Why no complaints here?

[dennis_oconnor4]

Well, in every field there are those whom I term "Professional Whiners", or PW for short...

Take for example amateur radio.. In the USA a company called Ten Tec makes a very advanced radio transceiver called the ORION... This is a nearly $5,000 radio... On one of the usenet groups devoted to this radio is a small number of PW's... They will spend hundreds of hours trying to find a fault in the radio, such as this <slightly exaggerated>

"Every time I I hold down these seven control buttons. x,x, . . . and x, and then reach behind the radio with my right foot and kick the power cord out of the socket, when I reboot the radio I have lost all of my custom settings... You would think those *&(%)$#@! engineers at Ten Tec would have protected the CPU from this!"

And then this group of PW's will go on for weeks beating on this arcane "fault" endlessly...

 

The only difference between them and the various camera groups, is the camera PW's lack the depth and skill and creativity of the Ten Tec PW's in finding the most abstruse, involved, and arcane "fault" to whine about...

 

cheers ... denny

[monkeyhand]

"Complainers are like rabbits - one can leave a lot of tracks.

 

Edward, I like your quote. When they are chased by a dog they also like to run in a circle."

 

I like both your quotes:-) Once caught the rabbits tend to emit a very high-pitched squeal.

[photo_dark]

If I complained about the D300, it would only because I don't own one and want to make myself feel better about my 40D purchase.

 

But seriously, if there's one thing I can say about the current generation of camera bodies is that it feels like most of the major bugs that existed in previous generations have been ironed out, and you can't really go wrong with any camera body (except the D60 which to me, is a waste of money).

 

Loss of value aside, the 40D, D80, D300, 5D, D3 and 1Ds are all great cameras with few flaws and zero failures.

[tri-x1]

One reason I became a dues-paying member here was I like the attitude on the PN forums. It's not that anyone is viewing the world through rose-colored glasses. People here, for the most part, base opinions on real world experience.

 

I've had Nikons off and on since the introduction of the first F model. It took me a while to come around to digital. But I have to say I have enjoyed the D300 more than any previous Nikon--film or digital.

[walterh]

"... or reporting SB800 underexposure problems when shooting the Koln Cathedral.."

 

Jose I am originally from Koln. Send me a note if you live near.

 

Glad I got no D300! I was on my way to the cathedral and had my SB800 in my bag already. Do you think TWO SB800 would do it? The batteries in my second flash are a bit dead - but I spend so much money on the whole set I deserve good light.

 

I would not like to miss these threads - so much free entertainment. A wealth of humor also is in the cheap versus expensive lens comparisons. I mean is it really worth the money?

[gary_watson]

"Viral" complaints often get relayed without question--or any objective evidence for that matter.This seems likely in the case Wayne cites. Seems everyone knows a "someone" who has/had problems with any given product. It's really just the old S/N issue where knowledge and opinion get confused.

[sampson]

Having read many of the posts you speak off, it seems that with the D300, there has been a whole new crop of people new to photography, and many moving up from simple digital P&S cameras. To me, it seems like just a big group of people who aren't using their equipment properly.

 

Whether real D300 sales have a large market of such user is unsubstantiated, but just a thought.

[oskar_ojala]

<i>Glad I got no D300! I was on my way to the cathedral and had my SB800 in my bag already. Do you think TWO SB800 would do it? The batteries in my second flash are a bit dead - but I spend so much money on the whole set I deserve good light.</i>

 

<p>One will do...provided you use a large enough aperture ;-)

 

<p>The only thing bothering me with the D300 is that the midtone contrast and the colors are not always the way I want them to be, but I assume the reason is that I need to learn more about the camera and Capture NX. As a whole, it's a darn good camera.

[tri-x1]

I've seen a number of posts on various forums from people jumping directly from p&s to D300. A tough transition since the D300 doesn't have the Portrait and Landscape settings like some DSLRs. I tend to try to caution folks with no DSLR experience that they might want to take an intermediate step before moving to that level.

There were similar situations when the Nikon F came out and a lot of folks who had been shooting 127 or 620 roll film in box cameras bought the F because it was sort of a status symbol. Many of them were terribly intimidated by the camera and stuck it away in the top of a closet after a few rolls--one reason why Fs in near mint condition still turn up on the auction from time to time.

[tri-x1]

"The only thing bothering me with the D300 is that the midtone contrast and the colors are not always the way I want them to be, but I assume the reason is that I need to learn more about the camera and Capture NX. As a whole, it's a darn good camera."

 

The D300 tends to produce quite accurate colors by default--accurate isn't always brilliant. You might want to experiment with the vivid settings.

[joseph_wisniewski]

Shun posted three links. Two out of the three deal with the well known 70-200mm f2.8 VR grounding problem, which can manifest on many bodies. As far as I can tell, the 70-200mm f2.8 is the cause of most "haunted camera" complaints, from D70 to D3. Gets worse with teleconverters, especially Kenko converters. It gets worse with battery packs like MB-D10.

 

Pretty much anything that increases the resistance on the electrical path from the battery, possibly through a battery pack, through the camera, possibly through a TC, and then to the lens, will increase the number of incidents. Dirty contacts are another source of increased resistance.

 

Want to bet the guy with problems in 6 of 9 D300 bodies, which are always stored in one particular building under the care of one person, suffer from that one person "helpfully" cleaning the contacts with something oily, silicon based, or capable of accelerating contact corrosion (such as a pencil eraser).

[rogerjporter]

i find the lack of winers and complainers on these forums refreshing, it is why i steer

clear of many of the others. I never understood why name calling and camera bashing

was interesting to anybody. there are bunches of polite intelligent people around these

parts. thank you photo.net users!

[JAPster]

FWIW, as a newbie to digital SLRs, the only problem I have experienced with the d300 was when I fat-fingered the C-S-M switch, knocking it out of single servo autofocus mode. That broke, or more accurately deactivated the Automatic focus, which led to me missing some nice waterfowl pictures, till I figured out what went wrong, and fixed it. That was my fault, not the camera's. The d300 is by far the best camera I have ever owned.

[BelaMolnar]

The problem with people, they buying a Ferrari or Lambo, bur they never learn to drive a manual shift car,

actually they never learn to drive, they only steering they vehicles, and the firs Ferrari going to kill them. Or! In

other world, they never learned to operate the camera manually, or, what is a different between the "aperture"

and the "departure", never start from the basic, they have no idea what is a shatter speed-aperture- film-speed

doing with each other. People buying cameras to day, and they except from the camera to do the job for them.

The technical knowledge for so many people is almost ZERO . . . !!! Never mind the artistic knowledge,

composition and etc., what making the image, a good image.

 

I used to own the;

 

Nikon F

 

Nikon F Photomic

 

Nikon F2

 

Nikon F2a

 

Nikon FE

 

Nikon FM, FM2, And still has my beloved FM3a

 

Nikon FA

 

Nikon F3

 

Nikon F90X

 

Nikon F5

 

Nikon D2X

 

Nikon D200

 

Nikon D300

 

Nikon D40 ( My loved little jewel.)

 

And I never had any problem of any of them. My first Nikon camera, the F2a still in working condition, with

the motor drive, the last time the shatter speed was checked, needed no adjustment after 35 years. My

younger brother using it. I photographed in concert, with flash, in the dessert, on the sea shores with gail force

wind, blowing salt sprays, etc. I photographed with other peoples, with different brand cameras, many time I

heard the complaint; Oh may battery is flat again, my auto focus is not working, in the main time I was

shooting three time as many frames as other people. Own a lots of lenses, and only ones I had a problem with

a new 18/2.8 lens, witch was fixed in no time.

 

You have to learn to use you tools, be knowledgeable/proficient/skillful, with your tools, then, if you have some

problem, don't complain, or cry, or call your tool a "crap", go to the brand service and figure out what is the

problem with the camera, lens, flash, etc., . . . . or . . . with you.

 

OR! Buy a point and shoot camera. You never going to have a problem.

 

 

Cheers; B. L. Molnar

[joseph_wisniewski]

Bela, I learned to drive a manual on a Lamborghini Countach. (I'm not rich, I just had access to one back in 1984 when I was on the Cadillac Allante project). It had a very "interesting" clutch.

[lex_jenkins]

Rene said: "There are not even jokes around here, I think I am the only clown or should I say the funnier member!?"

 

To quote Bugs Bunny, "He don't know me very well, do he?"

 

I try to confine my class clown antics to the Casual Conversations Forum. Some folks come to the equipment and techniques forums strictly for information and don't appreciate digressions.

 

BTW, even Shun will rip in a good zinger once in a while. He actually has a great sense of humor. You just don't see it very often.

[keith_lubow]

What loss, Michael? A camera is a tool, not an investment. Use it until it drops dead, and call it good. I am sure you made $5,000 with it in your first month or two of ownership, right? If not, then you probably didn't need it in the first place.

 

Keith

[emiliogtz]

Keith is right on spot. I'm not a pro photographer, I shoot for pleasure mostly, but as a

software engineer I get to upgrade my computer equipment every two years or less.

Although prices are much lower now, I can still end up spending $3k to $4k on my

tools. By the time they are trough, they are worth less than a tenth the original price.

 

I wish I could buy used cameras that cheap.

[BelaMolnar]

To Joseph Wisniewski.

 

So you know what the real driving is. Yes, the Lambo has a hard clutch and very sensitive. I'm not rich either,

but has a connection to both dealership, the Lambo and Ferrari, and has a chance to drive them. Fortunately I

had a racing driver certificate, and all my life, I used to drive manual sport cars. Average peoples sport cars of-

course,

Cameras is same. To know a camera and all those settings, you has to learn to drive manually. Then you can

have all the automatization, what ever you like it, or what ever the situation is required.

 

Cheers; B. L. Molnar

[joseph_wisniewski]

Hi Bela.

 

"Average peoples sport cars of- course"

 

I understand that. I owned a Miata for years.

 

"Cameras is same."

 

OK, maybe that D3, 24-70mm f2.8, 85mm f1.4, 200mm f4 macro, etc. that I cart around isn't exactly "average people's" camera... But I know how to drive it, and I learned on a manual SLR that had stopped down metering, and developed my own B&W, so I have the "foundation". (My FM2 was a luxury, wide open metering, and three lenses in the first two years).

 

Then again, I know excellent photographers who learned on manual, and just somehow manage to "see pictures" that even I would miss.

[joe_hurley1]

Hello All

 

I have read all the above and i am real glad to hear that most of you don't have the DBS...or dead battery issue. I for one have had it on two D300 . Mine is only happening with my nikon 70x 200 2.8 VR. It's not a user error , for us who have this issue it's like buying a new car and having it stop on the freeway ...taking it to the dealer and the mechanic says that he cannot recreate it there is nothing wrong. It's eratic but is still an issue just the same. I have sent in my lens, D300 and D200 and they replace parts and clean and still unable to fix the issue. So for all you nikon D3 and D300 users that don't have the issue why bash us that do !!!! We bought our camera just as you and if you were in our shoes whould you be a quiet and excuse the manufacture for it mistakes and thank them for such a good camera each time you that a picture of your kids and explain to your wife that the camera quite !!! Wow i spent all that money it ok it's just me dear .

[constance_cook]

Joe:

 

I don't think we're bashing you. We're just saying it's not happening to the vast majority of D300 owners. I'm sure it's vexing but it just isn't anywhere near a pervasive or even usual problem such as BGLOD was with the D70.

 

Conni

[ShunCheung]

Joe, I don't think we are bashing you or anyone who has run into the false low battery problem. But the good news is that by far the majority of the D300 owners do not have this problem (I'll explain why this is good news for you also). Since Nikon has not officially addressed this issue (as far as I know), I wouldn't pretend as if I knew more than them. Apparently it is a difficult problem to track down, and it can potentially be a problem with some lenses, especially certain samples of the 70-200mm/f2.8 AF-S VR.

 

However, the good news is that since most units have no problems, you should be able to pressure Nikon to give you an exchange until your camera/lens is trouble free. Again, keep in mind that it could be a lens problem.

 

Moreover, see the several posts by Thom Hogan in this thread in DPReview:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1039&message=28087239