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Since getting a D200 last week, I've been having an intermittent problem with batteries. When a fully charged battery is used, I get a low battery icon in the viewfinder and on the LCD, and the camera refuses to take a photo. I have 1 genuine Nikon battery, and 1 of Poon's generic batteries, both used in the battery grip.

This has happened with several different lenses. Power cycling occasionally fixes the problem, as does taking the battery out and putting it back in. However this morning, I spent 10 minutes changing batteries around and reseating the grip before I could take a photo

There are several threads on DPReview (here, here and here) detailing this problem, but I haven't read anything here. The weird part is the randomness of it all; different lenses, with and without grip, generic and genuine batteries, VR & no VR. I'm sure it's not the lens in my case, as I just had the problem with no lens mounted.

Any ideas?

From what you say you have tested there is one common thread you are using the same body.

If you can get it to a service center to be checked out.

The only time I have had it happen is when it switches from one battery to the other in the grip. Has happened twice in the last two months of ownership. I have successfully transitioned from one battery to the other plenty of times in that time too...

That is with both the OEM and non-genuine batteries.

Cheers
Brett

This is very interesting. Here's my 2c worth on the same issue:

D200, firmware 1.?, all lenses: No battery dead problem. The only annoying issue I had was the AF-ON button not working with my only Sigma lens but working fine with all my Nikon lenses.

Upgraded the firmware to 2. This fixed the AF-ON button issue with my Sigma lens. However, I now get the battery dead problem that Patrick described, but only with my Sigma lens. I have never had the battery dead problem with any other lens including some long heavies like the 80-200 and 80-400VR. But I can guarantee that every half dozen shots with the Sigma, I will be rebooting the camera. The sigma works fine on my D70 and has never caused any issues. So I figure the sigma needs a re-chip or something and I'll send it to sigma one day. Now I'm not so sure. I just about always use the D200 with the battery grip on, so I'm going to try it without the grip to see if I still have the problem with the sigma.

Thanks for getting me thinking about this again.

Cheers
John

Clean your grip's contacts!

This happened to my 30d grip, gave them a wipe with metho and they were fine!

Yes, clean the grip contacts and if you can get a long swab and clean the camera sides too.

If you are using the add on battery grip I think you have to activate it from the D200 menu.

If you need to try it on a different battery, I'm happy to lend you an EN-EL3e that I have here sitting down with no use.

Sometimes I heard that it can be a battery's fault.

If you need the borrow, just PM me

Matt. K wrote:If you are using the add on battery grip I think you have to activate it from the D200 menu.

You have to select which type of AA batteries you use in the grip through the menu, but I'm using the normal Li-Ion batts.

I've cleaned all of the contacts with metho, and will give them a run with Isopropyl and engineering grade wipes tomorrow. So far haven't had any problems since then

John D's response is interesting though. From all that I've read, there seem to be a number of separate triggers for DBS (dead battery syndrome):

*Bad battery grip mounting
*Firmware upgrade
*Bad lens mount or contacts dirty
*Sigma/Tamron/Tokina lens used
*VR (especially 70-200) used - drawing too much power?
*Generic battery, or faulty Nikon battery

Have any other D200 users experienced this issue?

I had exactly the same problem. I purchased a second battery and noticed after charging and inserting into D200 that it was nearly flat. I checked everything and finally realised that the battery had an unusual build up on its terminals. It almost looked like resin and had the appearance of a darkish varnish. I was getting all sorts of problems so I gave it a super clean and it fixed it. Just yesterday it has not been re charging very well and only charges to 25%. I am going to have to put this one in the recycle bin and get another.

Regards

Peter Mc

I experienced DBS on a number of occassions without the grip and with the genuine nikon supplied battery.

Gave the contacts a clean with ethyl alcohol and so far so good.....

Havent had any issues with a generic battery

Well, after Rooboy cleaned the contacts we have taken hundreds of photos at a wedding and not had another problem (touch wood).

So to anyone else who may have this problem, I would definitely recommend cleaning the contacts prior to panicking, unlike us.

macka wrote:Well, after Rooboy cleaned the contacts we have taken hundreds of photos at a wedding and not had another problem (touch wood).

So to anyone else who may have this problem, I would definitely recommend cleaning the contacts prior to panicking, unlike us.

Glad it worked out for you guys

Easy fix hey!

I'd recommend checking/cleaning them once a month so you never have another issue

I bought a generic battery from ebay, and then started having problems. I had totally forgotten that I'd put the second battery in the grip.
Thought that my D200 was knackered.
Upon showing someone what the grip was for, I remembered the new battery and did some swapping to see if either were having problems.
All problems went away...

Some judicious cycling of the generic battery has taken place now and I've had no more problems.

Makes me want a second AA battery tray and a shipload of Eneloops

Rooboy funny you should mention this as last weekend or the weekend before at the Mareeba Rodeo i encountered similar problem. Initially thinking that my battery had gone flat from shooting for half the day in the cold air but when spare set was placed in the grip after a few sequenced shots the dead battery symbol reappeared and no shutter release .

I took the batteries out and reinserted but after a while same thing again. I took batteries out and attempted to clean terminals on both the batteries and the grip and things returned to normal. I learned this trick from my old SB26 that i sent away because it wouldn't power up. It was returned with a note explaining the battery terminals were dirty.
The tech explained that eventhough the terminals look clean, over time they tend to develop a thin glaze or plaque that stops good contact. Anyhow that's the theory i'm going for but just in case when i send my D200 in to Nikon to fix my auto focus switch which somehow gets a fourth setting as soon as any lens is attached (now that's strange the techy exclaimed ) AF-C, AF-S and 2xM I have asked him to check out the grip contacts. Hope this helps or at least tells you that some other poor sod has similar problem.
cheers
marco