On Wednesday, I travel to New Jersey to see my friend, Tom, The Photo Father. This morning, I got out my D300 and went out to take some pictures. After about 15 or so pictures, the camera refused to auto focus. I turned it off and back on, took the battery out, remove the lens and put it back on, but still no love. I figured that it might be a glitch with the lens and perhaps the contacts, so I cleaned the contacts. Still, no love. Well, no big deal, I can always manual focus. I’m used to it. It’s what I’ve been doing for months and months with the film cameras.
So, I focused manually and took a shot. Way too dark! I adjusted the shutter speed and aperture, still, way too dark. I noticed that the display said that the aperture was set at f/64! My lens doesn’t have an f/64. F/22 was the max. Uh oh! I went back to the car, grabbed another lens, same problem. How about another one? Same problem. Crap! I gave up and came home.
When I got home, I tried a few more things and camera started working again. I took a few photos of Hobbs, which turned out well, but then the camera started flaking out again with the f/64 business and way underexposed photos. Oh well, looks like it will be all film all the time in NY. I don’t have a digital backup and no time to get one here to rent. Sigh…
It’s odd that I was talking to my friend Dennis the other day and told him that I’d never had any problems with my Nikon equipment, which was true until today! Well, I was able to take a few photos of the fall foliage.
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12 Responses to “Imperfect timing!”
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Sounds like your D300 is just tired of being ignored–digital cameras have feelings too.
Paul, are you leaving from Charleston for New Jersey? If you’re coming by Charlotte I’d be happy to lend you my D300 body for the trip.
Thanks, Earl. I’ll be flying directly from Charleston on Wednesday afternoon, but thanks for the offer. I’ll look at it as an adventure!
Paul, you should know by now that Nikon digitals tend to be very emotional sometimes. You go off with those floozy film cameras, even that tramp Leica – flaunting around like life is so simple and free with black and white film – and expect no emotional backlash?
Pixels have feelings too!
Paul, You got a great fall foliage image before the Nikon went south! On the other hand, since you live in the south, maybe you thing of it as “going north”!
@Mark: I didn’t realize that my D300 wore its feelings on its sleeve. I know now and we she gets out of rehab, I’ll have to treat her better, use her more often, and not place her so close to those floozies!
@Steve: That’s funny! “Going north”!
Or you could cross back over from the “dark side” and switch to Canon……:)
@Paul M: Canon! Ummmm, no!
Your coming to Jersey??? Hey how long will you be here?
I hope the D300 will be easily fixed. All cameras can have problems. I know that Kathleen Connally had major problems with her brand new 5D Mark II right from the start. She had to send it in for repairs. So it can happen to all brands.
@Laurie: I’ll be there from Wednesday night until Sunday evening. I’ll be around Freehold, NJ. Is that close to you?
As for the camera problems, well, it’s just bad timing.
It’s no longer under warranty, so I hope that the repairs are quick, easy, and cheap, cheap, cheap!
Freehold is not very far at all. I was down that way just this weekend in fact.
I think Mark has gotten to the heart of this. You have heartlessly abandoned the Nikon and cavorted about with those “other” cameras, even shouting your affection for them from the rooftops. This may prove that even a camera “hath fury” when scorned.
Isn’t there a rule that if the equipment is out of warranty, the repair is never cheap and easy?
Best of luck with this. I hope you have it back soon.
Not under warranty? Ouch! Hope it’s not too expensive. Otoh, it sounds like an electric problem, and that must be easy to find and to fix. All the best!