Help! D90 error messages

[aggielawyer]

I just got my D90 two weeks ago, and I've been having a blast playing with it and learning. But I've started getting error messages. In the last couple of days I got "Err" once or twice and once "Err" and "Cha" where it shows the number of exposures left. Then last night I was getting "F--". So far I've been able to resolve the errors, but I'm concerned that I'm even getting them on a two week old camera. I bought it from Amazon.com, and I have until 4/16 to return it. What should I do? Any other D90 owners having/had these issues?

I have the D90 body, kit lens, and a SanDisk Extreme III 8gb memory card.

 

[annnewjerz]

This is a very commonly reported problem with the D90. If you search "Nikon D90 Err/Cha Message" on Google you will get a lot of info.

Some of the causes seem to be memory cards (in which case try turning the camera off, taking it out and reinserting it), the battery (same thing, take it out and after a minute put it back in), the contacts on the camera being dirty, etc. etc. I'm not positive there has ever been a definitive cause and the only time I have gotten that type of error IIRC was when I mounted a lens that had an aperture ring and the aperture was not locked.

Chances are, this is a temporary problem---but it's possible that it's something that will come up again and again.

If I were you, I'd return it to Amazon and ask for a replacement. You will be a few days without your camera, but the peace of mind knowing it isn't happening will be worth the inconvenience.

 

[kdonnel]

My wife started getting similar errors on her 2 month old D90. The error could always be cleared by removing the lens and reattaching it.

We ended up sending it to Nikon for service. It came back 2 weeks later with a note they had replaced some pin on the lens mount. I don't have the paper in front of me or I would tell you exactly what they said they fixed.

In any event it has worked fine since.

 

[Ju Ju Bean]

Kdonnell's wife, Judy, here. I agree you should go aheat and return it and get a new one. They did replace a pin on the lens mount and it works like new but it still aggravates me that I had to send it back after owning it for two months.

It is an awesome camera and I really enjoy using it so I hope you get it straightened out!

 

[aggielawyer]

Thanks for the info y'all. It took so long to save up for it, and now I take it almost everywhere I go--I'm going to have a hard time sending it off! Ju Ju Bean--how long did it take to get yours back?

Anyone have any experience exchanging items with Amazon.com?

 

[mouselovenfamily]

I've had this problem. I went to a local photo store and we played with it. It seemed that the memory card wasn't fitting tight. A small and slight bend of the memory card made it hit the connections better and no issues since.

 

[rossb]

I just got my D90 two weeks ago, and I've been having a blast playing with it and learning. But I've started getting error messages. In the last couple of days I got "Err" once or twice and once "Err" and "Cha" where it shows the number of exposures left. Then last night I was getting "F--". So far I've been able to resolve the errors, but I'm concerned that I'm even getting them on a two week old camera. I bought it from Amazon.com, and I have until 4/16 to return it. What should I do? Any other D90 owners having/had these issues?

I have the D90 body, kit lens, and a SanDisk Extreme III 8gb memory card.

F-- is a lens based error, the camera cannot determine the F Stop you are using. Could be the camera, could be the lens. One of my old lenses was causing this error on my D50 and Nikon repaired the lens. My new Nikkor 10-24 caused this error once on my D90, I've yet to see this error with my 7 other Nikkor lenses.

CHA is a memory car error, I got this a few times on my D90 when I removed and replaced the card a few times while reading pictures with a card reader. I tend to leave my cards in the camera now and I connect a USB cable to the camera when I want to read pictures.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

I occasionally have gotten the F-- code when I use my 18-50 2.8 Sigma lens. It is a lens error. Simply remove the lens, and put it back on. I haven't had a problem yet that couldn't be corrected by doing that. I had the Err/CHA code like once when I first got the camera and never once since. I also get the F-- code displayed constantly when using my manual focus 50mm 1.2AI lens. It still works though. But when I get the code with the Sigma Lens, I can't shoot anything. The lens must be removed and put back on. This has happened to me maybe 4 times since I've owned my D90. HTH and good luck!

 

[Ju Ju Bean]

It took me two weeks to get it back and I have not had a problem since. I was getting the "F--" messages or Err so much I couldn't shoot anything until I took the lens off and put it back on.