You may experience problems with your Nikon point and shoot camera from time to time that do not result in any error messages or other easy-to-follow clues as to the problem. Fixing such problems can be a bit difficult, and you may feel nervous about trying to do these fixes yourself. However, Nikon troubleshooting does not necessarily have to be a difficult process. Use these tips to give yourself a better chance of fixing problems with a Nikon point-and-shoot camera.
The camera does not turn
Always check the battery first; it is the most common culprit with dead camera. Is the battery charged? Is the battery correctly installed? Are the metal battery connectors clean? (If not, you can use a soft cloth to remove dirt from the connectors.) Are there any foreign objects or particles in the battery compartment that could prevent a good connection?
LCD screen shows nothing or goes blank periodically
Some Nikon digital cameras have what Nikon calls “monitor” buttons, which turn the LCD screen on and off. Find the button on your model’s monitor and press it; maybe the LCD screen is off. Also, most Nikon cameras have a power saving mode where the camera turns off the LCD screen after a few minutes of inactivity. If this happens too often for your liking, consider disabling power saver mode or lengthening the amount of time before power saver mode starts. You can make this type of change to your camera’s settings through on-screen menus, typically the Settings menu on a Nikon Coolpix point-and-shoot camera.
LCD screen is not easy to see
If the LCD screen is too dim, on some Nikon models, you can increase the brightness of the LCD screen. Some LCDs, due to glare, can be difficult to see in direct sunlight. Try to use your free hand to shield the LCD screen from direct sunlight, or try to turn your body to prevent the sun from entering the LCD screen. Finally, if the LCD screen is dirty or smudged, clean it with a soft, dry microfiber cloth.
The camera will not record photos when the shutter button is pressed
Make sure the jog dial is turned to select a photo recording mode, rather than a playback mode or video recording mode. (Check your user manual if you can’t figure out the jog dial labels.) Make sure you have enough battery power to take photos; a nearly depleted battery may not be able to operate the camera properly. If the camera’s autofocus cannot accurately focus on the object, the Nikon camera will not take the picture. Finally, if the memory card or internal memory is full or almost full, the camera may not be able to save the photo. Occasionally, the camera will not be able to record photos because it already has 999 photos in memory. Some older Nikon camera models cannot store more than 999 photos at a time.
Camera shooting information is not displayed
With most Nikon point-and-shoot cameras, you can press a “monitor” button or a “display” button which will place shooting settings and information on the display screen. If you repeatedly press this button, different information will appear on the screen or all shooting data on the screen will be deleted.
Camera autofocus does not seem to work properly
With some Nikon point-and-shoot cameras, you can turn off the autofocus assist lamp (which is a small light on the front of the camera that provides additional light to help automatically focus on an object, especially when you’re planning to use a flash in a low light situation). However, if the autofocus lamp is off, the camera may not focus properly. Look through the Nikon camera menus to turn on the autofocus assist lamp. Or it may simply be too close to the subject for autofocus to work. Try backing up a bit.