D800 viewfinder is very dirty, please help me.

lohith

Hi All,
Really need your help here.
I bought a used D800 from a friend, I just got a chance to use it today, and when I tried to use the camera in bright light I found the following problems.

1.) The viewfinder has black marks towards the edges, mainly towards the edges on all the sides.
2.) The viewfinder shows a Magenta tinge, things look darker also.

When I spoke about this to my friend, he told me that the top Mirror above the Mirror in front of the sensor has this problem in the D800 and Nikon knows about this. He even was very confident and asked me to check with Nikon Service Center. I wanted to check from you guys if you are aware of these things.

Also regarding the Magenta tinge in the viewfinder he told me that this also happens on FX bodies, if you view from a specific angle.

I have also noticed that while viewing through the viewfinder, I can see reflections of the the LED view.

Please let me know if these things can be fixed easily. I am really very worried, as this isnt exactly a cheap camera.

Also coming to shutter count , my friend mentioned that on some bodies the photo count starts from 5000, and the first photo taken starts at 5001.

Any inputs will greatly help me.

​

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This is what my friend told me after I spoke to him again yesterday.

After he got back from the Africa trip, he sent the camera for sensor cleaning.
During the cleaning process, the cleaning liquid fell on the Mirror at the top and this has caused the black marks on the mirror.
Have you guys every heard of anything like this.

==============================================

I posted this on nikonites.org and everyone suggested me to just let it go.

Thanks


I have some questions though,
1.) Why would the mirror develop black spots by some liquid falling on it, and especially in a Nikon Service Centre (NPS) ?
2.) Is it possible that Nikon to reset the shutter count to 5000, so that it can start at 5000. Apparently this was done during Firmware upgrade.

sevencrossing

I think your "friend" may be being economical with the truth. If you can ,I would get your money back, save up then buy a new one

lohith

I have returned the camera yesterday and got my money back. The above post was copy paste from Nikonites website.
But i wanted to know about the below points.

1.) Why would the mirror develop black spots by some liquid falling on it, and especially in a Nikon Service Centre (NPS) ?
2.) Is it possible for Nikon to reset the shutter count to 5000, so that it can start at 5000 after a firmware upgrade.

spraynpray

Your 'friend' does not sound like he is your friend at all, he is just using you. His reasons for the problems would only fool somebody who knows no better. Nikon would have stripped and cleaned the mirror box if they were to blame for the problem. To be fair, even if your camera has done 5000 clicks that in itself is not a problem.

You should have got him to agree that you will send it back to the Nikon Service Centre and get a report on its condition and a cost to repair it (Nikon Service Centres do this for just the cost of the return shipping). If your friend is your friend, he will agree to pay the bill. If he doesn't agree, you will know he is cheating you but it doesn't sound like the bill will be terribly expensive even if you end up paying it yourself.

The fact that you don't know all of this makes me think you should buy something less complex than a D800 and buy it new.

sevencrossing

Why would the mirror develop black spots by some liquid falling on it, and especially in a Nikon Service Centre

may be it really needed a new mirror but "your friend" did not want to go to this expense


Is it possible for Nikon to reset the shutter count to 5000,

As with a cars odometer, I think it is possible, with the third party software, to set or "clock" the counter to any number you like

catfish

You may want to read this from Nikon's website:

https://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/16492/

You may need to copy and paste the url I can't seem to get it to work.


How many pictures has my camera taken? How many will it take?
Answer ID 16492|Published 07/24/2009 04:10 PM|Updated 03/27/2013 02:37 PM
Question:
How many pictures has my camera taken? How many will it take?
Nikon DSLR cameras incorporate a shutter mechanism capable of moving extremely fast to help capture split second detail. The mechanical precision required to achieve shutter speeds up to 1/8000s is awe inspiring. However, as with everything mechanical, it may need to be serviced or replaced someday.
There is no way to accurately tell the total number of times your camera shutter has released. While there are third party software applications designed to read a cameras shutter count, this number is not always accurate because the shutter release times may be reset by firmware updates, or reset in the Service department if certain parts are replaced or other operations are performed.
Since an exact number of releases before failure cannot be exactly calculated, a formula is used to estimate when it may occur, called MTBF ( Mean Time Between Failures). MTBF is a mathematical system that uses statistical analysis to project an average expected 'lifespan' of a given item. Based on testing and past performance, along with service information, we can formulate an estimated average number of shutter releases ( also referred to as actuations or cycles ) that can be expected before probable shutter failure.
The term Mean is referring to a mathematical average and not to an exact number- the actual amount may be higher or lower. We have compiled a short list of several Nikon models and the test data for each. Data is only available for the models listed below.

DSLR Model  Estimated number of Shutter Actuations
 D4 tested to 400,000 cycles
 D3 series tested to 300,000 cycles
 D700 tested to 150,000 cycles
 D600 tested to 150,000 cycles
 D300 (s) tested to 150,000 cycles 
 D7000 tested to 150,000 cycles
 D90 tested to over 100,000 cycles 
 D5100 / D5000 / D3100 / D3000 tested to over 100,000 cycles
 Nikon 1 Estimated number of Shutter Actuations
 V1 tested to over 100, 000 cycles

Golf007sd

Glad you where able to get your money back. Now start reading and be more active on our forum to learn which bodies is more to your liking. Once you have a good understanding of what to get and not to get...only then put our money down.

Photobug

Stay with the D800. Can't afford a new one, buy a refurbished one which comes with a warranty.

Finally, buying a used DSLR's doesn't always wind up as a bad experience. However, I would encourage you to buy new or a refurbished one.

lohith

Thanks guys, I have returned the D800 to my friend.
And am saving up for a new one, but the prices have increased here in India, as the Rupee has weakened against the dollar