So, Last night I was shooting a game in Athens, and while using my D2Hs, something odd happened. I took a couple or three successive frames and the second and third were dark. Real Dark..And while looking thru the viewfinder, it is dark, real dark. Like can't hardly lock focus dark. Thinking the lens aperature might not have opened back up I took it off and put it n the D3...works fine. Tried the 400 on the Hs, and same...dark. Tonight I am looking at it and noticing that the meter is flashing. Sound like meter probs to y'all? If so, anyone have meter replaced and know the cost? Have approx 72k on the camera and no probs yet.
The meter failing wouldn't make the viewfinder dark. When you put the lens on the camera, if you look down the lens can you see the blades stopped down? Could be that the the aperture coupling on the camera is stuck. Remove the lens, look into the lens mount. There is a metal tab on the left of the mount (your left as you look into the camera) which should move down if you push the DOF preview button. If it doesn't move (or it looks like it is stuck down) that's your problem. Don't force it, it is not supposed to move freely.
Nov 16, 2009 at 05:35 AM
Andre Labonte Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
Panos, Thanks for the reply. The lens just returned from Nikon so that was my inital thoughts which is why I put it on another body. I tried your suggestion and all works as it appears it should. When I push the DOF preview button, it moves down as it should. And it also moves freely. I even turned it off, removed the battery thinking it may be something electronic as opposed to mechanical. I dunno,
Andre, thanks for your reply. When I push the DOF preview button, the camera clicks like it always does, and the metal tab that Panos mentioned moves (although slower than I would have thought, kinda like a slow "oil damped" movement, not a real fast CLICK).
Did you try looking down the lens with it mounted on the camera? Can you see the blades open or closed? If the viewfinder is dark it kind of tells me that the blades are left closed after mounting, which means that perhaps that metal tab is bent or something like that. On my D2H it clicks up/down fast when I hit the DOF preview button.
Nov 16, 2009 at 09:52 AM
Andre Labonte Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
jjohnsey wrote:
Andre, thanks for your reply. When I push the DOF preview button, the camera clicks like it always does, and the metal tab that Panos mentioned moves (although slower than I would have thought, kinda like a slow "oil damped" movement, not a real fast CLICK).
It should move fast and snappy. That may be part of your issue. Have the camera checked out.
Andre, it definately is NOT fast and snappy. I checked it against the D3 and the D2x and it is not right. So I will send it to Nikon for evaluation. Any advice as to anything specific they should check/replace while its there? As I said earlier, there is about 72k on the shutter, just wondering about diminishing returns.
Nov 16, 2009 at 04:44 PM
Andre Labonte Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
Sounds like a simple mechanical fix. Likely a spring that let go. But I'm sure Nikon service will know better what to go after than any of us. Just be sure to describe the problem as clearly as possible.
The D2H is a great camera ... I think it's worth getting fixed.
Sounds like an issue I had with my D2Hs...if the stopdown lever is moving freely it probably needs an I-substrate replacement. Don't know what Nikon will charge for it but it cost around $250 to get mine repaired.
