Nikon D200 problems, part 3

Unfortunately, again problems with my Nikon D200 body. This time it is visible in the the raw -images already.

There was noticed strange banding all over the image area. Narrow stripes are located closely to each other. In a portrait image, stripes are visible as horizontally. The phenomenon gets worse, when the camera is exposed to low temperatures, like -20C and below that. I am not sure, is this a typical behavior for D200.

Two images attached, lower one is scaled from original to 800pix in height. Banding is only slightly visible. Upper image is direct crop in the middle of image, without scaling.

Nikon D200 problems, part 2

Today I picked up my D200 camera from the service. It was a positive surprise to me... It has been repaired for free of charge.

Mirror mechanics had been replaced and adjusted. Also cleaning and camera final testing was included. Firmware was updated to version 2.00. When I looked the info leaflet, more was about to come... Also there was following items replaced, and again free of charge (!)

-grip rubber unit
-I/F side rubber unit
-bottom cover rubber unit
-front body unit
-rear rubber unit

During repairing, I told also to find out total shutter count. It was 3926 images, since I bought camera at 03/2006. Not very much... I should start using my camera more often.

Thanks goes to Nikon and JAS Tekniikka for a good service !

Nikon D200 problems, part1

Recently my Nikon D200 stopped to work. When exposing it for couple of hours to low temps, about -10C or colder, mirror does not return anymore into its original position. Another press of shutter returns mirror. No image was the saved to CF-card, upper LCD shows "Err" -text.

Today I finally had time to leave D200 to service at JAS-Tekniikka. Estimate of total service costs, that made 39 euros. More on that, at next week...

Nikon EH-6 secrets, part1

NOTE / DISCLAIMER:
Opening the covers of the EH-6 power supply, exposes parts with high voltage. So there is actual risk of electric shock, dangerous to your health. I have checked information in this article. I do not take any responsibility of the actual information, the correctness of information, or misusage of it. If you have any feedback, please inform me.

This "cracking project" started when I bought a external power supply for my Nikon D200 camera. The only available model was the EH-6 supply (by Nikon, that propably explains the price tag). For astro photography there also was a need to use D200 directly from the "non-Nikon" DC supply. The current / voltage specs needed for that were same as in EH-6, i.e. 13.5V 5A. Also there was a need to know pin purpose for low voltage connector (that mates the D200 body).

So I decided to "sacrifice" my EH-6 product quarantee, and open the covers... There was most propably SMPS -type power supply inside (based on the small size of heat sink and the high voltage electrolytic capacitor). On the left side, low voltage output cable connects to Nikon D200 (red / black wires).

I measured the DC voltage on the output. It was 13.66V, when supply was not connected to D200. After connecting supply to camera and swithing on it, the voltage dropped to 13.65V. Red wire carries the positive voltage (I call it as "VCC") and black wire is for the ground connection ("GND"). After measuring the voltages on the secondary side of EH-6 supply, it looks that pins have following purpose:

The "NC" stands for "not connected". This is because I did not found any voltage on this pin. I measured the resistance also towards the other pins, no connection found. If this "NC" pin has some other purpose, that I do not know (if you have info, please let me know). The respective pins on the Nikon D200 body are:

Again the "NC" pin was named on the D200 body. This is a pin that I am not sure, where is used to (if you have info, please let me know). The following is a situation where I feed D200 power from the external adjustable DC supply. Voltage reading (13.58V) is on the upper left, and current (0.29A) on the right. Typically the camera drains 0.3A, when swithed on and back TFT display is on. During long "bulb" exposures, the drawn current was about 0.6A. This is two times the "average" value. Current drain is especially important factor (if the camera is used only by batteries)

Conclusion:
What I will do with my EH-6 supply ? For the moment, I'll leave it like it was. If I am not able to find the Nikon specific power supply connector electronics stores, I propably need to cut the secondary wire in half. And to install some suitable good quality two-pole locking connector there inbetween. That would allow to use EH-6 and leave also possibility to power D200 with suitable "non-Nikon" DC-supply.