andrew_vonbank

Just got one of my D300's back from Nikon repair. Evidently they adjusted the aperture lever. Dark frame problem (no longer calling it black frame, as the image is severely underexposed) came back after a few days. Now Nikon wants me to send in my 80-200mm lens with the camera. We'll see...

One more thing, Shen. For me, at least, the problem is lens specific. Even after carefully cleaning the contacts, I can actually see the aperture reading change on the camera display when I twist the lens manually(as it has some give). Likewise, the other photographer in my office only has this problem with his similar lens. Something is not lining up properly with these lenses- my theory is that the mount is machined slightly differently on the D300 and after using a heavy lens it actually warps enough to intermittently cause these problems. Keep in mind that I shoot thousands of frames every week and my 80-200mm is my workhorse. Also, the problem only occurred after significant use of this lens. Hope this clarifies things. But we're stumped.

I'm here to back-up what A. J. is reporting as a problem with the D300. Both of my D300 cameras have this problem- intermittent black-frame and the occasional false low battery reading. It should be noted that THESE PROBLEMS ONLY OCCUR WHEN USING AN 80-200mm LENS. Another photographer in my office has the exact problem with both his D300's (that's a 100% failure rate) and it ONLY occurs with his 70-200mm lens. Obviously there is a problem with the mount/contacts using a longer, heavier lens. One of my two D300's even occasionally and spontaneously releases the shutter when attached to the same long heavy lens.

Even filtered and distilled water can create spots on your negatives if dried improperly.

My solution to this problem (with 35mm and 4x5 sheet film) was to adequately irrigate

the processed film and drain negatives by weighing down the bottom of the 4x5 negative

sheet (or short 35mm roll) with one or two of those small paper clamps partially

submerged in a wetting agent. Fluid-dynamics seemed to eliminate any spotting,

especially if dried in a relatively dust-free environment.

Like in any human endeavor there are always flaws to be found. Most look to PhotoNet

for photographic inspiration, legitimate feedback, personal validation and even

companionship. And, like in any human endeavor, there are people who use PhotoNet as

a game. Some know how to play the game and some don't. And, like in poker, some are

better at the game than others. Brian Mottershead, our host, stated near the top of this

page, "But we continue to try to remove opportunities for dishonesty and stupidity so that

the most deserving and interesting photographs are exhibited the most prominently." I

hope I am wrong, but I think this is impossible. We're all human, mostly, and we're all

prisoners to our own ego's. Frankly, I'm surprised that this format works as well as it

does. Kudos to you Brian. But until ALL PhotoNet users are truly honest, unbiased,

emotionally stable and, especially unaffected by honest ratings (yes, even low ratings)

there will always be some gripe about the current system. Sorry about the verbosity.

Peace, all.