I purchased a D700 from eBay. When it arrived, I put in a brand new Sandisk 32 GB Extreme CF card and got a CHA error. Thinking the card may have been too big for the D700, I went out and bought a Lexar 4 GB card and promptly got the same CHA error.

Using a light and wearable magnifying glasses, I believe I see one of the gold pins bent on its side. I have contacted the seller and he agreed to refund me my money or get it repaired. Since, I once experienced selling an expensive item on eBay, only to have the buyer return it as broken, under suspicious circumstances, I have agreed to keep it, provided he has it repaired.

However, I am concerned about a pin getting bent. How common is this? Can this happen simply by inserting the card? It looks like the card only goes in one way. It has little guide rails on one side. So, how can a pin get bent?

Is it something I should worry about happening again?

John

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It depends upon how drunk you are when changing the CF card.

It does not happen often. Some things to remember, insert slowly and stop if you notice any resistance. Insert as directed and make sure the holes are going into the camera.

George
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Because of the different-width grooves on the edges of a CF card, it is virtually impossible to insert the card the wrong way around.

Inserting a damaged card that has one of its holes obstructed can certainly bend a camera pin. Perhaps this is what the previous owner had done?

Brian
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Thank you George and Brian for your answers. All I know is that I put the card in, the green LED flashed and the locking pin popped up. However, when I tried to take a picture the camera would not fire. That is when I noticed the CHA on the top LED. I had to look it up online. I could not find a reference to CHA in the NIKON manual.

John

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>I could not find a reference to CHA in the NIKON manual.

It's on page 413 in the D700 manual, in the Error Messages section.

Brian
Welsh Nikonian
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Bent pins are rare. I've been using DSLRs since the D70 came out and always wondered how people manage to bend pins. I always use name brand CF cards like SanDisk.

Enjoy!

Randy

I've had a bent pin on my first DSLR - a D70. My wife inserted a CF card backwards. There is enough resistance that you will be careful and it won't happen again. It's unlikely you bent it - but all it takes is a little mistake and some pressure by anyone handling the camera. Once a pin is bent even a little bit, there is no good way to fix it yourself.

The good news is the repair is pretty easy. Nikon or Nikon Authorized Service can handle it. You can call the nearest Nikon Authorized Service and get an estimate. It's probably around $300 or so for the repair - not cheap but not terrible either.

Eric Bowles
Nikonians Team
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