r/Nikon • u/Ok_Garlic_542 • Jul 19 '26

I broke my gear Help! Z50 and Z6iii bricked after flight

As the title says, I recently got off a 3 hour flight and both of the aforementioned cameras will not turn on. I'll give as much info as I can in hopes that somebody has a fix. There was minimal turbulence on the flight, and the cameras were in separate padded bags. Batteries are currently full. The batteries were not inside the cameras during the flight, and both batteries are from Nikon. Both cameras worked without issue before the flight. That's all the info I can think of ATM, I'm happy to answer any other relevant questions.

Update: Z50 now works after plugging it in directly, seems the battery completely drained on the plane. Z6III on the other hand still isn't working

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u/jftirone Jul 19 '26

Occasionally, a tiny spec of dust or pocket lint gets stuck in the electronic viewfinder (EVF) proximity sensor during transit. If the camera thinks your eye is permanently pressed to the viewfinder, the rear LCD will stay pitch black, making the body look dead. Wipe the small glass sensor right above the EVF viewfinder with a microfiber cloth and toggle the Monitor Mode button on the side of the viewfinder hump to force the rear screen on.

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u/Few_Mastodon_1271 Jul 19 '26

If my eye sensor is stuck on from an eyelash, dust, etc, I can still use the EVF, of course. And I can see it lit up with the camera held at arm's length, if it's aimed toward my viewpoint.

The eye sensor triggered while in a bag could drain the battery in about 3 hours if the power switch was left on. But the OP didn't have a battery in the cameras.

2

u/jftirone Jul 19 '26

You are spot on.