Big issue. Would like help before sending it to Nikon

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outlet15

Senior Member
So I have had my D7100 for 5 months now and have put about 3400 shutter actuations on it. Recently the Auto Focus has not been locking on to light colored subjects, such as skin tones, or white flowers. Per Nikon, I cleaned the contacts on my lenses and the camera body, I also did a reset on the camera. I'm positive it is the body because I have tried shooting the same subjects with other lenses. I also had my sensor recently cleaned to possibly help the issue. The Auto Focus will continually go in and out and will not lock on a subject, so a picture cannot be provided.

Any thoughts?
 
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bwoodahl

Senior Member
I've had the same issue with mine, since day-one. I've sent it to Nikon twice but it checks out (within their specifications).
 
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outlet15

Senior Member
Really? That doesn't seem right. How can you be expected to take portrait shots if you can't lock on to some ones skin tone? It didn't give me problems in the beginning, just around last 400 shots or so.
 
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bwoodahl

Senior Member
I've shot with enough other Nikon bodies, that I'm pretty sure my 7100 does not focus lock as quick as it should. I only use Nikon lenses and I've noticed it with nearly all of them (on the 7100). My gut feel on this, and I could be dead-wrong, is when they removed the OLPF, they did not sufficiently test the AF algorithm for the 7100. With the same-pixel density as the 800E, you would think Nikon would not have an issue here, but the 800E is quicker to FL than my particular 7100. Anyway, my 2¢.
 
Patrick M

Patrick M

Senior Member
Interesting. According to my camera shop, one of my lenses was a dud and two "weren't very good" ..... I too think it's a camera not lens issue with the autofocus not locking ...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 2
 
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Moab Man

Senior Member
Just for a comparison to others, my D7100 has none of these issues and out focuses my D600 in low light. I know this doesn't help but supports your point that something isn't right somewhere.
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
outlet15 said:
So I have had my D7100 for 5 months now and have put about 3400 shutter actuations on it. Recently the Auto Focus has not been locking on to light colored subjects, such as skin tones, or white flowers. Per Nikon, I cleaned the contacts on my lenses and the camera body, I also did a reset on the camera. I'm positive it is the body because I have tried shooting the same subjects with other lenses. I also had my sensor recently cleaned to possibly help the issue. The Auto Focus will continually go in and out and will not lock on a subject, so a picture cannot be provided.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
What auto-focus settings are you currently using?

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Cowleystjames

Senior Member
I had a D7100 for a short time, and had no problem with focusing the type of subject that you're attempting.
You sir, have a problem. Get it off to Nikon.
 
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aroy

Senior Member
AF will hunt if there is very little contrast in the target. I have experienced it with my D3300. most of the time it will focus fast and accurate. At times when there is very little contrast and low light it will just hunt. I have had times when instead of locking to a bud it would go all the way back and lock on a tree 10 meters away. Same thing with portraits when I try to lock on the nose tip. Moving the focus location a bit to an edge does the trick. In bright light there is no problem.
 
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bwoodahl

Senior Member
aroy said:
AF will hunt if there is very little contrast in the target. I have experienced it with my D3300. most of the time it will focus fast and accurate. At times when there is very little contrast and low light it will just hunt. I have had times when instead of locking to a bud it would go all the way back and lock on a tree 10 meters away. Same thing with portraits when I try to lock on the nose tip. Moving the focus location a bit to an edge does the trick. In bright light there is no problem.
Click to expand...

I have compared my 3200 with a 3300, referring back to my earlier post, I have also noticed that my 3200 locks quicker than the 3300 (again using a variety of nikkor lenses as was the case when I compared it with my 7100). Both the 7100 and the 3300 lack the OLPF -- this is a small piece of evidence that Nikon may not have sufficiently refined the AF algorithm for these newer bodies (that do not have the OLPF). It does beg the question as to why 800E owners have never complained about this issue.
 
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outlet15

Senior Member
Alrighty, so I am going to send it off to Nikon. Thank you all for the helpful info and support. Hopefully I will be able to have good news when it returns.
 
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Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
bwoodahl said:
I have compared my 3200 with a 3300, referring back to my earlier post, I have also noticed that my 3200 locks quicker than the 3300 (again using a variety of nikkor lenses as was the case when I compared it with my 7100). Both the 7100 and the 3300 lack the OLPF -- this is a small piece of evidence that Nikon may not have sufficiently refined the AF algorithm for these newer bodies (that do not have the OLPF). It does beg the question as to why 800E owners have never complained about this issue.
Click to expand...

Don't think the problem is with the D7100. I have shot the D3100, D5100 and still have the D7000 and the D7100 beats the all at focus. i have even done a great many Bird in Flight shots using the 70-300 and out of a couple 100 one day I have two that were not in focus. a lot where I did not get the entire bird but what was in focus was sharp.
 
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bwoodahl

Senior Member
Don Kuykendall said:
Don't think the problem is with the D7100. I have shot the D3100, D5100 and still have the D7000 and the D7100 beats the all at focus. i have even done a great many Bird in Flight shots using the 70-300 and out of a couple 100 one day I have two that were not in focus. a lot where I did not get the entire bird but what was in focus was sharp.
Click to expand...

BIF are generally high contrast, this does not present a problem, here the 7100 is very quick. The issue is rather subtle: slow to achieve FL in low contrast situations, that is where I notice that my particular 7100 is slower when compared to the D600 and D800.
 
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