z9 Failure

If you would like to post, you'll need to register. Note that if you have a BCG store account, you'll need a new, separate account here (we keep the two sites separate for security purposes).

Status
Not open for further replies.
Member's gallery
Dennis Gray said:
Last weekend my z9 and three other z9 Nikons at the Velocity Invitational vintage car races at LaGuna Seca Monterey Ca all failed. 1. View finder went black. 2. Rear screen froze. 2. off button failed. 3. i Button failed. And so on. For awhile Fri and Sat I removed the battery to restart the body. Saturday night I used the two green buttons to reset to Factory settings. Only partially successful. By late Sunday it was a brick. A dead brick. On down loading the images I found a number of images numbered out of sequence. A few had duplicate file numbers with -2 added to the file number. Nikon now has my z9 and Bill Wagenblatt’s z9. Bill took delivery of his the Wednesday before the event my z9 was two months old. Both updated. Comments???
Click to expand...
I had my Z9 on a tripod with the 70-200mm lens
The lens collar must have become loos in the bag and it came loose.
The Z9 and lens fell almost 2 feet onto my bag.
I've had other Nikons take bigger knocks but this one broke the mount away on the camera body...🦘
 
Member's gallery
Dennis Gray said:
When I hear back from Nikon on my z9 i’ll post the answer here. Would like to know if other z9 owners have had similar problems? Maybe not to the extent of shutting the camera down but still losing some features. I will forward any answers onto Nikon NPS.
Many thanks for the help…
Click to expand...
I have only had mine for a week. Was shooting small bursts (maybe .5 sec each) not stressing anything and it locked up on me 3 times that day. Using Delkin black card, fw 2.11, raw. Haven't tried since updating to fw 3.
thanks!
Mitch
 
Member's gallery
Yellow-1900 said:
On my first real shooting with the Z9 in Alaska I had similar issues with the Z9:

At least for three times the camera was frozen and I have to remove the battery to get the camera on track.

While shooting I was reviewing my picture for details and histogram when I was returning I lost the focus field and I have to either switch off the camera or changing the focus typ in some cases I have to remove the battery.

After switching from eye detection auto to animal the issues are gone.

Another reason for „froze the camera“ my be a firmware issues with the memory card? I am using Angelbird card and there is a specific FW version required according Angelbird. I have to check the FW versions next time.

I have to check a couple of more hints from my NPS (Munich) to get more in detail of that behavior.

Hopefully this helps
Click to expand...
I have had mine for just a week. I seem to have experienced something similar to you but I was using single point focus, a Delkin black card, fw 2.11.
 
Member's gallery
John Navitsky said:
i have a new theory based on the new "full format" feature in the 3.0 fw. media card corruption. the one thing that is common among all the cameras is... they were taking more images than they normally do. this uses more of the card increasing the changes they will trip over bad sectors.

the full format likely will reduce the risk because it'll format the entire card, not just the catalog and thus hit any potential bad sectors and take them out of service.

just a thought
Click to expand...
Granted bad blocks would cause a crash but would not account for duplicate filenames and turning it into a brick. Any file system errors should be resolved by replacing/formatting the card.
 
Member's gallery
Dennis Gray said:
Last weekend my z9 and three other z9 Nikons at the Velocity Invitational vintage car races at LaGuna Seca Monterey Ca all failed. 1. View finder went black. 2. Rear screen froze. 2. off button failed. 3. i Button failed. And so on. For awhile Fri and Sat I removed the battery to restart the body. Saturday night I used the two green buttons to reset to Factory settings. Only partially successful. By late Sunday it was a brick. A dead brick. On down loading the images I found a number of images numbered out of sequence. A few had duplicate file numbers with -2 added to the file number. Nikon now has my z9 and Bill Wagenblatt’s z9. Bill took delivery of his the Wednesday before the event my z9 was two months old. Both updated. Comments???
Click to expand...
My two month old Z9 is numbering frames out of sequence when doing focus shift shooting. An online chat with Nikon provided zero help.
 
Member's gallery
abc123brian said:
It is odd enough that multiple Z9s going down at the same event, but it sounds like the issues began at nearly the same time. As odd as it sounds, it seems like the cause had to be an external factor, perhaps one of the cars on the track emitting electrical pulses or something affecting electronics. It would have to be a crazy coincidence that all these cameras, purchased at different times, experienced the same failures, at the same event, at the same time. Were there any other photographers there using different equipment and if so are you aware if they experienced any issues?
Click to expand...
One could also say that the cameras were being used in the same way with similar/same settings. being stressed in the same way. The cars would be rounding the corner at the same time, with camera bursts lasting for about the same time, so all of the conditions were the same for each camera.
 
Member's gallery
Except:
1. The z9s were not close together for the most part but at different parts of the two mile up hill down hill track.
2. I doubt that Bill, Tod and I had the same settings. I would go from f11 to f16 and 1/40 to 1/500 second. But once the problems started I narrowed my speeds to 1/16o to 1/25o second to insure usable images.
3. I was stuck in 3D with vehicle id. The z9 would not let me change.
I’ll be shooting a z9 this week in Austin. Let’s see what happens.
Dennis
 
Member's gallery
Dennis Gray said:
When I hear back from Nikon on my z9 i’ll post the answer here. Would like to know if other z9 owners have had similar problems? Maybe not to the extent of shutting the camera down but still losing some features. I will forward any answers onto Nikon NPS.
Many thanks for the help…
Click to expand...
I have been using my Z9 since February and all work perfectly until now. No problems at all. I feel in this case lucky
 
Member's gallery
I received my Z9 in January. I had a few lockups prior to FW 2.11 that I assumed was my fault by pressing some odd combination of buttons by accident as I was repositioning the camera. In all cases turning off the power switch and waiting 30 long seconds (or so) the camera would click (I presume the dust shield closing) and the top LCD would return to its minimized "off" display. I could then turn on the camera and all was normal for another week or so.
After FW 2.11 was released I was pleased to think that the issue would be cured. A week or so later I knew otherwise. I had a few more lockups with one lasting about two minutes with the switch in the off position so reluctantly I pulled the battery. Fortunately, re-inserting the battery cured the issue for the moment. I've had a few more lockups but didn't need to remove the battery.
Being in Canada, with a "Canadian" Z9, I contacted Nikon Canada Service. They're not being especially helpful saying 1) they don't have much to go on since I can't tell them what causes the problem, 2) I'm the only one with this problem since FW 2.11, 3) I should expect it since the shutter count is near 500,000 so there is significant wear on the camera (?), and 4) I should send it, the lens, and the TC I was using to them to look at. They qualify that with "There is probably nothing we can do since you can't tell us what causes the problem."
Like others have suggested, I'm thinking the problem may have something to do with some odd combination of button/control manipulation, maybe in combination with movement of the camera. It seems that every time I've experienced the lockups I was moving the camera to either chimp or to go from vertical to horizontal (of horizontal to vertical).
I’ve used only Nikon recommended cards, Nikon batteries, and Nikon glass. I never use GPS/WiFi/Bluetooth; they are all turned off. The vast majority of my photos with the Z9, and every time it locked up I was in an area with heavy media equipment and very close to a cell tower. I’m sure there was a lot of radio noise of some sort.
Still, I love the camera!
 
Member's gallery
I have just got my z9 back from NikonUSA. I’ll get the sheet listing whatever they did to the z9 Monday. I’ll post as soon as I get it. I mistakenly left it with Samy’s when I picked up my z9. Bill will have his back mid week. He tells me he will do the same with posting any info from Nikon.
I have updated to 3.0. I’ll be shooting this afternoon and tomorrow. I want to get a handle on 3.o before I leave Wednesday for a shoot in Austin Tx. I will keep this site posted. Good luck to all those z9s out there. Dennis
 
Member's gallery
Dennis Gray said:
I have just got my z9 back from NikonUSA. I’ll get the sheet listing whatever they did to the z9 Monday. I’ll post as soon as I get it. I mistakenly left it with Samy’s when I picked up my z9. Bill will have his back mid week. He tells me he will do the same with posting any info from Nikon.
I have updated to 3.0. I’ll be shooting this afternoon and tomorrow. I want to get a handle on 3.o before I leave Wednesday for a shoot in Austin Tx. I will keep this site posted. Good luck to all those z9s out there. Dennis
Click to expand...
Thanks for sticking with all of these participants in various ways. Really interested in your today experience and the repair items list. I've an african Safari trip coming up soon. Z9 with back ups Z7II and Z6II but could substitute one with D850.
 
Member's gallery
I sold my z7II but will be using my son’s z6II as backup in Austin. Will purchase another z9 after the first of the year. The images are really nice. Nikon will get a handle on this freezing problem and will probably never announce what the underlying problems were. Last see what 3.o produces. DG
 
Member's gallery
Last Sunday, 10/23, while shooting my Z9 had the viewfinder go black, rear LCD was black totally non-responsive. Removed the battery and reinstalled and it started working just fine. Does not appear to have lost any shots.
 
Member's gallery
This appears to be a “normal” z9 occurrence. Bill Wagenblatt’s continued until he could not bring it back. I shut mine down before it bricked out but still it was frozen. One or two questions: 1. What lens? 2. Continuous or single exposure? 3. Updated to what series? 4. Read through all the pertinent postings above then contact Nikon. Give them a list if your settings. Good luck. DG
 
Member's gallery
Steve said:
Dennis sent the message he posted above to me and I encoraged him to post it here to see if his issues were isolated or others were having issues as well. Below is my response to him.

It’s funny - my Z9 froze yesterday while shooting BIFs. Battery removal got it back on track. I hadn’t had a lockup in awhile, but I also haven’t been shooting a lot of BIF lately. I wonder if it happens when the camera is hitting the buffer really hard. The images that I took just prior to lockup never made it to the card and were lost. In addition, the camera reverted back to previous shutter speed / ISO settings too (I was in full manual). Weird.
Click to expand...
I've had mine since almost day 1 of release, so an early production model. I've used the pre-shot at 30fps and 100fps for thousands of images a day, and not once has the Z9 even hiccuped! I guess I better knock on wood now! lol
 
Member's gallery
Just tossing this out there....
The Z 9's latest firmware update seems to be a pretty extensive one, with that you have two photographers shooting the same event so their styles / combinations were probably close to the same I would bet the firmware has an issue. Also looking around the web there is talk of different issues with this latest update, not anything that turns it into a brick........Yet!
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1779913/55 (3D issue/bug)
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/66574415 (3D issue/bug)
 
Member's gallery
StarDust said:
My Z9 got bricked while FW update.

Nikon replaced the mother board on their account.

I have seen quite few bricked on DP forum. All of them during FW update except one which was out of the blue.

I am not a heavy user but I have not seen any odd behavior since then.
Click to expand...


I DON'T DO ANY FIRMWARE UPDATES myself

get it wrong you can easily damage the mother board requiring a replacement board, or it can introduce bugs that can compound.

Going back to previous firmware versions often are fixes, like your phone a full reformat and reload firmware updates that remove or fix corrupted files.

Not so easy with the Z9, if something went wrong during any update process

there is a very hi chance the mother board can have issues requiring a new mother board.

What I am saying may not be directly related or an explanation to the current failure topic in this forum re Z9 issues, I mean that issue it could be a host of different things, Battery's, power supply capacity, software ??? who knows.

What ever the issue, history has shown when the industry embraced manufacturing in or from China directly or indirectly when we all experienced terrible product QC issues, NIKON out of all of them stood by its customers the best and took the hit big time to support us.

I usually hold of on getting Nikon to do my updates for several months first.


Only an opinion
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top