Internal Clock Battery on Nikon SLR and DSLP Bodies

[charlie_johnson1]

Here is something that I have not seen anyone address yet. It is

that internal clock battery inside of the Nikon Camera bodies. I

have a Nikon D1, probably built in 2000 judging by the serial number,

s/n 5015624. I am the second owner of this unit. According to the

owner?s manual, a separate internal clock battery that has a useable

life of about 10 years powers the clock.

 

I would think that would really be shelf life, not useable life. So,

for a body built in 2000, in 2010 this body would have to be sent to

a Nikon Service Center to have the battery changed for a fee. OK,

what is the fee for this change? How long can I expect to have my

beloved Nikon out of my hands, i.e. how long will it take to change

this battery?

 

Now here is why I ask this. I have had Timex watches with 5 or 6-

year batteries only last 3 to 4 years. It does say in the owner?s

guide, battery life is dependent on how the watch is used and cared

for. Do you use the display light often and for how long? OK, lets

apply this rule to the Nikon SLR or DSLR in your hands. If you shoot

a few hundred frames a year, you should get a full ten years out of

the battery if not longer. But lets say you shoot 10,000+ frames a

year, your battery life could be shortened somewhat, all those time

stamps saved to the Flashcard or Film file. Lets say that this cuts

the life to 7 to 8 years.

 

Someone should have had to send their SLR or DSLR body in to have

that battery changed by now, assuming this battery was put into

bodies such as the F5, which came out prior to the release of the D1

in late 1999. Or lets look at it this way, your Nikon Body has been

sent in for service, shutter or something else to be repaired or

updated and you see a Battery Replacement Fee on the Invoice. What

was the fee? And why make a battery that has to be changed at a

service center?

 

I know that there are DIYs or Do-It-Yourself types on this forum.

Who has tinkered with their Nikon and found a hidden compartment for

the internal clock battery? Or, how far of a tear down was involved

to get to the clock battery? I am very curious. For all we know,

starting in the near future, there will be a thread about how long it

takes to get your camera back from Nikon for a stupid clock battery

change and the astronomical price they want for it. Lets say it was

first referenced here. I thank all who respond in advance.

[ilkka_nissila]

An F5 does not have an internal clock, so no battery either. A digital SLR body will never be used for 10 years so it's an academic point anyway. A D70 gives far superior image quality to the D1 and the difference will be much bigger in 2010 so that it is pretty much guaranteed that no D1 will need a replacement battery for the clock.

[ray]

Your camera will be due for a schedule repair/update well before 10 years. If nothing else,

your shutter will probably die before then. Nikon will then replace your battery when you

send it in for some other repair or a scheduled tuneup.

 

I know that when I send my DSLRs in to Nikon for repair (broken shutter, etc.) they will

also fix anything else that may require a CLA (such as cleaning the sensor, etc.).

 

I believe the new DSLRS (D2 series) have the clock battery in a user accessible

compartment.

[darren_cokin]

> A digital SLR body will never be used for 10 years...

 

I think that's a fairly naive statement. Yes, something better will have come along by then, but that doesn't mean the current equipment will be working any worse than it is now. 6 megapixels is enough for quite a lot of uses. Even if a 60 megapixel camera is availble for two dollars, certain people will still be using and maintaining their trusty old 6 megapixel models for years to come.