D1X - shutter won't fire.

[mervyn_wilmington]

<p>I've just bought one of these very cheap, but in super cosmetic condition. I bought without warranty (not working) to display in my representative collection of Nikons. The dealer could not get the battery to charge.</p>

<p>I've got the battery charged. The lcd is working and the lens will focus, but the shutter will not fire. The lcd indicates a card error. I only have a 8gb card. Some information says the camera will not work with an above 2gb card. Other information says that it will treat a larger one as 2gb.</p>

<p>However, I can't think that no card or the wrong card will cause the shutter not to fire, and suggests a more fundamental fault.</p>

<p>Advice/comments would be appreciated!</p>

[mag_miksch]

<p>try to make a 2 gb partition on your card and use FAT not FAT 32, <br>

or maybe you can choose in the menu what the camera is doing without card, firing or not.</p>

[John Seaman]

<p>I just tried an 8GB compact flash in my D1X, and it won't format it or take a picture. A 1GB works fine, and as you say it should be OK for up to 2GB. These smaller capacity cards seem to be getting scarce, I had to buy mine from the auction site.</p>

<p>The D1X is a great camera but the problem with mine is that AF lenses back focus on it and there doesn't seem to be any adjustment available, so I fitted it with a split image focusing screen and use it as a manual focus camera.</p>

[mervyn_wilmington]

<p>Thanks Mag and John. </p>

<p>'Interestingly' after I'd posted, a tried another search. There was a string on another forum. In essence, a D1X had been working perfectly, then started doing what mine is, ie everything working other than the shutter. The battery seemed to be fully charged. However, a new one was used, and the shutter worked again. A subsequent posting said that was not unknown, and not to rely on the battery appearing to be fully charged.</p>

<p>So, it might be the card, the battery or both - or something quite different!</p>

<p>I suspect the battery is the original. I have a new battery on the way: should be here tomorrow. I suppose I should try that before looking for another card...</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

[mervyn_wilmington]

<p>An update.</p>

<p>A new battery arrived this morning. However, the shutter still would not fire, but focus was quicker. I have a 2gb card on order. Should be here in next day or so.</p>

<p>However, having read a passing comment, I checked to see how the camera was set-up. Lo and behold, it was not to fire without a card! I've changed that and the shutter now blazes away. I now have reasonable expectation that I will be in business when I get the card - well, I hope so.</p>

[randy_cooprider1]

<p>Way to go Mervyn! Enjoy the pictures.</p>

[mag_miksch]

<blockquote>

<p> I've changed that and the shutter now blazes away</p>

</blockquote>

<p>glad to hear that^^</p>

[mervyn_wilmington]

<p>1 GB card now in: camera working! It really is near mint, and looks fine.</p>

<p>Thanks to everyone.</p>

[pete_resetz]

<p> The D1X's will only work with a 512MB card. There was from Nikon two upgrades that would allow the usage of 1MB CF cards and with the second upgrade to use 2MB CF cards. They no longer offer the said upgrades. This is one cause for the camera not work.<br>

As for the the shutter not working can also be a fault with the battery. A worn out battery will show a full or partial charge on the LCD display, but it will not fire the shutter so as to act as a notification that the battery is run down if you're not paying attention and just shooting away. It also protects the camera's electronics. The camera has to stop the lens aperture down, then flip the mirror up, then open shutter curtain and charge the CCD, then send the capture to the buffer, then send that file to the CF card. So there's a lot of demand on the battery. You can go online and order a new battery pack. There's a lot of aftermarket batteries for D1, D1X, and D1H that sell for about $30.00US. They all take same battery pack. If you look around you might find new Nikon EN-4 packs if you're into collecting.<br>

Also. When charging a new battery pack, you should do three charge refresh/discharge cycles with the charger before using the battery in the camera for the first time. This will help condition the battery pack. These battery packs use the older type Nickel Metal Hydride batteries. They will hold a charge longer and last longer.<br>

I recently converted a EN-4 pack to a battery tray to hold two 18650 Lithium Ion batteries. Far superior charge density and cold weather operations. Plus there lighter by about 65%. I had to make a circuit to drop the batteries voltage to 7.2volts DC. I get about 1000 RAW and about 2500 Hi JPEG's image captures with photo chimping almost every image to check exposure and composition from a charged set. My D1X is in my car all the time to capture news events. <em><br /></em></p>

[mervyn_wilmington]

<p>Thanks for that Pete. The camera is working fine with a 1gb card. A 2gb one has now arrived, but I haven't tried that.</p>

<p>I was able to get a battery here in the UK for £14. They seem readily available. The D1X has gone into my small collection/display of classic/representative Nikons. They are on the top of the piano! It shares glory with three Fs, an F2; F501, F4, D300. I will add another two or three models.</p>

<p>It won't get a great deal of use (I mainly use Fuji X nowadays), but I prefer the ones in the collection to work.</p>

[pete_resetz]

<p>Mervyn.<br>

My collection is with Nikon lens. They hold more value to me than the bodies. Is use them all. AI, AIS, AF, (Not early AF)AF-D, and AF-S. The bodies get used up. There only good as a door stop when I get through with them. Since I got out film which ended with two F5's and a F100, I've been buying used Nikon D1X's And D2Xs's. I pick them up used for around a $100.00 and $400.00US respectively. The new bodies are just to expensive.<br>

I do though have an extensive collection of Nikon catalogs and brochures dating back to the 70's. Sadly those days are no longer for as Nikon doesn't offer them any more. Downloading from there website just doesn't feel or look right. <br>

Have fun with your collecting.</p>