Problem with NIKON D800

I have a Nikon D800 purchased it in 2013 and use it professionally. One day in the studio the shutter did a soft click and then on the second click it opened the mirror. So what it does. You press the shutter release button and you get a soft click that does not engage the shutter but makes a sound. Hit the shutter button again and it does a full mirror up and down. Even though the second shutter release is a full mirror up and down it does not record an image to the CF card. Neither cards will record an image! The video does not work either. I looked into my clicks and have around 80,000 they say the shutter can go till 300k ?

This happens in all modes including M which I use most of the time. I get an ERR that will not go away no matter what I do. I have replaced the batteries, cleaned the contacts, changed lenses, tried reset, changed cards, left batteries out for the night and tried again the next day.

I took the camera to a local shop that has 25 years’ experience and works on Nikons. He said it was the shutter even though it seems to be working correctly? He replaced the shutter and the problem still exists. I got the camera back and he did not charge me because he could not repair the problem and said you will have to send it to Nikon. His thought was something in the computer or drivers in the camera. I had downloaded the latest Nikon D800 driver a few months before the problem.

Anyone have this problem or any ideas on how to fix?

I really don’t think it’s the shutter because the shutter works in all modes and speeds. It just has to be released twice and it does not record to the cards.

I appreciate any help !!!

Thanks

Kevin

kcablephoto@gmail.com

I hate to ask what's probably an obvious question, but this is exactly how mirror up(Mup) mode works on my D800-i.e. the first press raises the mirror and the second fires the shutter.

Are you sure you haven't inadvertently set this mode? It's normally set with the mode dial on the top left, but I think there's a setting buried in the menus for it somewhere also. If nothing else, you might try a 2-button reset..

An ERR indicates that something is definitely wrong. If a repair shop that has plenty of experience cannot determine the problem while having your camera in their possession, the chance that someone remote can somehow figure it out without checking your camera is very slim.

I agree with the repair shop: send the D800 back to Nikon to get diagnostics and an repair estimate. Based on those, determine whether it is worthwhile to proceed with the repair.

Either last year or the year before Nikon was offering recalls to quite a number of D800 owners. It was called "Maintenance Service Initiative". I sent mine in for inspection though there was nothing wrong with it that I knew about. They cleaned the sensor and replaced a lot of components. It came back looking new.

So I wonder if it makes sense to give Nikon a call and ask if they would do something similar for you. The worst they can do is to say no, right? Good luck!

Either last year or the year before Nikon was offering recalls to quite a number of D800 owners. It was called "Maintenance Service Initiative". I sent mine in for inspection though there was nothing wrong with it that I knew about. They cleaned the sensor and replaced a lot of components. It came back looking new.

 

So I wonder if it makes sense to give Nikon a call and ask if they would do something similar for you. The worst they can do is to say no, right? Good luck!

Did Nikon charge you for parts and labour Mary? A "Maintenance Service Initiative" just sounds like an invitation to have your camera serviced to me. Not a recall.

WRT the OP's issue. In my experience a fatal shutter fault sounds pretty much as described by the OP. The mirror moves, but no picture, or a very underexposed picture, is recorded. The ERR message should be followed by a number code. I believe 43 or 44 signifies a shutter failure.

Anyway, the only recourse is to send the camera to Nikon service or one of their authorised repairers, but i suspect the repair cost will make the camera BER.

BTW, I'm surprised a local shop carries the spares to replace the shutter on a D800.

- "I got the camera back and he did not charge me"

That sounds fishy to me. I suspect the repairer thought they could fix the fault easily and charge for a shutter replacement, which was never done.

After Googling "Nikon maintenance service initiative", it appears this free(!) offer went out by email to only around 4,500 lucky US D700, D800 and D7100 owners 2 years ago and has now expired. Nikon's motive for doing this seems unclear.

Did anyone check their camera for a tracking device after it came back? Or is that just too cynical and paranoid of me?

I can't see Nikon UK giving anything away for free - not even common courtesy!

Did Nikon charge you for parts and labour Mary?

Nothing at all. They also paid for shipping roundtrip.

Did Nikon charge you for parts and labour Mary?

Correction - sorry. memory is a little faint - checked my old emails and this is the correct sequence of events: I sent in my D800 to Nikon for something prior to receiving the offer. Can't remember specifically for what, though the sensor could surely use some cleaning. Nikon replaced a number of components and also cleaned the sensor for free, including shipping. Then subsequently I received the offer for free maintenance.

The more reason, I think, OP should mention this free service incident to Nikon and see what happens.

have around 80,000 they say the shutter can go till 300k

Just to be sure: that's not how it works. Nikon estimates that on average, the shutter will fail at 300k actuations. Meaning some will fail after 10k, some will fail at 1M, some may never fail. The quotes 300k actuations is not a number they guarantee nor a "minimum" below which failure will not occur.

Not saying your camera would have a failed shutter, but just to get expectations right.

For whatever it is worth, the D800's shutter is rated to 200K actuations. Only the single-digit pro models are rated to 300K (D3) or 400K such as the D4 and D5.

But as pointed out earlier, the 200K actuation is no more than an estimate. Any specific D800 could fail after 10K actuations or 500K actuations.

Like Shun writes, an ERR indicates that something is wrong. I find it strange that a repair shop replaces a shutter and that it still does not solve the problem. Anybody can offer sensor cleaning as a service but replacing shutters is a much more cumbersome job requiring parts, skills and probably specialist tools. Sourcing the parts might not be that easy either, which is why I am also surprised by that failed repair.

Why would a D800 not be worth the repair cost for a new shutter? It is still cheaper than getting a replacement camera. I would understand if we were talking about a D3X00 where a shutter replacement might very well cost more than a new camera.

While it matters little; the D800 shutter is rated to 200.000 actuations, not 300.000.

The OP writes that the camera does not record an image to the memory card. Does it write a black image or does it even fail to write and create a new image file altogether? If it writes black images, perhaps the ERR code indicates that there is something wrong with the mirror, rather than the shutter. Have you tried M UP mode or the sensor cleaning option (which raises the mirror)?

A soft click may be the shutter operating when the release is pressed the first time but the mirror does not react and move up until the second time the release button is pressed. If so, the mirror stays in place when the shutter is opened and blocks the vast majority of light from the exposure. If you want to test this, select a long exposure time in M or S mode (about 1”) and check if the first soft click is now two soft clicks a second apart. If so, try to take a second photo under strong light with the same exposure time without a lens just to see if you then get any stray light past the mirror and getting something else than a pitch black image written to your memory card.

Like Shun writes, an ERR indicates that something is wrong. I find it strange that a repair shop replaces a shutter and that it still does not solve the problem. Anybody can offer sensor cleaning as a service but replacing shutters is a much more cumbersome job requiring parts, skills and probably specialist tools. Sourcing the parts might not be that easy either, which is why I am also surprised by that failed repair.

I just got my D800 back last week after having it repaired by an independent shop for something unrelated to the shutter. I forget the name of the shop-the store I bought it from sent it for me. In any case, due to the amount of work required to repair the actual issue, I okayed a shutter replacement since it didn't add that much to the repair tab(basically just the cost of the shutter). They said it wasn't strictly necessary, but with 150,000 actuations I thought it was a good preventative measure. The total cost to replace the aperture stop-down lever, shutter, do a CLA, and put new handgrip and left side rubber on the camera was $200, although it took a while as they stated they needed to get the parts from Japan. I don't know the full story on that, but presumably there's a source there that will sell to independent shops(since Nikon USA won't).

Why would a D800 not be worth the repair cost for a new shutter? It is still cheaper than getting a replacement camera. I would understand if we were talking about a D3X00 where a shutter replacement might very well cost more than a new camera.

It all depends on how much it will cost to repair it at this point. For example, potentially the first repair shop might have caused some additional damage inside. If it costs another $1000 to replace the shutter and some electronics ..., the OP maybe better off using that $1000 as an opportunity towards an upgrade to a D810 or D850.

As I said, let Nikon repair diagnostic it and come up with an estimate first.