D810 red glow in view finder in low lite (normal? if so why?)

I just received a refurb and wondering if I have an issue with the
Red viewfinder glow in low light ? It seams to radiate from the right side of the view finder. If normal what is the purpose?
Thanks for any responses.

matchman said:

I just received a refurb and wondering if I have an issue with the
Red viewfinder glow in low light ? It seams to radiate from the right side of the view finder. If normal what is the purpose?
Thanks for any responses.

Click to expand...

I just tried mine and there is no glow. The only thing that lights up red is the grid and the little focus box when I press the AF-ON button to get focus.


Is it visible even with a lens cap on ?

Think you have an issue .


Oh and welcome by the way !

Thanks for the reply.
Yes this is in low light when you press the shutter and the grid and focus point lures up. There is a red hue / glow to the entire view finder.

matchman said:

Thanks for the reply.
Yes this is in low light when you press the shutter and the grid and focus point lures up. There is a red hue / glow to the entire view finder.

Click to expand...

Do you get the red glow even when the grid and focus point are not lit up ? If so you certainly have a problem.

If you get the glow only when the grid is lit then it could be your viewfinder is dirty and needs a clean. I assume you have set up the diopter adjustment so the viewfinder display is in focus.

Yes only when the grid is lit. Its new and clean. Had 12 shutter activations on it.

matchman said:

Yes only when the grid is lit. Its new and clean. Had 12 shutter activations on it.

Click to expand...

Maybe your eyes are sensitive to red light. The red glow is just the grid and focus points being lit so you can see them in low light. On mine and they do glow a little but it doesn't make the whole viewfinder image glow as you initially described. It won't affect the shot as all this goes away before the shutter opens. Did you get the camera from a reputable dealer, if so then a quick visit to do a comparison with another D810 might be worth while to be 100% sure.

Same here; my focus point light up and the leveling arrows when I press the Fn button but that's about it. No red glow.

Could it be your AF assist or whatever that red beam is?

matchman said:

Thanks for the reply.
Yes this is in low light when you press the shutter and the grid and focus point lures up. There is a red hue / glow to the entire view finder.

Click to expand...

sounds normal actually. is it one side only or all of them have a redish glow to it and the af point selected has a more pronounced red border/glow to it? that sounds right to me.