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I recently purchased a shutter timer remote to take time lapse videos. So I had my camera sit outside to take pictures of the night sky. When I came back to check on my camera it sounded like a fan was going off in my camera. There is no way it could have overheated; it was 4°F. Can this potentially damage my camera?

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    \$\begingroup\$ I've never come across a camera with a fan in it. Did you have autofocus enabled? looking through the lens was there any condensation on the glass? It could have been the focus motor hunting in that case (which might sound different with the mechanism so cold. \$\endgroup\$
    – Chris H
    Jan 13, 2016 at 16:28
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    \$\begingroup\$ Possibly the shutter or mirror mechanism getting sticky in the cold? 4ºF/-16ºC is well below your camera's rated operating range that bottoms out at 32ºF/0ºC. Did the camera still take the videos as programmed? Or did whatever was causing the noise prevent the recording of the video? \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Jan 13, 2016 at 18:06
  • \$\begingroup\$ Yes, there was condensation on the lens. It also was taking pictures. \$\endgroup\$
    – user47935
    Jan 13, 2016 at 20:52
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    \$\begingroup\$ Could it perhaps be the VR? \$\endgroup\$
    – Fer
    Jan 19, 2016 at 22:37
  • \$\begingroup\$ What about AF-C? When I am switching AF-C and the camera has problem to get focus, it continuously focusing and focusing and ... as other said in low temp could have strange noise. On the other hand. Try to check you photo-shooting with full manual mode, so all motors will be switched off including VR off, then you will see if this noise comes again. Sky is very easy to shoot in full manual mode. \$\endgroup\$
    – Seweryn Habdank-Wojewódzki
    Nov 6, 2016 at 19:58

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As Chris H notes, most cameras do not have a fan built into them. However, the autofocus and vibration reduction motors can be noisy, which may have been exacerbated by the temperature at which you were using the camera. 1, 2, 3, 4

Try using the camera at normal operating temperatures with AF and VR turned off, as Seweryn Habdank-Wojewódzki suggests:

What about AF-C? When I am switching AF-C and the camera has problem to get focus, it continuously focusing and focusing and ... as other said in low temp could have strange noise. On the other hand. Try to check you photo-shooting with full manual mode, so all motors will be switched off including VR off, then you will see if this noise comes again. Sky is very easy to shoot in full manual mode.

If it continues to make unusual noises, consider contacting Nikon for support.

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