Joe_Lorenzini said:
Hi John,
It's hard to say which D2X units have issues but from posts here and on DPR it seems like it was the early units (of which I am an owner).
For me, I had two major problems:
1. Focus issues:
I did enough testing on this to go through a bottle of Excedrin. For my unit, it happened most when I tried to focus on objects that filled less than 50% of the frame and were at least 40 yards away (for instance, taking a picture of an airplane flying overhead). Even thought the focus point was on the image was constantly out of focus. I tested this twice at supercross races I shot with similar results.
For images that were larger than 50% of the frame or close up, the images were crisp, focused and brilliant.
2. Lens mount: I constantly lost the ability to auto focus while using the camera. This happened with 4 different lenses. Sometimes I would have to turn the camera on/off, sometimes I would have to reseat the lens and sometimes (believe it or not) all I had to do was jiggle the lens at the mount. Nikon seemed to be well aware of this issue.
Last issue is a firmware bug that I've never brought up before...
3. Microphone sets off the shutter:
I set the microphone to start recording by pushing/releasing the button (not the default which is pushing and holding the button while recording). Well when I push the microphone button and hold it the shutter goes nuts and starts firing off. I realize I am using the microphone button the wrong way but still, the shutter should not fire off like that. I think it's just a bug and I don't care if they fix it as long as they are aware of it.
So that's it for me.
I'll add one personal note to all this: The issues with the camera (IMHO) do not detract from the overall experience using it. I'd still buy it. It's still worth every cent.
In your hands John, a D2X would fit well.
_/oe
Joe :
Firstly, thanks for the compliment on my hands and shooting. It's appreciated.
Interestingly, I just sent a note to Ron R. asking about his experiences saying I didn't have a clear view of the problems with the D2X. You've bridged (most of) that gap for me. We'll see what he says as well.
The focus issue seems to be hitting a number of people who shoot active subjects, but it's hard to say just how prevalent it is. In a way, this is a bit like the infamous D2H metter failure issue - many people discuss it online, but the absolute failure rate (number failed/number sold) is quite fuzzy. Even the poll here in the Cafe is a bit limited for statistical sampling, as we are, by definition, a self selected group of enthusiasts.
I know Jim F. has commented on the focus failure, but I haven't seen any comments recently from him about the repairs made by Nikon. He was (rightfully IMO) quite steamed over this when it started.
So, I guess I'm still a bit puzzled as to the frequency of this problem.
The definition of this that you provided, however, is extremely clear. Essentially, there is some software/hardware issue where a substantial number of the reticules are not acquiring proper focus. From your description, it would seem that the "voting algorithm" for the reticules isn't optimised (or perhaps reasonably functional in terms of the percentage actively voting with contrasting materials within each reticule). It would be instructive, but hugely difficult, to be able to get a more detailed set of data on the "break point" where the focus acquisition occurs. Difficult, in that creating a moving target with a specific percentage coverage, moving at a sufficient high speed, and controlling the shooting would require a lot of prep in a lab.
This is a solvable but
non-trivial problem. Optimising an algorithm of this type is a tough ascent, and it's quite possible that it won't be quickly addressed. FWIW, I look at smaller/simpler voting instrumentation systems all the time, and the logic for those is quite complicated (and obtuse); so this isn't just me blowing smoke. OTOH, I'd sincerely hope Nikon's engineers are much more adept than I am at this problem.
On another point, the microphone issue is actually a big one for me. I purchased the D100 vertical grip after our session in December, and I now use the dictation feature constantly in my work in refineries and chemical plants to note the specific equipment I'm shooting. A failure in that feature would loom large for me.
Thanks for the detailed (and reasoned) reply.
John P.
