Need help fast with nikon d3100 flashi

[figment41]

I have a d3100 camera. My daughter has a no flash photograpghy recital tonight. If i turn off the flash there is still a bright white lite on the front of the camera that still comes on when taking a picture. My husband thought he was able to turn it off but then it said the pictures were too dark and would not take a single pic.

Any ideas other than using my iphone instead

Thanks

 

[handicap18]

set it to M (manual). set the shutter speed to 1/60. Set the f/stop to the smallest # it will go (varies depending on the lens and the focal length, smaller number means bigger aperture, they are fractions). Set your ISO to 1600. Take a few test shots. Bump the ISO higher if you need to. If things look good at 1600, then slowly make your shutter speed faster. If you can get to 1/125 then that would be better to stop action. If not, then try to take the shot when there is little motion being made by the dancers.

The bright light that still comes on it the Auto Focus assist light. You can turn it off in the Menu. It won't help at all in the situation you describe.

 

[figment41]

Thanks i will try those we just need the light not to turn on. When we turned it off it would not let us take any pics in the dark. We do not want thevlight coming on because it could disrupt the dancers that is why no flash/any lighting So, even though it does nothing for the pics because we are so far away it still comes on or the camera wont take a pic

 

[Experiment_626]

Thanks i will try those we just need the light not to turn on. When we turned it off it would not let us take any pics in the dark. We do not want thevlight coming on because it could disrupt the dancers that is why no flash/any lighting So, even though it does nothing for the pics because we are so far away it still comes on or the camera wont take a pic

I'm not familiar with that specific model, but Nikon calls the light you mention the "AF assist light" or "AF assist lamp" — I cannot remember whether "AF" is expanded to "Autofocus" in the menus. I usually keep mine turned off as well. If you poke through the menus on the camera, you should find it. The "auto" setting might override that and turn it back on while at that setting (but I think it will turn on the flash as well, so you probably wouldn't be using that anyway). Best thing to do is find it in the menu, turn it off, and then test the camera in low-light at the settings you plan to use to make sure it works as you expect.

SSB

 

[photo_chick]

If it still gives you problems then manually focus.