DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
I may be risking at the very least a public flogging if not hanging from the first available lamp post for daring to write about DSLRs in RFF - but I have a problem and I would greatly appreciate any good advice from other Nikon users.
Recently my two D700s began overexposing from +0.3 to +0.7 stops and (in bright sun situations) up to +1.0. Both are usually set on 0.0. The first (bought new in 2012 with 120,000+ clicks) does it intermittently. The second (bought used in 2018 with 45,000 clicks) is continuously overexposing.
I use both mostly on A (aperture) but I'm now using M (manual) without improvement. Also a polarizer which has helped a little, but again not consistently. I've varied all the settings and last week I did extensive image tests in my garden with the newer D700 on a tripod and 28mm, 50mm and a 28-85mm zoom lenses. Low and high contrast scenes. amazingly, my images were exposed spot on for all the settings.
Yesterday I took this same D700 on a city walk - and the darn thing again overexposed everything. To get usable images, I did three exposures (at 0.3, 0.7, 1.0) as I did back in my film days. Nothing exposed consistently - the results were all over the place. Finally I set the camera on M, 1/200 at f/8 with the polarizer. The latter helped, but again the results were wholly inconsistent.
Online research on this has been frustrating. Many posters suggested possible causes but nobody came up with a useful fix. One said it was a firmware problem, another that the shutter may be faulty. Maybe - but in two D700s at the same time?
Yes, D700s are dinosaurs now. Other than to trash the two cameras and buy a new DSLR, is there anything I can try?
Your helpful comments and advice on this problem will be greatly appreciated.
Recently my two D700s began overexposing from +0.3 to +0.7 stops and (in bright sun situations) up to +1.0. Both are usually set on 0.0. The first (bought new in 2012 with 120,000+ clicks) does it intermittently. The second (bought used in 2018 with 45,000 clicks) is continuously overexposing.
I use both mostly on A (aperture) but I'm now using M (manual) without improvement. Also a polarizer which has helped a little, but again not consistently. I've varied all the settings and last week I did extensive image tests in my garden with the newer D700 on a tripod and 28mm, 50mm and a 28-85mm zoom lenses. Low and high contrast scenes. amazingly, my images were exposed spot on for all the settings.
Yesterday I took this same D700 on a city walk - and the darn thing again overexposed everything. To get usable images, I did three exposures (at 0.3, 0.7, 1.0) as I did back in my film days. Nothing exposed consistently - the results were all over the place. Finally I set the camera on M, 1/200 at f/8 with the polarizer. The latter helped, but again the results were wholly inconsistent.
Online research on this has been frustrating. Many posters suggested possible causes but nobody came up with a useful fix. One said it was a firmware problem, another that the shutter may be faulty. Maybe - but in two D700s at the same time?
Yes, D700s are dinosaurs now. Other than to trash the two cameras and buy a new DSLR, is there anything I can try?
Your helpful comments and advice on this problem will be greatly appreciated.
Corran
Well-known
Go outside, set it on manual, and shoot at f/8, 1/4000. Then change it to 1/2000, 1/1000, 1/500, 1/250, and 1/125, and see what the results are. That should tell you if the shutter is borked.
I still have a D700 that I use as a second camera, along with a D800. I've found both of them tend to shoot better at -0.3 or sometimes -0.7 outside, since day one. My D700 has something like 150k clicks and still runs great.
I still have a D700 that I use as a second camera, along with a D800. I've found both of them tend to shoot better at -0.3 or sometimes -0.7 outside, since day one. My D700 has something like 150k clicks and still runs great.
Huss
Veteran
Turn off the auto iso. Set WB manually.
Larry H-L
Well-known
I'd check your lenses to see if they are truly and fully stopping down during exposure, and check the aperture actuation levers on both cameras and lenses. On the lenses, flip the levers and see if they are moving freely and snappy.
If one of your lens aperture levers is worn or damaged, it may have started to wear inside the camera bodies also, resulting in aperture settings that are slightly off.
That this problem progressed from one body to the other, to me, indicates a lens problem.
If one of your lens aperture levers is worn or damaged, it may have started to wear inside the camera bodies also, resulting in aperture settings that are slightly off.
That this problem progressed from one body to the other, to me, indicates a lens problem.
Corran
Well-known
Good suggestion, I forgot the D700 had Auto ISO. I never use it, and it's a pain to get to - which they fixed in the newer cameras.
Ronald M
Veteran
Use spot metering-center spot and meter from a grey card or BLEACHED blacktop road.
ISO 200 should be 1/200 at f16 in full sun in nice blue sky.
Older Nikons routinely are set to + 1/3 so you need to compensate. New ones not so.
Check out lens as described or use wide open.
ISO 200 should be 1/200 at f16 in full sun in nice blue sky.
Older Nikons routinely are set to + 1/3 so you need to compensate. New ones not so.
Check out lens as described or use wide open.
Beemermark
Veteran
I'd recommend getting them (or one) fixed. The top LCD screen on mine started acting buggy and I used it as an excuse to buy a D750. Now I like the D750 but I'm sure I like it that much better than the D700 when it comes to the final picture. I wish I would have just had it fixed and saved a lot of money. Just my 2 cents.
DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
Double quote - my MacBook Pro has its own mind and operates by its own whims.
I have deleted this post. See the next one.
Apologies to all.
I have deleted this post. See the next one.
Apologies to all.
DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
Many thanks to everyone who has offered good advice. So much food for thought. A few comments follow.
I did this test today. Speeds exposed uniformly - at least one full stop overexposed, the entire sequence. So speeds are not the issue. Metering appears to be the problem.
My pair of D700s have both always performed best at -0.3 for most situations and 0.7 for bright scenes. I've made very little use of -1.0. Now, both tend to overexpose equally by at least +1.0. Very strange.
I have never used Auto ISO. Always shoot at 200 or on occasion 400. Am not a low light shooter. So this isn't the problem. (I double checked the setting to make sure.)
My lenses were recently used on a new Nikon Z6 and a Df. All perform well. So the problem is the cameras, not the lenses.
This is what I plan to do. The newer D700 (2012 model) will go out for a quote. However, this being Melbourne, I fully expect the cost will be at least half the purchase price, so whether I go ahead with it or not is yet to be decided - the quote will cost A$50 but it may reveal what the true problem is. If I find out, I will post again.
One last test to do. I want to test my two cameras on manual with my (still spot-on) Gossen Luna Pro meter. If the exposures are accurate but the +1.0 is still there, then the problem lies with (I guess) the meter system.
If this hands-on test fails, then it may be time for me to 'retire' my D700s to shelf queen status. They are 10 and 8 years old and (rather like their owner) may well have reached their use-by date. As digital cameras go, to (mis-)quote Gertrude Stein, a camera is a camera is a camera.
Again, thank you all for your good advice.
I did this test today. Speeds exposed uniformly - at least one full stop overexposed, the entire sequence. So speeds are not the issue. Metering appears to be the problem.
My pair of D700s have both always performed best at -0.3 for most situations and 0.7 for bright scenes. I've made very little use of -1.0. Now, both tend to overexpose equally by at least +1.0. Very strange.
I have never used Auto ISO. Always shoot at 200 or on occasion 400. Am not a low light shooter. So this isn't the problem. (I double checked the setting to make sure.)
My lenses were recently used on a new Nikon Z6 and a Df. All perform well. So the problem is the cameras, not the lenses.
This is what I plan to do. The newer D700 (2012 model) will go out for a quote. However, this being Melbourne, I fully expect the cost will be at least half the purchase price, so whether I go ahead with it or not is yet to be decided - the quote will cost A$50 but it may reveal what the true problem is. If I find out, I will post again.
One last test to do. I want to test my two cameras on manual with my (still spot-on) Gossen Luna Pro meter. If the exposures are accurate but the +1.0 is still there, then the problem lies with (I guess) the meter system.
If this hands-on test fails, then it may be time for me to 'retire' my D700s to shelf queen status. They are 10 and 8 years old and (rather like their owner) may well have reached their use-by date. As digital cameras go, to (mis-)quote Gertrude Stein, a camera is a camera is a camera.
Again, thank you all for your good advice.
Rob-F
Likes Leicas
Are you by any chance setting the aperture by the lens ring, instead of the front wheel? That can, in some cases, such as when shooting wide open, cause gross overexposure.
Range-rover
Veteran
Have you ever cleaned the contacts on the camera and lenses sometimes it helps.
Fraser
Well-known
why are you using a polariser all the time; that could be messing with the metering. also as someone else has said using the aperture ring on nikon lenses rather than the dial on the body can make exposure a bit inconsistent as the aperture control on the lens is quite crude and gets worse with age. How are you viewing the images on the lcd screen or computer as maybe you need to adjust the screen brightness on the camera. I can't remember as I know longer have a D700 only D810; does it have the active D lighting?
Gid
Well-known
Have you got menu b6 (fine tune optimal exposure) set to anything other than 0? You could use this if you are getting consistent over/under exposure results.
Ronald M
Veteran
Only a circular pola will give proper exposure based on rotation.
It will match a linear pola if linear is rotated to max exposure .
Set exposure this way, then rotate for effect.
It will match a linear pola if linear is rotated to max exposure .
Set exposure this way, then rotate for effect.
Corran
Well-known
I am exceedingly confused. If your aperture and ISO were locked, you should've gotten some variability in your resultant exposures with each stop change in shutter speed. This statement implies your camera is only shooting at one shutter speed, regardless of what it is set to. I have never heard of such a thing. Usually when these DSLR shutters go, they have a fatal error and won't shoot anymore.
Rob-F
Likes Leicas
Oh, I think he must mean each shot is overexposed one stop compared to the correct exposure for each shutter speed/f/stop pairing; with the f/stop adjusted when the shutter speed is changed.
Corran
Well-known
Well, I specifically mentioning leaving the f/stop at f/8 to check for shutter issues.
Also make sure your bracket mode is turned off.
Also make sure your bracket mode is turned off.
Beemermark
Veteran
Have you tried different metering modes (matrix, spot, center weighted)?
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I gather you have reset the camera back to default settings at some point!?
My D700 lunched it's shutter a year ago and I still miss the thing ... the repair quote from Andersons here in Brisvegas was a joke. I hope you get it/these sorted because in my opinion the D700 is no dinosaur ... aside from being 12 megapixels it has everything you could possibly need in a DSLR.
My D700 lunched it's shutter a year ago and I still miss the thing ... the repair quote from Andersons here in Brisvegas was a joke. I hope you get it/these sorted because in my opinion the D700 is no dinosaur ... aside from being 12 megapixels it has everything you could possibly need in a DSLR.
peterm1
Veteran
I wonder if my D700 is too?
I habitually shoot 1 stop under when in contrasty situations to avoid too many blown highlights (and have done so for a while) and have noticed when I do not, that the images generally look a little washed out. I had never considered the thought that it might be mis metering or have some other problem. I just figured this is how it is - and coped. I suppose I could check exposure readings against one of my other cameras. But then again I tend to find that I want to under expose (against metered readings) for most cameras as most of them seem to my eye too included to "expose to the right" to the detriment of highlights when shooting in outdoor situations as I usually do.
PS though I will often shoot in matrix mode more or less out of habit, when I am thinking seriously about my photography and not just shooting mindlessly I will often instead shoot in centre weighted metering mode. I suspect it helps at least with centre placed main subjects (obviously).
One more PS. In your case are you using the same lens(es) with both bodies. Is there any chance that the len's aperture is a bit sluggish - the most usual cause of over exposure and exposure inconsistency.
I habitually shoot 1 stop under when in contrasty situations to avoid too many blown highlights (and have done so for a while) and have noticed when I do not, that the images generally look a little washed out. I had never considered the thought that it might be mis metering or have some other problem. I just figured this is how it is - and coped. I suppose I could check exposure readings against one of my other cameras. But then again I tend to find that I want to under expose (against metered readings) for most cameras as most of them seem to my eye too included to "expose to the right" to the detriment of highlights when shooting in outdoor situations as I usually do.
PS though I will often shoot in matrix mode more or less out of habit, when I am thinking seriously about my photography and not just shooting mindlessly I will often instead shoot in centre weighted metering mode. I suspect it helps at least with centre placed main subjects (obviously).
One more PS. In your case are you using the same lens(es) with both bodies. Is there any chance that the len's aperture is a bit sluggish - the most usual cause of over exposure and exposure inconsistency.