msmoto said:
And, another

If it is not reading in the computer also I would maybe think about the card being faulty. I would try another and if the new one works fine send the bad one back to Sandisk for a replacement.

This happened with an offbrand card I had...I couldn't even recover anything from it because nothing would even recognize the card. I lost the pics...I sent the card back and got a replacement, but I haven't use that brand card again. Bought a Sandisk card and haven't had a problem since.

The easy answer to both of these is to reformat the card and try again. The harder answer is if you want to try and recover any of the data from the card before reformatting. SanDisk used to bundle a product called Rescue Pro. You can still download a demo version for free to see if you can recover before buying a license.

Honestly, some sort of data recovery software should be in every photog's bag. It's just as important as a sensor cleaner :-)

The reason I'm digging this thread up is that we should probably put together a sticky trouble shooting thread and put all of the first answers in there:

Did you reset your camera? Did you pull the battery? Try a different lens? Is the cap off? Etc... Anyone else think this is a good idea?

And, another

diamondz said:
I just purchased a Nikon d5100 from Besy buy and along with it a new 16gb sandisck sdhc card. when I turned it on today..it said that there was no sd card installed..when in fact it was there... i had taken some photos and some videos..just trying to get the feel of the new camera..but i cant get any of them to pull up. I have been reading about this issue and my firmware is already up to date. Has anyone had this issue with up top date firmware? I will get e new card and try it..any reccomendations. The card is also not readable in my laptop either..it could be the card..but i could preview my pictures in the camera at one time..now it insists that there is no card installed.

stillriver said:
We bought a Nikon D5100 for a trip to Tanzania this past month. For the first several days, everything worked fine. My husband downloaded and cleared the 32G SD Card onto a MacAir computer each night. He was taking mostly still shots. On the day that we saw a leopard and a couple of Cheetahs, he switched to shoot video. The camera went blank after a minute and the hourglass displayed stating "can't read card data". He turned it off and on again but had the same issue. When we got back to the lodge, he inserted the data card into the computer and it didn't even register that the device was inserted! There was no icon on the desktop noting that the SD card was inserted. So--has anyone else had this problem? The camera is 3 weeks old. We are hoping against all odds that there may still be a way to capture the data on the card. BTW, we had another data data card we used for rest of trip with no problem but we never used video again. We're not sure if it was a card problem or switching to video or a lemon camera problem? Thanks for your help! Glad to have found this Forum.

Nope...SanDisk cards are the best. It is a firmware problem.

CrawfDJC said:
I have just bought a D5100 and a Sandisk Extreme 16GB SDHC card. I put the card in, formatted it and then over the next couple of days I got a "NO SD CARD INSERTED" error. It is an intermittent fault - I would pull it out, put it back in and it would work for a couple of shot but them the error would return. I returned the card and swapped it for a new Sandisk Extreme 16GB SDHC card but the same issue is still happening.

Is there something I am missing or is there an issue with the D5100 and these cards?

I am about to update the firmware - a new release on the 10/11 - to see if this helps but any help would be appreciated.

I love it. I am wondering, what video editing software you used for this? Did it take you SO LONG to upload to youtube? and how didn't youtube decreased its quality?

Thanks everyone. I updated the Firmware and the problem was resolved. Loving the camera, shame the original firmware could not handle a common SD card.

There have been tons of refurbished D5100s for sale. I wonder if everyone was having this problem and just returned them where the firmware could have fixed them. Nikon should have put out a message to all the stores telling them to try the firmware first (but I guess it would have to be somewhere other than a big box store to get that kind of service).

I had the same issue with the 16gb card. I did the firmware update and the problem was resolved.

Normally if you buy a camera after a firmware update has been released you should expect it to come with the latest version. Obviously if the one you bought had been on the shelf or left the factory before the update, it won't have the latest version. Have a check and let us know if that was the problem. From what others have said it seems likely. Let's hope so.

I purchased recently D5100 and it is not having any problem with 8GB card but when I inserted 16 GB card, it started giving problem for the first time after taking more than 200 shots, started showing " NO SD CARD INSERTED" message, I removed card and re insertged again, It just worked for a few minutes and later it started giving problem.

Now I have to try the suggestion given by tcole1983

Thanks @tcole1983. This firmware update seems to have resolved the problem.

I suggest updating the firmware with the new version. It seems to have been addressed in the newest version that was just released 11/10/11. Check it out...

http://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/17547

I am having the same problem with D5100 and a class 10 SDHC from SanDisk. I tried formatting using the PC and the camera. None work reliably. Most of the times, the camera does not recognize the card. Intermittently, it does and I can take stills. Video is choppy. This is quite frustrating.

Hello Nikon support team, Speak up or risk a loss of reputation.

Try to insert the SD card on a PC and see what format it has. (The filesystem should be FAT32), if not, format the card on the PC using a FAT32 filesystem format and try again.

I don't remember where I saw/read that Nikon cameras do not like NTFS formatted cards.

Disclaimer: I never tried to check if my cameras are capable to read NTFS formatted cards... I guess that the only problem that could arise is that the camera will not recognize the card, and you will be forced to re-format the card back to FAT32.

Hope it helps.

I am having the same problem with my D5100 and a Sandisk 4GB SDHC. Both cards are on Nikon's approved list for the D5100.
http://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/17353/~/approved-sd-cards-for-d5100

I have just bought a D5100 and a Sandisk Extreme 16GB SDHC card. I put the card in, formatted it and then over the next couple of days I got a "NO SD CARD INSERTED" error. It is an intermittent fault - I would pull it out, put it back in and it would work for a couple of shot but them the error would return. I returned the card and swapped it for a new Sandisk Extreme 16GB SDHC card but the same issue is still happening.

Is there something I am missing or is there an issue with the D5100 and these cards?

I am about to update the firmware - a new release on the 10/11 - to see if this helps but any help would be appreciated.

I just wanted to share this video with Nikon Users. I am a pro videographer and have shot almost every camera, on this trip I only took my D5100 to see if I could get segments with this camera alone. Sure enough. I love this little camera. I'm just stoked I don't have to take a huge camera for a lot of reasons. Nikon is just stepping it up with their video and it's only going to get better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axrd7vFhbk0

Amber said:
Thank-you everyone again for your good advice! All my dad's lenses will work on the D5100, so I think that is the route I will go. You have all been very helpful and I hope that one day I will be able to contribute to a forum as well.

An entry into our photo a day thread would be nice. :-) GL and have fun with your new gear!

Thank-you everyone again for your good advice! All my dad's lenses will work on the D5100, so I think that is the route I will go. You have all been very helpful and I hope that one day I will be able to contribute to a forum as well.

Its a non decision really, unless you have loads of non-AFS lenses already.

I assume you take pictures to produce good to excellent images, yet as usual all the discussion tends to be around buttons, body construction, etc etc and other stuff, which for 90% of photography matters diddly squat, especially in the artistic / pictorial generes.

The sensor performance of the D5100/7000 is so much better than that of a D90/D5000 (which in turn are slightly better than a D300S) there is no reason for debate, dynamic range and colour depth etc. Infact at low ISOs these out perform the current FX bodies, which seem tuned for ISO 400 upwards. Plus the new processor seems to handle distortion control, Active-D and other gizmos, when you choose to use them, without destroying your buffer capacity. High ISO Noise is excellent (a different league) and again your buffer is not destroyed by noise reduction being switched on. The ISO being shot is within an acceptable distance of the claimed ISO, unlike some of current Nikon bodies which are shooting at almost 1 stop less than it states on the tin. You can shoot in 14 bit, rather than just 12 bit. There are various other gadets the D5K range has such as an intervalometer etc etc. All of these will, if leveraged properly, contribute to better output which is the reason we bother to press the shutter release in the first place.

There are financial benefits too. The extra MPs allow you to crop a bit tighter and maintain resolution, thus compensating if you cannot afford any more focal length. Ignore the urban marteting myth around the 16mp sensor driving the need for lens investment if you currently have cheaper DX lenses (I loath the term kit lense and its snobbish tones) lenses. The ISO performance reduces your need for faster glass for low light or getting shutterspeeds up. (Yes having ISO and fast glass is great, but most have a limited budget)

A couple of draw backs with the D3K and D5K range are that you cannot use the pop up to control off camera flash and this might be something a particular user wants and wants to do alot. You cannot control the size of the centre weighted area, which is a shame. Plus the focus point lock switch is absent and if you have big hands you need to be careful not to move your focus point. But none of these would cause me to acquire a D90 over a D5100.

The value of an articulated screen is very user dependent as is great for video and also shooting candids, "from the hip", also shooting over the top of crowds, but if the buyer does not do much, if any, of this type of shooting it is of limited value. Articulated screen is pretty useful for macro some times when the camera is down low on a gorilla or similar.

I second the 35mm 1.8 recommendation, but with D5100 you can shoot the 18-70 or 18-200VR but with higher ISO so it (or similar 50 1.4 or 1.8) is not such a must have as it used to be, especially if you have VR and subject is not moving excessively. You will want a lens like this one day though so add it to your xmas list. I also heartily recommend the 55-300VR that my wife has, it is razor sharp and matches my 70-300VR easily and is better at full reach and wide open. True you cannot instantly override with manual focus (but the same is true of my 80-200 AFD) and it does not really suit a circ polarisor due to the rotating front element, but other than that it is absolute mustard and compared to the 18-200 (which we have) you will think you have twice as many MPs than you actually have :)Its 100 GBP cheaper than a 70-300VR and lighter.

The context of my comments are.
I shoot a D300S and a D7000, and I at times borrow back my old D90 off my wife, I also borrow, if the venue means an articulated screen might be useful, a D5000 off my wife or my youngest daughter. I even borrow my eldest daughters P100 now and again. I dont find switching a particular ergonic challenge, although I have to "bed in" to handling the P100s focus and stabilisation lead times.

Hey guys try reading the thread (it's not that long) rather than just posting a random thought. Amber states it clearly:

Amber said:
... The lenses I have available to me will all work fine on the D5100. I would probably mainly use the AF-S 18-200 lens and also the AF-S 18-70. (At least to start with).

Welcome to the forum Amber and nice job on a thread that our local Terminator could not find something on!

Personally, if you do not have the chicken ($$) or desire for the size of a D7000, I think the 5100 is the way to go for you, at this time. If you become more involved in photography and look to upgrade in a couple of years, the D90 will be almost 6 years old and the D5100 just 2. The tech and image abilities will be much less noticeable on the D5100 in comparison to newer models while the D90 will almost be a relic.

As for the bodies, the true differences for you, reside in the future use of your camera. The D90 has a AF motor to use older AF lenses (AF-D- AF lenses with an aperture ring) (the ones you suggested are AFS) and gives you the ability to use older manual focus lenses. Depending on what your father has and you can not use his camera, that might make a difference. There are some other small nuances that some advanced photographers like more with the D90 but for starting out, I doubt you will need them. Everything else is just about the same except the image quality on the D5100 will be the same or better than the D90. I think the D5100 is your best bet.

The lenses you talked about are both very good to get started with. I might suggest the 35mm f/1.8. Cheap, Fast low light lens, and give you the classical 50mm equivalent. I bet 80% on this forum have or had this lens for DX cameras.

Good Luck!

casperwb said:
smile

amber,

the important thing is that you are going to use lenses that belong to your dad.

you did not advise us as to which Nikon camera your dad uses, therfore, if his lenses are AF-S with built in AF motors, then I would suggest you go with the D5100, however if the lenses are conventional AF, then you should buy the D90 of D7000 as these cameras will drive conventional AF lenses and focus eaiser with Manual focus lenses.

between the D7000 and D90, it depends on your pocket, t/4 D90.

+1, I think we all agree. Well said casperwb.

rbid said:
SkintBrit: You took the words out of my tongue :)

smile

amber,

the important thing is that you are going to use lenses that belong to your dad.

you did not advise us as to which Nikon camera your dad uses, therfore, if his lenses are AF-S with built in AF motors, then I would suggest you go with the D5100, however if the lenses are conventional AF, then you should buy the D90 of D7000 as these cameras will drive conventional AF lenses and focus eaiser with Manual focus lenses.

between the D7000 and D90, it depends on your pocket, t/4 D90.