the flash popping up. If the flash is stuck on the inside, gently tug on the flash to try to pop it up. If that doesn't work, the camera may have to be opened up.

A wire or component on the motherboard may have come loose. If not, a component on the motherboard could have gone bad.

''Camera doesn't auto-focus when in auto-focus mode, but can manually focus when in manual focus mode."

If your camera is set to manual focus (MF), it will not focus on its own. Make sure the "AF" mode is selected not "MF" (look above the stabilizer switch on connector lens.)

To auto focus in auto focus mode, the shutter button needs to be pushed half way down while the brackets in the viewfinder are on the object you want to focus on.

If your mode dial is set to 'P', it means that your AF is now being overridden to Program AE which automatically corrects the shutter speed and aperture. Try turning this setting off if its on and you're having problems with your AF.

The outer focus ring (located at the end of the lens) can sometimes get stuck, which will prevent your camera from adjusting itself. To fix this problem, set your camera to Manual Focus (MF), hold the end of the lens, and gently wiggle it to try and unstick the focus ring.

Battery cover does not completely close or broken off

The battery door may be blocked by something. Check for obstructions around the hinge and the door. Also, the batteries being used may not be of the right size. Use the correct battery type for the camera.

The spring loaded latch doesn't open and close correctly. The spring inside may be worn or broken.

The battery cover hinge my be broken. Check if the hinge is tearing or if completely broken off.

Canon Rebel XS uses a CR123 battery. It is highly recommended that you use a Canon Brand battery as other brands often have faulty connectors to the charging port.

Even if your battery is new and appropriate for the camera, it could be lacking charge to power on. This could also be because your charging port isn't connecting with the battery because of a damaged bus meant for receiving power from the battery.

When trying to take pictures, you receive an error message “Err 99."

Time-out sequencing

When turning your camera on and shooting a picture, you might get an error message “Err 99”, this could be caused by your camera timing itself out. When you leave the power on and the camera times itself out, the motherboard can no longer recognize the flash card which is a fairly big problem with the picture-taking process. To fix this problem, you can simply leave the power switch on, open the flash card door, and then close the door. Once you’ve done that you should be able to take pictures normally again. To adjust your time-out settings, go to ‘Menu’ >> ‘Settings’ >> ‘Auto power off’ and then select the amount of time you’d like the camera to wait before automatically powering off from being idle.

SD card problem

If your memory card is damaged/defective, you will not have anywhere to store the pictures you take. When trying to take a picture, you see an “Err 99” message, first try removing and reinstalling your memory card to the camera. If this does not work, try using a new memory card.

Motherboard problems

If none of the above worked, it is very likely there is a problem with the motherboard of your camera. If the picture you take cannot be transferred from the RAM to the memory card, the camera won’t be able to store the image to anything and you will get an “Err 99” error message. It is possible the motherboard needs to be inspected for functionality, seek a professional for assistance.