Nikon D80 error message and shutter problem

Greetings,

 

I'm sorry if I am asking something that has already been answered, but I can't find it in my searches.

 

I have a Nikon D80 with an 18-200VR lens. Starting today, about every third or forth photo fails to complete the

shutter cycle (it seems to stick half way) and an error message will appear on the lcd display. If I push

release and try to take a photo again, this time it will take it, but after another 3 photos or so, the same

problem occurs. This is now happening with my other lens too.

 

Any ideas what is going on? Do I need to clean anything or something, hopefully simple and cheap, like that? I

have reset it in the menu.

 

Thank you for any help or information you can give me.

Hi There,

 

You know that D80 does not have an actual Shutter, Part of the sound you hear is of the reflecting mirror going up exposing the sensor. In a clean dust free environment, turn the master dial to M, set the Shutter speed to Bulb, Power off, remove the lens and power back on with the same Bulb setting, press the Shutter to see what goin on inside, does the Mirror goes up smoothly? Your Camera may require just cleaning. What is the Error message that you see on the display? Does it happen on all settings? like Auto, Manual settings?

> "You know that D80 does not have an actual Shutter ..."

 

Better let Nikon know about that. They think it does. ;-)<div></div>

If you are repeatedly getting a blinking "ERR" warning on the LCD, and this occurs with multiple lenses, then your D80 probably needs to be checked out. See the Troubleshooting section of your D80 instruction manual, specifically the bottom of page 132.

Can you estimate how many images you have taken with your D80 body?

Freeman: Whatever :), I stand behind my comment, they can call it whatever they want...........

That "call it" that because that's what it has - an actual multi-bladed mechanical shutter (electronically timed)

made of metal.

Thank you for the responses. I have shot around 5000 images with the camera, an taken it all over the place in the last two years.

 

Will it keep functioning where it only errors every third shot or so, or is this going to get a lot worse quickly?

 

Since it appears I need to fix it, how expensive is it to send to Nikon directly? I was looking at their site and it seems that it does not have a figure anywhere.

 

Thank you all again for your help.

It's unlikely to get any better, and will probably fail completely eventually if the source of the ERR warnings is not diagnosed.

 

If you send it directly to Nikon, AFAIK the repair estimate is free, and will only cost you shipping. If the estimated repair cost is too high, you can decline the repair and they will only charge you for return shipping. It's difficult to speculate as to the repair cost, as there could be any number of electronic components causing the fault. It would be best to let the techs at Nikon do the diagnostic work to determine the cause of the fault.

 

5000 exposures is not a lot on a D80, so it probably isn't (or should not be) an impending failure of a mechanical component.

 

Good luck.

Freeman: You must be smoking something nice or talking about N80, not the D80. I have the camera in my hand

and there is no "an actual multi-bladed mechanical shutter" Only has a "Mirror" with a frame (not sure if its plastic or

metal) but it gets out of the way by moving up when the "Shutter Release" button in pressed exposing the CCD

Sensor for the duration specified.

 

I am not sure what "Multi-Bladed" thing you are looking at?? Here is the D80 with "Reflex Mirror" down ans then Up:<div></div>

Jack: Ignore mr Freeman and try running the test as mentioned above and see if the mirror actually sticks, 5000 shot are nothing I am up to 9670 shot and the camera runs Smoothly. Do get it cleaned that the only thing I can think of. Is you camera still under warranty? You can also try to set it for multiple exposures and see if the mirror moves flawlessly, by removing the lens....

 

I am also attaching a page from the owner's manual in case if Mr. Freeman has still doubts, Clearly Nikon calls it a Mirror (#16) in the list.

 

Hope it Helps to both you and Mr. Freeman

Forgot the Picture<div></div>

As none of this is relevant to the original question, I give up ...

D80 ... shutter open (read the text)<div></div>

Thats from DP Riew... they can call it whatever... please see the user manual (as posted) to be enlightened........... if not.....you don't have to Give.....I will just shoot myself

Zeeshan, Mr. Freeman has provided correct information. Please check your facts and understanding of how the camera works.

I Know how the Camera Works probably more than you, if Nikon Calls it a Mirror, and I see a Mirror then IT IS A MIRROR Not the Shutter. The Film Cameras have Shutter, DP Riew and others call it whatever they want, But Nikon; the manufacturer calls it a MIRROR.............<div></div>

The focal plane shutter is a moving, mechanical curtain located between the mirror and sensor. When the lens is removed and shutter release button is pressed, for example using the "B" or bulb setting or slow shutter speed, the mirror moves up, the shutter curtain is opened and you will see only the reflective surface of the digital sensor (or, in the case of a film SLR, the film surface or pressure plate).

 

The mirror and the focal plane shutter are two separate mechanical devices that serve different functions:

 

1. The mirror directs the light through the lens upward through the prism and through the viewfinder. It does not effectively block light from either a digital sensor or film.

 

2. The shutter curtain blocks the light. Opening the shutter curtain admits light. The shutter speed controls the duration of the opening.

 

In order for light to travel unimpeded it is necessary for the mirror to flip up out of the way in *most* (not all) single lens reflex cameras. There are notable exceptions, including SLRs using pellicle mirrors. You may research these online.

 

To see the focal plane shutter curtains it is necessary to lock up the mirror without opening the shutter. Refer to you camera instructions for this.

This quite a revelation, finding out my new D80 does not have a shutter........LOL. We all can use a good laugh

after the stock market roller coaster ride, I guess.

Zeeshan: when you're next checking for the absence of a shutter on a DSLR, don't use the mirror lock-up function. Power

down the camera, remove the lens and, with the camera still powered off, gently lift the mirror to see what's behind it. You'll

want to be sitting down, though, the first time you do this because there will follow a moment of profound shock.

 

The mirror just redirects the light to the finder. (For the most part, anyway. On the D80, some light makes it through areas of

the mirror that are only partially reflective and is redirected downward by a secondary mirror to the autofocus sensors in the

lower part of the camera body.) The mirror does not control exposure in any way, hence custom option 31 on the D80,

intended to reduce shake induced by the rapid movement of the mirror: with this option active, the D80 lifts the mirror 0.4

seconds before the shutter opens. The D80's exposure times are controlled entirely by its shutter but even in cameras like the

D50, which have hybrid electronic/mechanical shutters, there is still a very similar physical shutter that completely controls

slower exposures.

In all fairness to Zeeshan, it is not as easy to see what is happening as it used to be with film cameras. Even with film cameras, the time of travel can be extraordinarily fast, depending on the shutter speed. The D80 has a vertical travel shutter, whereas many film cameras had horizontal travel shutters. From the front on the D80, it will open and shut during the time the mirror is up. If you manually lift the mirror, the "wall" that you are seeing is the shutter, and it will look rather ordinary. It will not resemble in the least the aperture blades inside lenses, which control only aperture, not duration of the shot.

 

--Lannie

If there was no shutter then the use of exposure delay would over expose all photographs by 0.4 seconds. So obviously there is a shutter.

Back to the original question. Possibly there is something getting in the way of the shutter causing it to stop before it closes completely. I would raise the mirror, remove the lens, hold the camera upside down and blow vigorously with a blower bulb. If that doesn't dislodge whatever's in there (if there is something in there at all) then I suggest you send it in to be repaired. It doesn't sound like electronic failure. If it was then I would expect it to happen with every shot you took. Good luck!

WOW: My Appologies to the Photo.net GURUs over here:

 

I guess this requires an explanation: I have been snapping since 1990 with my first Nikon N4004s moved to N80 & N65 and yes I see the shutter curtain everytime I swap the rolls. I bought the P&S D cameras before I bought the D80 (dec. 2006). And with the "live" sensor on P&S cameras its an fair assumtion that the sensor is always exposed hence the feedback to the rear LCD and when the shutter button is pressed the frame freezes for that shot.

So I am guessing here that the D80 charges all the pixels (per settings) and the shutter will snap infront of it just like it would infront of the film --- (I think its an overkill, plus too many moving parts bound to fail at some point).

 

 

Anyway Thanks for the Enlightment ............... :)

Hey there Jack, I have a D80 that's been doing the exact same thing, also right around 5000-6000 images. Have you found out what the issue is? I'd also like to know if you've had any success with the suggestions made.

 

Thanks!

 

Blair

All this back and forth makes me love my Canon just a little bit more!