I have been getting several problems...never thought to have them sent to repair but wish I had because the warranty just ran out. Everyone told me my technique must be bad but then I tested a pro-quality 70-200 and images were not focused as they were in the viewfinder. 20 years of experience sports and other, and this is the results upon experimentation: Images are totally crisp, although rotated, when I put my old film lenses on the camera...however I must alter the focus slightly blurry to get them crisp in the recording. No matter which lens new or old, images are rotated slightly. I thought the distance to sensor had slightly wrong distance to sensor, which would make autofocus impossible and manual focus would require my compensating. Hard to explain to a client in the moment that I have to re-do shots! I didn't realize the gravity of the situation for a while. Now I'm finding other people having "alignment" issues...otherwise a great camera but needs repair to this quality control or design issue, or the garbage can. Honestly, I've been using this camera body for a year and I don't think it was ever accurate, now that I've been testing other brands & models to replace it with.

Suan said:
I have my d5100 that before this which function normally . Out of sudden, the images that I viewed in the viewfinder were not same as what I get after releasing my shutter..the images I got were all moved up lots, I mean its degree have been tilted up...what actually happen? Must send for repair? I am very annoying with this trouble which make me view Live...
.

HI; problem occurs with any lens used.

Hi there,

Interesting issue. Have you tried to examine it with other nikon lenses? Is it the kit lens that you use?

Yup. Same problem here. For a while I thought it was something I was doing when pressing the shutter button, but I've since tried with a remote and I'm absolutely positive the viewfinder is tilted on mine. My photos all come out needing to be rotated ~1-2 degrees counter clockwise.

HI, new here but long time photog and recently added Nikon gear to my kit.

I've been really enjoying the IQ of the low cost little D5100 I picked up last fall but the thing drives me nuts because the final image does not line up with the viewfinder.

If I set the left most and rightmost AF points in the viewfinder along a straight edge, that edge should be perfectly horizontal in the shot and also in live view.

I align my shot, then have to remember to rotate the camera body about 1 degree CW to get things level in the final file. Or slow down even more and use a tripod and live view.
I just find this very annoying! 1 degree off can be quite noticeable in some shots.
For reference, that means I have to adjust the tilt of the camera so the outermost AF points in the viewfinder are no longer exactly lined up with the reference line. The left AF point needs to be about half its height above the line, the rightmost AF point needs to be about half its height below the line, then I can get the reference line to be close enough to being aligned with the resulting image. That also equals about 3/8" over a 2 foot line.

Those of you using D5100s, have you noticed this same issue with your cameras? Of course, you may have to specifically check for it, then, upon discovering it, become similarly disappointed this otherwise great little tool may be slightly flawed. 8-\

Of about 15 SLRs I recently tested, mostly Canons and a couple Nikon models, only the D5100s, five of which I've tested, gave me results that were tilted up to 1 degree CW.
Of the five D5100s tested, one was nearly spot-on, one was off just a little, and the other 3 were off nearly 1 degree. All were rotated CW.

Considering that I'v also read of some people having AF issues with this camera, I'm wondering if there may be some slop in the mirror system or overall mirror-box component alignment that may be contributing to this.

I've taken close-up photos of the mirror box, mirror up and down, and tried to locate any misalignments using basic software tricks. Closest I'd found was the mirror frame, when it was up and therefore irrelevant, was tilted about half the angle of the experienced problem. It's really hard to tell if there's any tilt to it in the normal down position.

Your thoughts, commiserations and comments are requested. I'd like to get a feel for what proportion of D5100s may be affected before I consider sending mine in for a possible warranty fix.

Outside of a Giotto Rocket I don't touch the sensor I let a shop with insurance do that. There is nothing to mess up with the mirror - I even used my t-shirt to clean it (carefully though). Focus screen is not that bad. The big thing is to use either plastic or better yet nylon tools so they don't scratch anything.

Many shops will do a cleaning for $10 if it is not a sensor. It takes them a whole 5 minutes.

I did raise the mirror for clean-up and blew some air with the standard blow pump. I will look at both the mirror and focusing screen with a loupe. But I am indeed very uneasy at playing inside, even removing the screen even if this is said to be safe.

I'll read more online and youtube to educate myself.

Are those mirror wipes (Q-tip looking) a good investment or better left to pros. Do I need Eclipse 1 or Eclipse 2 for the D7000 sensor, something about oxide coating?

Guys

I am afraid of messing with the mirror.

sensors you can clean

focusing screens can be removed, and cleaned or changed, however, mirrors usually end up with the camera going in for repairs

I agree with TTJ something on the focusing screen or mirror, use a loupe to look at the mirror, if it is dirty, live with it or send it in to be cleaned.

use only a blower on the mirror, nothing else. I have not gone after the focusing screen on my D7000 as yet, it was easy to do on the F3 as the whoe top came off easily.

You can actually remove the focus screen if you are very careful (use gloves). It just sounds like you got some dirt somewhere in there or even on your mirror.

Just would like to add on an issue I just came across.

I have a D7000 and what seems to be dust appeared on a picture of a blue/cloudy sky.

I could could see the spots on the picture on my computer and in the view finder, but not in live view mode. I cleaned both my UV filter and front lens, then back lens, then the view finder, but the spots remain in the view finder. I Changed lens and I still get the spots in the view finder. Then I used the blow pump and blew some air on the sensor.

The dust is gone from the test pictures I took from a white wall, a piece of light blue fabric and a milky white blue sky. The dust seems to be gone from the pictures, but are still at the same spot on the view finder. How weird is that?

Any ideas?

Thanks,

If you want to have a practice, might I recommend your local Costco? They never seem to mind people buggering up their stock!

Hi,

A very long time ago, I _had to clean_ an SLR's mirror, and it was a terrible mess before, and while it was 'cleaner', it had to be replaced later. I'm sure technology is better. Just saying...

My best,

Mike

I can make a little video if you want.

Thanks for fast reply,
I was more concerned on the viewfinder part of dirt, which is realy annoying,
if its that hard to clean mirror, i'll leave it as is (on mirror is really 3x or less of dirt).
I'll use cotton stick to clean it. Thanks for advice.
I just asked here because in all-companies forum a guy wiped with a finger over that mirror above glass part, and he somehow destroyed focus points and so on. (C*non)

Thanks everybody for poping up

If it does not affect the final picture , leave it alone, thats all that matters, so clean the sensor, leave the rest alone, it only in your mind.

If it really bothers you, and you insist that you must clean your mirror, then use the following procedure:

remove the battery, remove the cards, remove the lens[of course] load the dishwasher with double amount the recommend of DAWN dishwashing liquid.

Place the camera wih the mirrow facing down, this is important to allow the water to not collect in the body, let the machine run through its cycle with double rinse.

Use this time to go browsing on line for a good deal on a new D3s, D700 or D7000.

Works all the time, you end up with a new camera with no dust, smudges or dirt.

Get a lens that's full of fungus and go diving with your dishwasher camera, it will amaze your friends.

TIP : always change you lenses only when you have to and in a dust free enviroment.

Cleaning the focusing screen is not a big deal. I replaced mine with a better Nikon screen a few weeks ago. The screens can scratch easy, but using a cloth shouldn't be an issue.

The mirror on the other hand,....you are playing a Hand of Poker with the Devil,...and you just might lose!

the basic rule for the mirror is don't touch it, as it is front coated and easy to damage (unlike the sensor, which you can clean carefully).

As for the viewfinder box, i clean mine all the time and have talked about how to do so on here in the past. Just use a cotton tip and gently wipe the spots on the glass (the glass up the top above the mirror). the glass has swirls on it and seems to catch dust easily. If you can't get the spots off with a cue tip you can soak the end with lens cleaner and try again, it can be hard to get streaks off though, and is a bit hard to get dry. It's just a piece of glass and it really is easy to clean.

OK
A (quick) revival from past.
But i rather do forum search before i post new topic. (according to rules)
I use D7000 - I spotted a piece of dirt on mirror (small but not really small parts of dust), another on that glassy part above ("focus screen"?) - both are on visibile part, nothing went behind the glass. Through viewfinder i see kinda small part of it (lower left corner of focusing part, right in corner), and the other one is visibile with eye on mirror

I have no clue how to remove those, where should i start? i guess i could try to blow in first, but as said above, compressed air isn't good for it?

Also, the earbrushes probably aren't fine to try out, yep?
I'll try to slap up a picture describing my problem
Thanks for replies and sorry for reviving almost year old topic...
(PS if you have any clue where to buy those swabs, or i rather not touch the mirror and that part of glass above untill its really time to repair? Also, sometime there IS a kind of Nikon meeting where they do free glass cleaning, i guess i could wait half of year or such to get there?)

P.S.S: water isn't burning (normal phrase which tells that i'm not in a hurry to clean this out)

jonnyapple said:I would think it would be better for the metering system to have a uniformly silvered mirror

Aye, unless the meter was aware of its "blind spots".

The more I look the more it appears my understanding (if one can call it that) of the AF "windows" is mistaken (for the reasons you state) unless the windows are quite thin.

As for universally silvered or not, what is the human threshold of perception re:light? With audio 1/10th of a dB is subconsciously perceived, but it really takes about 1 dB (roughly a third of a stop) for conscious awareness of change. Meaning if you saw the focus screen with you ears (lol) any viewfinder unevenness of a third of a stop or less would be invisible to most all people if looking at a flat field, and likely as much as a half stop or more if looking at anything with texture.

Continuing our conversation here: http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=3064#post-51863

I'm certain that the mirror is silvered everywhere, but I'm not sure that the transmission is the same everywhere (It looks like it probably is the same everywhere, though). I know the mirror is silvered everywhere because the focus screen is what you see and not the AF sensor when looking in without a lens mounted. I would think it would be better for the metering system to have a uniformly silvered mirror (and no one wants a dark central area in their viewfinder). If it isn't uniformly silvered, I can tell no difference between the AF window and other places in terms of reflectance (but then, I've got eyes with a non-linear response so I don't trust myself).

fisherman10 said:
is this a good time for me to send it for warranty asap?

Indy beat me to it but, yes, I'd send it in.

fisher, to me unless you really need the camera right now i would send it in to be looked at if this is happening as often as it sounds in your message.

oh noooo

looks like i'm having a problem somewhat similar. at fast shutter speeds, i'm getting a lock up. it's like the mirror flips up but it doesnt complete the cycle. it happens randomly but quite frequently especially above 1/800. when this happens, i get an Err at the top LCD and I have to press the shutter button again to bring it back to it's original position so that i can snap again.

is this a good time for me to send it for warranty asap?

Can you post a picture?