Nikon d3100 problem, please help

mkx3hope · May 3, 2011

I bought a Nikon d3100 and whenever I begin to take pictures it will stop taking them and the red dots in the lens light up. It will do that for a minute, sometimes just a second, and then it will take pictures again. I called Nikon and they said it was that the camera wouldnt take a picture if it thought it was going to come out blurry, but this happens when I take a picture of a still subject and do not move at all. Can someone please help me as to what is wrong. I do not want to send it in if its just the setting messed up or something. Thank you!

marmots · May 3, 2011

your holding the camera too close to the object, or it is too dark

this happens when it cant focus on anything the minimum distance required to focus is usually 1.5 feet

or you left the lens cap on...

mkx3hope · May 3, 2011

I have tried standing farther away and it still does that

marmots · May 3, 2011

did you check the lens cap or turn a light on?

chaosrealm93 · May 3, 2011

maybe a lemon. try sending it back

marmots · May 3, 2011

no make sure it is broken first

mkx3hope · May 3, 2011

All the lights are on and the lens cap is off. It has been doing this for about a month. I am new to dslrs so I didn't know if it was just the settings or if it was broken. Nikon customer service also said it may be the memory card but I have tried numerous memory cards and formatted them on the camera.

marmots · May 3, 2011

have you tried to inspect the lens and contacts for the lens

take the lens off, look at the dust off the contacts on both the lens and the camera with a microfiber clothe, and reattach the lens

is the lens trying to focus?

AUG19 · May 3, 2011

Nikon customer service may be just whichever clown picks up the phone. When you say lights in the lens, you actually mean the viewfinder yes? Set the camera to shoot JPG (single shot). Make sure auto-focus is activated and the AF is seeking multipoint AF. Go out of your house in daylight and try to take a picture of something easy to focus lock onto like a parked car or whatever.

KmH · May 4, 2011

Which focus mode is the camera set to? AF-S, AF-C, or AF-A? Is the focus set to focus priority, or to shutter priority? What focus area mode is the camera set to? Single spot, or dynamic?

Have you read the camera users manual section that is headed "FOCUS"?

CBGCAT9 · May 4, 2011

I have the same camera purchased a few months ago. Still learning. First, did you print the manual from the disc that came with the camera? It has way more than the little paper manual you also got with the camera. I printed mine double-sided, and put in a 3-ring binder. I suggest you put your camera on a tripod or on a steady surface so you know you are not moving the camera. As someone suggested before, go outside and pick a subject. Look thru the viewfinder and press the shutter release halfway to focus. While looking thru the viewfinder do you see a round dot in the lower left corner that is flashing? If it is steady focus has been achieved. If the little round dot is flashing that means the camera is unable to focus for one of various reasons. See page 56 of the manual that comes on the disc.

On your lense is the A-M switch set to A or M? If it is on M - then you have to focus manually. Try switching it to A (on your lens) and check whether your camera will focus.

Also, if there are too many places the camera can focus on it gets confused. You can (while looking thru the viewfinder) press the arrow keys up/down left/right to pick one focus point (there are 11 points) and have that point (which will be lit up) that you have chosen on the area you want to focus on.

Also, if you see a ? that is flashing in the lower left of the monitor press the ? button (the buttons to the left of your monitor - should be the 3rd button from the top. Hold that button down and you will see a message on the monitor telling you what the problem is (you can do this if the ? is flashing)

Also, I bought a book Nikon D3100 Digital Field Guide by J. Dennis Thomas that goes beyond the manual. Got it at Barnes & Nobel for $20. It's been very helpful.

If you have been taking photos of different subjects in different lighting, etc. and this keeps happening - well that makes me wonder. You could go back to the place you bought it and ask if they would try to take a picture and see what happens.

Good luck!

gsgary · May 4, 2011

The problem is behind the veiwfinder

o hey tyler · May 4, 2011

Post the results of one of your shots along with the exposure info. More than likely this is due to user error.

AUG19 · May 4, 2011

Quality post :thumbup:

CBGCAT9 said:
I have the same camera purchased a few months ago. Still learning. First, did you print the manual from the disc that came with the camera? It has way more than the little paper manual you also got with the camera. I printed mine double-sided, and put in a 3-ring binder. I suggest you put your camera on a tripod or on a steady surface so you know you are not moving the camera. As someone suggested before, go outside and pick a subject. Look thru the viewfinder and press the shutter release halfway to focus. While looking thru the viewfinder do you see a round dot in the lower left corner that is flashing? If it is steady focus has been achieved. If the little round dot is flashing that means the camera is unable to focus for one of various reasons. See page 56 of the manual that comes on the disc.

On your lense is the A-M switch set to A or M? If it is on M - then you have to focus manually. Try switching it to A (on your lens) and check whether your camera will focus.

Also, if there are too many places the camera can focus on it gets confused. You can (while looking thru the viewfinder) press the arrow keys up/down left/right to pick one focus point (there are 11 points) and have that point (which will be lit up) that you have chosen on the area you want to focus on.

Also, if you see a ? that is flashing in the lower left of the monitor press the ? button (the buttons to the left of your monitor - should be the 3rd button from the top. Hold that button down and you will see a message on the monitor telling you what the problem is (you can do this if the ? is flashing)

Also, I bought a book Nikon D3100 Digital Field Guide by J. Dennis Thomas that goes beyond the manual. Got it at Barnes & Nobel for $20. It's been very helpful.

If you have been taking photos of different subjects in different lighting, etc. and this keeps happening - well that makes me wonder. You could go back to the place you bought it and ask if they would try to take a picture and see what happens.

Good luck!