There's nothing more frustrating than seeing an error message appear on your DSLR digital camera's LCD screen or electronic viewfinder. However, before you get too frustrated, take a deep breath. The nice thing about error messages is that they can give you clues as to what problems your camera may be experiencing, which is better than no error message at all.
The eight common errors listed here include tips for diagnosing and fixing problems with your Nikon DSLR camera.
If you see "ERR" on the LCD or electronic viewfinder, you may be experiencing one of three problems.
- The shutter button may not be pressed correctly : make sure the button is seated correctly and fully pressed.
- The camera cannot capture images using manual exposure settings : change the settings or use automatic settings.
- Nikon cameras may experience startup errors : remove the battery and memory card for at least 15 minutes, then turn the camera on again.
Most of the time, this error message is limited to Nikon DSLR cameras as it is related to lens errors. Specifically, the F-- error message indicates that the lens and camera are not communicating. Check the lens to make sure it is locked in place.
If you can't get that particular lens to work, try using a different lens to see if the F-- error message continues to appear. Then you will know if the problem is with the original lens or the camera.
The FEE error message on your Nikon DSLR camera means that the camera is unable to take a photo at the aperture you selected.
Turn the manual aperture ring to the highest number and this should fix the error message. You may need to let the camera automatically select the aperture to take the photo with the correct exposure.
If you see an "i" in a circle, it means one of three possible errors.
- The battery may be exhausted : charging may solve the problem.
- The memory card may be full or locked : look for the small toggle switch on the side of the card and flip it to the unlocked position to resolve the issue.
- Blink detection triggered : The camera may detect that one of the subjects blinked when the photo was taken, allowing you to take the photo again.
If a memory card is installed in the camera, there could be several reasons for the "No memory card error" message.
- Make sure the memory card type is compatible with your Nikon camera.
- The card may be full, which means you need to download the photos on it to your computer.
- The memory card may be faulty, or it may have been formatted with a different camera.
If this occurs, you may need to reformat the memory card using this camera. Keep in mind that formatting a memory card will delete all data stored on it.
The Unable to Record Movie error message usually means that your Nikon DSLR camera cannot transfer data to the memory card fast enough for recording.
The problem is almost always related to the need for a memory card with faster write speeds. This error message may also indicate a problem with the camera, but try using a different memory card first.
A shutter release error message on a Nikon DSLR means the shutter release is stuck. To solve this problem:
- Check the shutter button for any foreign objects or any sticky dirt that may be stuck on the shutter button.
- Clean the button and try again.
The image you are trying to delete is protected by software in your camera. You need to remove the protection tag from the image before you can delete it.
Different models of Nikon cameras may provide a different set of error messages than shown here. If you see a Nikon camera error message that is not listed here, consult your Nikon camera user's guide for a list of additional error messages specific to your camera model.
After reading these tips, if you still can't resolve the issue indicated by your Nikon camera error message, you may need to take your camera to a repair center. When deciding where to take your camera, look for a camera repair center you can trust.
