downloading from 5400

[tantrumette]

I've only owned this Coolpix 5400 for one month, and it still terrifies me. Yesterday I was taking photos and swung around, at which the back was whapped by the corner of a chair. I carried on taking the photos, but when I went to download them to the computer with the cord that goes into the USB port, the computer said it didn't recognize the connection. Several tries were the same, making me intensely nervous. I then slipped the compact flash card into the opening on the computer front, and successfully downloaded the photos. My question is, have I damaged the camera? If the only result is that I cannot use the connecting cord to download photos, but can easily use the compact flash card instead, is it something worth worrying about? Will I ever feel at ease about this camera, or is it so fragile that I need to feel like I'm walking on eggshells every time I use it?

[George Riehm]

I've only owned this Coolpix 5400 for one month, and it still terrifies me. Yesterday I was taking photos and swung around, at which the back was whapped by the corner of a chair. I carried on taking the photos, but when I went to download them to the computer with the cord that goes into the USB port, the computer said it didn't recognize the connection. Several tries were the same, making me intensely nervous. I then slipped the compact flash card into the opening on the computer front, and successfully downloaded the photos. My question is, have I damaged the camera? If the only result is that I cannot use the connecting cord to download photos, but can easily use the compact flash card instead, is it something worth worrying about? Will I ever feel at ease about this camera, or is it so fragile that I need to feel like I'm walking on eggshells every time I use it?

Did this connection worked in previous downloads to the same computer?

If so, then it is possible that you damaged the camera. But if the camera was on when you hit the chair, the problem might be correctable by resetting the camera. It's worth a try.

Just remove the battery for 24 hours and then reinsert it and turn the camera on. If the date information needs to be re-entered then the camera is reset. Try the connection to the computer. If it works... great. If not then maybe you knocked an internal connection loose.

You now have 2 choices:

1. Send the camera to Nikon for repair.

2. Live with it and download your pictures via the card reader.

Since I never use the on-board com port anyway I would choose the later. Down the road if the camera has problems taking good pictures, then I would send it to Nikon for repair.

The 5400 is pretty rugged (I know a couple of field photographers using them as backups) but a strategically placed "whap!" can cause problems with almost any camera, digital or film.

Let us know how it turns out.

[tantrumette]

thanks so much - yes it did work the several times I used the cord and usb port, but I'll try the reset process. I could get along using the compact flash process, since using the cord and camera is pretty clunky, but I do worry about other functions being damaged.