Is my D200 wearing out?

[cajun angel]

Saturday night, I prepared my camera and flash for the Hearing event yesterday. I mad sure all batteries were fresh, cards formated, camera settings what I wanted them to be. When I got to the Sheraton and put my flash on the camera, it wouldn't flash! My settings were right, but it was as if I didn't have the flash mounted to the camera. I tried this with both my SB800's. I finally had to go to my 18-200 vr lens and use the onboard popup flash. Dunno if it's worth it to send off to Nikon or what to do.

 

[senna]

Dianne, have you by any chance used your flash in the remote mode, for off camera flash?

 

[cajun angel]

Dianne, have you by any chance used your flash in the remote mode, for off camera flash?

nope, I'm embarrassed to say I don't know how. I'm hunting for my manual and plan to see what may be the issue - I nearly cried yesterday because I wanted to do my best photography and ended up using lens and popup that I didn't want to use. I'm just glad the photos turned out "okay."

 

[TomP]

This happens from time to time, DC current tends to build up an invisible film that breaks the electrical contact, usually a pencil eraser on both sets of contacts will do the trick, I have had to lightly use 0000 steel wool. Hope this works for you, it has worked for me, many times.

 

[dhaerud]

2nd the eraser trick, i use that often on my batteries

 

[*BBD]

3rd the eraser trick. I freaked out when my 70-300 stopped working suddenly, but cleaning the contacts with an eraser solved that problem.

 

[Pablo3]

Have you tried to use the camera and flash since you got back home from the event? Some of the mistakes I've made have been setting the wrong flash synch or putting one (out of 8) battery in wrong.

Most of the time I can trace my equipment troubles to user error rather than equipment failure. (But it's easier to get the gear repaired! lol)

 

[Adkid]

Are you getting any power on your flashes? This happened to me this past weekend. Loaded up the charged eneloop batteries into my SB600 and it just would not power up. Tried other new batteries, and nothing. Then I looked at the flash door with the contacts to the battery and saw what is best described as a filmy covering. Just wiped it off with my hands, put the same batteries back it and every went great.

I had freaked because I thought my lightly used SB600 had died

 

[Ryan_T]

It also helps to wipe the contacts with alcohol after you rubbed them with erasers.

Too bad this method is not going to work on my SB-600 which had two batteries explode/leak inside it. It's been wonky ever since.

 

[cajun angel]

I just talked with a local repairman and he said it's the hotshoe. He's been getting a bunch of D200's in with that problem lately. It will cost about $300 to fix and I don't know if it's worth it. I just about wish I had the $$$ to buy a D300s but because of recent crisis, that's probably not going to happen. Dunno what I'm going to do when school season opens up again.

 

[Adkid]

I just talked with a local repairman and he said it's the hotshoe. He's been getting a bunch of D200's in with that problem lately. It will cost about $300 to fix and I don't know if it's worth it. I just about wish I had the $$$ to buy a D300s but because of recent crisis, that's probably not going to happen. Dunno what I'm going to do when school season opens up again.

Bummer. Definitely not worth $300 to repair a D200 at this point as you can probably buy a perfectly functional one for about $400-$500.

Maybe use the commander mode and use your flash off the hot shoe?

 

[DanD]

Bummer. Definitely not worth $300 to repair a D200 at this point as you can probably buy a perfectly functional one for about $400-$500.

Maybe use the commander mode and use your flash off the hot shoe?

I would much rather spend $300 to get my D200 repaired (which I do own, as well as a D2h, D2x, and D50) than spend $500 to buy another D200 and not know what I might be getting. Now if your D200 is wearing out and coming to the end of its useful life, that's another matter.

Definitely get the D200 repaired, unless you really want a D300/s. I passed on the D300/s because the differences were minor for my style of shooting. The one stop better ISO for me was moot since I like base ISO (100) anyway. If not, I will use 200 and rarely ISO 400.

Diane, I can always send you my D200 (on loan) when school starts. I'm transferring over to the D2x anyway.

 

[cajun angel]

I would much rather spend $300 to get my D200 repaired (which I do own, as well as a D2h, D2x, and D50) than spend $500 to buy another D200 and not know what I might be getting. Now if your D200 is wearing out and coming to the end of its useful life, that's another matter.

Definitely get the D200 repaired, unless you really want a D300/s. I passed on the D300/s because the differences were minor for my style of shooting. The one stop better ISO for me was moot since I like base ISO (100) anyway. If not, I will use 200 and rarely ISO 400.

Diane, I can always send you my D200 (on loan) when school starts. I'm transferring over to the D2x anyway.

oh Dan you're a sweetheart!:Love: But, there's tons of places around here where I can rent if needed - if something should happen to your camera while in my possession, I'd never get over it! AND, the hubby has promised my camera will be tuned up, fixed, or whatever it will take to get me rolling by fall. If I can hang on until next year, I will have a new body.

 

[Butlerkid]

Diane,

How many actuations does your camera have?

 

[cajun angel]

Diane,

How many actuations does your camera have?

that's what I'm trying to find out now. I downloaded opanda but haven't found the info I want yet.

 

[cajun angel]

okay, just found something called Jeffrey's Exif viewer and what I found, if it's correct is 69,000 actuations. So, I'm thinking like Frank said, time for a tune up.

if ya know of an easier thing to use to find the shutter count, let me know!

 

[DanD]

oh Dan you're a sweetheart!:Love: But, there's tons of places around here where I can rent if needed - if something should happen to your camera while in my possession, I'd never get over it! AND, the hubby has promised my camera will be tuned up, fixed, or whatever it will take to get me rolling by fall. If I can hang on until next year, I will have a new body.

I'm not worried about my camera..but hope you do get the "tune up" on the D200. Maybe next year Nikon will introduce the D400, or the next new DX format besides the D7000.

Best wishes on the repair. Here's hoping it will be cheaper.

 

[cajun angel]

I'm not worried about my camera..but hope you do get the "tune up" on the D200. Maybe next year Nikon will introduce the D400, or the next new DX format besides the D7000.

Best wishes on the repair. Here's hoping it will be cheaper.

Thanks Dan!!!!!!!!!:biggrin::redface:

 

[TomP]

I just talked with a local repairman and he said it's the hotshoe. He's been getting a bunch of D200's in with that problem lately. It will cost about $300 to fix and I don't know if it's worth it. I just about wish I had the $$$ to buy a D300s but because of recent crisis, that's probably not going to happen. Dunno what I'm going to do when school season opens up again.

Nikon tech told me the same thing, thats when I when I used the 0000 steel wool, lightly, removed my battery first though, worked fine after that.

 

[Kiwi Geoff]

Dianne, do try cleaning the contacts on your camera and speedlights.
By the way my D200 has 196752 exposures and still works as expected - never serviced!!