Z9 viewfinder issue

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Barbara

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I took my Z9 out for the first time yesterday. The viewfinder intermittently would show broken vertical white lines across the data bands at the top and bottom of the screen and the darker parts of the image. On the lighter parts of the image the lines would be more translucent, giving the appearance of looking through rippled glass. When the lines were present there usually was an extra line on one or both sides of the focus box also. I couldn't find any consistency in when these lines appeared or disappeared. Happily, the lines do not appear on any of the images themselves as saved on the card.

I have the viewfinder set to come on with the eye sensor, and the back monitor set to come on only when playback or menu is pushed. Has anyone encountered this, or have any idea what might cause it?
 
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Barbara said:
I took my Z9 out for the first time yesterday. The viewfinder intermittently would show broken vertical white lines across the data bands at the top and bottom of the screen and the darker parts of the image. On the lighter parts of the image the lines would be more translucent, giving the appearance of looking through rippled glass. When the lines were present there usually was an extra line on one or both sides of the focus box also. I couldn't find any consistency in when these lines appeared or disappeared. Happily, the lines do not appear on any of the images themselves as saved on the card.

I have the viewfinder set to come on with the eye sensor, and the back monitor set to come on only when playback or menu is pushed. Has anyone encountered this, or have any idea what might cause it?
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I can't imagine any legitimate setting that would cause the lines and the rippled glass look. I'd contact Nikon and I suspect they'll have you send the camera back in under warranty.
 
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Wes Peterson said:
Those are the shutter release indicators.
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The 'rippled glass look' and broken lines throughout the frame in the darker parts of the image?

If she was talking about vertical white lines on the left and right of the frame I'd agree but those shutter release lines shouldn't appear in the darker parts of the image.
 
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Are you using you using 2.0 firmware update? I too was thinking it is shutter indicate. However, those lines are on the edges of the frame. Another solution is to do a factory reset
 
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"The viewfinder intermittently would show broken vertical white lines across the data bands at the top and bottom of the screen"

" When the lines were present there usually was an extra line on one or both sides of the focus box also"

sounds exactly like the shutter indicators
 
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Wes Peterson said:
"The viewfinder intermittently would show broken vertical white lines across the data bands at the top and bottom of the screen"

" When the lines were present there usually was an extra line on one or both sides of the focus box also"

sounds exactly like the shutter indicators
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Not the shutter indicators. They are where they're supposed to be, and these lines are there even when I'm not shooting.
 
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No sunglasses, no cellphone. But I am going to try different settings for the viewfinder. I can't (won't) send it to Nikon before the local osprey chicks fledge this year. :)
 
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Darrellhar said:
Where the lines a color like red or were they white? Almost sounds like it could be focus peaking.
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"The viewfinder intermittently would show broken vertical white lines across the data bands at the top and bottom of the screen and the darker parts of the image. On the lighter parts of the image the lines would be more translucent, giving the appearance of looking through rippled glass. When the lines were present there usually was an extra line on one or both sides of the focus box also."
 
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Barbara said:
I took my Z9 out for the first time yesterday. The viewfinder intermittently would show broken vertical white lines across the data bands at the top and bottom of the screen and the darker parts of the image. On the lighter parts of the image the lines would be more translucent, giving the appearance of looking through rippled glass. When the lines were present there usually was an extra line on one or both sides of the focus box also. I couldn't find any consistency in when these lines appeared or disappeared. Happily, the lines do not appear on any of the images themselves as saved on the card.

I have the viewfinder set to come on with the eye sensor, and the back monitor set to come on only when playback or menu is pushed. Has anyone encountered this, or have any idea what might cause it?
Click to expand...

Lot of money and long time to wait for such a disappointing outcome. Send it back and demand refund or replacement from the front of the queue!

Comiserations, J
 
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Just to update this a bit. Today I did a full factory reset, and it did not change the VF problem at all. If anything, the weird lines seemed to be more persistent after the reset, but they did eventually go away (and reappear later). On the plus side, they never appear on the monitor or actual images, so it seems to have something to do with communication between the sensor and the EVF. I'll wait until my local osprey chicks have fledged and left the area, and then send the camera to Nikon. Not a good thing to have happen, but not the worst either.
 
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Barbara said:
Just to update this a bit. Today I did a full factory reset, and it did not change the VF problem at all. If anything, the weird lines seemed to be more persistent after the reset, but they did eventually go away (and reappear later). On the plus side, they never appear on the monitor or actual images, so it seems to have something to do with communication between the sensor and the EVF. I'll wait until my local osprey chicks have fledged and left the area, and then send the camera to Nikon. Not a good thing to have happen, but not the worst either.
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Is it right when you shoot? Is it those "release timing indicators"?
 
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Final update: The osprey chicks fledged (and I got several hours with them, the Z9, and a 600mm f/4), so I sent the camera off to Nikon. It came back in just over a week, and the problem seems to be resolved. The usual near-silence from them on what they found, but the repair tag does say they replaced the eyepiece. (Not the rubber cup, but the glass part.) I guess that's all it was. Just $13 for shipping it to them, but $63 for the shipping insurance. I wonder if the eyepiece is user-replaceable? Anyway, glad to have it back. Now if I could get an 800 PF by the time the cranes arrive around here.
 
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