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I have a couple of D7200 bodies, and one of them sometimes will go into a Err state. It appears to happen when the battery gets low, and a freshly charged battery doesn't seem to help.

In the most recent event, switching the camera to manual focus, changing the program mode dial, and releasing the shutter appeared to fix the problem.

Nikon would only offer that I send the camera in for repair. My search showed posts on different Nikon bodies from the 2010-2012 era which had similar problems. Generally the fix involved cleaning lens contacts, or substituting other lenses. No one stated that the condition cleared spontaneously.

So the conclusion I came to is that there are several causes of "Err" and that it would be helpful to have a list of conditions which cause an Err on Nikons.

Has anyone seen such a list? Has anyone had an Err indication, and how did they resolve it?

mongo
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  • Does the camera do this with all lenses? Or only with a certain lens? Are you using a battery grip with the camera? Does the error ever happen when the lens' widest aperture is selected, or only when the lens is set to stop down? – Michael C Feb 26 '20 at 21:58
  • When my camera was acting up, it did it with every lens I had (7) and it did it with no lens. I have a battery grip, but it was not installed on the camera. It did it with or without the SD cards. I cannot address the stop down on the lens because I could not get a meter read, but I did run the ISO through the full range in a bright room. So it would have swept through a variety of settings. – mongo Feb 27 '20 at 02:56
  • Have you checked to see if the camera's aperture stop down lever is bent? – Michael C Mar 08 '20 at 20:47
  • Yes, it is not bent. The Err has not occurred for a bit over a week. Thanks for asking, – mongo Mar 09 '20 at 01:20

1 Answers1

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You seem to have the answer already. The Nikon-prescribed remedy list is:

  1. Issue: incompatibility issue with the memory card used. Solution: Use a Nikon approved memory card to ensure compatibility with the camera.

  2. Issue: bad communication connection between the body and the lens. Solution: Remove the lens to clean the connection pins both on the lens and in the camera throat to which they connect. Clean the contacts with a dry lint free cloth (eg. a microfiber lens cleaning cloth). Dirty contacts can sometimes be the cause if the problem is intermittent.

  3. Issue: bad communication connection between the body and the lens. Solution: Removing and then re-attaching the lens may solve a temporary lens/body communication issue. If this doesn't work try using another lens, if the camera then works this would indicate the original lens is causing the error.

  4. Issue: corrupted memory state. Solution: Removing then re-inserting the battery may solve a temporary electrical problem.

  5. Issue: bent/broken/bad aperture control. Solution: If you have a DSLR camera, remove the lens from the camera and check the lenses connection pins and the Aperture control lever on the inside of the camera to ensure there is no damage. If the Aperture control lever is bent or damaged this may lead to the 'err' message being displayed. If the lever is damaged please return the camera to an Authorised Nikon Service Centre.

And from PhotoSE:

  1. Issue: mirror in wrong position due to unexpected battery failure. Solution: replace the battery pack with a charged one (preferably a Nikon battery). Turning the camera on will likely result in the "Err" message being displayed. Simply press down the shutter and the mirror should move into its correct position again.

And from PhotoForum

  1. Issue: shutter frozen due to cold weather and condensation. Solution: warm and dry out the camera.

From lifewire:

  1. Issue: start-up error. Solution: Remove the battery and memory card for at least 15 minutes and try turning on the camera again.

From dpreview:

  1. Issue: broken shutter curtain. Solution: Send to nikon service center.

From flikr:

  1. Issue: faulty rivet on aperture control unit. Solution: replace plastic rivet.
L. Scott Johnson
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  • That addresses remedies. I was really looking for causes. In none of the cases I have experienced, has cleaning the lens/camera connections cause the Err to disappear. So it would seem that there can be other causes. Thanks for your post, however. – mongo Feb 26 '20 at 14:57
  • Ah. The causes seem to be self-evident in the solutions suggested, but I'll edit them in. – L. Scott Johnson Feb 26 '20 at 16:02
  • There are people who seem to assert that Err can happen from non-lens issues, such as those related to stuck mirrors. I am looking for those, if they are classified. In my case, no amount of cleaning contacts or switching lenses had any effect. Some people claim that removing and replacing the battery coupled with a shutter release helped. I don't have the full list, but I am looking for it. Nikon appears to be not publishing it either. – mongo Feb 26 '20 at 16:10
  • Nice list of reported conditions...To my knowledge, I did not have a stuck mirror, or at least I didn't see it when I changed lenses. I also do not appear to have a problem with the shutter. The unit was inside and had no condensation. My cause was closest to #8, but not exactly. – mongo Feb 27 '20 at 02:59
  • @mongo Well, if you find out what your issue is, let me know and I'll add it to the answer. – L. Scott Johnson Feb 27 '20 at 15:51
  • It will get easier with time, as this is happening periodically. That was what triggered the question. An attempt to find likely cause, rather than a cure, since the cures seem to be dependent upon causes. – mongo Feb 27 '20 at 15:58
  • So is your question actually "what is the issue with my camera?" rather than "what is the list of possible issues?" as given? – L. Scott Johnson Feb 28 '20 at 13:57
  • The issue is: What are the possible causes of "Err" on a D7200. I will edit the question to make that clear in the title. – mongo Feb 28 '20 at 15:47
  • In that case, the question is clear as it stands. It just seemed by your comments to this answer that you may have been looking for something else. – L. Scott Johnson Feb 28 '20 at 15:55