Focus problems resulting in blank or 'white' pictures

nashvallnashvall
edited March 2012 Posted in » Nikon D3100 Forum
I've had my D3100 long enough to use it in many different lighting situations, but invariably when I find a good close up subject, the focus will NOT work which is disappointing. Sometimes it won't shoot and other times it captures a 'white' image.

This occurs in both manual and Auto settings, whether the lighting is excellent or not. Sometimes as I push the shutter button to lock focus, the camera will just zoom in and out refusing to capture the image. There seems to be nothing consistent about this problem, because most of the time the focus looks great through the viewfinder making it very hard to troubleshoot.

I thought at first it was just learning the system as I have a master level media technology degree and have used many SLR 35mm cameras. So I am wondering if others have had this problem and successfully had their cameras repaired?

Comments

  • robborobbo
    edited March 2012
    The white images sound like extreme overexposure, whilst the focus 'hunting' sounds like a lack of enough light for the camera to lock on to a good focus setting.

    Can you test the camera under controlled lighting conditions? One or two strong lamps - try the camera on a tripod, different apertures and shutter speeds/ISO settings, see which ones are successful.

    It may that there is a fault, as you say there is nothing consistent about the problem.
  • MooseMoose
    Howdy @nashvall - In some situations when the Nikon D3100 fails to autofocus, the shutter release will be disabled. This answers your question about why the shutter release won't take a picture. To remedy this, flip the AF/MF switch on your lens to MF and adjust focus manually.

    As for the overexposed (bright/white) shots, it sounds like the D3100 was unable to meter the subject or scene correctly. To rule out any weird behavior, reset your 'Setup' and 'Shooting' options. You can do this inside the D3100 menu. After reverting your settings back to factory default, take a few test shots outdoors (daytime) in Program mode (P). Let me know how it all shakes out.
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