Digital cameras 101

[_funkeemunkee_]

I purchased a new digi cam yesterday and used it for the night and it worked perfectly fine. This morning I turned it on and it started up fine, but midway through the welcome message it stops and the screen turns black. I try to turn off the camera, and it wont turn off and I can't see any menus on the screen. I have a Nikon coolpix 3200.

I'm not sure if it's something I did, or if it's the camera itself.   :-/  

[ShutterbugGail]

Hi there and welcome to the Q&A Board!

Hmmm. Let's get the most basic question out of the way.

Are the batteries empty? The 3200 comes with two standard alkaline batteries, which empty fast. Depending on how many photos you took and how much you used the flash, it's entirely possible to deplete the batteries in a couple of hours. That's why many people buy rechargeables.

If a set of new batteries don't do the trick, them I'm perplexed because the LCD is blanking out during the Start Up. If the camera was on for a few minutes, then went off, I'd say to check the LCD/power saving option menu. Some LCDs can be set to go off after 30 seconds, 60 or more. But that's usually only AFTER the camera is on.

You can also reset the camera, but if you're not getting past StartUp, you won't be able to access menus.

If none of these are the source of the problem, I highly recommend you call Nikon tech support. They should be able to trouble shoot the problem, or let you know if the camera is defective.

Let us know the solution, if you have a few moments.

[_funkeemunkee_]

Thanks for the advice.. turns out there was something wrong with my camera. I took it back and they gave me a new one. Thank you though! Much appreciated for the quick response and advice.

-K