Nikon F4 owners..have I wasted my money

I have the F4s(thanks to Asha...:wave:)... I use normal Duracell batteries in mine, and, it's still using the same batteries from when I received it, so I've had no problems with loss of power. Still prefer the F100 though.
 
Solo man said:
I have the F4s(thanks to Asha...:wave:)... I use normal Duracell batteries in mine, and, it's still using the same batteries from when I received it, so I've had no problems with loss of power. Still prefer the F100 though.
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Well that's nice to hear and a raspberry for eneloop as they just about power the F4 with flashing diode and won't power the Canon T90 at all :(
What duracell type are you using as apparently? plus is better than ultra...the plus is going for 8 for £5 at Asda
 
excalibur2 said:
Well that's nice to hear and a raspberry for eneloop as they just about power the F4 with flashing diode and won't power the Canon T90 at all :(
What duracell type are you using as apparently? plus is better than ultra...the plus is going for 8 for £5 at Asda
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I'm surprised the Eneloops aren't working. They last longer and stay brighter in all my high power torches and my flash recycles much quicker when I use them
 
excalibur2 said:
Well that's nice to hear and a raspberry for eneloop as they just about power the F4 with flashing diode and won't power the Canon T90 at all :(
What duracell type are you using as apparently? plus is better than ultra...the plus is going for 8 for £5 at Asda
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I use the Duracell Plus Power.
 
Well guys the camera is a door stop... the red light is flashing again with new duracell plus, and I think the main reason it's flashing is and although it's winding on.............. the mirrors not going up and the shutter is not firing. :eek:
Stupid me I was concentrating on the battery\red light problem and forgot the basics of checking a camera, well I didn't look through the viewfinder much and the noise I was hearing was only the wind on motor that sounded like the shutter going. The shutter won't work with the back open but the lens was off plenty of times and can't believe there is a safety feature that stops the shutter\mirror working....anyway it should have showed up in the viewfinder going black when the mirror goes up :banghead:... well I've read the manual and can't think of any reason why it doesn't work other that the camera has a fault and it's not like older cameras where you take the base plate off to see if anything is jammed.
Dunno whether to contact Miles and see if he knows anything about a F4 are just sell it back on the bay for repair\spares for what I paid......erm and a nice original box there must be someone who wants that for a few quid :rolleyes:

edited: well I've sent an email to Miles and it would be interesting for future ref whether he fixes F4s and the cost.
 
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steveo_mcg said:
I'm surprised the Eneloops aren't working. They last longer and stay brighter in all my high power torches and my flash recycles much quicker when I use them
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Well I use them for a blood pressure m\c and they last for ages..and maybe they would work in a T70 ;)
 
excalibur2 said:
What duracell type are you using as apparently? plus is better than ultra...the plus is going for 8 for £5 at Asda
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The plus is going for 8 for £3.99 at B&M. (y) Sorry to hear your camera needs sorting, I'm sure Miles can sort it though. Might be as well to ask how much a CLA will cost on top if he can fix the existing issue, could be money well spent if he can get it going again?
 
Mr Badger said:
The plus is going for 8 for £3.99 at B&M. (y) Sorry to hear your camera needs sorting, I'm sure Miles can sort it though. Might be as well to ask how much a CLA will cost on top if he can fix the existing issue, could be money well spent if he can get it going again?
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The nearest B&M is 6 miles away unfortunately
 
Well it looks like Miles thinks this job might be complicated as it could be contacts tarnished over, so has referred me to this guy to see what he thinks...h'mm but the guy is retiring and will only except repairs by Nov 20th
AZTECH SERVICES
The Workshop
Oakwood
Ringwood Road
Bransgore
Christchurch
Dorset
BH23 8AA
United Kingdom

The costs are very expensive:-
http://www.aztechservices.com/#/nikon-cameras/4533190829
 
If he can fix the fault and give the camera a full service for £110 plus postage then I don't think that's expensive. The bit I'd clarify is that if it needs parts and it will cost a fortune to fix, is it just a £10 handling and postage fee... or is that on top of the £110 standard charge? If it's just £10 then I think it's probably worth a gamble to see if it's a £110 fix?

How much would an F4 in full working order usually go for? How much would one that's in excellent condition, just been fully serviced, with original box and 'film tested' be worth? How much is a working F4 worth to you? Those are the questions I'd ask. And next time stick to Canon. :D Only joking. ;)
 
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I think the batteries are a red herring, I've got a bunch of random alkalines in my F4s and don't have any issues.
The other thing that can cause the red led to flash is when the camera can't adjust the aperture in program mode. Either because it's not set to F22, or the contacts are failing with the lens. Does the led still flash in manual ?

excalibur2 said:
Dunno whether to contact Miles and see if he knows anything about a F4 are just sell it back on the bay for repair\spares for what I paid......erm and a nice original box there must be someone who wants that for a few quid :rolleyes:
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You'll get your money back at least. The MB-20 grip by itself normally sells for around £70 on ebay, and I'd probably list the main body and the MB-20 separately.
I'd buy the MB-20 off you if you do decide to sell.
 
Mr Badger said:
If he can fix the fault and give the camera a full service for £110 plus postage then I don't think that's expensive. The bit I'd clarify is that if it needs parts and it will cost a fortune to fix, is it just a £10 handling and postage fee... or is that on top of the £110 standard charge? If it's just £10 then I think it's probably worth a gamble to see if it's a £110 fix?

How much would an F4 in full working order usually go for? How much would one that's in excellent condition, just been fully serviced, with original box and 'film tested' be worth? How much is a working F4 worth to you? Those are the questions. And next time stick to Canon. :D Only joking. ;)
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Well the problem is I have quite a few cameras that can takes pictures ;) And the only reason I wanted the F4 was it's an all in one package in that it has dioptre correction for the viewfinder, takes non AI lenses and of course AF. Total cost so far inc postage and if the repair was £110 would be £180...I suppose I could get my money back, but the other option is just to split into the MB-20 and the rest of the camera... the asking price for a mint MB-20 for a collector are silly and just a few minor scratches knocks the price right down.
I suppose I'll wake up one morning and in the right mood will make a decision as you can't use logic on this one. o_O
 
The other way of looking at it would be (as long as it doesn't need any expensive parts) you'd have a fully working and freshly serviced camera. If you paid £180 for a working one it could pack up within 12 months and you'd be really out of pocket getting it fixed then. There's always a chance that something else could break after you've had it mended, but that goes for anything, from your car to your house; so it's the gamble we take with buying and using old cameras.
 
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Ste_S said:
I think the batteries are a red herring, I've got a bunch of random alkalines in my F4s and don't have any issues.
The other thing that can cause the red led to flash is when the camera can't adjust the aperture in program mode. Either because it's not set to F22, or the contacts are failing with the lens. Does the led still flash in manual ?



You'll get your money back at least. The MB-20 grip by itself normally sells for around £70 on ebay, and I'd probably list the main body and the MB-20 separately.
I'd buy the MB-20 off you if you do decide to sell.
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Yes I wasted too much time on the battery problem and didn't use common sense in realising the mirror wasn't going up and the shutter wasn't firing. But film in or out, lens on and off and tried every setting on the camera...and the mirror doesn't go up and shutter doesn't fire. Even Miles seems stumped for a quick answer and referred me to Aztechservices.
Well why don't you buy it for what I paid for it £74 inc postage add another £4 to send it to you,,then keep the MB-20 and get what you can for the rest of it on the bay?
 
excalibur2 said:
why don't you buy it for what I paid for it £74 inc postage add another £4 to send it to you,,then keep the MB-20 and get what you can for the rest of it on the bay?
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That sounds too good an offer to miss tbh BUT don't forget to deal with it in classifieds Bri !!!!
 
The other thing that can cause the red led to flash is when the camera can't adjust the aperture in program mode. Either because it's not set to F22, or the contacts are failing with the lens. Does the led still flash in manual ?

Well the camera doesn't fire with\without film in it and the lens on off on manual on any other setting.....if the F4 is anything like the T90 you can't stick in a cupboard for years, and if you know what you are doing it's an easy problem to solve as there is just no power to operate the mirror or shutter (tarnished connectors\contacts ?)...but the shutter speed control is working e.g. set the shutter speed to 4 secs then press the shutter and the error red light comes on after 4 secs.. also set the shutter speed to "B" and the red light only comes on when you take your finger off the button.
 
Take it to bits Bri

Then decide you can't fix it.

Its so much easier to throw something in the bin when you've taken it to bits and don't have a hope in hell of putting it back together again.

S'what I do, and go to bed with a clear conscience, I tried...but failed.....oh well...:)





oh, and don't for the love of Jesus, keep the bits, clean break and clean workbench.
 
joxby said:
Take it to bits Bri

Then decide you can't fix it.

Its so much easier to throw something in the bin when you've taken it to bits and don't have a hope in hell of putting it back together again.

S'what I do, and go to bed with a clear conscience, I tried...but failed.....oh well...:)





oh, and don't for the love of Jesus, keep the bits, clean break and clean workbench.
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There you go John read this and tell me what to do o_O
https://elektrotanya.com/nikon_f4_assembly_adjustment.pdf/download.html
 
excalibur2 said:
Yes I wasted too much time on the battery problem and didn't use common sense in realising the mirror wasn't going up and the shutter wasn't firing. But film in or out, lens on and off and tried every setting on the camera...and the mirror doesn't go up and shutter doesn't fire. Even Miles seems stumped for a quick answer and referred me to Aztechservices.
Well why don't you buy it for what I paid for it £74 inc postage add another £4 to send it to you,,then keep the MB-20 and get what you can for the rest of it on the bay?
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That would be great - can you give me until Thursday ? Will get the test roll back from my current F4s just to make sure I'm not buying a grip for a lemon !
 
Ste_S said:
That would be great - can you give me until Thursday ? Will get the test roll back from my current F4s just to make sure I'm not buying a grip for a lemon !
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It's a good buy as on the bay the Dp-20 prism is going for up to £70..none in the UK all abroad...what shall I do put it on classifieds?
 
excalibur2 said:
It's a good buy as on the bay the Dp-20 prism is going for up to £70..none in the UK all abroad...what shall I do put it on classifieds?
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Put it in classifieds with a note that it's first refusal to @Ste_S ;)
 
Adding: as far as I can see, posting in the wanteds by @Ste_S would get round this.
 
StephenM said:
Unfortunately, no. See classified rules, general, bullet point 6.
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On this site with mainly digi guys I can't see many people wanting it...............
Got a reply from Aztech and they say "It should not be a problem to resolve the issues with your F4....it is very difficult to say what the causes are without running the diagnostics but the full service price, this includes any fault, is £110.000 plus postage..."
h'mm so with extra postage my F4 is gonna cost me a total of £195 and the 6 months guarantee might not be worth much as they are closing down on dec 20th :(
 
excalibur2 said:
On this site with mainly digi guys I can't see many people wanting it...............
Got a reply from Aztech and they say "It should not be a problem to resolve the issues with your F4....it is very difficult to say what the causes are without running the diagnostics but the full service price, this includes any fault, is £110.000 plus postage..."
h'mm so with extra postage my F4 is gonna cost me a total of £195 and the 6 months guarantee might not be worth much as they are closing down on dec 20th :(
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You may find they will still honour the guarantee but not be open to any new business after that date (with the month in between not accepting any more cameras and closing down being spend doing the repairs on the ones that were sent before that date)?

To be honest, for a complex bit of kit containing over 1800 parts I don't think £110 is a bad price for fault fix and a full service, based on what I've been quoted in the past for camera/lens repairs.
 
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Well if Ste-S is not going to buy it...I might try these people to see if the repairs are cheaper http://www.sendeancameras.co.uk/ anyone tried them? At least they give a fee estimate, but to get an estimate the costs go up as to avoid the London congestion charge would have to use my motorbike so petrol would be £5 (for 44 miles return) or the tube probably about £7 return. :( so if they are dearer than Aztech it's more money down the drain, :(
 
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excalibur2 said:
Well if Ste-S is not going to buy it...I might try these people to see if the repairs are cheaper http://www.sendeancameras.co.uk/ anyone tried them? At least they give a fee estimate, but to get an estimate the costs go up as to avoid the London congestion charge would have to use my motorbike so petrol would be £5 (for 44 miles return) or the tube probably about £7 return. :( so if they are dearer than Aztech it's more money down the drain, :(
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The reviews they receive are very good the only negative is that it is stated many times they are very expensive.

Brian, as you are constantly exploring routes to save money,just try to imagine how much of your lifetime you have missed/wasted trying to save 10p. :) If you want to keep the camera £110.00 seems a good price and fix, if you wanted to avoid all this then pay the market price in the first place and save yourself all of this soul searching. (y)
 
excalibur2 said:
Well if Ste-S is not going to buy it...I might try these people to see if the repairs are cheaper http://www.sendeancameras.co.uk/ anyone tried them? At least they give a fee estimate, but to get an estimate the costs go up as to avoid the London congestion charge would have to use my motorbike so petrol would be £5 (for 44 miles return) or the tube probably about £7 return. :( so if they are dearer than Aztech it's more money down the drain, :(
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All being good on Thursday when I get my test roll back* I'll put up a wanted ad if that sounds good to you ? You can reply or not depending on if you want to sell it or get it repaired ?


*Not expecting anything to be wrong (bought it from Aperture), just want to be positive it's ok.
 
medwaygreen said:
The reviews they receive are very good the only negative is that it is stated many times they are very expensive.

Brian, as you are constantly exploring routes to save money,just try to imagine how much of your lifetime you have missed/wasted trying to save 10p. :) If you want to keep the camera £110.00 seems a good price and fix, if you wanted to avoid all this then pay the market price in the first place and save yourself all of this soul searching. (y)
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Ah but now I have plenty of time on my hands :D
 
Ste_S said:
All being good on Thursday when I get my test roll back* I'll put up a wanted ad if that sounds good to you ? You can reply or not depending on if you want to sell it or get it repaired ?


*Not expecting anything to be wrong (bought it from Aperture), just want to be positive it's ok.
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No problem I won't do anything this week...I might have it repaired or might put it back in the original box and who knows a collector in the future might pay a lot of money for a mint F4 to put on a shelf. o_O
 
Asha said:
I'll give ya a tenner!
Don't roll your eyes Bri, that's a lot of money to you!! :D
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Amusing story about money was when I offered my grandson 500 to finish a tomb raider game, he said "500 what" so gave him a Chinese bank note of 500 yuan...well he only checked it out and said "it's too old and worth nothing" :D
And I have no idea how I got a Chinese note as I've never been to China.
 
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