D90 intermittent shutter release lag and failure

[epp_b]

<p>For no reason that I can explain, my D90's shutter button has started lagging at random. This started about two or three weeks ago.<br /> <br /> Sometimes, the shutter fires as expected, sometimes it lags for a second or so before firing and sometimes it doesn't fire at all. I haven't noticed any of this lag using the IR remote.</p>

<p>So that we needn't navigate a semantic maze through two dozen responses...</p>

<ul>

<li>Yes, I know how to use a two-stage shutter button properly</li>

<li>Yes, it happens with all of my lenses</li>

<li>Yes, the contacts are clean and connecting without error (ie.: the aperture indicator is not displaying "--" when the lagging occurs)</li>

<li>Yes, I've reset the custom functions</li>

<li>No, the autofocus is not hunting; this still happens while using manual focus or AF-L</li>

<li>No, it's not in MLU / Exposure Delay Mode</li>

<li>No, the buffer isn't full</li>

<li>No, the timer isn't set</li>

<li>No, I have not dropped, mishandled nor mistreated it</li>

</ul>

<p>I can't think of anything else to try.</p>

<p>Is there some obscure function or procedure I haven't thought of? Has anyone else experienced this problem with a D90 or, for that matter, any other Nikon model?</p>

<p>Sending it into Nikon Canada for warranty repair would mean dealing with their dimwitted customer service reps and month-long turn-around time. It is an absolute last resort for me.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance. I'll now go and try to help out with some other threads to increase my karma ;)</p>

[Jerry_]

<p>Do you a second (or third) battery? Have you tried a few images with a different battery?</p>

<p> </p>

[CvhKaar]

<p>Did you do a 'Two Button Reset' or manual reset of custom functions ?<br>

In the latter case : Maybe AF-Assist Illuminator is Off ? (Setting A3).</p>

 

[epp_b]

<blockquote>

<p>Do you a second (or third) battery? Have you tried a few images with a different battery?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes, I have two batteries. It occurs with both of them.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>Did you do a 'Two Button Reset' or manual reset of custom functions ?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I used "Reset Custom Settings" in the menu.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Maybe AF-Assist Illuminator is Off ? (Setting A3).</p>

</blockquote>

<p>What difference would that make if this problem occurs in manual focus and AF-L?</p>

[mike_halliwell]

<p>I had Fuji S2 Pro (F100 I think?) with this problem. It has a loose contact somewhere beneath the actual button. It manifested oddly because it usually only happened to one of my students. We could stand in a ring (8 of us) take a frame and pass it on. The shutter never tripped for this student. She felt a bit jinxed! It turned out she was afraid of dropping 'my' camera and was gripping it to death, causing enough plastic deformation to 'open' the contact somewhere beneath. To my knowledge it wasn't the result of impact damage. It was way out of warrantee, so I took the 'grip' end of the camera to pieces, found nothing obviously wrong, but it did all seem a bit loose. Waggled all the connections, ie unplugged and re-plugged everything. Tightened all bits that could be reached. Upon reassembly it worked just fine..(still does 5 years later)<br />Does it make a difference on the orientation of the body, ie landscape, portrait, upside-down or pointing straight up or down??<br />I fear it's going on a trip to the 'fixers'. Write a detailed note explaining the intermittant nature of the problem, or there's the risk of a 'no fault found'. I hope it's still under warrantee.</p>

[epp_b]

<p>Thanks, Mike. It's good to know I'm not the only one with this problem.</p>

<p>It doesn't seem to make a difference how I hold the camera, neither in terms of grip nor orientation. I bought it about half a year ago, so it still has plenty of warranty left.</p>

[epp_b]

<p><em>(oops, silly forum caused me to double-post)</em><em></em></p>

[joshuamck]

<p>Do you have a hand strap on the camera. I recently ran into a problem similar where the strap was resting against the secondary shutter release.</p>

[epp_b]

<p>Nope, just the standard neck strap, but thanks.</p>