I have had a D300 almost a week. I shot with no problems using: 28 f2.8 D, 12-24 f4, and 70-200 AFS-VR (all Nikon). Last night I put my Nikon 105 f2.8 D lens on my D300 and it would not focus at all.
I checked the lens and it was on auto focus - not "M" - but I flipped that switch several times making sure it was solidly on "A". I removed the 105 lens, put it on my D2Xs and it would focus quickly/accurately.
I cleaned the contacts on the 105 - and I moved the focus selector switch on the D300 to each position making certain it was "set" and not between positions. My battery had a full charge. I removed the battery and reinserted it - turned the camera off an on many times. Finally the 105 responded (all of a sudden) and would focus. However, after being removed and put back on the D300 it would not focus - until I went through a lot of what I did the first time I mounted that lens to get it to focus. Have any of you had any issues similar to this with a D300? TIA.
The 105 D is an older screw drive lens that relies on the focus motor inside the camera. .Are you hearing the motor spin in the D300 as it attemps to focus the lens?
Is the keyed shaft on the D300 extending out and engaging the lens?
the AF may not work (or stop working) but the problems have been with the AF-S type lenses. some say that cleaning the contacts off would remedy this due to some lube on it. i had the problem arise and then it went away after swapping lenses a few times. i didn't have a problems with my non-AF-S lenses during my initial usage.
I will have to pass on my experience, and I'm not trying to add to the rumour mill. I haven't had the chance to call nikon, but I will.
I have 2 problems that have crept up with my new D300.
1) I was showing my good friend Darren "dcrane" my new setup, and my 105 stopped working suddenly. It is new (just received it), and is the latest and greatest 105 VF AF-s. What tarheel explains above was pretty much my same experience. I could not get AF to work at all... Darren mounted it on his D2x, it worked flawlessly. When I re-mounted it on my D300, it worked fine. I tried it once since, and it was OK. I am unsure if it was the lens, or camera, since both are new.
2) My top LCD will not change AF Points. This is more of a quirk and annoyance, I'm not sure if anybody else is experiencing this problem. I can change all of the AF points, but in the top LCD, it does not change. I see it move in the viewfinder, and also on the back of the camera using the "info" button. But for some reason, it's stuck on the middle point on top.
I will have to call Nikon to get it looked at, I am just not happy at the through of having to send it back if it needs repair already.
Gilligan wrote:
2) My top LCD will not change AF Points. This is more of a quirk and annoyance, I'm not sure if anybody else is experiencing this problem. I can change all of the AF points, but in the top LCD, it does not change. I see it move in the viewfinder, and also on the back of the camera using the "info" button. But for some reason, it's stuck on the middle point on top.
Gilligan
Nobodys will, the icon will change to indicate single, 9, 21, 51 or 51 auto selection, but the actual point does not move around as with older Nikons.
Thanks for all the replies to my OP. The 105 will focus as soon as mounted on the D300 about half the time - the other half it's a five minute battery removing, switch flipping experience.
I have shot Nikon only for 35 yrs - never returning a camera or lens or needing one repaired.
I also have another issue with my D300 that I want to throw to this group of experts on Nikon gear. I have had a D70, D200, and D2Xs - all exposed a little differently but very acceptable. My D300, on Matrix meeting,mode A, and on flash (mode A, SB 800 - balanced TTL) with the 12-24 or 70-200 (both Nikon) looks to me to be exposing at least a full stop over exposure. I have had the camera a week and I have one more week to decide to keep it (B&H purchase). On the issuse of exposure only - since I know no other serious Nikon shooters in my area (Wilmington, NC) to seek opinions from, I am on the fence about the exposure. If it was any worse I would defintiely send it back. WIth all the steps involved in posting a couple of shots here that can make your vewing them to help me decide if the exposure is OK - or similar to your D300 - is it worth doing. I mean - my monitor vs your monitor, JPEG compression to e-mail it, and such as that - is even posting a couple of JPEGs worth doing for you to help me with an exposure evaluation. Also, I have read here (FM) and on another forum that the D300 "pushes the exposure/histogram to the right" - I have a little problem with that concept - knowing a true "histogram" tells us a lot, if the software is pushing it to the right is that really a good thing. Very confused here about exposure and the D300. Thanks for reading this long/boring post but the $1800. for a D300 is a lot of money - for me anyway! Thanks, Bill.
Bill.
Thanks for that, I had just received a D80 as well, and as you know, the dot moves around. In my mind, it's an odd thing to omit, but it's not important to me in any event.
tarheel wrote:
Thanks for all the replies to my OP. The 105 will focus as soon as mounted on the D300 about half the time - the other half it's a five minute battery removing, switch flipping experience.
I have shot Nikon only for 35 yrs - never returning a camera or lens or needing one repaired.
I also have another issue with my D300 that I want to throw to this group of experts on Nikon gear. I have had a D70, D200, and D2Xs - all exposed a little differently but very acceptable. My D300, on Matrix meeting,mode A, and on flash (mode A, SB 800 - balanced TTL) with the 12-24 or 70-200 (both Nikon) looks to me to be exposing at least a full stop over exposure. I have had the camera a week and I have one more week to decide to keep it (B&H purchase). On the issuse of exposure only - since I know no other serious Nikon shooters in my area (Wilmington, NC) to seek opinions from, I am on the fence about the exposure. If it was any worse I would defintiely send it back. WIth all the steps involved in posting a couple of shots here that can make your vewing them to help me decide if the exposure is OK - or similar to your D300 - is it worth doing. I mean - my monitor vs your monitor, JPEG compression to e-mail it, and such as that - is even posting a couple of JPEGs worth doing for you to help me with an exposure evaluation. Also, I have read here (FM) and on another forum that the D300 "pushes the exposure/histogram to the right" - I have a little problem with that concept - knowing a true "histogram" tells us a lot, if the software is pushing it to the right is that really a good thing. Very confused here about exposure and the D300. Thanks for reading this long/boring post but the $1800. for a D300 is a lot of money - for me anyway! Thanks, Bill.
Bill. ...Show more →
Bill has the flash esposure compensation been adjusted up on the camera?
On my D80 I would always tweak it down to - 0.3, or -0.7, depending on available light and distance to subject, even as far as -1.0 in daylight for fill flash.
Not really had enough time to try everything on the D300, however will say that so far metering and exposure appears to be very reliable.
martyn. wrote:
Nobodys will, the icon will change to indicate single, 9, 21, 51 or 51 auto selection, but the actual point does not move around as with older Nikons.
Design decision I would think.
Martyn
My guess is that would SIGNIFICANTLY complicate the LCD interface.
In an average sized living room (off white walls), high angled ceiling, I have to adjust the flash compensation - 1.0 to get what I would get w/no compensation on the D2Xs or D200. Now, I know the D300 is a different camera with it's on idiosyncracies - but on an outdoor shot (no flash) I have to set the EV at -1.0 to -1.5 to get a good exposure - something close to what my D2Xs does with no EV adjustment. So,I guess I am wondering if it's a "problem" to start out with an $1800. camera that I can make work (work = exposure OK) but having to do it with - 1.5 EV dialed in for every shot. Thanks, Bill.
gugs wrote:
can you be more explicit ? is this an issue, a rumor ?
Over on Nikoncafe, there are a few people with similar problems. There the guy had the same problem with all of his lenses but then they would work for a while and then have problems again. Exchanging the camera got rid of the problem.
In another case, a person had the same issue just at the beginning nd then not again.
In an average sized living room (off white walls), high angled ceiling, I have to adjust the flash compensation - 1.0 to get what I would get w/no compensation on the D2Xs or D200. Now, I know the D300 is a different camera with it's on idiosyncracies - but on an outdoor shot (no flash) I have to set the EV at -1.0 to -1.5 to get a good exposure - something close to what my D2Xs does with no EV adjustment. So,I guess I am wondering if it's a "problem" to start out with an $1800. camera that I can make work (work = exposure OK) but having to do it with - 1.5 EV dialed in for every shot. Thanks, Bill....Show more →
Bill lets leave aside the flash for now, those outdoor figures look way off.
Mine meters fine with no EV compensation, at the most on a bright sunny day I have used -0.3. On my D80 I would usually be at -0.7.
Is it something that has been inadvertently set in one of the menu options?
Have you tried on the different 'Picture Control' settings.
As I said mine works fine (in fact better than that), and this seems the case with all the others I have read about, so it could be a fault with your D300, or as I said something obvious has been altered in the menus without you realising.
(and others) I am not a noobie but all of us sometimes overlook something simple that could be just one setting on the camera that throws us off.
So, as I review all menu settings on my D300 to take a few more matrix metered outdoor shots today - are there any specific settings you would emphasize I double check to see what I get. Today, after taking some shots I will decide to keep or return the camera. If I send it back for replacment I have a D2Xs to shoot with so I can wait for the switch to take place. However, I don't want to send it back due to operator error! I'll shoot at several ISO settings: 200 - 400 - 800, at several f stops, and with NO EV compensation dialed in. What other settings might be off that would cause me to need an EV compensation of - 1.5 for almost all my outdoor shots?
Thanks, Bill.
Saturation or Contrast or Brightness in the 'Picture Control' sub menu
ISO set too high?
Try a full reset using the two green buttons, or via the menus.
Then set auto iso, and take some shots in P mode, these actions will remove any operator input, and should confirm if you do, or do not have a faulty D300.
When the D300 would focus very sporadically with my 500 AFSII (with and without TC's), was that there was a whole lot of oil / grease on the camera contacts.
I cleaned them off with alcohol and haven't had a moments problem since.
