Problems with my Nikon d70s

[hopefulphoto]

I bought my Nikon d70s with the 18-70mm zoom lens in January 2006. I never had any problems with it until these past few months, actually! I began to notice the corners were beginning to darken (vignetting) and debris began to show up on the CCD. Here's a couple of examples of what I'm talking about: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v5...al&media=image

I went back to the store where I had bought the camera and explained what was going on. Basically, they just said they'd have to bring it back to Nikon and who knows how long that process would take. I tried to explain to them that I need my camera and I can't wait 3 weeks, or months, or however long it'll take to fix the camera. He then explained to me that Nikon can send a replacement camera but those are usually just the point and shoot ones. I wanted to laugh right there. I've already got a Nikon Coolpix P4...no need for another point and shoot camera! I need my DSLR! I'm fed up with the store and I'm basically getting no where. Can anyone offer any suggestions? I stopped by a local camera repair shop too and asked them what they thought. They had never seen anything like this on the d70s and had never received any complaints about the camera or the 18-70mm lens provided with the pkg.

I'm tempted to contact Nikon Canada themselves and explain my situation but I'm really fed up and don't want to hear the same story "Sorry, but you'll have to send it the camera with the original receipt in order to get it fixed. No guarantee on when you'll get it back, though!" Help!!!

[jorgemonkey]

Welcome to the site!

Your image link isn't working, if you were able to get the correct link, we could all see the image and try to help ya out

[another view]

Dust happens. I'm assuming this is what the problem is because it happens to everyone. Whenever you change lenses on a digital SLR, there's always a chance that dust will get inside the mirror box and will eventually find it's way to the sensor. Even if this is your only lens, just removing it and re-attaching it can do this. The lens just has to be off the body a time or two for this to happen. First step is prevention - change lenses quickly and point the camera down (so gravity is working for you). When you do get dust (not if, btw) then try blowing it out with a bulb - but not compressed air. I use a Giottos rocket air blower and got it at B&H. Follow the cleaning mode instructions and you should get almost all, if not all of it out.

The vignetting around the corners of the images could be happening from attaching an incorrect lens hood or filters. The best hood for any lens is the dedicated one (the one by the manufacturer specifically made for a lens). An 18mm lens is pretty wide and may cause darkening with even just one filter. Are you using either of the two of these accessories?

[hopefulphoto]

Here's the link, hope it works!
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v504/jrenter/camera/

I don't use a lens hood (camera came with one but I haven't put it on) and I had a filter on the lens but I took it off and the vignetting was still there. :cryin:

[jorgemonkey]

Is it the Nikon 18-70 ED kit lens? If so, I got one when I bought my D70, and I noticed that I was getting some vignetting even without using the lens hod at the 18mm mark even without any filters on it. You might want to try shooting at about the 50mm mark, and then the 70mm mark. If the vignetting is still there, then I'm out of ideas. Otherwise its the same problem I had with that lens. I don't think there's really anything to fix that- before I got a chance to find out if I could fix that problem with my lens, it did a swan dive onto concrete :cryin:

The dust spot is just either dust on the lens, or on your CCD. I would use a blower brush and check the lens first, and if its clean then you'll need to clean the CCD. Like Another View said, you're gonna get dust while changing lenses, and you'll just need to blow the air off. You can follow his instructions since they work good for cleaning off your CCD. But remember, DO NOT use canned air or touch the CCD, you can make the problem much worse.

[freygr]

Form your photos, you do have something on the IR filter (there is an piece of glass in front of the photo sensor that is an IR filter). In the D70 menu there is a mirror lock-up. Take off the lense an use lense brush to brush of the dust after locking up the mirror. The user manual tells you how to do this.

The vignetting, does the vignetting only happens at the wide end (18mm) or through out the zoom? You said that you don't use the lense hood, out door in bright sun it is needed, the 18-70mm lense can give you some very bad lense flare. I had to stop and retake one photo of a mail box because of the lense flare! Yes I have notice some light drop off on the corners of my 18-70mm lense but not anywere as bad as your examples!

[hopefulphoto]

Yes, it's the 18-70mm lens that is included with the d70s kit. The vignetting only happens at 18mm. I noticed it a couple months ago...it was REALLY bad (worse than the pics actually!)...it almost looked like something was obstructing the view, you know what I mean? It had this huge black gash through the corner.

[jacekwojt]

Hi There,

I wonder if anyone can help me with this. I bought my Nikon D70 kit 6 months ago in Hong Kong. Till now everything was working excellent but a few weeks ago I was making pictures during the sunrise and I had to use the Manual Focus. After switching back to Auto I've noticed that it doesn't focus on landscapes and farhter objects on the 18mm mark.
Right now I'm unable to shoot any buildings or landscapes. I don't know what happened. I'm travelling at the moment in South East Asia and I can't take it to any service shop.
Any ideas???? Please help.
P.s. I'm not occuring these problems with the sigma fisheye lense I have with me.