captured images black (D300)

pit29 · Dec 11, 2008

Hi all,

today, my D300, which I bought a couple of months ago, started producing only black images. Meaning: I take a picture, but when I view it in the camera (or on my computer), it's all black. Live preview works, so I guess the sensor etc. are ok...

I updated to the 1.10 firmware some weeks ago, and everything was fine until some minutes ago. I remembered having seen a single black image about a month ago after transfering the pics to my computer; apparently, the issue resolved itself. Switching the camera off and on did not resolve it this time.

Anyone experienced the same issue? Or somebody having any suggestions?

Thanks...
Pit

GoCubsGo · Dec 11, 2008

That is odd. Is there any EXIF data on the black images?
Also, check over at dpreview.com and see if anyone has discussed this. Their forums are obviously geared more towards photography and a wider user base may be able to help.

Lovesong · Dec 11, 2008

Try formatting your card. Sometimes that can get messed up.

pit29 · Dec 11, 2008

Thanks, jessica. Exif data seems to be ok (see below). File size is only 256KB for the black images (should have looked at this earlier).

I did not find anything related to that in dpreview's user forums, but I am going to post there...

Filename = xxxxxxx/_DSC2217.JPG
Exif.Image.Make = NIKON CORPORATION
Exif.Image.Model = NIKON D300
Exif.Image.Orientation = 1
Exif.Image.XResolution = 300/1
Exif.Image.YResolution = 300/1
Exif.Image.ResolutionUnit = 2
Exif.Image.Software = Nikon Transfer 1.2 M
Exif.Image.DateTime = 2008:12:11 17:28:46
Exif.Image.Artist =
Exif.Image.WhitePoint = 313/1000 329/1000
Exif.Image.PrimaryChromaticities = 64/100 33/100 21/100 71/100 15/100 6/100
Exif.Image.YCbCrCoefficients = 299/1000 587/1000 114/1000
Exif.Image.YCbCrPositioning = 1
Exif.Image.Copyright =
Exif.Image.ExifTag = 476
Exif.Image.GPSTag = 1140
Exif.Photo.ExposureTime = 25/1000
Exif.Photo.FNumber = 18/10
Exif.Photo.ExposureProgram = 3
Exif.Photo.ISOSpeedRatings = 1600
Exif.Photo.ExifVersion = 48 50 50 49
Exif.Photo.DateTimeOriginal = 2008:12:11 16:50:29
Exif.Photo.DateTimeDigitized = 2008:12:11 16:50:29
Exif.Photo.ComponentsConfiguration = 1 2 3 0
Exif.Photo.ExposureBiasValue = 0/6
Exif.Photo.MaxApertureValue = 16/10
Exif.Photo.MeteringMode = 2
Exif.Photo.LightSource = 0
Exif.Photo.Flash = 0
Exif.Photo.FocalLength = 50/1
Exif.Photo.UserComment = charset="Ascii"
Exif.Photo.SubSecTime = 60
Exif.Photo.SubSecTimeOriginal = 60
Exif.Photo.SubSecTimeDigitized = 60
Exif.Photo.FlashpixVersion = 48 49 48 48
Exif.Photo.ColorSpace = 65535
Exif.Photo.PixelXDimension = 4288
Exif.Photo.PixelYDimension = 2848
Exif.Photo.InteroperabilityTag = 1110
Exif.Photo.SensingMethod = 2
Exif.Photo.FileSource = 3
Exif.Photo.SceneType = 1
Exif.Photo.CFAPattern = 0 2 0 2 0 1 1 2
Exif.Photo.CustomRendered = 0
Exif.Photo.ExposureMode = 0
Exif.Photo.WhiteBalance = 0
Exif.Photo.DigitalZoomRatio = 1/1
Exif.Photo.FocalLengthIn35mmFilm = 75
Exif.Photo.SceneCaptureType = 0
Exif.Photo.GainControl = 2
Exif.Photo.Contrast = 0
Exif.Photo.Saturation = 0
Exif.Photo.Sharpness = 0
Exif.Photo.SubjectDistanceRange = 0
Exif.Photo.0xa500 = 22/10
Exif.Iop.InteroperabilityIndex = R03
Exif.Iop.InteroperabilityVersion = 48 49 48 48
...

pit29 · Dec 11, 2008

Lovesong said:
Try formatting your card. Sometimes that can get messed up.

Formatting did not help... Thanks for the suggestion, though!

compuwar · Dec 11, 2008

pit29 said:
Thanks, jessica. Exif data seems to be ok (see below). File size is only 256KB for the black images (should have looked at this earlier).

So you're shooting JPEG? (An all-black JPEG will be small, other than EXIF, it just needs to do a high repetition factor for zeroes. What happens if you shoot RAW? What happens in manual mode? What if you do a full reset?

pit29 · Dec 11, 2008

RAW (NEF) files are 9.3MB and also all black (M, A, P, S modes), RAW + JPEG as well. Resetting the shooting menu did not change anything as well. Or did you mean something else by "full reset"?

GT41 · Dec 11, 2008

Is your shutter actually opening? Live view would still work, and the camera would assume its capturing an image even if the shutter doesn't work.

Just a thought.

pit29 · Dec 11, 2008

GT41 said:
Is your shutter actually opening? Live view would still work, and the camera would assume its capturing an image even if the shutter doesn't work.

Just a thought.

It sounds like always, so I am assuming the shutter is opening...

compuwar · Dec 11, 2008

GT41 said:
Is your shutter actually opening? Live view would still work, and the camera would assume its capturing an image even if the shutter doesn't work.

Just a thought.

I think you're not thinking about how a DSLR works. The light path goes from the lens- for it to reach the sensor to either take a picture or use live view, the mirror must go into the up position and the shutter must open fully. In the case of LV, the shutter must stay open, so the timing mechanism can be off, but the shutter itself *must*[1] function for the light path to go lens->sensor. If the shutter remains closed, no light hits the sensor, and you get no live view.

[1] Ok, the shutter _could_ be stuck in the open position and LV would still function, but I'd expect to see a blinking ERR if the shutter was stuck open.

compuwar · Dec 11, 2008

pit29 said:
RAW (NEF) files are 9.3MB and also all black (M, A, P, S modes), RAW + JPEG as well. Resetting the shooting menu did not change anything as well. Or did you mean something else by "full reset"?

The buttons with green dots on them (Qual and +/-) pressed simultaneously for more than two seconds. If that doesn't work, then it's time to call Nikon. (Well, you could pull the batteries and wait a month for the time/date battery to drain, but that's sub-optimal.)

jampat · Dec 11, 2008

Try turning on mirror lockup. The first time you hit the trigger, the mirror will come up, the second time you should hear the shutter. I would be surprised if most people could pick out the shutter noise from all the racket the mirror makes. On a canon, you can hear the shutter with the mirror locked up, not sure about nikon.

pit29 · Dec 11, 2008

jampat said:
Try turning on mirror lockup. The first time you hit the trigger, the mirror will come up, the second time you should hear the shutter. I would be surprised if most people could pick out the shutter noise from all the racket the mirror makes. On a canon, you can hear the shutter with the mirror locked up, not sure about nikon.

I did that. On the second trigger press, I hear a light click, and then the louder sound when the mirror goes back down. Guess the first one is the shutter opening, because the time between those two noises corresponds with the shutter speed...

pit29 · Dec 11, 2008

compuwar said:
The buttons with green dots on them (Qual and +/-) pressed simultaneously for more than two seconds. If that doesn't work, then it's time to call Nikon. (Well, you could pull the batteries and wait a month for the time/date battery to drain, but that's sub-optimal.)

I did the reset using the two green dotted buttons, but that did not help either... :-(

compuwar · Dec 11, 2008

pit29 said:
I did the reset using the two green dotted buttons, but that did not help either... :-(

Time to call Nikon. If it's from the firmware, they'll have had other reports. If it's a broken component it'll probably need a trip to a repair center.

osin · Dec 11, 2008

take the lens off the camera, set the time exposure to more than 2 seconds (or "Bulb" and hold the shutter button) and look inside if you can see the sensor?

if so, it means that shutter opens...

rjphoto · Dec 11, 2008

Take the lens cap off...

JUST KIDDING....

have you tried another lens?

I have a lens that is locked in f2.8 because I got too close to an Open MRI for a brochure shot. The camera thinks it is working fine. As long as I set the camera to Aperture mode and at 2.8 it works fine.

Could be the lens is closed down but the camera doesn't know it.

Have you dropped the camera?

pit29 · Dec 12, 2008

I got some new info... I managed to try another objective (I am not at home at the moment and have only one with me, the Nikkor 50mm 1.8). Everything works fine with a 18-135mm lens. So, it seems like it's something on the 50mm. The aperture wheel (is that the right english terminology?) is set to 22, and the small lever arrested. But changing that did not help anyways.

I did not drop the objective (and removed the lens cap ;-) ). How could that happen? And what can I do?

I appreciate your suggestions and help, guys!

rjphoto · Dec 12, 2008

Cool. A lens is cheap compared to a new camera body.

Like I said, mine was messed up by the magnetic field of an Open MRI machine at a hospital I was shooting for. (But it was in the side open setting.)

Turn the lock and then rack the Aperture ring (also called the f-stop ring) while looking through the lens (off the body) and see if the f-stop changes.

pit29 · Dec 12, 2008

rjphoto said:
Turn the lock and then rack the Aperture ring (also called the f-stop ring) while looking through the lens (off the body) and see if the f-stop changes.

I did that and saw the changes. I could even do that by pressing against the tiny lever on the inner side...

And guess what? When I then put the objective back on the body, everything worked as before...

SOLVED! Thank you!
Pit

rjphoto · Dec 12, 2008

be careful. The lens is controlled electronically. There could be a bad connection somewhere on the lens or the body of the camrea.

good luck.

captured images black (D300)

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