Help - laggy/unresponsive D70?

[molly_g.]

My D70 will not actually take a picture every time I release the shutter. I

don't know how to describe this well in a technical way, but bear with me.

Basically, if I'm trying to shoot a lot of frames and I press the shutter many

times fast, the camera will only respond maybe 1/3 of the time. When I hold the

shutter down in burst mode, it will take a shot or two, then pause, then another

shot or two and pause, and so on at random; I think the pauses are analogous to

the times when, shooting singles, the camera doesn't respond.<br><br>This

problem has just developed in the last two weeks or so; I've been using this

camera for two years and this lens (the 18-200mm) for six months. I've had this

problem in all kinds of situations—sports, portraits, sunlight, low light,

close-ups, wide shots, auto, programmed mode, manual, auto focus, manual focus,

all kids of exposures and shutter speeds and that. Same problem with the kit

lens.<br><br>I have no idea what's causing this, but it's becoming quite an

issue—especially today when I was trying to shoot a football game! Any

thoughts, suggestions, or help? Do I need to get my camera repaired?

[Peter_in_PA]

You might have the focus mode set to a mode that requires the camera to be in focus to trip

the shutter. See if it does this when you manually focus. If not, then check your focus mode.

[molly_g.]

Peter,

 

It still happens in full manual focus, as I said in my post. Any other ideas?

[bryan_lardizabal]

Suggestions:

 

First - is the battery fully charged?

 

Second - could be a bad compact flash card, try another to see if that solves the problem.

 

Third - the continuous shooting mode on my D70 has always been a disappointment on this camera, maybe 2.5 frames/second in ideal lighting and exposure situations. Bottom line is it just isn't made to shoot fast such as the newer crop of digital SLR's

 

Let me know if this helps

[alan_olander1664878205]

It sounds like the buffer is filling up. As Bryan suggested, try a new card.

[john schroeder]

Try the reset button on the bottom of the camera. Clean the lens contacts. Fully charge the battery and clean those contacts also.

[john_mitchell7]

I agree that it is most likely a buffering problem.

It would not be a battery low problem, lens or battery contacts.

If you try a new card try a faster one, 80x or more.

I have had excellent luck with Lexar WA cards. They cost a bit more, but they are worth it all.

[molly_g.]

Trying a couple different newly formatted cards didn't help. However, I reset the camera (by holding down the Bracketing button and the Metering Mode button) and that seems to have helped significantly. Thanks, everyone! I'll clean the contacts as well when I can find a pencil eraser.

[molly_g.]

Scratch that—it works quite well as long as I am not shooting Raw. But that doesn't make sense, because I've been shooting Raw for many months with no problem. Does that sound like a buffering problem?

 

It happens with both of my 4GB cards, but I don't think I can afford to replace them... eurgh. Is taking the camera in likely to help?

[john_mitchell7]

I don't know if the D70 has a compressed mode for raw like the D100. If it does, taking it out of the compress mode make a dramatic difference.

 

Be careful with pencil erasers on contacts. They can do more harm than good as they tend to remove the plating on the contacts, particularly if you do it too often.

[frank_skomial]

"I don't know if the D70 has a compressed mode for raw like the D100." - Yes D70 RAW is compressed, but it is the only RAW that D70 has. Either you shoot RAW, or JPG, or both, but cannot "taking it out of the compress mode" - unless you mean shooting JPG only, which is fine with D70.

 

I think your camera is "busted", as it is nearly impossible to get what you describe, in normal lighting conditions.

[john schroeder]

You don't have the long exposure noise reduction turned on do you? That will cut the speed of the D70 in half.

[frank_skomial]

Long exposure noise reduction starts only at shutter speed 1 second or longer. Unless you shoot at that slow speed ? - then that is your explanation. Use any of the Automated modes, and camera should operate fast.

 

If you reset your camera to factory defaults, and the same problem persists, then your camera is most likely busted.

[brian_mann1]

Have you had the BGLOD problem fixed? Mine started acting very strange. Sometimes didn't take a picture, the exposure was messed up in some photos. It wasn't consistent until it finally "stopped"....

 

Search NikonUSA Knowledge Data Base for BGLOD (blinking green light of death)

 

From Nikon:

 

It has come to our attention that select electrical components in a limited number of D70 cameras may, in some instances, fail affecting camera performance and/or operability.

 

While only a limited number of D70 cameras are affected by this advisory, if (1) when a memory card is inserted, your D70's memory card access lamp blinks, locking camera operations and preventing operation, or (2) with no memory card inserted, the camera will not turn on despite the battery indicator showing a fully charged battery, Nikon Inc. will service it free of charge.

 

To obtain complimentary service for cameras affected by this advisory, please click the link below to download and print the Service Return Form. The Service Return Form provides return instructions.

 

The Frequently Asked Questions button at the bottom of this page offers more information about this advisory and, should you have more questions, also provides information about how to contact Nikon.

 

We apologize for any inconvenience you may experience.

[john schroeder]

Frank: you are mistaken about the long exposure NR on the D70. When turned on it is enabled at all shutter speeds. I just double checked with my D70 to be sure.

[frank_skomial]

John,

 

I wonder how you did that? - "I just double checked with my D70 to be sure."

 

You could have only checked that the Long Exposure NR setting was set (ON), or set (OFF). This in no way means that the noise reduction is activated even if enabled.

 

The Long Exposure NR can remain set (ON), or using your words can stay "enabled at all shutter speeds", but the camera does not use that feature at any chutter speed faster than 1 second.

 

Read Nikon D70 Manual, page 133, it says clearly : "Noise reduction takes effect at shutter speeds of about 1 s or slower" - and only then "Time required to process images more than doubles".

 

At any faster shutter, it does not matter if you have your Long Exposure NR turned On or Off, as it does not get activated, and it does not slow the camera performance.

[john schroeder]

Frank: turn your long exposure NR on, set you shutter speed to 1/100 second, turn on continuous shooting, and shoot a few frames. Then turn it off and shoot a few more frames. It slows the camera down at all shutter speeds. I know what the manual says but its not accurate. I think what Nikon meant to say it's effect is only visible at shutter speeds of 1 second or longer. If you search the forums you will find other instances of people having this occur.

[frank_skomial]

Thanks John.

[briany]

John - that error was fixed in one of the earliest firmware updates for the D70. You should update your firmware.

 

Molly - watch the buffer counter in the viewfinder (r9 I think is the starting point on the D70). Does the problem only happen when the buffer counter goes down to r1 / r0 ?

[john schroeder]

Molly; have you had any luck with our suggestions? I emailed you a utility to check and wipe your memory cards. Did it make a difference?

 

Brian; The error is not in the camera but with the language used in the manual. Follow this link or try it your self.

 

http://s98.photobucket.com/albums/l270/threcats/?action=view&current=CIMG2896.flv

[molly_g.]

- No long exposure NR. No green light of death.<br><br>

 

- Couldn't use the card utility, as I'm on a Mac. Is there a similar Mac utility somewhere?<br><br>

 

- Buffer counter: Yes, the problem seems to occur at r0... But the counter starts at r4 rather than r9 when in Raw mode, across memory cards. (Shooting JPEG, it starts at r9.) Is this normal? And if so, why is my problem new, since I've shot Raw for many months?

[molly_g.]

To clarify, the camera can now take four frames in a row (per the buffer) but definitely could not before I reset the camera, so that did help. Once I've exhausted the four-frame buffer, it takes about five full seconds for the buffer to get back up to four. Is this part normal? I would hate to have to switch back to JPEG to be able to shoot action, and I could swear that it was not this slow before.

 

And this is possibly irrelevant, but I have also been getting occasional end-of-file errors with my files fresh off the card, starting at the same time as this lag problem. Er.

[bryan_lardizabal]

Are you using brand name compact flash such as Sandisk or Lexar? If not then I would spend the extra bucks for these. Always format then before use as well.

 

 

Also, if by any remote guess you are using a microdrive type of card you may get this problem. These small hard drives are more prone to failure

[molly_g.]

SanDisk, yes, 4GB and 1GB, and I always format.

[bryan_lardizabal]

Bummer...send it in to Nikon -- I'll email some friends with D70's and get their thoughts