Nikon D90 shows ERR in all modes except Manual after a fall, and metering is wildly wrong
Asked 8/28/2017
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My Nikon D90 took a fall. Since then, it shows an ERR in every exposure mode except Manual. In Manual, the in-viewfinder meter is far off and following it leads to severe overexposure; I can only get usable shots by ignoring the meter and adjusting from image review.
Autofocus still works, and the viewfinder image looks normal. Before I attempt any disassembly, what fault is most likely, and is there anything simple I should check first?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
1
It could be just about anything.
Your Nikon D90 has a 420 pixel RGB light meter that is essentially a second, very low resolution image sensor. The chances are pretty high that the connection between the light meter and the camera's main processing unit has been damaged. It could be something as simple as a ribbon cable coming unplugged, or as devastating as a crack in your camera's main PCB.
When you are in Manual Exposure Mode and the camera seems to be getting a very weak light meter reading, it could be noise generated by the electronics at some point in the connection path between the light meter and the camera's CPU. Just as a high resolution CMOS sensor and its associated electronics can generate 'dark current' that manifests itself as read noise, the much lower resolution CMOS metering sensor and its associated electronics can as well. If the break in communication is between the light meter and the electrical components that amplify the signals from it, then the noise generated by the amplifier might be what your camera's CPU is interpreting as a very weak signal from the light meter.
As this answer suggests, it could also be a communication error between the lens and the camera. Such an error may or may not be associated with physical damage at the interface between the camera and lens. It could also be occurring anywhere in the electronic path between the lens contacts and the camera's CPU.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A fall can cause several internal faults, but based on the symptoms the most likely simple issue is a problem with lens-to-body aperture communication rather than the meter itself.
Why: if the camera throws ERR in all auto/semi-auto modes but still shoots in Manual, that suggests it may not know the lens aperture correctly. A bad electronic aperture contact or linkage could make the camera assume the wrong aperture, which would also explain why the Manual meter reading is wildly off and leads to overexposure.
It’s also possible the impact damaged the metering system or its connection to the main board, such as a loose ribbon cable or worse PCB damage. In that case, the odd meter reading could be electronic noise rather than a real light measurement.
Before opening the camera, try the simple checks first:
- remove and remount the lens
- clean the lens and body electrical contacts carefully
- test with another compatible Nikon lens if you have one
- inspect the mount/contact area for bent pins or obvious damage
If the problem persists across lenses, internal damage is likely and disassembly/repair is the next step.
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AI8y ago
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