Mirror Staying Up On D300

[iflynething]

Just last night, I was having problems with my D300. I thought it was the aperture ring getting stuck but instead of the viewfinder just being dim, I was getting a completely dark viewfinder.

I am at an event today and once taking the lens off, I can see that the mirror is getting stuck in the up position. I am not able to use the viewfinder. I can take the lens off and "take" a couple of pictures and the mirror will return to its normal position but once I have the lens back on and take 1 picture, it will stay in the up position.

Take your camera apart and looking with the mirror in the up position, the first indentions on either side, it looks like the left one is a little bent but I don't know if that's the issue here.

As I said, it will get stuck in the up position and there is actually resistance when I try to pull it back down, like it's supposed to be up. Once I have the lens off and take press the shutter release and the mirror goes down, the resistance is when I try to pull the mirror up, exact opposite. I don't see how that can change. I'm thinking it might actually have something to do with the aperture mechanism that actually makes the aperture open and close. When I press that all the way down (the "lever" on the left of the camera when it's facing you) the mirror is alright and will return to it's bottom position.

If you have any advice, please let me know. More than likely, I'm going to have to send it to Nikon, might as well get my camera and 70-200 cleaned and aligned in the process but I might be able to fix something before sending off, that'd be great. I have a D80 as a back-up, but it ain't no D300

Edit: I just was looking at my D80 which would be built pretty much the same. I held down the aperture mechanism on the camera and the mirror returns to the down position where as on the D300 when I hold the aperture mechanism down, the mirror stays up. Think it has some lube problems in there? I'm not sure how everything works inside.

~Michael~

 

[Garbz]

One and the other aren't necessarily mechanically coupled. Diagnosing a fault with the mirror return should rarely be done by looking at a completely separate system. Especially since there should never be any force on the aperture lever at all. It's an actuator not a sensor.

Time to send it off to repair I think, though it does sound like a warranty job.

 

[ann]

Could you have put the mirror lock up function in place? Just a thought, but i am not sure the 300 has that function, but it is an option to consider.

 

[KmH]

If Mup isn't set, it's broken.

Off to the repair shop with it, either Nikon USA Service or a Nikon authorized repair shop closer to you:

Nikon Authorized Repair List

KEH.com also does a good job on repairs.

 

[iflynething]

If Mup isn't set, it's broken.

Off to the repair shop with it, either Nikon USA Service or a Nikon authorized repair shop closer to you:

Nikon Authorized Repair List

KEH.com also does a good job on repairs.

Thanks for the links. I used to work at Wolf Camera and we did repairs on all camera but ill probably send it directly to Nikon. I'm sure the turn around time would be faster.

If its a warranty repair, is warranty 5 years on bodies? I bought it second hand from someone I still have contact with but don't think there is a receipt or date of purchase. I have about 80,000 shots taken with it. But they go by years, not by shutter counts

~Michael~

What's cleaning costs normally on a camera and 70-200 lens?

Michael~

 

[KmH]

Warranty on bodies is only 12 months here in the US, and only to the original owner.

US serial number lenses get a warranty extension from 1, to 5 years when the lens is registered with Nikon.

The last time I sent a camera to Nikon USA service they had it 6 weeks.

The last quote I got from Nikon USA that was for cleaning (a D1x, no lens) was for over $400.

APS in IL got the work instead.

 

[iflynething]

Warranty on bodies is only 12 months here in the US, and only to the original owner.

US serial number lenses get a warranty extension from 1, to 5 years when the lens is registered with Nikon.

The last time I sent a camera to Nikon USA service they had it 6 weeks.

The last quote I got from Nikon USA that was for cleaning (a D1x, no lens) was for over $400.

APS in IL got the work instead.

I figured that's what the warranty stuff was. It's definitly been longer than 12 months because I have had the body for longer than a year. I don't want to wait 6 weeks. I might have to take it up to Charlotte to the authorized repair center I found.

~Michael~

 

[dmajor]

this has happened to me so many times and it is so frustrating and an easy fix! There are countless people on blogs that have reported the same problem. I my case, I accidentally turn the dial where the live view "LV" and timer are located (over by the QUAL, WB & ISO dial) to the "Mup and press the shutter." This LOCKS the mirror up and stays there!!! Just dial it back to that Mup and hit the shutter once and then twice, usually does it, and turn the dial back to the setting you like (S, Cl, Ch or whatever) and the mirror will RELEASE!

 

[Garbz]

In the two years since the problem has been reported our unfortunate friend would have either fixed the problem or given up on photography altogether and traded his life in for the simple life of a monk in Tibet.