# Problems with nikon D5100 shutter?



## Lockdownx99

Well ive been at disney world shooting pictures the last 4 days and up until now i have had no issues. All of a sudden i started getting half pictures where it looks like the shutter is only opening half to 3/4 of the way. It seems as though the top quarter of the pic is just not there and it only happens every onther picture. Ive shot probably 50 pictures trying to see if maybe the shutter was stuck or what it might be but cannot get a good 2 pictures in a row. I also noticed in a couple pics where there was a thin line in the center of the full frame pictures. Does anyone have in thoughts or suggestions? I really hate to send this camera in since its only about 8 months old and its only been used a hand full of times. Thanks.


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## Lockdownx99

not one suggestion. man. i was hoping someone would have had some kind of experience with this sort of shutter malfunction before. i walked around and asked a few of their photography employees if they had ever seen anything like this. someone said check the settings, and another said i had to send it in to nikon because the shutter was sticking. 

My concern is why is one picture coming out full frame, and then the second picture is coming out 3/4ths of a picture? i thought there was only one shutter inside the camera so if it malfunctioned onces, it should do it overtime. I've taken over 100 pictures with the malfunction and can conclude that it is a consistent every other picture problem. anyone with any suggestions or input please help. i bought the camera back in november but never registered it and misplaced the proof of purchase. sams club gave me a printout of the purchase that day but I'm unsure if nikon will accept that since it is not the original proof of purchase. thanks.


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## Solarflare

I know the problem of "half pictures" from when you take a picture above the X-Sync of the flash. Thats when the closing curtain already closes before the opening curtain has fully opened and only a part of the picture gets exposed.

Other than that, I have no clue whats going on.


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## KmH

If you or the camera itself were using the built in flash, the shutter speed is limited to no faster than the flash x-sync speed of 1/200.

Using any faster shutter speed one or both of the shutter curtains will be partially covering the image sensor and be seen in the photo as a blacked out portion of the frame.

The shutter is comprised of 2 shutter curtains. Nikon calls them front and rear curtains. the front curtain drops down and exposes the image sensor at the start of each exposure, then the rear curtain drops down at the end the exposure. At shutter speeds faster than 1/200, the rear curtain starts down before the front curtain has reached the bottom of the shutter opening, making a slit between the 2 curtains. The faster the shutter speed the narrower the slit.

You may also want to note the lens projects the scene onto the image sensor upside down. 

If flash was not being used, the camera needs to be repaired. Being a piece of mass produced consumer electronics, some number of D5100s will experience problems, which is why they have a 1 year warranty - http://www.nikonusa.com/Service-And-Support/Service-And-Repair.page

Shutter/Flash Synchronization - YouTube


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## sm4him

I've had my D5100 for nearly a year now, and never had any problem with it at all. 

You say the problem happened "all of a sudden." Was there ANY thing that might have changed? Did you switch lenses; use the flash when you weren't using it before; take it on a ride that was really shaky and vibrating?

I did read online about someone whose D5100 somehow had the mirror get stuck and it was causing similar sort of problems. They evidently took it to a Nikon dealer, so not sure how the problem was actually resolved, but it WAS fixed.
Have you tried finding a local Nikon dealer--if you can't go to one, maybe you could at least call them and see if they can help you troubleshoot the problem.


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## Lockdownx99

It happens when im not even using the flash. Could this flash sync stil be an issue of the flash os not being operated? It happens every other picture which is strange.  Is there a master reset that i can do to totslly reset the camera settings? Ive seen the menu reset but not sure if thats the same thing or not.


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## fjrabon

This sounds more like a mechanical issue with the shutter than anything a software reset would do.  I'd think you almost definitely need to take it in to a dealer, or send it in.


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## KmH

Then your camera is malfunctioning and needs to be repaired. Get it done before the warranty runs out.


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## Lockdownx99

Whats the warranty on these things? 1 year? I feel foolish now because i usually save every receipt especially for bigger purchases. Somehoe i misplaced it after buying it and had sams club reprint a paper that shows what i bought. Almost like a photocopy but they will not accept it as a receipt themselves so they put "not a proof of purchase" on it. I hope nikon doesnt have an issue with this.


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## Forkie

This happened to my old D40 once.  It had to be sent back to Nikon for repair and if I remember correctly they actually replaced the shutter mechanism.  I guess something jammed it.  Perhaps you should call Nikon and ask if the print you got will suffice to show where you bought the camera.  Are there any codes on that sheet that you can match up to your camera or camera box?


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## KmH

Look here - Nikon Digital Imaging Warranty


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## Lockdownx99

Thanks guys. Im hoping i have that paperwork. Im heading home today and ill search when i get there. Instead of the trip being a total bust i decided to seek out a photography and camera shop in orlando and ended up buying a D7000 body. My wife went crazy when i took her in there to possibly buy the D800. So she was a little more willing to let me get the D7000. Oh well. Worst case scenario i cant find the paperwork and sell the d5100 for parts. Best case scenario is i have a backup d5100 to my d7000 and ill get a little more in depth with photography. Maybe ill take a few classes.


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## KmH

Consumer electronics makers love consumers like you.


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## Lockdownx99

Meaning?


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## Solarflare

That you had a technical problem with the D5100 and instead of sending it in for repair like every sane person would, you bought a D7000, in fact almost a D800. :mrgreen:

Thats really funny.


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## Boney

If the edge of the division between the dark area and the image is sharp, then it is most likely an electronic problem.  If it is a little soft then maybe a mechanical problem.
i am a se-miretired electrical engineer and have designed several CCD cameras, but no hands on with CMOS sensors.  So this is just a guess.  Send it in.  You should have posted a shot.


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## Lockdownx99

ill post up a shot. the edge of the picture where the cutoff is is soft/blurry at the immediate edge, not sharp. i guess that indicates that the shutter was blocking the sensor. i had the guy at the store check it out and he knew right away apparently that it was a shutter issue. the reason i bought a D7000 is because i really want to get into photography as a serious hobbyist/amateur and i would like to improve my photo editing skills and really put out some good stuff for my family and friends. The reason i didn't send the D5100 in was because i was on vacation in orlando and did not know if i even had the paperwork/proof of purchase back at the house. it would have been upset if i did not have the paper work and ended up having to buy another camera anyways so i decided to just buy one then, capture the rest of the vacation, come home and pray i had the paperwork Which i found out that i did and nikon is going to take care of everything. The bright side is that i came out of it with a better camera and I'm going to have the 5100 as an alternate. maybe my wife will get into it and we will both have a camera to use.


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## SendTonyMail

Lockdownx99, I hope you get this. I see its been some time since your last post. 

I just experienced 


 

 

 

 

 

 the same exact problem you described. Out of nowhere, after years of using my Nikon D5100, all of a sudden every other image was cut off over the upper 1/3 of the image. Time in between exposures has nothing to do with it. Using flash or no flash. Tried different lenses. I don't have a clue what happened.

I did notice that on really fast exposures, the entire image was black every other image. On indoor exposures, that's when I experienced the 1/3rd black cutoff. 

What was the conclusion to your story? Did you ever find out what the problem was and how it was fixed? Does anyone else have a suggestion before I send this body in for repair?


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## nauman

Lockdownx99 said:


> not one suggestion. man. i was hoping someone would have had some kind of experience with this sort of shutter malfunction before. i walked around and asked a few of their photography employees if they had ever seen anything like this. someone said check the settings, and another said i had to send it in to nikon because the shutter was sticking.
> 
> My concern is why is one picture coming out full frame, and then the second picture is coming out 3/4ths of a picture? i thought there was only one shutter inside the camera so if it malfunctioned onces, it should do it overtime. I've taken over 100 pictures with the malfunction and can conclude that it is a consistent every other picture problem. anyone with any suggestions or input please help. i bought the camera back in november but never registered it and misplaced the proof of purchase. sams club gave me a printout of the purchase that day but I'm unsure if nikon will accept that since it is not the original proof of purchase. thanks.




Hi there...I've been experiencing the very same problem for a while now. I've tried looking up online to see if anyone else had the same problem and so far you're the only one I've come across. Just wondering if you've found a solution or had the camera fixed/replaced. Would appreciate any help or advice. Thanks


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## SendTonyMail

nauman said:


> Lockdownx99 said:
> 
> 
> 
> not one suggestion. man. i was hoping someone would have had some kind of experience with this sort of shutter malfunction before. i walked around and asked a few of their photography employees if they had ever seen anything like this. someone said check the settings, and another said i had to send it in to nikon because the shutter was sticking.
> 
> My concern is why is one picture coming out full frame, and then the second picture is coming out 3/4ths of a picture? i thought there was only one shutter inside the camera so if it malfunctioned onces, it should do it overtime. I've taken over 100 pictures with the malfunction and can conclude that it is a consistent every other picture problem. anyone with any suggestions or input please help. i bought the camera back in november but never registered it and misplaced the proof of purchase. sams club gave me a printout of the purchase that day but I'm unsure if nikon will accept that since it is not the original proof of purchase. thanks.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hi there...I've been experiencing the very same problem for a while now. I've tried looking up online to see if anyone else had the same problem and so far you're the only one I've come across. Just wondering if you've found a solution or had the camera fixed/replaced. Would appreciate any help or advice. Thanks
Click to expand...



I had to take it to my Nikon repair center. Luckily, I live minutes from the only one in Florida. $200, shutter cracked. Needed to replace for a new one.


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## Chakravarthy

I had a shutter problem  after using bulb mode. After correction in menu it is working well.


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