Low battery indicator problem

Does anyone have an issue with a Nikon D300 low battery indicator. I have a MB-D10 battery pack and after about 75 photos I get a low battery indicator on the camera readout. I turn the camera off and on then it clears. The batteries are full I use a Nikon EN-EL3a in the camera and the pack. Afetr it started I switched the pack to AA batteries and it still happens. I looked on the internet this morning and I am hearing tons of the same stories. I called nikon and they dont know a thing about it. I have heard clean the lens/camera contacts. Drain the batteries completely and one person sent the camera to nikon and they changed the battery box and that worked for him. Does anyone have any info on this issue.

Re: Nikon D300/D300S

Seems to me the D300 uses EN-EL3E batteries, does it not? Also, I've found that unless you use genuine Nikon batteries, you'll get less than stellar performance out of them. Third party batteries are not chipped like real Nikon batteries are.

Re: Nikon D300/D300S

Sorry my mistake they are e rather then a.

Re: Nikon D300/D300S

Is it only happening with the battery pack? Is it still under warranty?

Re: Nikon D300/D300S

I dont think its just the battery pack. It is not under warranty. I have been doing research all day. I did find a person with the same issue and he took off the pack but the camera still showed low battery. I also found someone who sent the camera back to nikon and they repalced a aperture piece between the lens and the camera. This seems to be caused by longer lenses.Which makes sence to me due to both times it happened to me I was using the 80-400 mm lens on the camera and a monopod while walking around a zoo for 6 hours so I know at times I was not holding the lens.I will try to get out next weekend with a smaller lens and if it doies not happen I will add a 300mm lens and we will see.Thank You for your help everyone

Re: Nikon D300/D300S

I've had this same problem with my D300 off and on. Just a couple of days ago I was shooting a high school football game with a fully charged EN-EL3E battery in the camera and another one in the MB-D10 battery pack and I got low battery warnings several times. I had to keep turning my camera off and back on to have it show the battery fully charged. I was shooting with a Nikon 70 - 200mm /2.8 lens at the time.

I have been out last weekend and today shooting at the Bronx Zoo trying to make the battery issue happen. I figured I would start with the battery pack and eliminate what I think could be happening. If its not the pack I thought the weight of the 80mm-400mm lens. I do my best to support it while carrying it.I would try a smaller lens and see whats up. But it has not happened in the past two times out. I have done quite a bit of research and only one person I found sent the camera to nikon for the same thing. They changed sometjhing between the lens and the camera. I believe it had something to do with the f-stop but not 100% sure.Some kind of contact. I will keep shooting and see when and if it happens. Please keep me posted on your end if you hear something

Ok heres my update. I sent the nikon 80-400 lens to mikon for this electricial issue with my D-300.Received the lens back which I assume was repaired. This was a couple of monnths ago. I finally was able to get out and shoot yesterday. The problem is much worse. Each photograph I took I had to turn the camera off and back on to get rid of the battery indicator reading empty to disappear. I had one full battery and one spare so I know they are full. While this was happening I removed my MBD-10 pack and it was still happening. I put the pack back on and still showing empty battery. I then took off the 80-400 lens and put on a nikon 50mm 1.4 and took about an hours worth of photos at the zoo and had no battery indicator problems.Everything worked as it should. Changed back to the 80-400 and back to low indicator. I had a feeling nikon did not fix this lens. Have to send it back again.

Very sorry to hear of your continuing problems. Very strange situation - I've never heard of a power drain being related to only one lens! I would have thought 6 months later (since your last update) that things would have been resolved. I hope Nikon actually fixes the problem for you this time. Keep us posted.

Thank You, I will certainly keep everyone updated. The lens was sent to Nikon yesterday. I would think it has to be where the lens connects to the body and the electronic points. I am sure something is out of alignment. I believe it also is effecting the focus due to too many photos not tack sharp.And while shooting on Sunday without touching the shutter button the camera fired. We will have to wait for Nikon.

I will be in touch soon.

2nd update, I recieve my 80-400mm lens back from nikon. I took several shots out my windows and no problem with the low battery indicator. If its not raining this weekend I will be heading out and see how the lens works. Acccording to nikon they repalced RPL FOCUSING RING,RPL LENS FPC,RPL Roller/guide ring,RPLFocus shift w/zooming,General clean and check. Lets hope this doe the trick.I like the zoom range on the lens but I am not impressed with the quailty at 400mm. Hope nikon has a new 80-400mm in the works. I will keep everyone posted.

Before I forget. I did manage to get out a couple of times and had a 50mm 1.4 and 80-200 2.8 lenses on my D-300 and did not experience any low battery indicator issues. I would feel safe to say it was the lens

Thanks again for the update. Sounds like your 80-400 will be as good as new again and not drain the life out of your battery so quickly! Fingers crossed that it stays that way for a long time!

It happens to me once in a while on my D80 but I am using a flashpoint grip

Here is a update todat 4-8-12. I need help. I received the nikon 80-400 back from nikon for the second time it was repaired. Yesterday I went to the zoo and took some photos. I was in paature prioriety and using F8. Am I doing something wrong most of my photos with that lens were out of focus, soft. I am wondering if it is me. Second of all which I know is not me it started giveing me a low battery indicator reading. Which is a false reading. Turn the d-300 off and on again and its clears and reads full battery. few monutes later same thing. Now, I took the 80-400 off the camera anmd installed the 80-200 2.8 lens and all the photos are good.I was using f8 and f5.6 on the 80-200. Am I doing something wrong? Need help please

Doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong to me. Any chance of attaching another 80-400 onto your camera?....just to see if it's YOUR lens that's at fault. I'm inclined to think it may still be your lens. It sucks, but it does happen. Don't forget...this is an electro-mechanical device, therefor prone to failure.

I really dont have a 80-400 I could borrow to put on my body and see if its the lens. I definitly believe it is the lens each time this happened and gave me a false low battery indicator I switched out the 80-400 for another lens on my D-300 body. First I used my 300 f4 with a 1.4 TC and had no problem. Next time i used the 80-400 and it started giving me false low battery issues I switched to my 80-200 2.8 and again no problems. Alos used my 50 1.4 without issues.Even with the false low battery issues the 80-400 does not seem to focus correctly. Yesterday some photos were ok but most were not. I will send it back to nikon tomorrow. my 5 year warranty is up at the end of this year and its obivious they cant fix this lens. So what do they do in this case?

you try cleaning the contacts on your lens and camera body? had the same problem with my 70-200 2.8. got some contact cleaner and a qtip. swabbed both sets of contacts and havnt had a problem since. (knock on wood ).

4-15-12 Update. I borrowed a Nikon 80-400 lens yesterday and went to the zoo to shoot. I had no low battery issues or any focus issues with the lens on my D-300. I also sent my lens back to nikon last week. This is the third time I sent this lens back. Each time they say it is repaired I try it and then send it back again.I am not impressed with there service in regards to this lens.I will keep you guys posted

BooBoos said:

4-15-12 Update. I borrowed a Nikon 80-400 lens yesterday and went to the zoo to shoot. I had no low battery issues or any focus issues with the lens on my D-300. I also sent my lens back to nikon last week. This is the third time I sent this lens back. Each time they say it is repaired I try it and then send it back again.I am not impressed with there service in regards to this lens.I will keep you guys posted

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Perhaps there's another Nikon service center you can send it to? I'm pretty sure they have more than one.

Well, My camera store sends out the lens due to it is still under warranty and that is where I purchased it. I did speak to nikon about my dismay that this is the third time I have to send the lens back for the same issues. We both understood that this a problem that usually does not happen. I basically asked if they cant find the issue would they send a refurburished lens. I am not to keen on that even with awarranty. He said with this many repairs for the same issue they may send a new one if they cant repair this one.I will certainly keep you posted.