A photographer's nightmare: “Err” flashed on the display

You pressed the shutter button, heard an unhealthy dry click, and Nikon's top monochrome display flashed ominous word **Err**. The first reaction of the majority is panic: *“That’s it, the shutter is dead, it needs 20 thousand to be repaired!”*.

In my service practice, the inscription `Err` in 40% of cases is not at all associated with a breakdown of the shutter curtains. Let's sort it all out reasons from simple to complex.

4 Reasons for the Err error

1. Dirty electrical contacts of the lens mount (The most common case!)

If oil or dirt gets on the gold-plated contacts of the body or lens mount, the camera loses connection with the drive diaphragm. The mechanics go into emergency stop.

• What to do:Remove the lens and carefully wipe the mount contacts with an eraser or a cloth with isopropyl alcohol.

2. SD memory card jamb

If the memory card is laggy or damaged, the EXPEED buffer cannot write a frame and crashes the system error `Err`.

3. Sticking of the diaphragm driver or mirror damper

As I wrote earlier, if the lubricant on the program gear wheel of the mirror gearbox has thickened, the gearbox does not have time to complete the loop to completion within the allotted milliseconds.

4. Physical break of the shutter lamella (Service Client)

If the curtain is actually torn away from the spring guide, you will hear a grinding noise. When raising the mirror in the shaft there will be the chewed metallized tape is visible.

Err error action table

Symptom	Probable Cause	First aid
Err flashes, does not take photos	Dirty bayonet contacts / card failure	Wipe contacts with alcohol, change SD
Err only appears in the cold	The lubrication of the program wheel is thickening	Preventative cleaning of the gearbox in the service
Loud grinding noise + dark stripe	Broken shutter curtains	Don't click! Bring it to service for replacement