D300 and D90 Reliability

[jaff]

Hi all, I am about to purchase either a D300 or a D90 and I am just wondering if anyone has had reliability issues with either of these bodies?
The grey import angle looks good dollar wise, but if the bodies are susceptable to problems, then a local supplier would offer a degree of comfort, for a nervous newbie!,especially in the warranty period as after that, we would all be in the same boat.
Do most posters take up extended warranties, or are these models on the whole that reliable that the extended warranty is overkill?

If this subject has been covered elsewhere I apologise , I did search all forums extensively and couldnt see anything!

Cheers Rob

[ATJ]

I can't speak for others, but I can say that my D300 has had no issues at all (other than dust on the sensor which is nothing to do with reliability). I've had mine since December 2007 and have 13,981 shutter actuations.

[chrisk]

35k from my d300 and it was flawless. never missed a beat.

[Grev]

I haven't heard problems from either camera, and I've had my D300 for a while now, without a problem.

[aim54x]

My D300 was bought early Jan 08 and has now cycled through 31,000 odd shutter actuations without missing a beat.

I have only had two issues with this camera:
-a faulty battery that showed it was 25% of the way through its life (life not remaining charge) which was replaced by Nikon on the spot
-a LCD screen that displays colour degradation (the LCD has been replaced with no avail...camera still at Nikon) which is not in the final images.

[aim54x]

Just an update....Nikon now claims that there is not fault in my camera...the LCD is normal as it the display....NOT HAPPY!!!

Hope to get some form of a refund on my original repair, fingers crossed

[gstark]

Hi all, I am about to purchase either a D300 or a D90 and I am just wondering if anyone has had reliability issues with either of these bodies?

Rob,

Reliability is not an issue on either of these bodies. On any modern DSLR body really, truth be told.

What are your photographic needs? Which of these bodies feels more comfortable in your hands?

Just an update....Nikon now claims that there is not fault in my camera...the LCD is normal as it the display....NOT HAPPY!!!

Cameron,

Based upon what we saw in Chinatown, that is simply not the case. For their statement to be correct, we would not have observed differences when looking at the images from the CF card on other cameras of the same model.

Good luck with this ...

[aim54x]

Just an update....Nikon now claims that there is not fault in my camera...the LCD is normal as it the display....NOT HAPPY!!!

Cameron,

Based upon what we saw in Chinatown, that is simply not the case. For their statement to be correct, we would not have observed differences when looking at the images from the CF card on other cameras of the same model.

Good luck with this ...

They have agreed to refund the cost of the LCD screen, I am alright with this but I dont think I will get anywhere else with Nikon Australia....I'll bring the tech's report to the AW dinner for you to have a laugh over. At least I have a few names now so I know who to talk to next time something like this debacle happens.

[jaff]

Hi all, I am about to purchase either a D300 or a D90 and I am just wondering if anyone has had reliability issues with either of these bodies?

Rob,

Reliability is not an issue on either of these bodies. On any modern DSLR body really, truth be told.

What are your photographic needs? Which of these bodies feels more comfortable in your hands?

.

Hi Gary,

The question I posed about reliability went to grey imports, it seems the major concern that a lot of posters(beginners) had was warranty "what if's" and as you and others have pointed out the d90 and d300 are generally very reliable, as are most modern DSLR cameras, so that grey import concern (warranty) probably isn't warranted!

My needs for a DSLR are primarily for work, photographing of jewellery (macro) and the like, but as with most posters the camera will be used for capturing everything else as well, family, sport and increasingly so firefighting. So the photographic atmosphere/conditions vary from clinical to toxic, with the d300 having the better weatherproofing/sealing and offering a more robust frame I am leaning towards this model at the moment.
Having had the opportunity to handle both the d90 and the d300, both feel comfortable in my hand, with perhaps the d90 feeling like your hands wrap around the body as oppossed to the d300 where I feel like I am simply holding the body!, with both, the controls felt readily accessible, weight doesn't appear to be an issue.

Cheers Rob

[Matt. K]

D300 is the Volvo of the camera world. Just keeps on going....reliable and...did I mention...reliable.

[ATJ]

D300 is the Volvo of the camera world. Just keeps on going....reliable and...did I mention...reliable.

Oh, don't say that. Now I have to wear a hat every time I use it.

[MATT]

I never had a problem with my d200 or d300 however a little update on the d700....

It may or may not add to the discussion.

D700 sent for repair on MAY 1st 2009,dropped in by a mate.

Faults inconsistent auto focus, the D700 would not lock on in lighting that the D70s had no issues at all. Then when it would lock on, the focus seemed off , shot to shot. Also the focus indication beeper was very faint . A number of hot pixels on longer exposures.

The repairer said the autofocus could not be faulted, the pixels were a result of the long exposures but they would pixel map, however their software said it was all fine. The speaker was to be replaced.


2 months passed with we are waiting on parts. Then one day out of the blue they contacted me to say the camera and another repair I had done would be ready the next day. Good news..

Not for long, within 1/2 hour the "technician" had required another part that would take a further 2 weeks.

Finally all done and returned to me via post today..I even cut an O/T shift short to pick before the post-office closed.Good news....

Not for long, got home grabbed my charged battery and installed along with a CF card. Looking through the viewfinder, it appears to be in DX mode with Closest focus selected (all focal points in viewfinder), so I shot off an image.. All good, love that sound.

Not for long, the second image did not display. Shutter definitely fired.. then another ,same thing.. Thats odd. Reviewing the image the shutter speed fstop data is all there just no image.

So I went into the menu and double checked DX mode was set to Auto, then I set it to FX. The DX box still visible along with all the focus points even-though I've changed it to single point......

SO I tried 3 different FX lenses and even a DX just incase it was confused but no luck...I tried a different CF card just incase the non exposed image was CF corruption, however the fault continued with the new CF card..

I reset the camera ect, and tried all the usual tricks..No luck..
To top it off the diopter adjuster seems to be sticking out and is stuck and cannot be adjusted.....( I think I fixed this)
But its back in the mail for a 700klm 4day trip..They gave me a reply paid number to return. They know have it.. I wonder how long this time.

I was going to start a new thread but thought I would drop the info in here.

I have not dealt with Nikon Aus directly only the repairer.


Good luck

MATT

MATT

[aim54x]

I never had a problem with my d200 or d300 however a little update on the d700....

OUCH...I hope things go well for you. I am living with my non-faulty LCD screen that displays blotchy colours cause Nikon cant find the fault....now I wonder when my refund arrives (they have compromised and have agreed to refund the cost of the replacement LCD that I 'didnt need')

[tasadam]

I have a friend who purchased a D300 that has a problem - here is his story...

For the first time ever, I got caught buying my D300 as a parallel import with AUS warranty. The camera developed an intermittent fault/s, so it went to the repair firm in Sydney who could not find the fault/s and sent it back, it still has the problem, will not auto focus and front command wheel inoperative, so useless with a lens on it when the lenses do not have manual mode to set aperture on the lens itself. The second time I contacted the seller firm, they said they no longer had a warranty service for the camera. I contacted Nikon who said it was not covered under their International warranty because is was a sneaky import. I could send it but would be charged through the nose I guess.

It does seem though, that problems are an exception and far from the norm.
I will be buying extended warranty for my D300, as I did with my D70 in 2004 (and is still covered, and has paid for itself with a dodgy CF slot).