# D5100 won't take pictures after autofocus OK.



## alexlveb (Mar 5, 2014)

Hello,

First of all, excuse me if I didn't find an answer to that problem, I tried to find one on this forum and elsewhere but didn't succeed...

I bought a Nikon 5100 a year and a half ago. I have been very happy with it until recently. Here is my issue:

Sometimes when I try to take a picture, I hear the autofocus beep and see the green dot in the view finder, but the camera won't take the picture. I need to repress the capture button several times until it works.

It only started to happen very recently and I never encountered this problem before. My friend has had a D5000 for several years and no problem.

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Does anyone have any idea?[/FONT]

Thank you in advance


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## jaomul (Mar 5, 2014)

Can't be 100% but it sounds like your shutter button is detective. It focuses on half presses but may not be making the contact on the second half of the switch. Someone else may have a better solution so stick around for some more answers


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## alexlveb (Mar 5, 2014)

Thank you jaomul for your answer. 

Indeed it does the focus on half presses but does not always take the picture on the second one so that would be a very plausible cause, especially since it only happened recently...

I am still hoping the hardware is not defective and that it could be some sort of settings


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## DarkShadow (Mar 5, 2014)

Try cleaning contacts on lens or try a different lens if you have one.Resset camera to factory defaults maybe? Just some food for thought.


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## alexlveb (Mar 5, 2014)

DarkShadow said:


> Try cleaning contacts on lens or try a different lens if you have one.



Hello DarkShadow. I tried cleaning everything before, with my two lenses (Nikon 18-55 and Nikon 55-200). Nothing...


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## Braineack (Mar 5, 2014)

shutter delay turned on?


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## KmH (Mar 5, 2014)

Which focusing mode (AF-S, AF-C, or AF-A), and which focus area mode is the camera set to (single point, dynamic area, 3D)?

You might want to review pages 39-46 (Focus) in the D5100 Reference Manual that is a PDF file on the software disc that came with your camera.


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## alexlveb (Mar 5, 2014)

Braineack said:


> shutter delay turned on?



No, it is turned off. thks for responding


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## alexlveb (Mar 5, 2014)

KmH said:


> Which focusing mode (AF-S, AF-C, or AF-A), and which focus area mode is the camera set to (single point, dynamic area, 3D)?
> 
> You might want to review pages 39-46 (Focus) in the D5100 Reference Manual that is a PDF file on the software disc that came with your camera.



It is set to AF-S and I use single point. It happens in all modes (auto, M, etc.). Thanks


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## Seventen (Mar 5, 2014)

Does it work when lens is in manual mode?


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## astroNikon (Mar 5, 2014)

Maybe you are too close?  Take a couple steps back and see if it still has the problem.


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## DarkShadow (Mar 5, 2014)

Well if it's beeping then its either in AF-A or AF-S there is no beep in continues focus. So if your sure it's nothing in the settings got changed and its not lens issues.Sounds like a need of a repair that may  or may not be worth it. Upgrade time woot woot.:mrgreen:


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## alexlveb (Mar 5, 2014)

Seventen said:


> Does it work when lens is in manual mode?



I don't often use manual. I will perform some tests to see if it also occurs in manual later today and get back to you  thank you


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## alexlveb (Mar 5, 2014)

astroNikon said:


> Maybe you are too close?  Take a couple steps back and see if it still has the problem.



Hey astroNikon! I don't think that would be the issue... Last time I tried to take a picture was on a frozen lake yesterday, plenty of space ahead.


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## alexlveb (Mar 5, 2014)

DarkShadow said:


> Well if it's beeping then its either in AF-A or AF-S there is no beep in continues focus. So if your sure it's nothing in the settings got changed and its not lens issues.Sounds like a need of a repair that may  or may not be worth it. Upgrade time woot woot.:mrgreen:



That would be the saddest, I only took a few thousand pictures with it


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## DarkShadow (Mar 5, 2014)

O yes sorry bad joke.I would feel the same if my 60D was acting screwy.


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## alexlveb (Mar 5, 2014)

DarkShadow said:


> O yes sorry bad joke.I would feel the same if my 60D was acting screwy.



No worries  Just need to hope that someone will eventually come up with some setting changes and therefore save my little machine


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## astroNikon (Mar 5, 2014)

maybe try taking the lens off and put it back on. Just throwing ideas out there ...


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## DarkShadow (Mar 5, 2014)

I just another thread that poster with the same issue on a D3200. Hopefully one thread or another some one will figure out whats going on and maybe pass the info back.


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## Braineack (Mar 5, 2014)

so to confirm, in in your menu, under d4, exposure delay mode is set to off?

what about self timer?  is that on?

If you haven't gone through and made any custom changes to your menus, I'd suggest a reset.


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## bigal1000 (Mar 5, 2014)

Reset camera if still no go call Nikon for service.......


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## Vince.1551 (Mar 6, 2014)

Check your exposure. ISO settings (is it set to auto previously?) EV etc.  if exposure ain't good it won't fire. Try to reset to factory default as well.


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## alexlveb (Mar 6, 2014)

Thank you everybody for your suggestions. I tried to take some pictures yesterday and it seems like the problem didn't occur this time. It only happens from time to time. Last time was when I was trying to take some pictures outside of a frozen lake (panorama was mostly white, but still with contrast...). I reseted the settings to factory and will see if it occurs in the future... In case I solve it for good, I'll come back here with the solution.

Thank you again guys.


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## BobSaget (Mar 6, 2014)

If it starts acting up again I'd get out a blower and see if you could blow out trash in the trigger.  You could also use a remote to see if the camera fires remotely.


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## Vince.1551 (Mar 6, 2014)

alexlveb said:


> Thank you everybody for your suggestions. I tried to take some pictures yesterday and it seems like the problem didn't occur this time. It only happens from time to time. Last time was when I was trying to take some pictures outside of a frozen lake (panorama was mostly white, but still with contrast...). I reseted the settings to factory and will see if it occurs in the future... In case I solve it for good, I'll come back here with the solution.  Thank you again guys.



The d5100 might not function optimally at cold freezing temp.


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## Seventen (Mar 7, 2014)

Vince.1551 said:


> alexlveb said:
> 
> 
> > Thank you everybody for your suggestions. I tried to take some pictures yesterday and it seems like the problem didn't occur this time. It only happens from time to time. Last time was when I was trying to take some pictures outside of a frozen lake (panorama was mostly white, but still with contrast...). I reseted the settings to factory and will see if it occurs in the future... In case I solve it for good, I'll come back here with the solution.  Thank you again guys.
> ...



I use my d5100 at -30 and have never had issues it sits on the end of a telescope hours at a time and even when walking about taking images dont get problems.


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## alexlveb (Mar 11, 2014)

Seventen said:


> Vince.1551 said:
> 
> 
> > alexlveb said:
> ...



Yes I was also used to do that in the past (I live in Canada) and nothing like the problem I am having had ever happened. Nikon just suggested to send it back for repair but of course no warranty anymore... 

It tried cleaning it, taking pictures in the dark or with blue skies outside and... still happens remotely. I have taken such good care of it, it hasn't taken a lot of pictures (not even 10 000). Anyway, if no warranty, I might as well take it to a repair shop and see if the button is responsible for that.

Again it is so strange, it would do the focus after the first half is pressed, but then even after focus OK and beep OK and everything, it would sometimes just not take the picture, just as if I didn't press the second half...

Annoying. But thank you everybody for trying to help


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## PropilotBW (Mar 13, 2014)

I shoot the 5100.  I've never had this problem before.  It's not set on a remote shutter setting, is it?  I would sometimes forget I set it to wireless remote...could that be the issue?


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