Nikon F5 power issues-dead camera

Guydio · Oct 28, 2019

Are there any Nikon f5 owners out there that have has power issues or had the camera repaired owing to insufficient power supply?

I've acquired two F5 bodies, one powers up, meters, lcd and prism info all there but it just clicks when you try and focus or take a photo. The second body just refuses to power up at all even after swapping over the battery tray from the other partially working camera and cleaning up all the contacts.

I know there's lots posted about the battery tray contacts corroding and the type and brand of battery etc. but I've cleaned mine thoroughly inside the camera too, and I'm using lithium aa batteries to no avail.

I was hoping someone may have a story about a faulty dcdc board, fuse etc that pops as there seems to be lots of dead F5 cameras up for grabs online?

shutterfinger · Oct 28, 2019

When you press the power check button try and fire the shutter, if he battery check lights go out the batteries likely are too weak to run the camera. My F4s pauses on frame advance even though the battery check shows them good.
I had an MD15 that failed and replacing the battery holder cured the problem even though the contacts were clean and tested good with both Voltage and ohms test, it would not provide the correct current.

I would connect an amp meter and see how much current if any is being drawn and that the battery holder will supply sufficient current.
You can download the factory service manual for the F5 at http://arcticwolfs.net/

Reading through the service manual it states that the holders are designed not to operate if the or a battery is installed incorrectly. Likely a diode but could be a chip, suspect a failure here or at the switch(s).

Chan Tran · Oct 28, 2019

Stupid question but do you use new batteries?

Chan Tran · Oct 28, 2019

shutterfinger said:
When you press the power check button try and fire the shutter, if he battery check lights go out the batteries likely are too weak to run the camera. My F4s pauses on frame advance even though the battery check shows them good.
I had an MD15 that failed and replacing the battery holder cured the problem even though the contacts were clean and tested good with both Voltage and ohms test, it would not provide the correct current.

I would connect an amp meter and see how much current if any is being drawn and that the battery holder will supply sufficient current.
You can download the factory service manual for the F5 at http://arcticwolfs.net/

Reading through the service manual it states that the holders are designed not to operate if the or a battery is installed incorrectly. Likely a diode but could be a chip, suspect a failure here or at the switch(s).

I have the dummy battery so I can power my F5 with external power and thus I can measure the current draw. When advancing film the F5 draws a little over 1A.

guangong · Oct 29, 2019

By never advancing beyond F and F2, I have avoided such problems with Nikons for over 50 years. You are lucky if camera malfunction occurred at home. Whenever I have used PhD cameras, they inevitably die while using in the field with no alternative at hand.
Probably a good idea to read repair manual, even if you don’t do the work yourself. I bought the Haynes auto repair manual for all my cars and found it helpful when discussing repairs with mechanic, giving the impression that I knew more than I do about car. Mechanics seem to be a little more conscientious . This strategy doesn’t work with modern computer driven cars. Just lucky my mechanic is very ethical.

benjiboy · Jan 2, 2020

The Nikon F5 is a much cleverer camera than I'm a photographer, the Canon New F1 is about as far as I want to go into Hi-Tech.

jim10219 · Jan 2, 2020

I'd take it into a shop. These sound like repairable problems, but will probably require someone with some electronic testing equipment. Also, while they're in there, it would be a good idea to do a good CLA on the whole thing, since they're likely due. If you only have the money for one to be looked at, I'd probably lean towards the one that won't power up at all. That's likely an easier fix.

jtk · Jan 3, 2020

I'd blame the batteries. Read up on disadvantages of lithium batteries.

btaylor · Jan 4, 2020

guangong said:
This strategy doesn’t work with modern computer driven cars. Just lucky my mechanic is very ethical.

Because most of them are not?

pentaxuser · Jan 4, 2020

I wonder what Guydio concluded as the cause and what he did about it? He hasn't been seen 23 November

pentaxuser

mshchem · Jan 4, 2020

I have 2 F5 cameras. The only thing I've ever had go bad is the antique rechargeable battery packs. I bought a couple rebuilt packs about 5 years back and they are still going strong. I would definitely recommend using fresh standard alkaline AA cells if using the standard battery tray.

It's amazing how much of an impact the F5 design has had on Nikon digital offerings. The single digit digital cameras feel like a F5, the D850 feels like a F100.

Chan Tran · Jan 4, 2020

mshchem said:
I have 2 F5 cameras. The only thing I've ever had go bad is the antique rechargeable battery packs. I bought a couple rebuilt packs about 5 years back and they are still going strong. I would definitely recommend using fresh standard alkaline AA cells if using the standard battery tray.

It's amazing how much of an impact the F5 design has had on Nikon digital offerings. The single digit digital cameras feel like a F5, the D850 feels like a F100.

Do you have a dead pack that I can rebuild?

Russ - SVP · Jan 4, 2020

jtk said:
I'd blame the batteries. Read up on disadvantages of lithium batteries.

What disadvantages do lithium’s pose? Many people use them, and a Nikon tech told me to go with lithium’s. They last longer, and are impervious to cold weather, etc. myself and many others have been using them for a long time, without any issues.

pentaxuser · Jan 4, 2020

A link from jtk on his source of lithium battery problems would be helpful, certainly

pentaxuser

mshchem · Jan 4, 2020

Chan Tran said:
Do you have a dead pack that I can rebuild?

I'm hanging on to what I have. I have a battery I bought new in 2002. It's still hanging on .
These packs have really bad memory issues. You can bring back some of these by running through consecutive refresh cycles with the charger. After a couple cycles the refresh cycle will get progressively longer, if the pack is still good it will get to a point where it takes several hours or overnight to discharge and then recharge. At first the cycle may only take a few minutes.

Chan Tran · Jan 4, 2020

mshchem said:
I'm hanging on to what I have. I have a battery I bought new in 2002. It's still hanging on .
These packs have really bad memory issues. You can bring back some of these by running through consecutive refresh cycles with the charger. After a couple cycles the refresh cycle will get progressively longer, if the pack is still good it will get to a point where it takes several hours or overnight to discharge and then recharge. At first the cycle may only take a few minutes.

I was thinking of disassemble the pack and rebuild with brand new cells. I did that to the MN-2 battery for the Nikon F3 and it works better than new just because we have better cells today.

mshchem · Jan 4, 2020

Chan Tran said:
I was thinking of disassemble the pack and rebuild with brand new cells. I did that to the MN-2 battery for the Nikon F3 and it works better than new just because we have better cells today.

Absolutely. The packs I have that have been rebuilt were cut open, not sure how and had new cells installed, then glued back. Common NiMH cells. Too bad there's no rechargeable Lithium batteries that could be made to work. But that would be another mess.

Guydio · Apr 23, 2020

pentaxuser said:
I wonder what Guydio concluded as the cause and what he did about it? He hasn't been seen 23 November

pentaxuser

Both cameras have been sitting in the cupboard. I'll get round to getting them repaired one day. One repairer offered to service them but quoted £150 each, plus any parts required, hence my initial reluctance.

pentaxuser · Apr 23, 2020

Thanks for the reply Guydio. Not cheap at £150 but if its a full service and fix then it may be difficult to get it done cheaper from any professional repairer. F5s are getting more expensive to buy as well

pentaxuser

ChristopherCoy · Apr 23, 2020

Guydio said:
Both cameras have been sitting in the cupboard. I'll get round to getting them repaired one day. One repairer offered to service them but quoted £150 each, plus any parts required, hence my initial reluctance.

I don't see it mentioned, but have you tried to insert regular, run of the mill alkaline batteries? I seem to remember a post on the internet somewhere talking about problems that came about with using lithium batteries. I don't think the F5 played well with them.

Chan Tran · Apr 23, 2020

ChristopherCoy said:
I don't see it mentioned, but have you tried to insert regular, run of the mill alkaline batteries? I seem to remember a post on the internet somewhere talking about problems that came about with using lithium batteries. I don't think the F5 played well with them.

Nikon recommends lithium so when I bought my new F5 in 2002 I bought lithium batteries for it. It works fine but I found not better than alkaline. So I don't use lithium any more.

Chan Tran · Apr 23, 2020

If I have the one of the OP camera I would try to power it up and see how much current it needs to operate or it won't work right regardless. I have the adapter to use external power so I can have a lot of power if needed. I suspect something jammed and cause excessive current draw. The F5 has a lot of motor and one of them could be jammed.

mshchem · Apr 23, 2020

I use alkaline batteries in my cameras with motor drives. Exception being my F5 rechargeable battery packs. But these require almost daily use, otherwise the refresh cycle keeps these old NiMh cells alive. Lithium power packs in new high end cameras are amazing.

wiltw · Apr 24, 2020

mshchem said:
Absolutely. The packs I have that have been rebuilt were cut open, not sure how and had new cells installed, then glued back. Common NiMH cells. Too bad there's no rechargeable Lithium batteries that could be made to work. But that would be another mess.

Lithium ions do not have ANY advantage in terms of lifetimes...lithium anodes start to degrade as soon as the battery is manufactured, and progressively decline in its ability to hold as many mAh of charge. You would end up replacing lithium cells with about the same frequency as replacing NiMH cells.

Lithium 1.5V cells are very different, their premium is that they have a 10 yr. lifetime, unlike alkaline batteries which will simply qut working even if the item they are installed in are not used...a marine emergency radio beacon is an example of usage of lithium cells...they are replaced every 10 years, but if you even need it to work within the 10 yr. period, it WILL WORK (unlide alkalines)

Eric Rose · Apr 24, 2020

My F5 takes any batteries I throw at it. Runs like soccer mom trying to snag the last prime christmas present in WalMart.

Nikon F5 power issues-dead camera

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