D3400 Shutter Release Problem

JazzzzyLady

I recently received a D3400 as a gift, and was taking practice shots to get familiar with the camera. About a week ago, I ran into a problem I have been unable to solve, and hope someone here can point me in the right direction.

When in Auto mode, I can press the shutter release button half-way down to observe the focus; however, when I continue to press the shutter release button to actually take the photo, it does not shoot. I have tried changing to another mode, but still have the same issue.

Battery is fully charged, and there are only 18 photos on a 64GB card. There is not a warning - I just cannot take a photo.

Can anyone help? I have read the user's manual twice, and there is nothing to suggest a solution. Thanks.

bruto

In Auto focus, the camera has what is called "focus priority". This means, in short, that the shutter will not operate unless the camera has found focus, or until the camera's brain believes it has found focus.

You should test the camera's function first to determine that it's not defective.

Set the switch on the lens, if there is one, to "M" for manual focus. If this is the newest type with no such switch, go to the [i] menu, find the focus mode entry, and choose "Manual".

Now take a picture. If the shutter does not work, the camera has a problem that needs repair. If it does, then keep going.

Assuming it works, put the lens or camera back on AF, and do the following:

First, if you're using any mode other than Auto Area focusing, make sure the focus point is centered, using the [OK] button on the back. Now aim the camera at a subject, and observe whether, when the focus stops, the little round light at the bottom left of the finder lights up. If it does, the camera believes it has found focus. It should fire. If it does not, there's a problem.

You can also try switching to Live View, where the center square in the finder will change from red to green when focus is achieved. It should fire when it turns green. On many cameras, focus priority is modified in Live View, and the shutter will fire after a delay in which focus is attempted.

If you can't get it to fire when it's focused, there's a problem somewhere.

Before going too far, try removing the lens and reinstalling it, just in case there's a poor contact.

By the way, my standard addition: On the D3200, and probably others, the printed manual is abridged. Make sure you get the full version, either off the CD or from the Nikon Website. It's a PDF file that can be read on the computer, and Nikon also provides an app whereby you can put it on a smart phone.