Any quick fix for stuck power button?

Just realized that my D500's power button is stuck in the Off position. Cannot turn it forward to the On position, but can turn it further backward to display the data on the control panel.

 

Any idea how to deal with this - or should I just send it off for repair? Thanks.

Just realized that my D500's power button is stuck in the Off position. Cannot turn it forward to the On position, but can turn it further backward to display the data on the control panel.

Mary, on the D500, the on/off power switch rotates. If you rotate it all the way counterclockwise, it is off. You then move it clockwise to the on position and if you move it further clockwise, you switch on the LCD lighting.

 

By any chance any sand or water got into the body, under that rotating power switch?

 

I have never had this problem with any one of my Nikon electronic SLRs and DSLRs. Unless it is something simple that is jamming that switch, we maybe talking about repair. I am sure you want this camera to be highly reliable.

Mary, on the D500, the on/off power switch rotates. If you rotate it all the way counterclockwise, it is off. You then move it clockwise to the on position and if you move it further clockwise, you switch on the LCD lighting.

 

- Yes. You have to move the rotary switch through the 'On' position to reach the LCD illuminator. So if it was stuck 'Off' you shouldn't be able to rotate it at all.

 

Maybe the knob has got rotated out of alignment with the indicator dot? If it moves to 3 positions, then that seems most likely.

WD40

Mary, on the D500, the on/off power switch rotates. If you rotate it all the way counterclockwise, it is off.

- Yes. You have to move the rotary switch through the 'On' position to reach the LCD illuminator. So if it was stuck 'Off' you shouldn't be able to rotate it at all.

That's what I meant, it does not rotate clockwise.

 

Think it is jammed. Shun, I never had this problem too with any Nikon Camera. And this one is very new because I have not used it much. The only thing I can think of is that, on my way back from the 500mm pf lens tryout, a very small part of the camera body was sticking out from the camera bag. The bag (Peak Design) was such that it had to be inserted in a horizontal position and the space was not long enough to accommodate the camera with the lens attached. The bag was on the back seat and at one point it fell to the floor as I braked. I should have secured it with a seatbelt but I didn't at that time but normally it is OK in my experience. If this is the reason, a few things are learned (beside the most important one - that I need to be more careful) about the camera and the bag.

 

Think a quick run to my local camera repair shop should be one of the to-do things today. Thanks,

I think I'd be checking the lens as well - it is more easily damaged.

Mary, here is a tip to keep camera bags and cameras and lenses from falling off car seats. (It has happened to me too!)

Buy a plastic laundry basket that is big enough that it will not fall off the seat. Then put your gear in it when driving. Add a towel or something similar to soften any bumps tonequipment from road bumps and sharp turns.

 

If others have ideas, please share them.

Mary, here is a tip to keep camera bags and cameras and lenses from falling off car seats. (It has happened to me too!)

Buy a plastic laundry basket that is big enough that it will not fall off the seat. Then put your gear in it when driving. Add a towel or something similar to soften any bumps tonequipment from road bumps and sharp turns.

 

If others have ideas, please share them.

Thanks Joseph. Excellent idea. In fact I have one in the trunk. Basically in this instance it was plain thoughtlessness on my part. I could also have left it on the floor beside the seat and any impact would not be great, or secure it with the seatbelt. So many ways to be not stupid. Oh well... spilt milk now. :(

The power switch on the D500 should like like this.

 

Once I accidentally dropped my F4 (over 20 years ago); fortunately it landed on sand so that there was no impact damage, but some grains got under some switch and it became rough to switch it. Took me a little while to clean that out. Something like that could happen to the D500 also. However, if we know there may have been impact, I would investigate in that direction. That switch isn't sticking out, such that unless there is direct impact from the front .... In any case, if the D500 was working fine during the 500mm PF test shoot from just a few days ago, I am afraid you have found the reason.

 

If I have to leave a camera in the passenger compartment, I tend to put it on the floor so that it cannot fall. I also tend to open car doors carefully to make sure that nothing falls out.

 

Edited December 27, 2018 by ShunCheung

The power switch on the D500 should like like this.

Yes, it looks like that. It looks normal - except it is not normal now.

 

Yes, I do normally leave the bag on the floor too. Not sure what went to my head at that time - part of it may be because the drive would not be more than 15 minutes; and part of it was because camera malfunction never occurred on something like this in my experience. The big part, of course, is a hard lesson.

Sounds like something may be bent inside. Probably need to ship it to Nikon in Long Island for repair. The cost will be the labor work to take the D500 apart. :(

Mary, it sounds very atypical and the simplest explanation is that the problem is related the fall it took. Unless you can gently work it free there is probably nothing more to do but send it for repair. Sorry for your misfortune. Hope the new lens shot well for you. Good hunting

If I have to leave a camera in the passenger compartment, I tend to put it on the floor so that it cannot fall. I also tend to open car doors carefully to make sure that nothing falls out.

 

I learned a HARD lesson that one about 6 months ago...

 

I had my D800 with my 17-35 f/2.8 sitting on the back seat of my car. It wasn't in a bag, but just sitting on the seat-a place that's normally quite secure. I also had my backpack sitting next to it.

 

I picked my backpack, and didn't realize that the camera strap had tangled up with it-the next thing I knew the camera was falling. The 17-35 weighs enough that it hit lens first.

 

At first I thought I'd gotten off relatively easily-I had a ding in the filter ring, but the lens still seemed to focus fine and I didn't see any loss in sharpness vs. pre-impact. I then realized, however, that the zoom ring was stuck.

 

The lens is now an expensive paperweight since Nikon would have charged more than the cost of another BGN example from KEH to replace it. I actually haven't replaced it, as even though the lens worked for what I bought it for(an UW zoom that is manual focus friendly and takes screw on filters) it wasn't that much better than the 18-35 f/3.5-4.5D and weighed a LOT more...I may indirectly replace it with the 16-35mm f/4 VR, even though it's a G lens.

I had my D800 with my 17-35 f/2.8 sitting on the back seat of my car. It wasn't in a bag, but just sitting on the seat-a place that's normally quite secure. I also had my backpack sitting next to it.

 

I picked my backpack, and didn't realize that the camera strap had tangled up with it-the next thing I knew the camera was falling. The 17-35 weighs enough that it hit lens first.

 

I had my pack in the trunk.

I put my arm in the strap and swung the pack onto my back . . . but the pack landed on the ground :confused:

The plastic buckle at the bottom of the strap had cracked in half, and the strap was not connected to the bottom of the pack.

I don't know if it cracked and split when I swung it on, or if it had cracked and split before.

But now I pick up my pack and check the straps BEFORE I put it on.

In fact, I now check ALL straps BEFORE relying on it.

And I have a pad at the bottom of the pack, just in case.

My friends laugh at me because, when I travel, either as a bus passenger or as a passenger in a car (I don't drive), I insist on having whichever camera bag I am using on my lap, with the strap round my neck, so that my thigh muscles can absorb road vibrations, and the bag cannot fall. Overkill ? Maybe, but I can afford neither repairs nor a new camera, so I take precautions.

Had a thought - here is a link to a teardown of the D 500 - might give you an idea how things engage inside the camera.

Hindsight is always 20/20 - have had good fortune the few times I've been caught out, never disabled / destroyed a camera or lens. All you can do is decide what reasonable precautions let you access & use your gear. Best of luck with your camera!

Photo bag in car – driving alone I pull the front passenger seat forward to max position and the bag on the seat, which mean easy accessible and cannot hit the floor. A friend along, bag on the backseat with the strap around the headrest , plus I have a big box (like Tupperware) in the trunk for sundry items placed on a couple of towels.

Dropped the camera off at the local repair shop. He said he knows how to do it and will give me an estimate tomorrow. Let's hope so.

 

This lesson will not be forgotten. Better this than a bigger mishap if carelessness/carefreeness continues to go unchecked.

 

Thanks everyone for your support and for sharing your experiences and tips.

WD40

 

Never ever use this (WD40) witches' brew on any fine mechanical object.

 

IT'S FOR LOOSENING RUSTY NUTS, ferkrysake. Whatever is wrong with your switch, it's not likely to have rusted up.

I found out that anything I put on the car seat has a 10-20% chance of ending up thrown onto the car floor.

There are so many drivers here that ignore the stop sign and red light, that we have a name for it, "The California Stop." Some don't even bother to slow down.

 

So if not in the trunk and braced, I put camera bag/pack on the back seat floor, and up against the back of the front seat.

 

For some reason, I had not thought of using the seatbelt to hold the bag/pack. Though it may not work with some bags.

If you have a special carrying strap for a camera or tele lens, you can use that same strap to hold it on the seat next to you. Put the strap around the seat and attach the qr clamp to the lens foot or camera plate. Also, if you have one of those tube type long lens bags, strap it to the back of the seat and place the long lens in it. When I have been on safaris I always wear my Black Rapid sport strap while in the Land Rover. The qr clamp is attached to the tripod foot so the lens and camera do not fall off the seat or my lap.

Another vote for sticking gear on the car floor where it can't fall any further.

 

My 'school of hard knocks' was when my F801s and Tokina 28-70 f/2.8 zoom took a nosedive off the back seat of my car. A drop of 18" at most, and the camera was in a holster type case. However, it was enough to jam up the zoom on the lens. The camera suffered no apparent damage.

 

The lens was found to have little nylon bushes to reduce friction in the zoom guides. One of those bushes had split, opened up and jammed. The guide channel had a ding in it too.

 

I managed to get the lens working again, but the zoom action was notchy and the focus scale was out of whack too. No great loss. It wasn't the sharpest of lenses before the accident, but I hadn't had the lens long and my wallet ached for a while!

 

BTW, car boot (trunk) bags are now available that Velcro to the carpeted interior. They're made of quite thick, carpet-like material, and big enough to hold a fair amount of gear. I've taken to using one for transporting already cased lenses etc.

Edited December 28, 2018 by rodeo_joe|1

Never ever use this (WD40) witches' brew on any fine mechanical object.

 

IT'S FOR LOOSENING RUSTY NUTS, ferkrysake. Whatever is wrong with your switch, it's not likely to have rusted up.

 

LOL

 

I thought there would be one :rolleyes:

A worthwhile video (in the spirit of mt wd40 comment) on how to clean a lens and sensor...

A worthwhile video (in the spirit of mt wd40 comment) on how to clean a lens and sensor...

 

- How did that idiot ever expect that to work?

When he didn't raise the mirror and open the shutter for the soapy water to get at the sensor.

 

What a plonker!