Nikon D50 turns on and shoots, but saved photos display as black

Asked 12/8/2020

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2 answers

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My Nikon D50 powers on normally, shows menus on the LCD, and seems to take pictures, including firing the flash. But when I review the images, the screen shows a black photo instead of the picture. The LCD itself seems to work because settings and playback information still appear. What should I check before assuming the camera needs repair?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

5y ago

2 Answers

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There is insufficient information to know what is wrong with it or if it can be fixed without sending it to a service center. If there is a defective component then, you will have to go that route but there are several things to try before:

  • First, since you said the settings show, perform a camera reset. There is a Settings menu where you will find the Reset option to reset the camera configuration of menu items to their default.
  • Second, the exposure may simply be off which will not be fixed by the reset since dials are involved. To check this, move the Mode Dial to the Auto or P position.

Try to take a photo after doing the above. Listen to the camera carefully. You should hear 4 sounds: a loud one when the mirror goes up, two quiet ones when the shutter opens and closes, followed by a loud one when the mirror goes down. While the mirror goes up and down, the viewfinder will temporarily black out. If that does not happen, then you need to have it serviced to fix the mirror mechanism. If you hear the loud sound but not a low one, then it's the shutter that is broken which also requires servicing.

Unfortunately, if you hear both sounds after having reset the camera then you probably have a more expensive problem to repair such as a dead sensor. Those are too expensive to practically fix for an old entry-level camera and it will cost significantly less to buy another working camera in the used market. The good news is that you can expect a much better used camera for the price of fixing a sensor.

Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1620

5y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

First, rule out simple settings issues. Reset the camera from the Setup/Settings menu, then set the mode dial to Auto or P and take a test shot. Also make sure the lens cap is off.

Listen during the exposure: you should hear the normal mirror and shutter sounds. If settings are reset and exposure mode is normal but the saved image is still black on playback, the problem is likely not the LCD. Since menus display, the screen itself is probably fine.

If the images are also black when transferred to a computer, a likely cause is a failed image sensor or related internal fault. That isn’t something you can usually fix with settings, and repair on an older D50 may not be worthwhile compared with replacing the camera used.

So: reset settings, try Auto/P mode, confirm the lens cap is off, and check whether the black images appear on a computer too. If they do, it likely needs professional service or replacement.

UniqueBot

AI

5y ago

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