I was just taking a series of pictures (using flash), but one of it was completely black. I was in AV mode, so if the flash would have failed, I would have had a long exposure time for that picture, and that wasn't the case. Nothing unusual while I took the picture, only that one of the pictures was completely black. Could it be the shutter? This would be one of my worst nightmares. My cam has already taken about 35,000 pictures, but I can't affort a new one. :-(
Can you check the EXIF data to see what shutter speed and aperture it was?
Depending on what software you use, use the dropper tool and see if it's totally black.
Could just be one image didn't write to the card - if so all RGB values probably 0,0,0.
Or more likely the camera expected a flash, so shutter speed was 1/125 or so, but maybe flash hadn't recycled so didn't fire. If so, RGB will probably not be exactly 0,0,0 and you'll have a lot of noise in the image.
If flash is on and camera is expecting it, but it fails to fire, I could imagine it might not adjust and have a long exposure, so hopefully that's all it was.
@mikew : Thanks Michael! Well, unfortunately, I deleted the black picture right on the camera, so I cannot check the exifs. :-O
But now that you mentioned the card... I dropped it right before I put it back into my camera, so could it be it has been damaged and that's why it hasn't saved the picture? Maybe it's that...
If it's only one picture, I doubt it's the card being damaged from dropping.
I've taken sequences of flash pictures, and had the flash not fire, and I've had dark/black ones. True, sometimes the camera does a long exposure, but other times it does a 1/200th like it was expecting the flash. Might depend on the camera and if it's a hotshoe or wireless flash etc.
I wouldn't worry. If flash is involved that's more likely the cause than a faulty shutter or other electronices in the body.
If it happens on a regular basis and affects the majority of your photos, then I would worry. If it is here and there and only when you are firing the flash in rapid sequence then @mikew said it best!
@shadowdancer if your shutter speed was faster than 1/200 while using a flash, you will see black, sometimes fully black frames, and sometimes half or less. this is the camera capturing your shutter while you are taking the photo....that's my guess.
@mikew@shadesofgrey@sdpace : Thanks a lot for your replies!
Well, so far, it happened only this once, so I hope it's nothing serious...
Judging from the shutter speed of the other pictures of that series, it must have been 1/200, I think the setting of my camera is that it cannot be faster while using flash (to avoid that effect of the shutter closing as long as the flash is still firing, but I could be wrong).
And if the flash had failed, the exposure time would have been longer (which it wasn't, as far as I remember). I also guess the picture wouldn't have been entirely black in that case as I had a white blackground.
It's strange, and I hope it won't happen again.
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Depending on what software you use, use the dropper tool and see if it's totally black.
Could just be one image didn't write to the card - if so all RGB values probably 0,0,0.
Or more likely the camera expected a flash, so shutter speed was 1/125 or so, but maybe flash hadn't recycled so didn't fire. If so, RGB will probably not be exactly 0,0,0 and you'll have a lot of noise in the image.
If flash is on and camera is expecting it, but it fails to fire, I could imagine it might not adjust and have a long exposure, so hopefully that's all it was.
But now that you mentioned the card... I dropped it right before I put it back into my camera, so could it be it has been damaged and that's why it hasn't saved the picture? Maybe it's that...
I've taken sequences of flash pictures, and had the flash not fire, and I've had dark/black ones. True, sometimes the camera does a long exposure, but other times it does a 1/200th like it was expecting the flash. Might depend on the camera and if it's a hotshoe or wireless flash etc.
I wouldn't worry. If flash is involved that's more likely the cause than a faulty shutter or other electronices in the body.
Well, so far, it happened only this once, so I hope it's nothing serious...
Judging from the shutter speed of the other pictures of that series, it must have been 1/200, I think the setting of my camera is that it cannot be faster while using flash (to avoid that effect of the shutter closing as long as the flash is still firing, but I could be wrong).
And if the flash had failed, the exposure time would have been longer (which it wasn't, as far as I remember). I also guess the picture wouldn't have been entirely black in that case as I had a white blackground.
It's strange, and I hope it won't happen again.