Flash will not fire

[rrimmerr]

I know I have not been on this site much since joining so I hope maybe someone can help me out. I was taking inside photos today in our den which is pretty dark and so I set my nikon to auto to let it do the work for me since I am still learning the settings and how to shoot manual. When I pressed my release button in part way my built in flash would pop up but when I pressed the release button the rest of the way in the flash would not fire. Most of my photos I have taken recently have been outdoors and the last time I went out of auto was to take some photos at dusk of a storm coming in. Not sure if I did something with my settings that is preventing the flash from firing or if there is a problem with my camera.

Any suggestions on what the problem is would be great. (I know some of the problem could be the operator lol)

Thank you

[Grumby]

Hi Rrimmerr (as in Arnold...?)

I have a D3000 myself, so can maybe help... First, I assume when you say 'Auto mode', you mean the setting on the main dial that has the word 'Auto' and a little camera icon in green. There are a lot of other settings on the camera that have an 'Auto' setting, so just want to make sure we are on the same page...

When you put the camera into Auto mode, it is possible to override the flash to switch it off, but if you switch to another mode and back again, or turn the camera off and on again, it resets the flash to auto anyway, so it isn't likely that you've set something last time you used the camera, and forgotten about it.

If the flash pops up, then the next thing is that you need to wait for it to charge up. If the flash isn't ready, then the shutter release won't... (release the shutter). When you look through the viewfinder, you need to wait until the flash symbol appears solidly before you can take the picture (it's at the right hand end of all the icons and symbols you see lit up in green). If your battery is getting low, then this may take a few seconds after the flash pops up, and the same again after each successful flash - it may not always be ready to use immediately.

Check the battery is charged up and see if that helps - in the meantime, I'll check if there ARE any settings that will permanently disable the flash, even in auto mode (though if the flash pops up, I don't think that's the issue).

Cheers
Grumby

[rrimmerr]

Thank you for responding to my post and any help you have for me.

You were correct when you said the auto mode on the dial and I thought it would reset itself if turned off but since I haven't had this camera but about 4 months I know I am a long way from knowing everything. My battery was low and I changed that hoping that was the problem but the flash still would not fire.

I am sooo stressed over this since I love my camera so much and thank you again. I will check back later in case you have any other ideas on this.

[Grumby]

Hi again Rimmer,
I've only had mine a week, so I can understand how stressed you are feeling. The good thing is that the camera is still under warranty, so if there IS a fault, at least you can get it repaired...

So, lets go over the checklist so far
battery charged ok
camera newly switched on or newly put into auto-mode
flash-head pops up

You didn't say whether or not you see the flash symbol come up in the display.
Another thing, and this may sound silly, are you sure the lens is on correctly? Try taking it off and re-attaching it, and make sure it clicks solidly into place (this gives other errors in the display, such as "F--", but it does prevent the shutter release from operating).

In general, when you put the camera in Auto mode, it resets pretty much any settings you may have made elsewhere (but I'll keep looking in case there is something obscure that we've missed)

Can you take pictures in any other modes, either with or without the flash...?
Can you 'force' the flash to fire by using the camera in Manual and setting the flash to red-eye or rear curtain modes?

If we can determine if your issues are in Auto mode, the flash in general, or not being able to release the shutter at all, that will help isolate the problem.

Cheers,
Grumby

[rrimmerr]

Hi Grumby

Thanks for understanding my stress. I did think of the lens not be attached correctly so I took it off and made sure it was reattached correctly and it did click into place. I did check to see if the symbol showed up on the right side and I did not see one when I double checked today. Also the flash will not fire in any setting on the dial if needed it pops up but nothing else although I can take photos if the flash is not required. I have not tried to force the flash in manual mode. I will try that as soon as possible and let you know what happens.

Rimmer

[BrentGambrell]

Originally Posted by Grumby

(this gives other errors in the display, such as "F--", but it does prevent the shutter release from operating).
Grumby

Actually, the shutter is releasable without a lens when put in MANUAL mode. M - on the dial.

However, I would not recommend you trying this, as your shutter could break.

I found this out because I have to manually clean my sensor.

[Grumby]

Hi Rrimmerr,
Had a couple more thoughts... the flash won't fire, and the shutter release will be disabled if the camera can't focus. If the lens is in Auto-Focus mode, and you are taking photos in low-light, make sure that your fingers are not obstructing the AF-Assist light (conveniently located right next to where the fingers of your right hand curl around the front of the camera). When you press the shutter release halfway, the light should come on, you should hear the lens whir a bit as it searches for the focus, and then the camera will beep (if you haven't switched the beep off, that is), and the in-focus indicator (a green dot at the left of the viewfinder display) will light up. If it (the indicator) flashes, then the camera hasn't been able to focus for some reason.

Could be a problem with the lens perhaps, preventing the autofocus... hmm, perhaps not - that would prevent you from taking ANY pictures at all. No, scrap that thought.

Not sure what the situation is if you have left the lens in Manual-Focus mode. Logic dictates that the flash should fire whether the image is focused or not - but I haven't put it to the test.

[Almond.Butterscotch]

So if I understand you right, the flash pops up, but doesn't fire, even when set to fire, right?

Check out this video. It might help. Nikon D40 Flash Fix on Vimeo

When you try this, be VERY sure you don't strip the screws. VERY, VERY sure.

[rrimmerr]

Thank you so much for your reply and the link to the video on fixing the flash. I will probably let my husband watch this and do the repair for me if I cannot get the store where I purchased my camera from to agree to fix it without it being shipped off for weeks. I have some friends that are having a family reunion coming up and they want me to take photos for them which is good for me since it will give me some much needed pratice.

To everyone that has replied to my post I send a big Thank You. I will let all of you know the outcome.

Rimmer

[rrimmerr]

Hi Almond.Butterscotch & Grumby

Viewed the link you gave me and crossed my fingers saying a prayer as my husband and I began the operation on my beloved Nikon. We had no problems with doing the procedure but all was lost when we saw that this was not my problem so off to the store where my husband purchased my camera tomorrow hopefully to get another one to replace instead of repair I feel that I should not have to repair something that I have owned only 4 months.

Rrimmerr