Help!! front dial will not work

Hello everyone! I'm new here, so please be gentle! I have a D7100 and I've had it for a few months without any issues, as a matter of fact, I love this camera. This week I noticed that while using the 35mm lens, I could not change the f-stop on manual mode. As I started to sit here tinkering with it, I realized the front dial stopped working completely. So on manual mode (which is how I typically shoot) I'm stuck at f8. I've turned on/off camera, changed lenses, even reset user settings to no avail. Has anyone else experienced this or does anyone have any recommendations of what I can do to correct this. Thanks in advance!

Try these two things first:

1. Remove lens and use a clean lens cloth or tissue to wipe the electrical contacts on the body side of the mount - there are 8 very obvious electrical contacts in the inside of the mount located at 12 o'clock position (right below the Nikon logo.) They are not that small - just wrap a lens tissue around your finger and give it a couple of wipes. (Wipe dry - no cleaners or any liquid.)

2. Exercise the mode dial on the left top of the camera. Rotate it to M, S, T, etc back and forth a few times.

If that does not change things, you may have to send the unit back to Nikon.

When you say that the aperture does not change when you rotate the front dial, does the front dial work for other functions? Press the AF button (left side of camera body, next to lens, ie the AF-MF switch but press, not switch.) and rotate the front dial. Does the focus mode pattern change? Press the Bracketing button (BRKT - left side of camera body below Flash button) and rotate the front dial - does the bracketing F-stop change? (look at upper right corner number on top LCD info screen.) If these changes, then your front dial is working but communications with your lenses are not working - it's Nikon time. If these don't change then you have a bad front dial - it's also Nikon time.
We have seen in the shop occasionally "flat" spots on the front dial - ie when you rotate, you should feel clicks all the way around. But with "flats spots" there are no clicks - just smooth rotation through 90 to 180 degs of rotation and then something catches and you feel the click again. That's a mechanical fault with the detent spring which also is the electrical contact switch inside. Same thing - it's Nikon time!

Hope this helps.

thank you so much for the information. I tried what you suggested but it didn't work.

When I said that I'm stuck on an F-stop I meant to say that it does not work for any other function on any mode. I should've been more specific. The last f-stop I used on manual, that's where I'm at. I think my only option is to send to Nikon for inspection/repair.

Thank you so much for your help!

Yes, sounds like you need to send it back to Nikon.

I just sent a 35mm lens back for autofocus adjustment under warrantee - mailed in using 2-day priority Mail on Aug 15 and I got it back on Aug 25. That was quite impressive for a turn around time. Go to their website and fill in the form and it will ask you to print out a packing slip and mailing label to send.

Here's my advice, from experience sending things back to Nikon: Don't send them anything other than what needs to be fixed. So, if you are sending the body, remove the strap, the battery, the SD cards, the hot-shoe protector and even the eye-piece rubber cup. Just send the body with the body cap! If you include any of the other stuff, they may not come back!! If you include a non-Nikon battery, it surely will not come back! In many cases, it's quicker and much more cost-effective for them to just swap you a working body - and what you get then is a bare body, missing all the accessories you sent with it. So, do strip it naked before you send it in!

Good Luck.

Is the problem happening with other lenses as well?

Did you try to do a camera reset? Instructions for this are in the manual but usually there should be 2 red buttons that you press at the same time for a few seconds. Many many times, this cures things like this. It's worth a trial.

yes, it happens with other lenses. I haven't tried the reset. I'm going to give that try. If that fails, then it's off to nikon for repair. Thanks for your input!!

great information, thank you so much! I will do that when I send it in for repair. Again, thank you!