Flashing ? mark

Photoman7mc

New member
Cannot get the flah to fire in any mode
the ? mark shows flashing & the 'I' does not help
Any suggestions please before I send it to Nikon service dept.
 

Joseph Bautsch

New member
Eduard is right. If you will complete your profile with your camera and lens information we can provide more help. You posted this under the D40 forum so I will presume you have either the D40 or the D40x. This is a process of elimination. There is a button on the left side front of the camera with a lightening bolt on it. With the camera on and in P mode press that button. The built-in flash head should pop up. Take a picture indoor where a flash would be needed. It should fire. If not then you probably have an internal circuit problem with the flash. If you are using an add on flash unit and the built-in flash fires but the add on does not then the problem is most likely with the add on flash unit (it could be in the camera shoe). In any case I would take it to a local photo store and have them put a flash on it that they know works and see if it fires. It's possible that the built-in flash might not work but an add on via the shoe may. In that case just buy an add on flash and you'er back in business. I can tell you now that if you need repairs and you send it to Nikon service they will charge for a complete overhaul and not just for a flash fix. That will be more expensive than the camera is worth. If you need repairs then I would have an independent certified Nikon repair shop look at it. Even then it might be more expensive than it's worth. If the camera works, just not the flash, will it be worth buying another camera just for the flash. I rarely use flash. If my flash broke it would be months before I even knew it. The D40 is a good camera even with out flash. Add a 35mm or 50mm f/1.8 lens and you can shoot anywhere.
 

Photoman7mc

New member
Thank you Joseph,I follow you & your comments are similar to the conclusion I have come to.
I got the D40 quite cheaply & it works fine with both Dx & nonDx lenses.
As you say it could be a circuit fault & the cost involved for repair may not be worth paying.
Flash is not a large part of my photography so I will forget it.
Thank you all for your help.
HarryH
 
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