black line on my photos

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paramidget

Senior Member
Hi there people.

1st post! I've had my 5100 for a couple of years and it's been faultless. Now I'm finding that I have a black line appearing at the top of my photos (and on the side if I turn the camera).

I have blown the sensor a few times with air and done the sensor clean on camera but it is still there. Interestingly, if I take the lens off and take a picture it does not appear. The line appears regardless of what lens I have on.

Any ideas????

Regards Ian

giraffe with black line above

blackline.jpg

Photo with lens detached. No black line! No point putting a photo here cos it is completely white with no line.
 
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stmv

Senior Member
first,, have you tried another lens? worse case,, if you don't have another lens, go to a camera store and try out a lens, see if the issue is due your lens or camera. almost look like a shutter issue.
 
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paramidget

Senior Member
Yep, I have tried 2 lens' with the same result. It's not a huge issue at the moment as I can crop the images after in photoshop. It's just a pain to remember not to use all of the photo field.
 
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Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
I have not idea if there is any kind of setting that could cause this but you might try resetting the shooting menu. Get it back to ground zero and start fresh. I doubt this is the problem but at least rule it out.
 
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stmv

Senior Member
another option,, do you have local repair shop.. most shops will do quick analysis/estimate for repair. this most likely will get worse.
 
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bobonit

Senior Member
It almost looks to me like the mirror isn't going up all the way. But I'm just making an uneducated guess, I'm pretty new to DSLR's. I have to agree with stmv, see if you have a local shop that can take a quick look at it. Maybe they have seen this before and can give you an estimate.
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
That looks like a broken shutter curtain, a sticking shutter, or your flash firing out of synch. I'm assuming it's not the latter.

Try taking a shot with a verrrrry slow shutter speed. Say, 1/8s or something like that. Do you still see the black line?
 
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BackdoorArts

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
I'm with bobonit. Shutter curtain issues tend not to be so completely horizontal. And the fact that you don't get it when no lens is attached leads me to believe that somehow the mirror may be getting stuck against something actuated by the lens attachment (though now that I think about it, with no lens attached unfocused light sneaks in from all angles so you wouldn't see it.

With a lens off, select a long shutter speed or put it in bulb or mirror lock for cleaning mode and see if the mirror goes up all the way?
 
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paramidget

Senior Member
Thanks guys for the replies.

I have just been playing around with liveview - and guess what? No black line at the top of photo! Go back to good old viewfinder - black line re-appears. I don't know much about liveview but does this lock the mirror up as opposed to the viewfinder? Now I'm really confused! At least I can still take photos without the line, but I've never really got used to using the liveview function. I will take the camera to a shop and see what they think. Then again - an upgrade to the D7100???
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Then it sounds like the timing of your mirror is off. Put your D3100's shutter release in "Quiet Mode" and see if you can take pictures that way, using the viewfinder.
 
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paramidget

Senior Member
It's fixed!

Apparently a spring on the shutter was cactus (Aussie for broken), the local Nikon fixit rep had it all repaired for $150 including parts.
Now to buy a new lens. Thinking 10mm -24mm wide angle for landscapes and buildings. Tamron, Sigma or Nikkor???
 
wud

wud

Senior Member
paramidget said:
It's fixed!

Apparently a spring on the shutter was cactus (Aussie for broken), the local Nikon fixit rep had it all repaired for $150 including parts.
Now to buy a new lens. Thinking 10mm -24mm wide angle for landscapes and buildings. Tamron, Sigma or Nikkor???
Click to expand...

Great!


You got a crop camera? I looked at that 10-20mm, but its not really suitable with full frame. Can be done, though.
​I just ordered the Sigma 12-24mm, http://nikonites.com/wide-angle/13145-my-new-lens-its-way-yay.html#axzz2S2dpSz4V
 
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Thomas Braden

New member
I am having the very same issue, believe I am on same track & will send my camera back to nikon for repair.

What did you discover? what was the fix? maybe you can save me from a bill and more importantly from doing w/o my kit!!

thanks,

- tAb
 
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Sandpatch

Senior Member
I had this exact same problem. Sent it to Nikon for repair of a broken shutter assembly. Cost was about $175 USD, took 2-1/2 weeks. Knocking on wood, but it's been fine since.
 
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RobinJL65

New member
Hi, I just signed up to become a member here and I am having a very similiar problem with my photos. Not sure if it could be the same reasons as mentioned here. At the top of my photos, it's not a black line. Yet instead it's a faint white line. The camera that was used for this photo is a refurbished D7200 that I just bought 2-3 months ago. Ian, I love your photo! DSC_2006-2.jpg
 
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Danno_RIP

Danno_RIP

Senior Member
Welcome to the forum. I am not sure what the white line is that you are concerned about. I thought it was a light cloud bank but I am sure someone here will be able to help you out.
 
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