Intriguing D300 Issues

[mhogolf]

I am, and i'm quite sure many others with d300 here are, following one Mr. Jim Fenton's issues, with his already 4 or 5 D300 bodies, in Nikon Cafe.

I think his first report is here, for those who's not in the loop.

There are at least 6 more threads as follow-ups to that post.

I'm wondering whether any D300 PM member has experience the symptoms. I try not to worry about it (& keep'on shooting) but since I'm approaching 4000 shutter operations, it is at the back of my head.

Comments please. Trimakasehhh !

[noordin]

Oooops....... Nikon better solve this. otherwise it'll be like 1DMkIII, takes a long time for pros to be confident using it again.

maybe change to D2Xs....

[RAD]

Mine is ok so far. With a pro-spec/prime lens, it is wonderfully sharp. With other el-cheapo zooms, the image can be a bit soft but that's expected (again, this depends on the f/stop). But I'm not suprised if there's a lemon somewhere. I hope none of our PM members bought a lemon. Cheers!

[zio]

Have not noticed any issues with the D300 so far. Then again, its fairly new.

[mhogolf]

Well, some of his D300s are new too. These are not lemon cases. Considering that Nikon couldn't figure the problems out, yet, makes it errrrr....disturbing.

agreed with uncle noordin. Nikon should approach these issues prudently.

The pattern which happens with heavy lenses mounted is what concerns me becoz Uncle kept on poisoning me to get longer lenses.....

[engku]

my d300 have some issue regarding focusing while using tele lense (70-200). in the middle of shooting event, it does not want to focus. I didn't lock the focus or turn off af. Tried with another lense, happen also. So it must be my body. After 3,4 minutes it ok again.

[bkhong]

Yikes...this is not good news for a beginner like me who will be getting D300...major upgrade and major $$$ for me!

Shall I wait until this is resolved (firmware fix etc)?

[johan2]

Originally Posted by noordin Oooops....... Nikon better solve this. otherwise it'll be like 1DMkIII, takes a long time for pros to be confident using it again. maybe change to D2Xs....

Very interesting. The Canon are not alone in launching boo booo machines..

[mhogolf]

Originally Posted by engku my d300 have some issue regarding focusing while using tele lense (70-200). in the middle of shooting event, it does not want to focus. I didn't lock the focus or turn off af. Tried with another lense, happen also. So it must be my body. After 3,4 minutes it ok again.

Woow... That could be disastrous! How many times that has happenned or was it that just once ? And do you have a backup body ?

[noordin]

Originally Posted by bkhong Yikes...this is not good news for a beginner like me who will be getting D300...major upgrade and major $$$ for me! Shall I wait until this is resolved (firmware fix etc)?

From what I read in the Nikon websites, the issue only crops up when using long telephoto lenses, 400, 500 etc. I don't know what the issue is really, whether it's firmware or hardware but Nikon will resolve it, I'm sure. So no worries buying it now.

I have Canon 1DmKIII and despite all the problems written in the internet, I have no problem with my 1DMkIII because I don't use the camera in the way that they do. And when the hardware upgrade was offered by Canon Malaysia, I just sent it in and had it back within 24hours.

The point is, the opportunities lost in not having the camera now is something that cannot be quantified.

[mhogolf]

Originally Posted by bkhong Yikes...this is not good news for a beginner like me who will be getting D300...major upgrade and major $$$ for me! Shall I wait until this is resolved (firmware fix etc)?

as u read thru the many2 threads discussing the same issues overthere, there were some 'experts' that doubt that the issues are software/firmware related. Most think it's hardware.

Wait ? Sampai bila bro ? Just get lah....he he

[engku]

Originally Posted by mhogolf Woow... That could be disastrous! How many times that has happenned or was it that just once ? And do you have a backup body ?

DUn have back up now but must have it soon. hehe.

It happen every event so far but only happen when use the tele. When i use 17-55 never happen.

[Kerry28]

Originally Posted by engku my d300 have some issue regarding focusing while using tele lense (70-200). in the middle of shooting event, it does not want to focus. I didn't lock the focus or turn off af. Tried with another lense, happen also. So it must be my body. After 3,4 minutes it ok again.

Woo that bad aahh Engku? Have you send it for checking? You didn't find any problem when u got the 70-200 VR 2nd hand right?

I just read in 'Click' magazine, that the tester who test the new 24-70 2.8 with D300 also had some AF problems. Interestingly, the guy noted that everything was ok when use the lens was used on D200. Hmmmmm....curious...

[zio]

Yep Click mentioned an AF problem with the 24-70mm but he couldn't replicate it I believe.

Let's hope Nikon figured it out soon and obviously must offer free fix for everyone

[engku]

i've asked nikon service abt the problem and they said never got similar problem before. A bit hard to replicate becoz it happen suddenly and during shooting an event. confirm not becoz of the lense. tested already,

Will make further testing later.

[razzs]

Originally Posted by engku my d300 have some issue regarding focusing while using tele lense (70-200). in the middle of shooting event, it does not want to focus. I didn't lock the focus or turn off af. Tried with another lense, happen also. So it must be my body. After 3,4 minutes it ok again.

its happen to my D300 too.....but not only with my 70-200 even my 17-55 oso face the same problem.....

[Ri_must]

no problem so far with my d300 with 70-200 till now
i even stack up my 70-200 with 2x tc
it still autofocus without problem

[mhogolf]

My apologies, gentlemen. The issues are much much much more than AF & i think it's much much more serious than MIII AF thingy. I should have included more links for you to digest on, but i couldn't keep track of all of them.

Here's the main thing i quoted from a subsequent post from Jim Fenton :

"I've had yet another D300 fail with AF going bad, shooting black 1/8000second files with no EXIF info....and there isn't a dirty contact or lens mount anywhere.

This is the third body in a row this has occured on. Symptoms start with the cameras AF all of a sudden becoming very slow and then hunting badly...even if I pre-focus the subject into basically sharp focus(typically moving subjects). The second the AF-On button is activated,the AF hunts way past the subject, then slowly hunts to way inside the subject and then eventually finds the target. Problem is that by that time, it's usually no longer where you'd like to shoot it. With this body, it is unfortunately apparent with the 28-70 AFS shooting close range family photos as well as my new 500 VR in the field.

This particular body also began to exhibit the all of a sudden depleted battery indication which would cause a camera lock up which required removal of the battery to even shut it down.....not just the grip battery, but the body battery as well.

Interstingly, these last two bodies both exhibited the onset of failure at just about 5000 images shot and the symptoms were identical as they progressed over a couple of days."

The next thread in that series is here. , and this was then locked. There are 2 or 3 more after that. All of this threads went to 20+ pages!!


Maybe, just maybe, if anybody here face the same problem, Nikon Malaysia should be notified so that a solution can be found for all our D300 brethrens world over.

[mhogolf]

another member there posted this link to another D300 user with the similar problem, with a video.

http://www.notebooks.com/2008/01/22/...s-a-lot-nikon/

sorry to harp on this issue but isn't this worrying ??

[RAD]

Whoa. The problem could be electronics. Faulty contact points on the body or faulty circuit board? I'll keep on using the D300 until something sinister happens (I hope not!). Thank God I took the optional 3 years warranty. Just in case....**** happens when we're out of warranty.