Problems and Solutions

• Wait for recording and other operations to end.

• If the problem persists, turn the camera off.

• If the camera does not turn off, remove and reinsert the battery.

• If you are using an AC adapter, disconnect and reconnect the AC adapter.

  • Any data currently being recorded will be lost.

  • Data that have already been recorded are not affected by removing or disconnecting the power source.

• Rotate the diopter adjustment control to adjust viewfinder focus.

• If adjusting viewfinder focus does not correct the problem, set the autofocus mode to AF‑S and the AF‑area mode to [Single-point AF]. Next, select the center focus point, choose a high-contrast subject, and focus using autofocus. With the camera in focus, use the diopter adjustment control to bring the subject into clear focus in the viewfinder.

• If necessary, viewfinder focus can be further adjusted using optional corrective lenses.

Is the battery charged? The viewfinder may dim if the battery is exhausted or not inserted.

Choose longer delays for Custom Setting c2 [Standby timer] or c4 [Monitor off delay].

The response times and brightness of these displays vary with temperature.

The viewfinder display may turn red when a focus point is highlighted, but this is normal for this type of viewfinder and does not indicate a malfunction.

More time will be needed to find files if the memory card contains large numbers of files or folders.

• Is a memory card inserted, and if so, does it have space available?

• Is the memory card write-protected?

• Is the in-focus indicator (I) displayed?

• When a CPU lens of a type other than G or E is attached, the shutter cannot be released unless the aperture ring is locked at minimum aperture (the highest f-number). If B is displayed in the control panel, select [Aperture ring] for Custom Setting f5 [Customize command dials] > [Aperture setting] and adjust aperture using the lens aperture ring.

• If you selected mode S after selecting a shutter speed of A (Bulb) or % (Time) in mode M, choose a different shutter speed.

• Is [Release locked] selected for [Slot empty release lock] in the setup menu?

Select [Off] for Custom Setting d4 [Exposure delay mode].

Burst shooting cannot be used in conjunction with HDR.

• Is the camera in manual focus mode? To enable autofocus, rotate the focus-mode selector to AF.

• Autofocus does not perform well under the following conditions. In these cases, use manual focus or focus lock. Autofocus does not perform well if: there is little or no contrast between the subject and the background, the focus point contains objects at different distances from the camera, the subject is dominated by regular geometric patterns, the focus point contains areas of sharply contrasting brightness, background objects appear larger than the subject, or the subject contains many fine details.

• A beep does not sound when AF-C is selected for autofocus mode or AF-A is selected and the camera is shooting using AF-C.

• Select an option other than [Off] for [Beep options] > [Beep on/off] in the setup menu.

Using a flash restricts the range of shutter speeds available. Flash sync speed can be set to values of ¹/₂₀₀–¹/₆₀ s using Custom Setting e1 [Flash sync speed]. When using flash units that support auto FP high-speed sync, choose [1/200 s (Auto FP)] for a full range of shutter speeds.

If AF-C is selected for autofocus mode or AF-A is selected and the camera is shooting using AF-C, focus can be locked using the A button.

• Is the focus selector lock in the L (lock) position?

• Focus-point selection is not available when [Auto-area AF] is selected for AF‑area mode.

• Focus point selection is not available in playback mode or when menus are in use.

• Has the standby timer expired? To enable focus-point selection, press the shutter-release button halfway.

[Image quality] set to [NEF (RAW)].

Is [On] selected for [Long exposure NR] in the photo shooting menu?

• To reduce noise, adjust settings such as ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, or Active D-Lighting.

• At high ISO sensitivities, noise may become more noticeable in long exposures or in pictures recorded when the camera temperature is elevated.

Changes to monitor brightness during live view have no effect on images recorded with the camera.

Select [Flicker reduction] in the movie shooting menu and choose an option that matches the frequency of the local AC power supply.

Bright regions or bands may occur if a flashing sign, flash, or other light source with brief duration is used during live view.

• Are there smudges on the front or rear (mount-side) lens elements?

• Is there foreign matter on the low-pass filter? Perform image sensor cleaning.

You may notice ghosting or flare in shots that include the sun or other bright light sources. These effects can be mitigated by attaching a lens hood or by composing shots with bright light sources well out of the frame. You can also try such techniques as removing lens filters, choosing a different shutter speed, or using silent photography.

• Live view may end automatically to prevent damage to the camera’s internal circuits, for example if:

  • The ambient temperature is high

  • The camera has been used for extended periods in live view or to record movies

  • The camera has been used in continuous release modes for extended periods

• If the camera is running hot and live view does not start, wait for the internal circuits to cool and then try again. Note that the camera may feel warm to the touch, but this does not indicate a malfunction.

• Randomly-spaced bright pixels, fog, or bright spots may arise as a result of increases in the temperature of the camera’s internal circuits during live view. Exit live view when the camera is not in use.

• Randomly-spaced bright pixels, fog, lines or unexpected colors may appear if you press the X (T) button to zoom in on the view through the lens during live view.

• In movies, the amount and distribution of randomly-spaced bright pixels, fog, and bright spots are affected by the option selected for [Frame size/frame rate] in the movie shooting menu.

• Note that the distribution of noise in the monitor may differ from that in the final picture.

The subject is too dark or too bright.

Pictures created with cameras of other types cannot serve as sources for preset manual white balance.

• White balance bracketing is not available when an NEF (RAW) or NEF + JPEG option is selected for image quality.

• White balance bracketing cannot be used in multiple exposure and HDR modes.

[Auto] is selected for [Set Picture Control] or as the basis for a custom Picture Control created using [Manage Picture Control], or [A] (auto) is selected for [Quick sharp], [Contrast], or [Saturation]. For consistent results over a series of photographs, choose a setting other than [A] (auto).

The option selected for metering cannot be changed during exposure lock.

Changes to exposure compensation in mode M apply only to the exposure indicator and have no effect on shutter speed or aperture.

Uneven shading may appear in long exposures shot at shutter speeds of A (Bulb) or % (Time). The effect can be mitigated by selecting [On] for [Long exposure NR] in the photo shooting menu.

Is [Microphone off] selected for [Microphone sensitivity] in the movie shooting menu?

The camera displays only the JPEG copies of pictures taken with [NEF(RAW) + JPEG finem], [NEF(RAW) + JPEG fine], [NEF(RAW) + JPEG normalm], [NEF(RAW) + JPEG normal], [NEF(RAW) + JPEG basicm], or [NEF(RAW) + JPEG basic] selected for [Image quality].

Pictures recorded with other types of camera may not display correctly.

Select [All] for [Playback folder] in the playback menu.

• Is [Off] selected for [Rotate tall] in the playback menu?

• Auto image rotation is not available during image review.

• Camera orientation may not be correctly recorded in photos taken with the camera pointing up or down.

Are the pictures protected?

• The pictures cannot be further edited with this camera.

• There is insufficient space on the memory card to record the retouched copy.

Select [All] for [Playback folder] in the playback menu.

Confirm that an HDMI cable is correctly connected.

Image sensor cleaning changes the position of dust on the low-pass filter and will not have the desired effect if:

• Dust off reference data recorded after image sensor cleaning is performed are used with photographs taken before image sensor cleaning is performed

• Dust off reference data recorded before image sensor cleaning is performed are used with photographs taken after image sensor cleaning is performed

In the case of NEF (RAW) pictures, the effects can only be viewed using Nikon software. View NEF (RAW) pictures using NX Studio.

Depending on the operating system, you may be unable to upload pictures when the camera is connected to a computer. Copy pictures from the memory card to a computer using a card reader or other device.

• Navigate to the setup menu and confirm both that [Disable] is selected for [Airplane mode] and that [Enable] is selected for [Connect to smart device] > [Pairing (Bluetooth)] > [Bluetooth connection].

• Try disabling and re-enabling wireless network features on the smart device.

The camera cannot establish wireless connections to devices other than smartphones, tablets, and computers.