Got my Df back from Nikon service.

As some of you know that my Df has been acting up off and on since March 2018 but it's so intermittent that I didn't send it in until last December. I got it back yesterday and they basically replaced the IMAGE CTL PCB and I would guess it's the Image Control Printed Circuit Board. Otherwise they did what needed like replace the rubber because they peeled it off. Adjust exposure, adjust focus and clean.

I hope that was it. As I said the problem it's so intermittent that it's hard to verify that is fixed. I did capture on video the problem and sent it with the camera.

Back when they released Nintendo Gamecube, the first unit that my brother got had intermitten problem with graphics circuit, luckily my other brother had mini-dv cam that verified of existence of problem and we got new unit in exhange.

It is nice to know that parts and service are still available for Df.

It is nice to know that parts and service are still available for Df.

I mean, they still sell it, so I would hope so.

Back when they released Nintendo Gamecube, the first unit that my brother got had intermitten problem with graphics circuit, luckily my other brother had mini-dv cam that verified of existence of problem and we got new unit in exhange.

 

It is nice to know that parts and service are still available for Df.

Why not? It's still in the current Nikon line up.

I would just use this Df normally for a week or two. Try all the features. Since the Df has no video capture, there is no need to test those features. Maybe put a flash on to make sure that the hot shoe is working. Not sure you have a GPS to test the camera with.

The Df doesn't have a GPS built in. I do not have a GPS unit. I do have a Wifi unit though.

No Nikon DSLR has a GPS built in, but there should be a jack that you can plug in a GP1 or GP1A via a cable. When my D750 was new, that jack didn't work, but I never noticed that until I finally plugged in my GP1 about 4 months later. Fortunately that was still well within the warranty period.

My typical check list include trying AF-S, AF-D, and AI/AI-S lenses, flash, GPS, and the microphone and headphone jacks (for video). There is also an HDMI output jack on most DSLRs. Since the Df doesn't have video, you don't need to worry about those video jacks.

Just checked the meter and the sensor. The sensor has some spots on it. Not bad but not perfectly cleaned. I did pay for the cleaning. The adjust the meter and now the meter read about 1/3 stop too high (it was correct before). The ISO sensitivity is the same about 1/5 stop too fast but the meter read 1/3 too high so using the meter it's 1/5 underexpose.

It triggers the flash. I can't test other flash functions because I do not have an i-ttl flash.

No Nikon DSLR has a GPS built in

- Weird that Nikon found the space and economy to fit a GPS unit in the comparatively low cost CP6000 and other consumer-level compacts, but can't be bothered to fit one to their pro and semi-pro DSLRs.

An add-on dongle isn't convenient, ergonomic or cost-effective.

- Weird that Nikon found the space and economy to fit a GPS unit in the comparatively low cost CP6000 and other consumer-level compacts, but can't be bothered to fit one to their pro and semi-pro DSLRs.

 

An add-on dongle isn't convenient, ergonomic or cost-effective.

I actually prefer not to have the GPS.

I just remembered that the D5300 has a built-in GPS

I had a client who had sworn me to secrecy about 'where' some of her collection of items were stored which she had got me to photograph for insurance purposes. We discussed the D5300's ability to add GPS to EXIF, which she decided she wanted. I supplied 2 copies, one intact and one stripped. DVD's labelled SAFE and RISKY.

She then posted pix on her *acebook page which, surprise surprise, were accidentally of the GPS version...:eek:

I never offered the service again.

Please excuse my ignorance of most things digital but what is the purpose of having GPS in a camera?

The camera will write the location where a photo was taken into the EXIF data, so your photo collection software can show that and automatically sort photos by location, etc.

At least one camera can use the GPS to figure out how to move the IBIS to track the motion of stars as the Earth turns during a long exposure.

The camera will write the location where a photo was taken into the EXIF data, so your photo collection software can show that and automatically sort photos by location, etc.

Some display programs will link to a map, like Google maps, showing the spot.

My daughter sent a picture taking near a river.

When I linked to the map, it pointed into the middle of the river.

Out of curiosity how did it cost?

Are you asking me as how much it cost to have the Df repaired? $387! Ouch! I am going to Japan in April and I think they sell new Df there for about $1600.

Good luck, BeBu. Heisenbugs (ones that disappear when you look at them) are a pain to track down. My preferred approach for testing (short of actual debug) is videoing everything working until it stops, then see what happened beforehand - which I realise you're morally opposed to. :-) To be fair, that works less well with a hardware thing, which is probably an iffy connection or crack "somewhere".

Re. GPS, there was a time when (apparently) some new device accounts turned on the camera's GPS location by default. Images got taken with a prototype, ended up (I'm less clear of how with this part) on social media, the metadata gave an unreleased device ID and the location data placed it in the middle of the corporate headquarters... and engineers got shouted at. There are already people reporting that photogenic locations (and wildlife) are suffering from an influx of photographers who want to replicate a shot, and requests that GPS data get stripped. If I ever need to add it, I'd rather just tag the location on my phone.

On the other hand, if you haven't seen it, this is quite cool: it cross-references Wikipedia articles (and similar) with photo location tags and notes which items are missing wikimedia images, so you can feel civic-minded when looking for something to shoot (or decide what to upload).

Heisenbugs

Reminds me of the joke when a chap take Schrodinger's cat to the vets in a cat basket....

and the vet say, 'Do you want the good news or the bad news....?'

:)

Good luck, BeBu. Heisenbugs (ones that disappear when you look at them) are a pain to track down. My preferred approach for testing (short of actual debug) is videoing everything working until it stops, then see what happened beforehand - which I realise you're morally opposed to. :) To be fair, that works less well with a hardware thing, which is probably an iffy connection or crack "somewhere".

Oh Andrew! I did made a video thru the viewfinder when it acted up and then became OK by tapping the side of the camera. I sent the video with the camera. I hope the "Image Ctl PCB" was the part that had loose connection and they replaced it. So far it didn't acted up but the meter calibration that they did isn't to my liking. I liked it better when I had it new although neither is accurate in my opinion. I paid for sensor cleaning but it still has a spot on the sensor.

Oh Andrew! I did made a video thru the viewfinder when it acted up and then became OK by tapping the side of the camera. I sent the video with the camera.

You... took a video? Wow. I knew it was cold outside, but I didn't realise it was hell freezing over. :-)

I hope the "Image Ctl PCB" was the part that had loose connection and they replaced it. So far it didn't acted up but the meter calibration that they did isn't to my liking. I liked it better when I had it new although neither is accurate in my opinion.

Hmm. Can you tweak it with menu b2 ("fine-tune optimal exposure")? If it's consistently different, you might be able to get it better. I don't think I've bothered with mine, but then I use exposure compensation as a primary control.

As for meter accuracy, I don't know why Nikon won't provide basic ETTR. Highlight-weighted metering only seems to adjust for quite large bright areas, for reasons I don't understand (based on its supposed purpose). I was in San Diego last week (hence silence, other than busy busy) and had another go at the cheetah run at the safari park. Shadows across most of, but not all of, the run; I wanted the metering to hold ISO 400+ for me in shade so I could maintain 1/2500s and f/4, but wanted it to drop to minimal ISO (ideally 64) in sunlight to avoid blowing highlights. I've yet to determine how well it did, but I was scrambling with EC -4.0 at one point. Cheetahs don't hold still enough to make spot metering reliable. (For reference, in 12-bit lossless raw and with a fast XQD card, a D850 can't quite keep up 9fps for the ~5s duration of a run at 1.2x crop, but got close in DX crop. If I weren't already in such debt from camera purchases I'd be looking sideways at a used D4.)

I paid for sensor cleaning but it still has a spot on the sensor.

It's hard to get it perfect, but that's annoying. To be fair, I just tend to avoid small apertures, which often hides smaller splodges - but obviously that's not always an option.

You... took a video? Wow. I knew it was cold outside, but I didn't realise it was hell freezing over. :)

 

 

 

Hmm. Can you tweak it with menu b2 ("fine-tune optimal exposure")? If it's consistently different, you might be able to get it better. I don't think I've bothered with mine, but then I use exposure compensation as a primary control.

 

As for meter accuracy, I don't know why Nikon won't provide basic ETTR. Highlight-weighted metering only seems to adjust for quite large bright areas, for reasons I don't understand (based on its supposed purpose). I was in San Diego last week (hence silence, other than busy busy) and had another go at the cheetah run at the safari park. Shadows across most of, but not all of, the run; I wanted the metering to hold ISO 400+ for me in shade so I could maintain 1/2500s and f/4, but wanted it to drop to minimal ISO (ideally 64) in sunlight to avoid blowing highlights. I've yet to determine how well it did, but I was scrambling with EC -4.0 at one point. Cheetahs don't hold still enough to make spot metering reliable. (For reference, in 12-bit lossless raw and with a fast XQD card, a D850 can't quite keep up 9fps for the ~5s duration of a run at 1.2x crop, but got close in DX crop. If I weren't already in such debt from camera purchases I'd be looking sideways at a used D4.)

 

 

 

It's hard to get it perfect, but that's annoying. To be fair, I just tend to avoid small apertures, which often hides smaller splodges - but obviously that's not always an option.

Yes I can tweak the meter but I don't want to. Any way linearity is good (calibration doesn't change the linearity characteristic of the meter). The middle gray exposure is only off very little. 107 instead of 117 but I know the ISO rating is 1/3 stop too low as it's been since new.

Don't ask me how I know but let me say this. The meter read 1/2 stop too high. The ISO is 1/3 stop faster than it's supposed to. So the net result is only about 1/5 stop under exposed.

I've always wondered about the metering arguments. I'm sure I remember that DPReview used to report cameras over-estimating their ISO values; DxO reports that most under-estimate, and I'm never quite sure how much the T-stop vs f-stop of the lens is taken into account. I'm glad it balances for you, though.

I'm sure I used to have less trouble with the meter on my D700 than any of my D8x0 bodies, although maybe I was less picky. These days I just chimp a lot, but for last weekend's experience, I can't chimp and cheetah at the same time (I'm not Tarzan).