D40 broken?

jbravo104 · Jun 13, 2007

I just got my D40 in yesterday and already think it may be broken or something. I noticed as I handled the camera such as rotating it or turning it up or down, there is a distinct jiggeling noise coming from inside the body. When I point the camera straight up and tilt it slightly I can hear what sounds like a loose screw or something rolling around.

I reviewed the manual and other documentation and found no reference to the noise as being "normal". However, the operation of the camera doesn't seem to be affected, although I have only taken a dozen pictures in auto mode so far.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Is my camera broken?

jgodfrey · Jun 13, 2007

While I don't know about the D40 specifically, many Nikon bodies have a mechanical "orientation sensor". For lack of a better explanation, it's like a pendulum-type device that moves from one position to another as the camera is rotated. That info is used to provide orientation info in the EXIF data of your images. I'd guess that's what you're hearing. If that's the case, I'd say it's normal.

That said, I'm sure other D40 owners will chime in soon...

Jeff

sfisher · Jun 13, 2007

it would be a metal ball or pendulum (possibly) that would respond to gravity.

Or you have something loose in the camera.
--
-Steve
===================

Dodging and burning are steps to take care of mistakes God made in establishing tonal relationships. ~~Ansel Adams~~

-=Doug=- · Jun 13, 2007

yep, that's the orientation sensor, sounds like a ball bearing rattling

jbravo104 · Jun 13, 2007

That's probably the noise I'm hearing. It's pretty faint and I can only detect it if I hold the camera close to my ear. I'm surprised Nikon doesn't mention that in the manual.

genece · Jun 13, 2007

Another advantage to loosing your hearing...I can not hear that.
But then I can not hear the focus beep either....Not so good.
--
------------------------------------------------------------
Gene
From Western PA.

Panasonic FZ 20 and FZ30
D50 and lenses.

http://imageevent.com/grc6

Just trying to learn and it's slow going!

JeanLeGrand · Jun 13, 2007

In that case you will have to "listen" to the green dot, Gene

--

Honest criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.

Anthony Horan · Jun 13, 2007

Knowing what it was already, it didn't bother me when I got my D40 (I'm used to orientation sensors (well, they're switches, actually) from my Harmony remote control, which uses one to turn on when you pick it up.

However, Nikon really should have mentioned this in the manual. Imagine how many service calls they get on this one...!

heavensgate · Jun 13, 2007

If it doesn't affect your picture quality, why worry about it?

jgodfrey · Jun 13, 2007

heavensgate said:
If it doesn't affect your picture quality, why worry about it?

Well, I've got to say - if something really was loose inside my camera, whether it affected the picture quality or not, I'd be worried about it... ;^)

Jeff

heavensgate · Jun 13, 2007

jgodfrey said:
heavensgate said:

If it doesn't affect your picture quality, why worry about it?

Click to expand...

Well, I've got to say - if something really was loose inside my
camera, whether it affected the picture quality or not, I'd be
worried about it... ;^)

No, I completely understand. My D40 came with a mild scratch on the function dial.....probably a manufacturing defect where the machine that attached it on probably pressed it on too hard. It is very hard to see, but annoyed the hell out of me because my D40 was brand new......but I suppose since it didn't affect picture quality, I just moved on.

The orientation sensor in the D40 doesn't really serve any purpose.....Nikon didn't configure this camera to auto-rotate JPEGS really. Only in playback, it shows pictures vertically, but on the computer, you have to rotate pictures yourself. On a Kodak camera, the camera automatically rotates vertical JPEGS so you don't have to on the computer. They could have left out the sensor on the D40, and you wouldn't have that rattling sound on the D40

Ron LHeureux · Jun 13, 2007

Humm...I'm with Gene. I just tried to ge my D40 to rattle. I did hear it, after about 30 seconds. And they say the eyesight is the first to go! Oh, wait...my typing sucks.
--
Ron

D40
18-55
55-200VR
SB400

Hank Wolfe · Jun 13, 2007

Many photo viewers and editors (including freeware ones) can batch auto-rotate (including lossly JPEG) with the EXIF data generated from the D40's orientation sensor. So it does serve a purpose.

heavensgate said:
The orientation sensor in the D40 doesn't really serve any
purpose.....Nikon didn't configure this camera to auto-rotate JPEGS
really. Only in playback, it shows pictures vertically, but on the
computer, you have to rotate pictures yourself. On a Kodak camera,
the camera automatically rotates vertical JPEGS so you don't have
to on the computer. They could have left out the sensor on the D40,
and you wouldn't have that rattling sound on the D40

Hank Wolfe · Jun 13, 2007

Sorry - meant "lossless JPEG" - shouldn't be posting at this hour.

Hank Wolfe said:
Hank Wolfe said:

The orientation sensor in the D40 doesn't really serve any
purpose.....Nikon didn't configure this camera to auto-rotate JPEGS
really. Only in playback, it shows pictures vertically, but on the
computer, you have to rotate pictures yourself. On a Kodak camera,
the camera automatically rotates vertical JPEGS so you don't have
to on the computer. They could have left out the sensor on the D40,
and you wouldn't have that rattling sound on the D40

Click to expand...

Anthony Horan · Jun 14, 2007

heavensgate said:
The orientation sensor in the D40 doesn't really serve any
purpose.....Nikon didn't configure this camera to auto-rotate JPEGS
really. Only in playback, it shows pictures vertically, but on the
computer, you have to rotate pictures yourself.

The D40 sets the EXIF orientation flag to mact the position your camera was in when the photo was taken. This is the correct and preferred way of in-camera image rotation.

Pretty much all decent imaging computer programs now understand this EXIF info and rotate accordingly. Some dumber programs can't, or else they'll need you to set the behaviour in preferences.

heavensgate said:
On a Kodak camera,
the camera automatically rotates vertical JPEGS so you don't have
to on the computer.

The Kodak is re-compressing the image then. Not at all desirable.

heavensgate said:
They could have left out the sensor on the D40,

Hell no! It's one of my favourite things about the Nikon! With my old Sonys I would have to spend painstaking time after a shoot going through each image and doing the menu-hop to set the correct orientation EXIF flag (I shoot almost everything portrait). With the D40, it's all done for me without me having to even worry about it.

Christophe M · Jun 14, 2007

Dear all,

I just bought a D80 and I can hear the same noise. I hope it is from the orientation sensor too. In any case, this noise is annoying though it is "normal".

Christophe

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D40 broken?

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