Camera Malfunction

[Shadowman]

I took this shot recently and the white strip appeared, I heard a strange clicking noise at the time of capture and expected something like this would result. I was shooting in continuous burst mode and this shot followed one 4 seconds later and the next shot following the one below showed the same time in seconds. The incident happened twice but much later during my shooting sequences. The previous and later shot sequences occurred at: 19:27:14, 18, 18, 20, 20, 22, 26, 26, 32. I suspect the issue was shutter lag, any other ideas? Also, I was using a Lear Pro 95MBs, 633x, SDHC 32GB memory card.

Error by JOHN, on Flickr

[Manfred M]

This is indeed strange, given that the band is white. That suggests a massive amount of overexposure at the point that this happened as even the shadow detail is white where the band occurs. If you look carefully, above and below the band, some of the tops of the heads and the light standards have shifted.

With a 1/500th second shutter speed, it looks like both shutter blades stopped moving for a considerable period and then moved on properly.

If I were to guess, your shutter is the problem and a cleaning or replacement are likely in order. Time for the camera to head into the shop.

[george013]

John,
Can you post the photo sec and some larger?
What Manfred said about that shifting is interesting. I would like to see that better.
Just guessing but if both shutter blades would have stopped, then that band would be about half the picture.

George

[Manfred M]

Just guessing but if both shutter blades would have stopped, then that band would be about half

At a 1/500th second exposure with a shutter that runs a 1/125th sync speed that make sense, but based on the picture it is obvious that this did not happen and is not relevant to the issue affecting the camera.

Examining the image that John posted it looks like he was moving the camera during the exposure (panning) as that would explain the shift between the part of the image above the line and below the line; this makes it easier to diagnose than had this shot been taken using a tripod and the shift would have been much more subtle.

As the exposure of both the part above the line and below the line appear to be correct, the shutter seems to have worked properly during that part of the exposure.

What appears to have happened is that the first blade of the shutter started moving normally and then froze. The second blade started moving as well and stopped just before reaching the position of the first blade and stayed there for some period of time (measured in fractions of a second).

The first shutter blade started moving again and at the right time the second one did the same give a correct exposure in that part of the image. I can only guess, but suspect this stopping and starting of the shutter blades is what made the sound that John refers too.

[Shadowman]

The second time it occurred the strip was much larger but the sequence of shots were not as close; perhaps twelve seconds apart.

Error 2 by JOHN, on Flickr

[Manfred M]

John - the same mechanism that caused the problem is at play. Something is causing the shutter to stick, regardless of the cause.

I would suggest you print off a couple of examples where this happened when you send your camera in for repair so that the technicians can see what is happening.

[Shadowman]

John - the same mechanism that caused the problem is at play. Something is causing the shutter to stick, regardless of the cause.

I would suggest you print off a couple of examples where this happened when you send your camera in for repair so that the technicians can see what is happening.

Manfred,

Will do, I doubt an explanation will present the problem as well as the photo, in the process of contacting Nikon right now. Thanks.

[george013]

Manfred,

Will do, I doubt an explanation will present the problem as well as the photo, in the process of contacting Nikon right now. Thanks.

Will you let us know what the problem was? I've a D750 too.

An off topic question. Have you ever been at the International Centre of Photography in New York?

George

[Shadowman]

Will you let us know what the problem was? I've a D750 too.

An off topic question. Have you ever been at the International Centre of Photography in New York?

George

Hi George,

I will keep the group informed. Yes, I visited a few years ago, I reviewed their curriculum and found it very intense.

[Shadowman]

Hi George,

I will keep the group informed. Yes, I visited a few years ago, I reviewed their curriculum and found it very intense.

George,

Sent the camera off for repair today, a bit of history on the camera. I purchased in 9/2015 and had the camera serviced via the shutter recall in 7/2017. I didn't pay attention to the shutter attenuations after the return but an image taken a few months afterward showed 55,152 attenuations. Last image taken this year records 67,103. The estimated shutter life for my camera is about 100,000 but some have been known to fail after 85,000. I'll check to see whether the shutter count is reset after this return.

[Ken MT]

Looking at the first image I thought it was the start of a LIMBO DANCE

[george013]

George,

Sent the camera off for repair today, a bit of history on the camera. I purchased in 9/2015 and had the camera serviced via the shutter recall in 7/2017. I didn't pay attention to the shutter attenuations after the return but an image taken a few months afterward showed 55,152 attenuations. Last image taken this year records 67,103. The estimated shutter life for my camera is about 100,000 but some have been known to fail after 85,000. I'll check to see whether the shutter count is reset after this return.

A small calculation learns me you shoot about 2000 pictures a month. I don't make that luckily. I purchased the camera second hand with 43000 clicks as was said. I forgot to check it, it was 72000. My fault. I thought the estimated lifetime was 150000? Did you've a D700 before?

George

[Shadowman]

A small calculation learns me you shoot about 2000 pictures a month. I don't make that luckily. I purchased the camera second hand with 43000 clicks as was said. I forgot to check it, it was 72000. My fault. I thought the estimated lifetime was 150000? Did you've a D700 before?

George

No on the D700, this was my first FF. I've seen the estimates as high as 150,000 but stats were showing actual failures between 85-100,000. One thing not clear though was what is definition of a failure, is it an error like mine where the camera still functions or is it a complete a completely dead shutter; I'm thinking some of the data includes both scenarios.

[Shadowman]

Looking at the first image I thought it was the start of a LIMBO DANCE

After so many miles of running some were starting to shimmy.

[george013]

After so many miles of running some were starting to shimmy.

I thought it was power walking.

George

[Manfred M]

No on the D700, this was my first FF. I've seen the estimates as high as 150,000 but stats were showing actual failures between 85-100,000. One thing not clear though was what is definition of a failure, is it an error like mine where the camera still functions or is it a complete a completely dead shutter; I'm thinking some of the data includes both scenarios.

John - I was researching this a few years back and found a website that had some of this data that had failure rates for a number of different camera models. Unfortunately it is not current, but it does shed some light, from a statistical basis, as to how long shutters last.

https://www.olegkikin.com/shutterlife/

[Shadowman]

John - I was researching this a few years back and found a website that had some of this data that had failure rates for a number of different camera models. Unfortunately it is not current, but it does shed some light, from a statistical basis, as to how long shutters last.

https://www.olegkikin.com/shutterlife/

Manfred,

Thanks for the link, I saw similar numbers on those websites that offered EXIF tools for shutter counts, Photoshop and Flickr provides the values as well. My number was well below the estimates but the D750 seems to be an anomaly amongst camera models for shutter life.

[george013]

Manfred,

Thanks for the link, I saw similar numbers on those websites that offered EXIF tools for shutter counts, Photoshop and Flickr provides the values as well. My number was well below the estimates but the D750 seems to be an anomaly amongst camera models for shutter life.

I don't know if you know this one https://nikon.tfaforms.net/215.
Mine was ok.

George

[Shadowman]

I don't know if you know this one https://nikon.tfaforms.net/215.
Mine was ok.

George

Yes, that was the first thing I checked, wasn't on the list.

[Shadowman]

Finally got my camera back, it was returned a week ago but I was traveling and didn't get a hold of it until this morning. Nikon did the standard firmware upgrade, replaced some rubber fittings and also:

RPL MEMORY COMPRESSION
ADJ EXPOSURE
ADJ A-WHITE BALANCE
ADJ AUTO FOCUS OPERATION
CKD COMMUNICATIONS
CLN CCD
GENERAL CHECK & CLEAN

Of the changes the CLN CCD was done supposedly to remedy the original complaint, I'll have to see what memory compression does if anything. I took the camera out for a quick spin and immediately dismayed because the auto focus didn't seem to be working, everything in the viewfinder seemed to remain blurry. I checked my autofocus settings, reattached the lens, and nothing was working, also starting questioning my vision for a moment and then had a flash thought to adjust the diopter and all is well...so far.