My D800 is a Lemon

primeshooter · Jan 3, 2013

Peter Jonas said:
Peter Jonas wrote:

It is unfortunate you are having a negative experience with the ownership of your D800.

(My goodness this does sound like the first sentence in a reply from Nikon. It was not my intention to do so.)

Most of us who are not emotionally involved with your problem think that your letter to Nikon will not achieve much.

This forum can help you to clarify how the LV function of the D800 was intended to work. It can also help you finding work arounds of any items that do not work as you expected. You can then try these and decide if you can live with it the way it is on a long term basis or not.

From what you describe it appears that all D800s work that way, and most people think it is not very good, but have been able to work with it by not zooming beyond 100%. Or not relying so much on LV at all. The implementation of LV is not a strong point of many Nikon DSLRs.

At the same time, if you thought that a particual behaviour of the LV function was critical to you, it might have been useful to check this out before you invested in your camera. I know: hind sight is an exact science ...

The notion that a particular camera should have certain features or exhibit some knd of specific behaviour purely on the basis that it cost $3000, is not a very compelling one. Price alone does not imply anything.

Technically it may be possible to improve the beaviour of LV. However, Nikon is not known for providing such upgrades. At the same time extreme market pressure and a better competition may force them to release such an upgrade. It's not impossible, but I would not hold my breath.

It certailny would not hurt to let them know what you think, but your chances of having an effect would be much better if you wrote to them in a calm and objective manner clearly outlining what you are not happy about and how you think it would be much better.

As far as the WB function is concerned, I hope it gets sorted out pretty quickly, and you can ascertain if you have a faulty unit, or missed some of the steps to complete the procedure. If it is faulty, Nikon will repair it under their warranty terms.

You also mentioned that you have a green cast on the LCD. Some (but only a few) people have had similar observations, and as far as I can tell Nikon does have a custom fix for this, which will involve setting up your LCD out of original specifications. However it can be done under warranty.

Like most manufacturers, Nikon requires you to pay for postage of your equipment to them, and they will pay for return postage.

The D800 is not a simple camera. I do not know how experienced a photographer you are, and how much of that experience has been with Nikon DSLRs. It can take some time to master all aspects of its operation, and it might give you some further frustration before you get consistently rewarding results. In my opinion it will be worth the effort.

However, if you think that the shortcomings and unexpected behaviour you have experienced are a deal breaker to you, then you could sell your D800, and buy that Canon 5D3, which is also a very capable camera. You will incur a financial loss in the process, but in the long term it will be much better for all involved. You will be a happy user, and Nikon will be able to focus on customers who do want to experience a satisfying ownership of their products (whatever thay are).

I think it would also be beneficial if you thoroughly considered what exactly you expect from your rnew camera and try it before you buy it in order to prevent a similar disappointing experience.

I wish you good luck in your DSLR endeavours.

orchidblooms · Jan 3, 2013

live view...

open your aperture for live view-- this will help - use a hoodman loup...

then stop back down for shot

Gosman · Jan 3, 2013

Luckyrice said:
Luckyrice wrote:

Excuse me, but how is this my fault? I fail to see the reasoning behind you blaming me...

You never would have bought your D800 if you had read this forum!

Dennis DH · Jan 3, 2013

Nikon's live view sucks, but if you would have done any research at all on the camera before you bought it, you would have known this.

I have no problems with my D800 and it was in the first batch released.

olyflyer · Jan 4, 2013

Luckyrice said:
Luckyrice wrote:

I have been noticing things lately on my D800 that are akin to the notorious defective batches in the early release. I bought mine in August 2012.

I bought mine in September.

Luckyrice said:
Well, the straw that broke the camel's back is the LiveView. It's completely unusable zoomed in on all of my 7 lenses, which are the good lenses like the 50mm 1.4D, the 17mm-35mm 2.8 EF, the 85mm 1.8G, etc. It's extremely noisy and pixelated and jaggedy. They all have this issue on the camera and it's obviously the camera now that I think about it. How did I find out about this? I started taking landscape photos through LiveView on my trip to the Philippines and boom, a serious WTH moment when I tried fine-tuning my images. I thought it was just how it should be and then realized while sleeping it must be a defect (I tend to be in denial that I could have a bad camera worth $3000).

Very strange that you buy a camera in August and don't test the live view before now. Which way did you test it? Please describe more in detail. I use live view but don't have any of these "issues". Of course, the image at maximum magnification is pixalated, but unless it is very dark, it can be used for manual focus at maximum magnification, and the pixelation is not really disturbing at normal view.

BTW, what does "fine-tuning my images" means? Manual focus? Why is that a problem, what is it more exactly that you can not do? What is the light level when you "struggle"? What is your previous experience? Is this your first DSLR?

Luckyrice said:
So, I have sent Nikon an email. This is how I wrote it. Excuse the typos as it was early in the morning:

Why write a mail when you are tired, upset and angry? A better strategy is to write it but not send it, read the day after, correct anything which needs to be corrected and read when you are calm after a good night sleep. There is no need for hurry, they can not do anything immediately anyway.

Luckyrice said:
Hello, I purchased my D800 brand new from Murphy's Camera and have not drop or damaged my camera which I handle meticulously and keep in a case. I have been usually using my camera through the viewfinder, until I started taking landscape photos using live view. The live view when zoomed in all the way to fine-tune focus is completely unusable and unfocusable.

The underlined part is not true unless there is something wrong with your camera. Describe how you concluded the above and how you are trying to do the focus tuning and why. Live view focus is accurate and not need to be tuned normally, but if you do, how is your work flow?

Luckyrice said:
It is extremely noisy.

No, not unless the light is very very low and there is practically no image to zoom in on.

Luckyrice said:
I can document this issue on video and send it to you if you would like.

That is a good idea. If you send in the camera you should explain and show what the problem is.

Luckyrice said:
Also when setting the WB on my camera is does not set the custom white balance when I hold the WB button etc. and the screen has a green tint.

The LCD color tint changes with the WB, so if you mean that you changed the WB and the LCD color changed with it, showing what appears to be incorrect, than that's normal.

Luckyrice said:
I have the latest firmware. I used these instructions for PRE Custom WB:

1.) Ensure your card or other neutral object is in the same sort of light as your subject. Changing the angle of the object often will favor one kind of a light or another in mixed light, which will greatly affect your result.

2.) Hold WB and spin the rear dial to get to PRE, and spin the front dial to select which of the four memories (d-1, d-2, d-3 or d-4) you wish to set.

3.) Release WB.

4.) Press and hold WB again for a few seconds.

No, not a few seconds, but until PRE starts flashing.

The manual says:

"Release the WB button briefly and then press the button until the PRE icon in the control panel starts to flash. A flashing PRE will also appear in the viewfinder. The displays will flash for about six seconds."

Luckyrice said:
5.) PRE starts to blink. (This does not happen, ever)

Because you are not waiting long enough in step 4.

Luckyrice said:
i understand that these are all known issues, atleast on the forums.

No, these are NOT known issues. Most of the so called "issues" are related to user error and the fact that people are buying too complex cameras and are not bothered to read the manuals, just use them as if they were simple P&S cameras.

Luckyrice said:
Look, I paid $3000 plus dollars for this camera and bought a bunch of your lenses too as this was my first move to FX.

Irrelevant and wrong tone. It was your decision, not theirs. Beside, why didn't you test your camera already in August?

Luckyrice said:
This problem is found throughout all 7 lenses and I darn sure it isn't my lenses.

I am just as sure that it is neither the camera nor the lenses. I am pretty sure that it is a simple user error. Anyway, if you want them to help you then you should use a different tone.

Luckyrice said:
I need to have this resolved without incurring cost to me.

Well, one way to do it is to use the warranty. You do have the warranty if it is a legit camera, so just use it. That's what warranties are for.

Luckyrice said:
I highly regard your company as one of integrity and standing by one of your flagship product should be one.

However, right now I am in the Philippines and will not be arriving back in the states until the 29th of January. I do not believe I should incur extra costs to have a new camera sent to me and this particular camera refurbished and for you to do what you will with it. I do not want my camera refurbished and sent back to me.

Wrong tone again. There is NO company on this earth which would do anything like that. I mean, seriously, what do you expect them to do? You bought a camera several months ago, use it and now declare it a lemon, insulting the company which made it through the mail to their representatives who have nothing to do with your decision of buying the camera or with the quality of the product and you demand they send you a brand new one? Why would they do that? Are you at least an NPS member? Even if you are, I doubt you have the right to demand that service outside your home country.

It would be nice if we all could get a new camera when we are frustrated... but who would pay?

Luckyrice said:
I apologize if I sound frustrated,

You should not need to apologize at all. In fact, you'd gain by not using that tone and if you'd keep to the facts, like how you have set up your camera, which were the exact conditions, light and so on and would leave all the emotional outbursts out of the mail.

Luckyrice said:
I am because I was very excited to take landscape photos on my trip here to the philippines using liveview and have been getting nothing but unfocused photos with it using liveview.

It's too bad that you are unhappy, but hopefully you did not miss any images since the view finder works just fine as well. Also, why didn't you use the AF if MF with the live view was a problem? The AF is actually excellent for focusing and with live view it is dead accurate.

Luckyrice said:
Please reply as soon as you possibly can. Thank you.

Sorry, but with that tone, I'd guess you need to wait a while until somebody politely will let you know that you either have to send in the camera from wherever you are at your own costs for a normal service, or have to wait until you are home again. In the meantime you can use the view finder.

Luckyrice said:
---------End-------

I will let you all know how Nikon deals with this situation. I am very sad that I have to go through this hassle. I am fairly disappointed.

Yes, it's a sad story.

Dewcal · Jan 6, 2013

I note your comment re not being able to use Live View while shooting tethered. While not having a D800 (I have D3x & D4), I shoot tethered with NKRemote from Breeze Systems and am able to use the live view on the PC to get exact focus point I need. I find that I do not need to touch the camera(s) when shooting tethered - other than zoom if applicable.

HTH.

Dave

DecibelPhoto · Jan 6, 2013

Dewcal said:
Dewcal wrote:

I note your comment re not being able to use Live View while shooting tethered. While not having a D800 (I have D3x & D4), I shoot tethered with NKRemote from Breeze Systems and am able to use the live view on the PC to get exact focus point I need. I find that I do not need to touch the camera(s) when shooting tethered - other than zoom if applicable.

HTH.

Dave

Yes I've noticed oddly that certain smaller software developers have no problem implementing this feature, while the two major players, Lightroom and Capture One, either don't have it or can't get it right. What gives? Unfortunately the only software I've seen that offers all of the features I really need for shooting tethered (other than this one) is Capture One. Hopefully at some point they will get this right.

Thank you for the suggestion

Dewcal · Jan 6, 2013

You have me curious now! What features do you need / use on tethered capture? With NKRemote I find I can do pretty well anything - including focus stacking which requires an add-on.

If you have not tried it, a free download / install might be worth while. If you do, when you initiate live view, right click the image and select "EVF scaling" to get full screen view.

Good luck.

Louis van Zyl · Jan 7, 2013

Hi there

I slight trick you might try in terms of focusing in live view. If you put the camera in Live view video mode it samples the image better and it is easier to focus on the camera monitor for some reason.

In terms of the white balance... If you are in a very high ISO setting the camera may fail to get a custom white balance setting. This was the case with my D300 and I think the same would apply to the D800? Just pop it on a lower ISO and have a bash at it.

Louis

--
A sharp creative mind is more important than a pin sharp photo.

Bruce sawle · Jan 7, 2013

I am willing to bet the issue with setting your custom WB is that you have changed the camera shutter button to record movies. The camera will not allow you to set a custom WB with this enabled. Change the movie record button back to its default and you will now be able to set you're PRE WB. Cathie's is stated in the manual.

Devendra · Jan 7, 2013

ya know?

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My D800 is a Lemon

primeshooter

Veteran Member

orchidblooms

Senior Member

Gosman

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Dennis DH

Senior Member

olyflyer

Forum Pro

Dewcal

Leading Member

DecibelPhoto

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Dewcal

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Louis van Zyl

Active member

Bruce sawle

Forum Enthusiast

Devendra

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