Problems with New Firmware v2.0 for D3?

[adaml]

While I was apparently suffering through a Senior Moment, I posted this query in the General Discussion forum yesterday. Not surprisingly, I haven't received any responses yet. Hopefully, I will in the correct forum.

I just picked up my D3 a few weeks ago, and I'm starting to get more comfortable with it; it certainly is a step up the learning curve from the D200!

Just so I don't lose my recently acquired level of comfort, I wanted some feedback re the new firmware before I install it. Any bugs with it?

Sorry if this was covered in a previous post; if so, point me to it.

 

[jfrancis]

Most people have upgraded without problems (including me) and noted the improved AF and AWB. I recall one individual complaining that his D3 focused more slowly afterwards, but that has certainly not been the majority experience.

 

[Dale Miller]

Im sure once agin this is a stupid question but can someone explain the whole firmware deal to me. I have searched my manuel and came up with pretty much nothing. Is this like a high performance tune up for your camera? Do you get it by pluging your camera into your computor and down loading it? And if so where do you find it? Thank You in advance for any help with this.

 

[spalding12]

there are no dumb questions around here
glad you asked

firmware is the software by which the camera body operates

A..... bank is the GUI "graphical user interface"
B..... bank is the camera's software

like upgrading your operating system on your computer

 

[spalding12]

oh....
and how you get it into your camera
the best way:
download the proper software for YOUR computer platform to your desktop
get a black memory card and put it in a card reader
copy the downloaded desktop files onto that card... ONE AT A TIME
first do "A"
then come back and erase "A" from the card and copy "B" to it

put the card into the camera
menu
firmware
update
yes

make sure your batteries are FULLY JUICED UP
you don't want your camera dying half-way through

B takes 3 times longer than A

 

[MikeA]

B takes 3 times longer than A

It was longer, but despite the notice on the LCD along the lines of "This may take several minutes," both the "A" and "B" updates happened quickly -- certainly faster than the several minutes I'd been expecting.

And to respond to the first message in the thread: I've seen no problems with the upgrade.

 

[this is me]

NO issue with the latest firmware that I know of. In fact, AF is better, AWB is also improved.

 

[pinhead]

has anyone saved their menu settings, upgraded the firmware, then reloaded their settings?

does it work across to the new firmware? It would be nice to have the new version but I have no desire to spend two hours re-doing all my setting banks just for improved AWB when it seems to work just fine as it is.

 

[racefan]

has anyone saved their menu settings, upgraded the firmware, then reloaded their settings?

does it work across to the new firmware? It would be nice to have the new version but I have no desire to spend two hours re-doing all my setting banks just for improved AWB when it seems to work just fine as it is.

I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think I lost any settings on the firmware upgrade. I think the instructions specifically said not to reload old settings files after the firmware upgrade.

 

[pinhead]

thats interesting because when my D200 got warranty work, the Melville monkeys upgraded my firmware as a "favor" without me asking them to do it. All of my settings where scrubbed and I was rather ticked off.

do you have controls and button assignments customized which are unaffected by the upgrade?

 

[racefan]

thats interesting because when my D200 got warranty work, the Melville monkeys upgraded my firmware as a "favor" without me asking them to do it. All of my settings where scrubbed and I was rather ticked off.

do you have controls and button assignments customized which are unaffected by the upgrade?

I have quite a bit of customization throughout the menus, including several AF Fine Tune adjustments, and I'm pretty sure I didn't have to reset anything.

And from Nikon's upgrade instructions:

Do not load settings saved with A firmware v.1.00 / B firmware v.1.00, or A firmware v.1.10 / B firmware v.1.11 using the Save/load settings option in the setup menu to the D3 after upgrading to A firmware v.2.00 / B firmware v.2.00. Settings data saved with A firmware v.1.00 B firmware v.1.00, or A firmware v.1.10 / B firmware v.1.11 using the Save/load settings option in the setup menu is not compatible with D3 A firmware v.2.00 / B firmware v.2.00.

 

[pinhead]

cool, thanks for the beta. I'll try loading the firmware next time I charge up the lithium ions. I got a low batt warning when i just tried to do it.

 

[plaifatt]

I just returned from holidays and so just now able to post.

I installed the new firmware just before leaving on the 9th and it took me two days before noticing I was shooting at 1/1000 sec. Now I had my D3 set at auto ISO, max iso 6400 and min 1/60 sec. After new firmware, it somehow changed to iso 6400 max with min 1/1000 sec. I shoot Aperture priority.

Nothing major of course but unexpected.

 

[spalding12]

mine didn't change at all
for whatever reason