Shutter release problems D3100

pnomanikon

Senior Member
Greetings! I sold my D7200 last year because of weight issues (two shoulder and one elbow surgeries on my right side) and have been using my wife's D3100. Very pleased about 90% of the time, which is pretty good for a cranky old man. Haha!

However, it seems like I have been having a problem the past few months on a regular basis. I have the focus set up for Back-Button-Focus, as I did on my D7200. I use the viewfinder, not Live. It worked fine for the past couple of years.

I will be taking photos, focus on an element, release the focus button (AE-L / AF-L), re-compose and when I push the shutter release - nothing. Even after repeated attempts and re-focusing, no shutter release. If I shut the camera off and re-start, it will work for awhile.

On the D7200, there was a setting to choose between shutter release anytime or only if it was in focus. I do not see that setting on the D3100.

This has happened in Auto, Aperture, Shutter Priority modes as well as Portrait, Macro, and Sport custom settings.

Any suggestions? Thank you.
 
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Needa

Senior Member
Challenge Team
That all I've got is set camera to AF-C then assign button. I don't have a d3100 but when you press the i button does it indicate its in AF-C mode? Does it act like its in AF-C if you hold the AE-L / AF-L and move it from subject to subject does it refocus? Maybe someone with a d3100 will chime in.
 
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blackstar

Senior Member
My guess is that when you shoot in AF-C or AF-S with d3100 and you set focus area as center point, after back-focus on an object, you recompose and you lose focus, then the shutter won't fire. With d7200, you have the option to fire shutter in focus or not; you don't have the option with d3100. I don't have d3100, but I do d3500 and it does the same fault as yours. Possible remedy: set focus area as dynamic or auto. It's very difficult to overcome the issue when you back-focus some object on the near ground and then recompose to shoot vast sky background and have nothing remain in your focus area... it won't fire!
 

pnomanikon

Senior Member
My guess is that when you shoot in AF-C or AF-S with d3100 and you set focus area as center point, after back-focus on an object, you recompose and you lose focus, then the shutter won't fire. With d7200, you have the option to fire shutter in focus or not; you don't have the option with d3100. I don't have d3100, but I do d3500 and it does the same fault as yours. Possible remedy: set focus area as dynamic or auto. It's very difficult to overcome the issue when you back-focus some object on the near ground and then recompose to shoot vast sky background and have nothing remain in your focus area... it won't fire!

Thanks - that was what I was afraid of. When I have time to sit down with the camera on the back patio, I will try dynamic or auto focus area. The D7200 did have a setting where I could select shutter release whether of not it was in focus (as when I focused on a subject using center point focus, released the back button, and recomposed with the subject now off to the side).

Maybe I should work on improving my manual focusing skills. I could also try using the circle-pointy-thingy to move the focus point off to the side when needed, but that really slows things down when I am trying to get a bird or other "prey" that doesn't sit still very long.

Stay tuned. Thanks to all!
 
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