Biggest / Best Nikon Forum?

jhelms

I find that I have some fairly nuanced Nikon questions that I can't find answers to.

Where's the most active / biggest / best Nikon or Nikon DSLR forum?

Most of my questions have been sent to Nikon customer support but I haven't really gotten the real-world answers that I've been looking for.

Here's a few quick examples:

1) My SB600 will sometimes randomly fire when mounted on my D200. It was purchased new in Aug2008 and was sent to Nikon in Oct2008 when it stopped flashing altogether. Only after it came back did it begin the 'random flashing' that it exhibits now. Nikon suggested I try another flash on the camera (I did, no random flashing) and then suggested I send the camera and flash back to them to check out - no thanks.

Side note, a local friend of mine experiences the same thing with his D200 randomly firing his SB800 flash. Strange, what I really wanted from Nikon was something like "yeah some of them do that after time, it's the contacts wearing out or usually the thingajiggy is bent" or at least something to point me in the right direction.

2) When I'm using single point AFS and I've chosen a focus point that is NOT in the middle of the frame, does center weighted metering meter from around that off-center focus point or still meter from the actual center of the frame even though that's not the focus point?

3) Here's another quickie, in auto-iso mode, I can't seem to get it to consistently change the iso when using the flash. I'd like for it to work just like it does in non-flash mode (i.e., set a minimum shutter speed and it raises the iso instead of going below that shutter speed). With the flash on, it won't go faster than a 1/60th shutter speed even if the auto-iso feature specifies a faster minimum.


Any ideas / suggestions? Thanks!!!

Angelo

http://www.nikoncafe.com/vforums/

Cygnus Studios

jhelms wrote:

Nikon suggested I try another flash on the camera (I did, no random flashing) and then suggested I send the camera and flash back to them to check out - no thanks.

I am not trying to be smart, but you would rather ask random people on the internet versus sending the units to Nikon?
I know the two best Nikon forums are supposed to be Nikon Cafe and Nikonians.
Members of both can be found here on Dgrin.

If you were to google D200 randomly firing his SB800 you would get all this

Tee Why

I was going to suggest Nikonian as well.

Art Scott

jhelms wrote:

I find that I have some fairly nuanced Nikon questions that I can't find answers to.

Where's the most active / biggest / best Nikon or Nikon DSLR forum?

Most of my questions have been sent to Nikon customer support but I haven't really gotten the real-world answers that I've been looking for.

Here's a few quick examples:

1) My SB600 will sometimes randomly fire when mounted on my D200. It was purchased new in Aug2008 and was sent to Nikon in Oct2008 when it stopped flashing altogether. Only after it came back did it begin the 'random flashing' that it exhibits now. Nikon suggested I try another flash on the camera (I did, no random flashing) and then suggested I send the camera and flash back to them to check out - no thanks.

Side note, a local friend of mine experiences the same thing with his D200 randomly firing his SB800 flash. Strange, what I really wanted from Nikon was something like "yeah some of them do that after time, it's the contacts wearing out or usually the thingajiggy is bent" or at least something to point me in the right direction.

2) When I'm using single point AFS and I've chosen a focus point that is NOT in the middle of the frame, does center weighted metering meter from around that off-center focus point or still meter from the actual center of the frame even though that's not the focus point?

Center weighted metering is just that center weighted....just like the spot meter is just dead center.....CW pulls most of the info from the center and the rest from the rest of the view finder area no matter where your focus point is....I only know of 1 camera that has a floating focus point and a floating meter point....the old Konica Minolta A2.....I am not sure if it was on the earlier version (A1) or the latter version (A200)....but it is a jewel to work with at times and a real pest at times also...





3) Here's another quickie, in auto-iso mode, I can't seem to get it to consistently change the iso when using the flash. I'd like for it to work just like it does in non-flash mode (i.e., set a minimum shutter speed and it raises the iso instead of going below that shutter speed). With the flash on, it won't go faster than a 1/60th shutter speed even if the auto-iso feature specifies a faster minimum.

If a camera only flash syncs at 1/60th....then that is the best it will ever do no matter what mode you are in...........I underestand the frustration of wanting a camera to do something that they do not...as with my KM A2 and the real floating focus point...taht is so dang handy...but Sony has not put that into any of the new line and no one else has picked it up.....I would love a D300 or D700 with a truly floating focus point since they both have decent live views it would work nicely...........


Any ideas / suggestions? Thanks!!!

answers and comments above in bold

as for not getting the answers you want from Nikon....when that message answer come back to you tell them that maybe you weren't being clean enuff and re-ask a little different and when they message you asking if they solved your prob be honest and tell them no and re-ask again.....

jhelms

Cygnus Studios wrote:

I am not trying to be smart, but you would rather ask random people on the internet versus sending the units to Nikon?
I know the two best Nikon forums are supposed to be Nikon Cafe and Nikonians.
Members of both can be found here on Dgrin.

If you were to google D200 randomly firing his SB800 you would get all this

No problem - I appreciate the comments. I actually do prefer to "ask random people on the internet versus sending the units to Nikon" in this case.

Especially since being without my main body unit and flash during this time of the year would be more than inconvenient.

If I can poke around online and find some suggestions and that keeps me from having to pay for shipping to let Nikon keep it for a couple of weeks, then yes - I'll take that option every time.

My SB600 just came back from Nikon and I'd much prefer them to tell me "yeah it could be xxxx or you might try checking yyyy" rather than "just send them both to us".

Thanks for the google link - I did search for D200 / SB600 issues and I gave myself a little "should-a-had-a-V8" bump on the head for not doing a similar search for D200 / SB800... duh I should have done that.

BTW, none of those links provided a firm answer, the best suggestion I found was about static elec. and making sure the flash is off when you mount it on the hotshoe - I've done that and the issue still 'pops up' (pun intended).

Art:

Thanks for answering #2, that's what I supposed but couldn't find a clear answer on prior to now - cool, thanks!

For the flash sync thing, the D200 sync's to 1/250th with the built in flash and up to 1/8000th with the SB600 or SB800.

The weird thing is that say I'm using auto-iso, and my SLOWEST flash sync speed allowed per my menu settings is 1/60th..... if I'm using auto-iso with a minimum shutter speed specified of 1/125th.... the camera will still fire at 1/60th with the flash instead of bumping up the iso to retain the requested 1/125th speed.

Firmware glitch maybe?

Roadkill

jhelms:........

I also get the rapid flashing from my sb-600 on the D200, drives me nuts sometimes.

If you ever find the real answer, please post it.