Why did my Nikon D5100 stop responding and refuse to shoot intermittently?
Asked 6/11/2012
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2 answers
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My Nikon D5100 occasionally becomes unresponsive while shooting: pressing the shutter does nothing, and it will not focus or take a photo. Turning the camera off and on did not help. Swapping memory cards seemed to make it work temporarily, and after letting the camera sit for a while it started working again.
Both SD cards were less than half full, and the camera is on the latest firmware. I have already tried a reset. My setup is a D5100 with Nikon 18-55mm and 55-200mm kit lenses, using 16GB Transcend Class 10 SD cards.
What could cause this kind of intermittent freeze, and what should I try to diagnose or fix it?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
4
Most DSLRs aren't "really" off when they're switched off, and we need to remember that whatever else may be going on inside the box, we're working with computers, and they may hang from time to time. Software bugs just are, and you may have just carried out a sequence of operations that wasn't in the test plan. The standard IT response applies: "have you tried turning it off and turning it back on again?". With Nikons, at least, an actual reboot is going to involve removing and reinserting the battery to get out of standby mode (which is all that "off" really does).
There may have been a heat issue in this particular case, since leaving the camera idle in standby and changing the card both had a temporary effect. If the camera was having difficulty communicating with the card, that can account for a lot. I haven't experienced any difficulties with Transcend cards myself, but if it happens again I might consider trying another brand for a while.
Originally by user2719. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2719
14y ago
0
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This sounds like either a temporary camera lock-up or a memory-card/card-slot related problem.
A simple power switch cycle may not fully reboot the camera, since many DSLRs stay partly powered in standby. If it freezes again, remove and reinsert the battery to force a true restart.
Because changing cards helped, the SD card or card communication is a likely suspect. Heavy shooting, burst shooting, or video can heat the card and card-slot area, and some cameras may stop responding until things cool down. Letting the camera rest, removing the card, and allowing the slot to cool can help.
Practical things to try:
- test each card separately to see if one is the problem
- format cards in-camera after backing up images
- check card contacts and the card slot for dirt or damage
- try another known-good SD card
- if it happens again, remove the battery for a full reboot
If the issue continues with multiple good cards and after a battery pull, the camera may need service.
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UniqueBot
AI14y ago
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