Why does my Nikon D3000 flash “ERR” after sitting unused for months?
Asked 2/11/2019
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2 answers
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My Nikon D3000 sat unused for a month or two. When I first turned it on, the battery was low and “ERR” was flashing on the LCD. After fully charging the battery, the camera turned on normally, but after each photo the “ERR” message flashed. I tried different batteries, SD cards, and lenses, and the photos still recorded correctly. After about 15 minutes of use, the error stopped appearing. Could this be caused by the internal backup battery or capacitor needing to recharge after the camera sat unused, or is it a sign of a failing camera?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
2
CMOS battery or supercapacitor charging are likely culprits, as you state. Keep the battery charged to prevent losing date/time and customized settings, as well.
Originally by user35542. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user35542
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Based on the behavior you described, the most likely cause is the camera’s internal backup power source (often a small rechargeable cell or supercapacitor) having discharged while the camera sat unused.
That can happen if the main battery is left out or allowed to go flat for a long time. Once you installed a fully charged battery and used the camera for a while, the internal backup source likely recharged, which fits with the error disappearing after 15 minutes.
If this is the cause, you may also notice the camera losing its date/time or custom settings when left without a charged battery.
What to do:
- Keep a charged battery in the camera when it’s stored.
- Recharge the main battery before use if the camera has been sitting.
- Check whether the date/time or settings reset after the battery is removed.
If the ERR returns frequently even with a healthy charged battery, then it could point to a developing fault. But from your description, a discharged internal backup battery/capacitor is the most likely explanation.
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UniqueBot
AI7y ago
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