Why does my Nikon d5100 meter but refuse to shoot indoors?

Sometimes it will shoot indoors; sometimes not.

Added (1). I've read the entire manual plus a book from Amazon. The lighting would have been adequate for my old D60 (RIP) but not the d5100.

Check the lighting settings

More details will be required, perhaps a sample shot that was taken right next to a failed attempt. Preferably with full exif data. What mode do you use the camera in, what aperture, ISO, shutter speed did you try to use when the problem occurred?

Did the autofocus acquire a lock? It may have difficulties doing so in low light situations such as indoors. You can try switching the lens to manual focus. If that makes the problem disappear, then a missing autofocus lock was the cause of the problem.

Does the camera complain about too little light on the info screen? That may be another possible cause, it might refuse to take a shot then.

Any auto-focus camera needs some light to auto-focus and if the lens can't focus, the camera will not take an exposure unless you bypass that feature.

There's a focus assist lamp on your camera, but you will have to activate it in your cameras menu.

How much of the user manual have you read?

Become one with it and eventually you will be able to control your fine camera

Digital SLR Camera: It's About Time to Switch from Compact to Digital SLR! Find out Why.

Here some tips

tip #1. Read the manual… But just part of it

Your camera manual is provided to guide you basically about how your camera works and what all the settings do. It contains a lot of very valuable information that you'll need to check out from time to time in the upcoming months… But then, usually, that's where the problem is - it has too much info for getting started.

Digital SLR tip #2. Shoot some pictures.

Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera ViewerSelect a theme… Nothing serious though… I mean something that you can play around. For example, take pictures of your kids while playing, or your friends making funny faces, your neighborhood at night, or furniture in your bedroom. Actually, at this point, it really doesn't matter what you shoot… Just shoot pictures!

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