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Strange problem with D700


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10 replies to this topic

#1
Kimsie

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My D700 is having intermittent problems with the flash going off, but not with the shutter. This happens whether I use the on camera flash or off camera flash using the hot shoe. The photos with the flash look the same as if I took them without a flash, even though the flash went off.

 

Does anyone know what might be causing this?

 

Thanks,

Kim



#2
etphoto

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My D700 is having intermittent problems with the flash going off, but not with the shutter. This happens whether I use the on camera flash or off camera flash using the hot shoe. The photos with the flash look the same as if I took them without a flash, even though the flash went off.

Does anyone know what might be causing this?

Thanks,
Kim


So, if I understand you correctly, the images looked under exposed, as if the flash is going off but no light is hitting the subject in your image?

How old is the D700, has this always done this or just started?

Twitter: @PhotographyET

#3
Kimsie

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The camera is older, but I have only had it a couple weeks. Yes, the image is underexposed as if the flash is not going off while the shutter is open. This happens even if I lower the shutter speed to 1/3 of a second. If I take photos outdoors without a flash the images are normal. I have had it go from working fine with the flash, then this started, then I turned the camera off and back on and it worked for one photo, and since then it hasn't worked.



#4
etphoto

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Ok. Weird. Let's try an experiment. Set camera to manual with following settings. Shutter 1/60, FStop 5.6, ISO 400. Take a flash picture of an object no more than 10 feet from you. See if it's exposed correctly. Then do same thing with auto everything.

Also, I am not familiar with D700 but check to make sure you have latest firmware update.

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#5
Kimsie

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The one at those settings was underexposed. When I put it into P mode the exposure was correct if I did not put the flash up, but was underexposed if I used the flash.

 

I tried to update the firmware but I guess I need to get a card reader because my computer doesn't have a CF reader. The firmware does need to be updated.



#6
etphoto

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The one at those settings was underexposed. When I put it into P mode the exposure was correct if I did not put the flash up, but was underexposed if I used the flash.

I tried to update the firmware but I guess I need to get a card reader because my computer doesn't have a CF reader. The firmware does need to be updated.


If the manual settings (with flash) was under exposed, I think you got a broken camera. It would appear (from what I can gather) that somehow the flash is changing the settings in your camera when you activate the shutter. Something else you might want to look at, take the manual image and download it to your camera and look at the EXIF metadata and see if matches the settings you had in your camera.

One more question. On the underexposed images, can you see anything at all?

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#7
Kimsie

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I realize the camera is broken, I am just wondering what is broken about it and how to fix it. I don't think that the flash is changing any settings, the settings are correct in the metadata. The amount I can see in the pictures depends on the aperture and the ambient light. At 1/60 the flash does increase the exposure slightly, but not a normal amount.



#8
Merco_61

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Since the flash increases exposure slightly @1/60, the X-sync still works.

Have you checked that you haven't inadvertently set a massive amount of flash exposure compensation? That is unlikely as it behaved at least once, but still worth checking.

Have you checked another flash on the body or the flash on another body to see if the fault is with the flash or camera?

Have you cleaned the contacts on both the hotshoe and the foot of the speedlight?



#9
Fogey

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Tried setting the camera back to factory settings?



#10
Kimsie

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I did set the camera back to factory settings. It can't be a change I made to the settings because it went from proper exposure to this problem one time with two photos takes within seconds of each other with no changes to settings. It happens with the pop up flash as well as from off camera flashes triggered from the hot shoe - the flash fires every time but the exposure isn't right. I am going out now to get a card reader so that hopefully I can update the firmware. It might be that there is a corruption in the firmware.



#11
Kimsie

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I called a camera shop and they said the flash circuit needs to be replaced and it will cost $300-400. Since this camera is old and has nearly 150K actuations I will probably buy another D700 with low actuations.