corkman Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 <p>This is my last resort. I've read and reread the manual, searched Nikon's site, and googled the problem to death without result. I've had my D200 for three years, taken several thousand photos with it, and suddenly have a problem that's driving me crazy. The shutter speed in shutter and manual modes is stuck on x250 and with a sports shoot coming up, I can't make it move above the x250 speed. I know that the x250 speed is related to flash synch. I know that it's no coincidence that this happened right after shooting a public relations photo with a single SB800 on a stand, something I've done countless times. But this time, nothing I've done, including resetting all the camera's settings back to default, changes the fact that I can't make it budge. I've concluded that either the camera's computer is corrupted, or (my fondest wish) is that there is some very simple solution that someone can suggest to solve the problem.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_driscoll Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 <p>Did you try the reset switch (typically under the cover next to the USB connector)? That should reset the internal microprocessor. Some people recommend removing the battery and leaving for a few hours before replacing so you could try that too.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corkman Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 <p>Thanks Richard. At first I was going to tell you there is no reset button on the D200, then I realized that there might be one after all be cause I use the MB-D200 grip that holds two batteries. Removed that and sure enough, there was a reset button. Pushed it in and held it, but didn't solve the problem. Going to try the battery removal trick next. I appreciate your help. I'll report back after a couple hours and let you know where I am with this problem. Regards, Bill.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 <p>Either your main command dial is malfunctioning or the computer inside your D200 has a glitch.</p> <p>When you hold down the MODE button, can you use the main command dial to change the exposure modes: A, S, M, and P? If so, your dial should be working fine.</p> <p>In order to reset, I would leave the battery out overnight.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corkman Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 <p>Richard. Oooops. Now realize that what I thought was a reset button, the kind you activate with the point of a ballpoint pen, wasn't that at all. It was simply a hole to accommodate a matching pin on the MB battery grip to keep it from swiveling. I think reset on this camera is the function reached on the menu. I'm back to the battery thing. thanks again, Bill</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corkman Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 <p>Chen. No problem switching modes. One curiousity is the fact that in Apeture setting I can get a higher shutter speed, but not the speeds I need for shooting motocross, and still can't get it out of x250 in shutter mode. I will follow your suggestion and leave the battery out overnight. Thanks so much for your help. Bill</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 <p>Just another thought: Can you set the exposure mode to M and control the aperture with the sub-command dial? Obviously turning the command dial is not working.<br> There is an option to swap the capabilities for the main and sub command dials, just in case you might be in that mode.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgelfand Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 <p>1/250 second sounds suspiciously like the top flash sync speed. Is your flash deployed or mounted?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corkman Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 <p>Shun (sorry about getting your name wrong the first time) - The sub-command dial will take me through the full range of f stops in both Manual and Aperture modes. And the command dial does take the shutter speed through the full range of slow speeds, but stops at letting me go above 1/250.<br> Brooks, yes I realized it was on the top synch flash speed, and no flash is deployed or mounted. But it is acting exactly like I am shooting flash, which is what I was doing at my last shoot with an SB800 on a stand before the trouble started. I've also remounted the off camera flash, used it, dismounted it, and opened the on camera flash and used it, but when I go back without flash the problem is still there. I really think the microsystem is stuck in and time warp and thinks I'm still shooting flash.<br> If this were an old TV set giving me trouble I just give it a swift kick, but this is probably not the best way to handle a digital camera problem.<br> I'm going to pull the batteries, leave it off overnight, and see if that works. If not, I'll fall back on my D70 backup for tomorrow's shoot.<br> Thanks to everyone for taking your time to try and help. When I do finally solve this puzzle, I'll come back to this post and give you all the feedback. Regards, Perplexed and Frustrated.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 <p>Oh, sorry I originally thought the shutter speed would not change at all. If the actual problem is that it cannot get to any setting that is faster than 1/250, apparently the camera thinks the flash is engaged so that it does not want to exceed the flash sync.</p><p>I would assume that there is no flash attached. By any chance the pop up flash is up (or at least not completely latched in the "down" position)?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny_anderson Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 <p>Since the problem happened after shooting with a flash, see if you can get the camera into a different sync speed. How about remounting the flash and see if you can get the sync speed down to 1/60. Then remove the flash and see if the problems still exsist.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgelfand Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 <p>I do not have a D200. However looking through the manual, I found an interesting entry that may apply on page 79. It states that if you are in high speed sync mode, it fixes the shutter speed to the sync speed limit in modes M and S. There should be a "X" displayed in the flash sync mode on the control panel. Also see page 160 for custom mode e1.</p><p>Before you try removing the battery, try a two button reset (see page 97 in the manual).</p><p> </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralph_hensley1 Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 <p>I had this problem with my D300 when shooting in snow, in Manual Mode. What happened is the sub-command dial (rear) for the shutter speeds........"bottomed out".......at X1/250. In other words the command dial was at the...last....shutter speed setting when selecting the......slow shutter speeds.<br> Just turn the sub-command dial the opposite way, and it will take you up through the slow speeds and back to the high speeds at the other end. Anyway, this is what I did in the heat of battle photographing in snow, using manual mode. It drove me crazy for and hour or so.<br> Try spinning the sub-command dial the other way. It might help.<br> Good luck with your photography!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corkman Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 <p>Shun. The "camera thinks I'm shooting with flash" is where I'm at at this point as well. The suggestion about the pop up flash was a good one. I looked at it carefully. It clicked into place when closed. The seams were tight. I looked inside to see if there was any dirt - there was some light dust that I removed. The little switch that is moved into position when the top closes was in working order. So there's nothing visibly that suggests it isn't working properly, and after I did this the shutter speed problem was still there. I also checked the off camera mount and it looks totally normal. A real puzzler. Tomorrow when the batteries are put back in I'll see if that works. I appreciate you attempt to help. I've seen your name often in other forums and came away impressed with your pragmatic, knowledgeable way of diagnosing problems so I really appreciate the time you given to help solve my dilemma. Tomorrow when I put the batteries back in, I'll know if that works. If not, I'm at a loss where to look next. Thanks so much for you help. Bill</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corkman Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 Ralph...thanks for the suggestion. I'll definitely try that when I power up again tomorrow. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgelfand Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 <p>William,</p> <p>You are in sync mode x250 which locks the shutter speed to 1/250 second in both M and S mode. Look at custom setting e1. Reset it to 250, not x250. See page 160 of your user manual.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_beisigl Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 <p>William,<br> Nikon has a 24 hour help line; I do not have the number, but if you type in Nikon help line, the number is 1-800- NIKON-UX</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corkman Posted April 12, 2009 Author Share Posted April 12, 2009 <p>SUCCESS!!! There was one suggestion above that I missed last night, probably because at that point my eyes were glazed over, and my mind was mush. Anyway, first thing this morning put batteries back in and......nothing! Problem still there. Then looked at the posts once again and noticed Ralph Hensley's suggestion for the first time. He wrote "Just turn the sub-command dial the opposite way, and it will take you up through the slow speeds and back to the high speeds at the other end." I almost laughed, seemed too simple to be true. But tried it and BINGO! It worked. Problem solved. Crazy, but true. That's definitely not in the manual. And I suspect if I'd called the Nikon hot line I wouldn't have heard it from them either. Thank you all for your time and generous willingness to help. It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a the PN photo community to raise a photographer. Regards, Bill</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 <p>Bill, thanks for at least letting us know what the problem is. Sometimes, anybody can get into a tunnel vision and misses the most obvious answer; it certainly has happened to me a few times also. I actually played around with my D200 a bit and could not create the "problem" you had.</p> <p>I am glad that there is nothing wrong with the camera.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corkman Posted April 12, 2009 Author Share Posted April 12, 2009 <p>Shun, this has been beyond wierd for me. I always look for the simpliest solutions first, but this one never occurred to me. I guess I should be feeling really stupid, but in this case I'm giving myself a pass. I believe that there is still something wrong, and not of my doing, that it happened at all. And you're right. I wouldn't know how to recreate it. In retrospect all I did was use an off camera flash in a photo shoot, something I've done scores of times before, and there was the x250 problem defying logic. I always tailor settings for whatever I'm shooting using the buttons on the camera, and don't remember ever using the menu to create settings, nor have I ever "banked" menu settings. I've thought of upgrading, to D300 when the price is right. But have so far resisted that move by questioning myself asking, "For what you do, what specifically is your problem with the D200, and how much further ahead would you be with an upgrade, and wouldn't the money be best spent on a quality lens you'd really like to have?" That calms me, and my wallet, down. Anyway, thanks so much for your interest and help. Bill </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelosegretto Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 Thank You Ralph. I spun the dial in the opposite direction on my d800 nikon and got rid of the x320 display. You saved my life. Thank you , Thank you, Thank you I signed up just so I could thank you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now