D700 Viewfinder problem "UPDATE"

TG.

TG.

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Tel
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I've not used my D700 for a few weeks, anyway today i went to take a few photos, and i seem to be having a problem with the viewfinder, what is happening is when i go to take a photo, the focus point isn't red, and it doesn't seem to focus, however it does lock on focus, and when i take the photo it's fine, it's just that what i am seeing in the viewfinder is not in focus, and the focus point has also seemed to have turned a kind of transparent grey, i'm not sure if it's just something i have done inadvertently in the menu, but if anyone can help, or has had a similar problem, i would be really grateful for any input, many thanks.
 
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Have you moved the diopta adjustment knob on the top of the prism ?
 
Cyclops said:
Have you moved the diopta adjustment knob on the top of the prism ?
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No it's not that, it's like the whole viewfinder is not focusing, and the main focusing point is not turning red like it used to be when it focused.
 
Have you double checked the contacts on the lens/mount? I sometimes have a similar problem when the lens isn't full mounted or contacts arn't aligning.
 
iamchrisphoto said:
Have you double checked the contacts on the lens/mount? I sometimes have a similar problem when the lens isn't full mounted or contacts arn't aligning.
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When you say check the contacts, what am i looking for, they all seem to be in line, and I've tried 3 different lenses now, the focus point which should have a red outline, is a white outline with the solid grey inside (if you get my drift) normally what happens is when you focus the red point everything in the frame comes into focus, but what is happening is just the tiny white outline is focusing, and the rest of the frame is out of focus, however when i take the shot, it shows up on the LCD as all in focus, is this what happens to you ? it's very weird, and is now doing my head in, lol.
 
Hi mate it only turns red depending on the background otherwise it will be black from memory its been a while since I read the manual.
 
Soda Farl said:
Hi mate it only turns red depending on the background otherwise it will be black from memory its been a while since I read the manual.
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Yes i think your probably right in certain circumstances, but what i've just realised is, it looks like the rest of the viewfinder (apart from the focus point) has gone dark, that's why i can't see things in focus.
 
TG. said:
Yes i think your probably right in certain circumstances, but what i've just realised is, it looks like the rest of the viewfinder (apart from the focus point) has gone dark, that's why i can't see things in focus.
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That does not sound good might be best to send it in to Nikon if thats the case.
 
Clutching at straws a little here but have you tried taking the focus screen out from the front of the camera and giving it a clean? It's very easily removed.
 
gad-westy said:
Clutching at straws a little here but have you tried taking the focus screen out from the front of the camera and giving it a clean? It's very easily removed.
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Did think about that, but a bit reluctant, i don't want to damage it :help:
 
It's strange, it just looks like the camera is not turned on, when you look through the viewfinder :shrug:
 
It's driving me up the wall now, it seems to be going darker, with just this tiny square focus point showing, i will try it in daylight tomorrow, then probably give Nikon a call, i'm fairly sure it's still in warranty.
 
It sounds familiar to me, have you tried a reset? If it's just a setting that's been accidentally changed then that should sort it....
 
I've had exactly the same thing myself, fiddling with the menu put it right but I can't remember exactly what I did to get it working again...

If nobody comes up with a more helpful answer, just reset everything to factory defaults and then set your preferences, they are much easier to find than this obscure menu item.
 
Flash In The Pan said:
It sounds familiar to me, have you tried a reset? If it's just a setting that's been accidentally changed then that should sort it....
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Yes tried a reset in shooting and playback menus, still the same

iamchrisphoto said:
Have you tried a fresh battery? Also what happens when you press the DOF preview button?
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Yep tried 3 different batteries, will try it in daylight again tomorrow, however i just know the viewfinder should not be this dark now, it's worst than my old D50, lol.
 
The only thing that I can think would make the viewfinder dark is the lens being stuck, stopped down.

This could be the DOF button stuck, or a body to lens connection problem.

The camera will keep the lens wide open for focusing, then stop down the aperture at the time of capture, returning to wide open to focus, all this happens in a nano second.

If you remove the lens and look at the lens mount, at 9:00 is a lever that allows coupling to the lenses aperture control lever, it should be horizontal, perpendicular to the front plane of the mount, and not loose.

It would be worth also checking the aperture control lever on the lens, this one can be moved by hand quite freely, again check for obvious damage and that the aperture blades open and close when it is moved.

I once caused damage (bending) to this lever on a TC when I was mounting it to a lens, in haste and not quite square, I was lucky and able to correct the damage easily, but it gave the same symptoms you have, a dark viewfinder.
 
Martyn... said:
The only thing that I can think would make the viewfinder dark is the lens being stuck, stopped down.

This could be the DOF button stuck, or a body to lens connection problem.

The camera will keep the lens wide open for focusing, then stop down the aperture at the time of capture, returning to wide open to focus, all this happens in a nano second.

If you remove the lens and look at the lens mount, at 9:00 is a lever that allows coupling to the lenses aperture control lever, it should be horizontal, perpendicular to the front plane of the mount, and not loose.

It would be worth also checking the aperture control lever on the lens, this one can be moved by hand quite freely, again check for obvious damage and that the aperture blades open and close when it is moved.

I once caused damage (bending) to this lever on a TC when I was mounting it to a lens, in haste and not quite square, I was lucky and able to correct the damage easily, but it gave the same symptoms you have, a dark viewfinder.
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I've tried several different lenses to no avail, i just wish i could take a photo of the inside of the viewfinder, and post here, so folk could see exactly what i mean, no good at drawing either lol, i spoke to Nikon about it this morning, and the guy there said he had not encountered the problem before, but advised me to send it back, i did think their was still warranty, but it has run out, so looks like i'm going to have to cough up for a repair, really peed off now :(
 
TG. said:
I've tried several different lenses to no avail, i just wish i could take a photo of the inside of the viewfinder, and post here, so folk could see exactly what i mean, no good at drawing either lol, i spoke to Nikon about it this morning, and the guy there said he had not encountered the problem before, but advised me to send it back, i did think their was still warranty, but it has run out, so looks like i'm going to have to cough up for a repair, really peed off now :(
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Is it still dark with no lens attached?
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Is it still dark with no lens attached?
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Yes still dark Graham, it obviously shows up more with the lens attached, it's weird it looks kind of dark patch's around parts of the viewfinder, and the focus point outline is white/grey when it should be black or red.
 
Tel - can you see the AF Area Brackets (page 10 in manual) in the viewfinder?

Apparently the AF Area Brackets, the Viewfinder Grid Display (menu d2) and the AF points are all 'driven' by the same gizmo - a transparent LCD placed just above the focusing screen. If you can't see either the brackets or the grid, the viewfinder is dark and the AF points don't light up, it sounds like the LCD isn't getting power.

NB. As long as there's a battery in the camera and menu d2 is set to 'On' the grid should be visible even if the camera is turned off. If there's no battery, the LCD is no longer powered so the grid will disappear and the viewfinder will go dark.

Some info here:

http://www.planetnikon.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12315

http://leongoodman.tripod.com/d70focuspart3.html

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Nikon_D700/design.shtml
 
PS. Viewfinder Grid Display (d2) won't work in DX format - manual page 298.
 
TG. said:
Yes still dark Graham, it obviously shows up more with the lens attached, it's weird it looks kind of dark patch's around parts of the viewfinder, and the focus point outline is white/grey when it should be black or red.
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:thinking:

There's not really a lot between the viewfinder and the outside world without a lens attached, just the focus screen and the mirror really....
 
PS. to post 26.

The transparent LCD is also mentioned here, although they call it the 'overlay' LCD - https://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/D3X/D3XVIEWFINDER.HTM (scroll to paragraph just above the Viewfinder Test Results graphic).

Presumably the LCD needs power to become fully transparent - i.e. when it's not powered it's only semi-transparent so the VF goes darker than normal.
 
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Ok here is a crude example of what is happening, in the diagram you can see the outline of the markings inside the viewfinder window, now if i were to turn the grid on the lines on that also show up, however they are also just as what you can already see ie same as the other lines. Now where you can see the red arrow pointing to the focus point, the only bit in focus is the tiny white outline, which normally would be red or black, i guess in a nutshell, it seems like everything has gone in reverse. I hope i'm making sense, lol.

Focus-point.jpg
 
Gary Coyle said:
Stab in the dark but you haven't mistakenly put the camera in one of the crop modes which "greys" out the cropped area.
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Well i have it in FX mode, if thats what you mean Gary.
 
hmmm.... does sound horribly like its a trip to the nikon doctors. I guess you have checked stuff like the mirror is moving and dropping back into place accurately and not wodging up slightly in any way; focus screen appears to be in its usual place? is the viewfinder information panel lit as usual across the bottom, the bit that tells you shutter speeds, etc?

I just spent 20 mins going through all the menus to see if there is anything that might cause this apparent 'issue' and can't find anything, though it may be in there, but goodness only knows what it might be. :shrug:


Edit: just did some reading up on, and checking on my own, the 'guest host' LCD - when battery is completely removed, the viewfinder does go dark and fuzzy/oof, but the focus points and gridlines [if turned on] disappear completely, together with the readout across the bottom. If you can see them, as you describe, it sounds like at least the LCD is registering some power. So, have you checked the battery contacts inside the main battery chamber in the body, are they all nice and straight and no signs of corrosion?
 
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Yes Yvonne, checked just about everything i can think of, the display panel is fine too, just the actual screen and focus dots, it does look like it's on it's way to Nikon shortly, god knows how much they will charge to put it right, i just have a feeling something may have come loose, and power isn't getting to that particular part of the screen, if that is the case i'm hoping it's something simple and not to expensive to put right :(
 
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