Camera will not fire when button is pressed!

[Spartacus]

Dear Members,

Appreciate if someone can very kindly advise me on what I should do to solve this problem please.

I recently got my keys to my new apartment and I wanted to take some photos of the insides of the apartment
to plan my renovation.

I set my camera (Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm, f/2.8 lens) on Aperture Priority at f/2.8 and started firing
at the insides of the apartment i.e. the kitchen, the living room, dining room, Master bedroom, guest bedroom including the toilets but the camera just simply won't fire away whenever I pressed the shutter-button.

Reason is because the walls and tiles of the insides of the apartment are all white in colour.

Please kindly advise me on what I should do to solve this problem please. I do need help please.

Appreciate if some members can advise me on what "Mode", "Aperture", "Shutter-Speed", "ISO settings" etc
I should use to solve this problem please.

Thanking you in advance.

Cheers,

Stephen

[pnodrog]

In normal focus modes it will not take the photo until a correct focus has been achieved. Suspect due the the tiled walls the autofocus is struggling. You could try manual focus.

P.S. I also suggest you up the ISO and stop down to say f8

[Stagecoach]

Dear Members,

Appreciate if someone can very kindly advise me on what I should do to solve this problem please.

I recently got my keys to my new apartment and I wanted to take some photos of the insides of the apartment
to plan my renovation.

I set my camera (Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm, f/2.8 lens) on Aperture Priority at f/2.8 and started firing
at the insides of the apartment i.e. the kitchen, the living room, dining room, Master bedroom, guest bedroom including the toilets but the camera just simply won't fire away whenever I pressed the shutter-button.

Reason is because the walls and tiles of the insides of the apartment are all white in colour.

Please kindly advise me on what I should do to solve this problem please. I do need help please.

Appreciate if some members can advise me on what "Mode", "Aperture", "Shutter-Speed", "ISO settings" etc
I should use to solve this problem please.

Thanking you in advance.

Cheers,

Stephen

I suspect the camera is not finding and locking focus because you have not given it a decent target. Depending upon how your settings are the shutter button can be programmed to operate only when focus is achieved and registered, or, operate without focus being achieved. There is also the option of going to manual focus if the wall surfaces are not allowing decent AF targets.

Grahame

[Digital]

Stephen, your AF system needs some contrast to focus properly. As Grahame, and L.Paul suggested go to manual focus.



Bruce

[Rob Ekins]

Dear Members,

Appreciate if someone can very kindly advise me on what I should do to solve this problem please.

I recently got my keys to my new apartment and I wanted to take some photos of the insides of the apartment
to plan my renovation.

I set my camera (Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm, f/2.8 lens) on Aperture Priority at f/2.8 and started firing
at the insides of the apartment i.e. the kitchen, the living room, dining room, Master bedroom, guest bedroom including the toilets but the camera just simply won't fire away whenever I pressed the shutter-button.

Reason is because the walls and tiles of the insides of the apartment are all white in colour.

Please kindly advise me on what I should do to solve this problem please. I do need help please.

Appreciate if some members can advise me on what "Mode", "Aperture", "Shutter-Speed", "ISO settings" etc
I should use to solve this problem please.

Thanking you in advance.

Cheers,

Stephen

Stephen,

Give the camera something to focus on, put something in the frame, perhaps a spirit level on end or a 1m stick. This will also help give you an idea of scale for you to reference to for your renovation ideas.

f2.8 is too narrow, you will have DOF issues with most of your shots unless your apartment is huge, I shoot interiors at f8 - f11 unless it is an arty detail shot.

Robbie.

[Colin Southern]

Stephen,

Give the camera something to focus on, put something in the frame, perhaps a spirit level on end or a 1m stick. This will also help give you an idea of scale for you to reference to for your renovation ideas.

f2.8 is too narrow, you will have DOF issues with most of your shots unless your apartment is huge, I shoot interiors at f8 - f11 unless it is an arty detail shot.

Robbie.


Robbie.

Manual focus sucks

Robbie has the right idea; Stick something in the scene - let it lock focus - switch the lens to manual focus - remove the object - take the shot. Rinse and repeat.

In terms of settings, you'll want Av mode and you'll need a tripod. Shoot at around F11 and whatever ISO you need to get the shutterspeed above 30 seconds.

Turn all room lights on, and be sure to get the sensor parallel to the ground to avoid converging or diverging lines (just look through the viewfinder and adjust tilt until lines are parallel and square). Flashes can help, although personally, I usually shoot a 5-Stop bracket and merge as an HDR (gets a good result without having to fluff around with additional lighting too much).

Hope this helps.

[pnodrog]

Are photographers for even static scenes losing the important skill of manual focus. It is the simplest and most controlled solution. Not a technique to be avoided.

[William W]

I set my camera (Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm, f/2.8 lens) on Aperture Priority at f/2.8 and started firing at the insides of the apartment i.e. the kitchen, the living room, dining room, Master bedroom, guest bedroom including the toilets but the camera just simply won't fire away whenever I pressed the shutter-button. Reason is because the walls and tiles of the insides of the apartment are all white in colour.

Appreciate if some members can advise me on what "Mode", "Aperture", "Shutter-Speed", "ISO settings" etc

As mentioned above, many cameras (when the user options are set in various ways) will not allow the Shutter to be released, if the lens cannot make AUTO FOCUS.

It seems to me that this is the most likely cause of your issue.

One option is to use Manual Focus: and probably using Manual Focus is the best option if you are not used to all the functionalities and options that your camera has available. But using Manual Focus (looking through the Viewfinder) has its own difficulties.

You can also use FOCUS LOCK, which means you allow the camera to AUTO FOCUS on a suitable Subject at the distance want focus; you FOCUS LOCK; then re-compose the framing of the shot.

(NOTE - you do NOT ZOOM the lens after you focus lock: you ONLY RE-FRAME the camera's postion keeping the ZOOM at the same FOCAL LENGTH.)

The D700 has a reasonably sophisticated AF MODE and AF AREA selection available and it would be advisable to work through the User Manual whilst practising with the camera in each of those Modes so that you can get used to how each works and better understand when each might be useful to use.

*

Using any Automatic Mode (like A Mode) for these Photos, you will probably come across an issue with the Exposure, if the rooms are all white tiles and white walls.

You will probably need to use EXPOSURE COMPENSATION and I expect something like EC = +1½ would be a good starting point, if you are using MATRIX METERING on your D700.

*

I concur that around F/8 would be a sensible Aperture to set when using A Mode and this is assuming that you are using your lens at the wider angle to capture as much of the interior of the rooms in each shot. Using a smaller Aperture (than F/2.8) is to allow you a greater Depth of Field.

*

If using A Mode you’ll need to set the ISO such that the SHUTTER SPEED is consistently showing faster than 1/125s; or if you do not have steady hands, faster than 1/250s.

WW

[AB26]

the camera just simply won't fire away whenever I pressed the shutter-button.

In the Menu on your camera you can change the settings to make your camera fire when ever focus has been achieved or not.

Setting it to 'shutter' the camera will fire indiscriminately. Setting it to 'focus' the shutter will only release once focus has been achieved.

[pnodrog]

In the Menu on your camera you can change the settings to make your camera fire when ever focus has been achieved or not.

Setting it to 'shutter' the camera will fire indiscriminately. Setting it to 'focus' the shutter will only release once focus has been achieved.

I always thought the shutter priority setting a bit strange and cannot think of a situation that I would use it unless I was after some sort of arty effect. Maybe some sort of strange panning or zooming during exposure. Even then I think I would just switch to manual focus.

[Colin Southern]

Are photographers for even static scenes losing the important skill of manual focus. It is the simplest and most controlled solution. Not a technique to be avoided.

Manually focusing a modern camera / lens is like buying a new car and then pushing it everywhere; we pay good money for the automation - it works well - may as well use it.

[Colin Southern]

I always thought the shutter priority setting a bit strange and cannot think of a situation that I would use it unless I was after some sort of arty effect. Maybe some sort of strange panning or zooming during exposure. Even then I think I would just switch to manual focus.

Think paparazzi or sports event where timing is critical and it's more important to grab a frame that's not going to be there a split second later; it may be in focus, it may not, but either way the priority is to release the shutter and "take one's chances".

[Colin Southern]

If using A Mode you’ll need to set the ISO such that the SHUTTER SPEED is consistently showing faster than 1/125s; or if you do not have steady hands, faster than 1/250s.

Hey Bill,

Unless it's exceptionally well lit, I suspect they'll struggle trying to get those kinds of speeds at anything but extreme ISOs. If it were me I wouldn't do it without a tripod. Even with a tripod, on some of my work @ F11 @ ISO 100 I have to bump the ISO up because the exposure tries to go over 30 seconds!

[pnodrog]

Manually focusing a modern camera / lens is like buying a new car and then pushing it everywhere; we pay good money for the automation - it works well - may as well use it.

The trouble is it is not working well in this case.

[Colin Southern]

The trouble is it is not working well in this case.

Which is why the OP needs to temporarily add something with a bit of contrast, as already advised. Then it will work better than manual focusing.

[pnodrog]

Think paparazzi or sports event where timing is critical and it's more important to grab a frame that's not going to be there a split second later; it may be in focus, it may not, but either way the priority is to release the shutter and "take one's chances".

Yes, now that you mention it I can vaguely remember doing just that many years ago when using an F801 of F90x on a school sports day. It was basically in focus but not responding quickly enough to the shutter press. The shutter lag was annoying. Never had a need to "take my chances" lately but it would probably irritate me if I needed it and it was not available.

[Spartacus]

Thank you, thank you, fellow member-friends of Cambridge in Colour.

I went through all your comments/advices at least twice and some even thrice
to fully under. I have copied down your comments/advices into my camera log book
so that I do not forget these valuable and priceless advices.

I really appreciate all the help and advices from you guys. At least I feel much better now because I know
what to do now when I next visit the apartment this coming Sunday 02 Feb.2014 for another round of shots.

Thank You All!

Best Regards,

Stephen

[William W]

Hey Bill,

Unless it's exceptionally well lit, I suspect they'll struggle trying to get those kinds of speeds at anything but extreme ISOs. If it were me I wouldn't do it without a tripod. Even with a tripod, on some of my work @ F11 @ ISO 100 I have to bump the ISO up because the exposure tries to go over 30 seconds!

Hi Colin,

Yes. I agree 100%.

***

Note to Stephen:

My answer was addressing you using A Mode and Hand Holding the camera.

In other words I was specifically answering your question, within the confines of your question.

What Colin is suggesting in his post #6 is a very good way to achieve your goal: but you need a tripod and adequate lighting and/or the ability to use HDRI (High Dynamic Range Imaging).

My answer assumed that you did not have those accessories and that you do not have those skills.

WW

[ajohnw]

I picked up some where that some Nikon cameras indicate focus distance. This may be of use but you will need to calculate depth of field as well. Googling Dofmaster will help with that and your situation is one of the few where that is actually useful. While auto focus is wonderful there are situations where it will not work - full stop. Seems some just don't take shots in these situations and go shoot something else.

Manual may be feasible if you set up the dioptre adjustment on the viewfinder to suite your eyes but you will still need distances and dofmaster to set a suitable aperture. Live view can also be used but only with a heavily magnified view, probably the max the camera will give. Dofmaster will still be needed. The idea in both cases is to focus to a set distance just like with distance indication and then set an aperture to obtain the required depth of field.

John
-

[Spartacus]

Thank you, thank you, fellow member-friends of Cambridge in Colour.

I went through all your comments/advices at least twice and some even thrice
to fully under. I have copied down your comments/advices into my camera log book
so that I do not forget these valuable and priceless advices.

I really appreciate all the help and advices from you guys. At least I feel much better now because I know
what to do now when I next visit the apartment this coming Sunday 02 Feb.2014 for another round of shots.

Thank You All!

Best Regards,

Stephen