Another BGLOD victim - now resolved!

[Hyena]

Hey guys.
I just got my D70 a few days ago but after playing around with it and taking a few shots I fear the worst.

I don't know if I'm just a noob and haven't worked out the camera yet, I've only taken a few dozen test shots but many didn't turn out and half the time it wouldn't let me take the shots so I suspect it may be the the cursed BGLOD

I've gone to take a few shots and it wont AF when I half press the shutter release button nor will it take the shot when I fully press it. Then when I look down I see the green light blinking away. It seems to stop after a while and then I can take the shot. When playing with it last night I tried to take a series of photos, holding the button down and snapping away as quickly as the camera allows and to my suprise they all came out black. When I got the images back to the PC I found they were actually just really underexposed, which sounds like the out of whack metering associated with BGLOD issues.

Is there any normal circumstances where the green light should flash for a period of time like that ? I'm guessing not, but it's been like this since I got it and it's my first time using a DSLR so I have nothing to compare with.

Thanks

Jay

[Yi-P]

Its not yet dead, but it certain sound like suffering from various symptoms.

Actual BGLOD will not let you take any shot at all.

Try doing a camera soft reset for it (the two green button). If not, then the master reset.

If you taken several photos in a row, and with RAW, the CF light will certainly light up for a while before it turns off, but blinking??
It has a buffer of 4 RAWs or 9 Fine-L JPEGs then slows down dramatically. It wont shoot like film which continously until the roll finish.


Are you shooting out from any of the auto modes? Have you checked exposure in VF and your exp comp settings? Maybe a manual setting under sunny day?


One last thing, how old is the camera? Bought new or second hand?

[Hyena]

Yi-P, it's second hand but it's only got around 3000 shutter actuations. It is however an April 2004 model which from what I've read seems to puts it smack bang in BGLOD territory.

I haven't had a chance to try out raw yet so all the problems have been occuring in fine jpg mode. When taking mutiple shot the first one turned out from a single press but any subsequent ones from holding the button down (5 or 6) were all very underexposed.

So far I've tried it in auto, macro and apeture priority modes and it has had the problems in all 3.

I'll try resetting it as you've suggested. Where is the master reset, I'm still working my way through the manual

Thanks

Jay

[the foto fanatic]

Hi Jay
First of all - don't panic!

I don't think it's BGLOD. When my camera had BGLOD the light blinked all the time and it was not possible to take any shot at all.

Secondly, check the focus setting for the camera. If it is set in AF-S, then the camera won't let you take a photo unless it has achieved focus. In dark environments the lens may "hunt" for focus but not achieve it, in which case you can not take a shot.

Then check the battery and make sure that it is sufficiently charged to focus, flash (if required) and activate the shutter.

Thirdly, if you are taking rapid shots using pop-up flash, there may be exposure problems.

Fourth, see if the issues occur with a different card. If not, could be a card issue.

If you still experience issues after checking these points, come back on line and tell us detailed camera settings so that we can work through to a solution.

You could also go along to one of the AW meetings which are on in Sydney this weekend, and I'm sure someone there could give you a hand.

[dragulajez]

Hi Jay
got my d70 back from maxwells last week after an attack of the green light of death (3 months later) while speaking to the tech he told me that the problem starts after about 18 months of use. my camera is of the same vintage as yours but bought new in april 2004. take it to maxwells it cost me nothing but the wait just about sent me mad.

cheers j

[natz]

As a newbie can someone shed light on what a BGLOD is? I have a D70 and so will I live in fear of BGLOD - sounds like a serious disease !!!

[ABG]

As a newbie can someone shed light on what a BGLOD is? I have a D70 and so will I live in fear of BGLOD - sounds like a serious disease !!!

Natz, there's tons (or should that now be tonnes) of great info archived on this site. Don't be afraid to use the search button. To help you on your way, read this

[Hyena]

If it is set in AF-S, then the camera won't let you take a photo unless it has achieved focus. In dark environments the lens may "hunt" for focus but not achieve it, in which case you can not take a shot.

You may be right Trevor. When I flicked it to manual focus it doesn't seem to do it as much, although if I turn the camera on with the lens cap on it'll blink for about 8 or so seconds before the screen gives you any details. Likewise, while playing with it yesterday the green light flashed for around 5-10 seconds after turning it off. When it's on auto though it doesn't seem to hunt for focus, it simply doesn't do it and the light just flashes.

The battery is fully charged and I'm taking shots in jpeg and largely without the flash so that shouldn't be holding it up.

I may be just doing things wrong and it's all just a storm in a teacup (like the postage issues! ) but it's a comfort to know that if there is an issue I can't sort out maxwells seem to be fixing them outside the warranty period free of charge.

You could also go along to one of the AW meetings which are on in Sydney this weekend, and I'm sure someone there could give you a hand.

I'd like to do that although unfortunately I'm supposed to be entering my car in the Sydney All Ford Day this Sunday. It looks like it's going to rain though now so I might be able to attend afterall.

[Justin]

This could be a focussing issue as said above - you will find that no matter what you do sometimes the camera will not fire. especially if you are doing low light w/o flash.

Is the AF-Assist light coming on when you focus?

[Hyena]

I took several shots yesterday, on and off it would take them.

This morning I tried again but documented everything to try and work out if it's my fault.

Turn it on - no aperture or shutter speed on LCD, light blinks for 10 seconds, then numbers appear and I take a shot on in aperture priority mode (autofocus) The shot turns out quite under exposed so I switch to manual and up the reduce the shutter speed. I try pressing the button several times but the photo doesn't take, then randomly about 10 seconds later once I've moved the camera away from what I was looking at it takes the shot. (note the flash is off and the battery fully charged)
The light starts blinking away again. I try to review the photo and it blinks up on the screen for 1/2 a second then disappears. The light keeps blinking and the camera is unresponsive so I turn it off. In the off position the LCD still shows all the info and the light still blinks for another minute or so (I've since put the camera away)
I turn it back on 5 mins later, light blinks, wont take any shots.
Turn it back on an hour later, light blinks for a few seconds then it stops, it focuses and takes a shot (on auto) I try to take a second shot and it focuses but wont take the shot. No blinking light this time but when I turn it off all the info remains on the screen. I put the camera back in it's bag and 30 seconds later as I'm walking off I hear the shutter release.
I tried a different CF card but when I inserted the new one it retained the old remaining shots count on the LCD and I now get nothing but that and the blinking light.

It seems the symptoms have progressed to full blown BGLOD and I'm now pretty sure it's nothing I'm doing wrong. I guess I'll give maxwells a call tomorrow

[Hyena]

Arrrgh, talk about intermittent. After having solid BGLOD and being totally useless a few weeks back (as per my last post) I decided it was time to take it to get fixed. Then the morning I went to go it started working so I decided not to go because it is out of warranty and they might charge me if the fault isn't apparent when I drop it off and during their testing. After a few shots through the week it's all good, the weekend rolled around and it flawlessly took around 150 shots. A few more through this week and no sign of BGLOD. "Good, it's gone" I think to myself. Then yesterday I went out to take a few shots, 100 more and no dramas, drive home, go to take one more out the front of my house and bam, BGLOD is back

Has anyone else encountered such intermittent BGLOD like this ?

[the foto fanatic]

Frustrating!!!
I seem to remember that Onyx had similar symptoms with his camera, but that's the only light I can throw on the matter.

[gstark]

Jay,

When you first raised this issue, Trevor suggested that you run your camera through some basic procedures first of all, to try to help determine if there's an issue or not.

It's still unclear to me whether you have run through those procedures, and it's still unclear to me what focus settings you're using, or what the state of charge of your battery is.

While this is certainly starting to sound ugly, could you please review Trevor's first post and clarify these points of confusion so that we may better understand exactly what is happenning here?

[Hyena]

Gary I must have missed posting it, I was also speaking to Trevor in PM.
I've tried all the things he suggested and ruled them all out. I thought it could be battery related at first when it'd randomly blink up low battery (then be full next time I turned it on) but at the same time the LCD was doing other strange things so I think it's just LCD related shenanigans. Also during the "happy period" the battery gave me no trouble - I took a few hundred shots, it got low, I recharged it and it worked fine until the symptoms came back after about 60 shots (without flash so hardly battery draining) So excluding the battery I don't think it's a focus issue either as I've tried it turned to MF on the body and lens and presently it won't even turn on (turn to on, BGL, no display, turn off, BGL for another minute then finally turns "off" )
If I persist turning it on and off it might finally come up with the LCD display as normal but will only let me take 1 or 2 shots, then locks up again and BGL will stay for another minute or so after it's turned off (LCD display - sometimes missing shutter speed and aperture - also stays when camera is turned off during these lock ups)

I just hope it's still doing it tomorrow so I can run it straight out to Maxwells!

[Hyena]

All fixed!
I dropped it into maxwell on wednesday arvo and their courier just dropped it back to me this morning - fixed in under 2 days

It says they replaced the light measuring FPC unit and 003088 warranty consumables. Anyone know what the warranty consumables are ?

I haven't taken any shots yet as I don't have a CF card at work but it's so much faster now to turn on and focus. It used to take up to 10 seconds to be ready shoot after turning on and then hunt around alot.

Hooray