Focus and Nikon Customer Support

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crewchief227

Senior Member
Hi All, Maybe you can help me with this as their might be a terminology problem. I went to the Nikon Support site and sent them a message that when I use a new 55-200 lens on my new D7100 I am having a focus hunting problem. Now when I say "Focus Hunting" what I am trying to convey is that when in AF-S with a single focusing square and am in the middle range of my focus length, somewhere between 80-125, the lens seems to be having a hard time finding a focus. It just goes in and out and eventually won't get a lock. Now the focus setting in camera is for focus priority when I use AF-S and shutter priority when in AF-C. It doesn't have a problem in AF-C but that's not really a surprise because it is always searching plus I don't need a lock to activate the shutter. I was just hoping someone else can chime in as I know the 55-200 is kind of at the bottom of the barrel but still I could understand slow focusing but not finding one period seems unacceptable.

Now where Nikon Support comes in is that they sent me a email today and asked me to send in test shots to this website thing they have. How are test shots gonna have anything to do with showing them how it searches for a focus? I can't take a pic until the focus is locked anyways which would show no problem in the first place. So that's why I asked if the term "Focus Hunting" is the wrong term to tell them, is their a better way of explaining it to them?
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
crewchief227 said:
Hi All, Maybe you can help me with this as their might be a terminology problem. I went to the Nikon Support site and sent them a message that when I use a new 55-200 lens on my new D7100 I am having a focus hunting problem. Now when I say "Focus Hunting" what I am trying to convey is that when in AF-S with a single focusing square and am in the middle range of my focus length, somewhere between 80-125, the lens seems to be having a hard time finding a focus. It just goes in and out and eventually won't get a lock. Now the focus setting in camera is for focus priority when I use AF-S and shutter priority when in AF-C. It doesn't have a problem in AF-C but that's not really a surprise because it is always searching plus I don't need a lock to activate the shutter. I was just hoping someone else can chime in as I know the 55-200 is kind of at the bottom of the barrel but still I could understand slow focusing but not finding one period seems unacceptable.

Now where Nikon Support comes in is that they sent me a email today and asked me to send in test shots to this website thing they have. How are test shots gonna have anything to do with showing them how it searches for a focus? I can't take a pic until the focus is locked anyways which would show no problem in the first place. So that's why I asked if the term "Focus Hunting" is the wrong term to tell them, is their a better way of explaining it to them?
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Here are some phrases that use the proper terminology and some clarification:

Your lens is not able to achieve "Focus Lock".
You can not get "the Focus Confirmation LED to illuminate in the viewfinder".
The "little square" is a properly called a "focus point".
The shutter release settings are: Focus Priority and Release Priority (not "shutter priority", that's an exposure mode).

To help us help you, can you tell us what kind of conditions you're shooting in? Outdoors vs. indoors, bright light or low light... That sort of thing?

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crewchief227

Senior Member
I ment to write Release Priority, but anyways it doesn't seem to matter what kind of light conditions as I have tried it indoors with and without onboard flash and speed light, I tried it today outdoors and it was overcast most of the morning and then around noon the sun started to peak out and it still did it. I have tried low and high contrast and also with and without the AF illuminator light. Well I am going to fire off a long email to Nikon explaining in detail how I don't get focus lock about 20% of the time when in AF-S using a single focal point. I just was wanting any tips that should go in the email before I do. Which it might not matter as I am thinking of getting rid of this lens anyways and getting a Sigma 70-300 or maybe a Sigma 18-250 and my dream the Sigma 50mm Art.
 
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crewchief227

Senior Member
CowboyGirlSharp (1 of 1).jpg
CowboyGirlDull (1 of 1).jpgIt varies I have tried close, far and everything in between. Anyways I decided to post two pics to compare how this lens is focusing and could it do better as it doesn't seem consistent. Both of these pics were taken with a tripod and a YN-560III set on 1/4 power with a defuser. Imported into Lightroom no adjustments except making them jpeg without any output sharpening as I wanted you guys to see what I see. On a side note can you upload RAW to the forum or does it have to be jpeg?
 
D

Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
It might be having a problem with shots like these. How does it do and a standard outdoor landscape type shot or a person outdoors? I did have a 55-200 and it looked pretty good on my D5100 but when I moved up to the D7000 I got rid of it as soon as I could.

Do you have another lens? IF so how does it perform on the camera?
 
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crewchief227

Senior Member
No I don't have another lens as I got rid of the 18-55 kit lens. I almost have enough for a Sigma right now but I was thinking I could at least rent some lens from borrow lenses to give the high end lenses a test drive to see what the camera can really do.
 
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Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
Did the 18-55 have the same problem? I can tell you from experience that the D7100 is a beast of a camera and it really needs good lenses to show how really good it is.

Also try spot focus since it is much better at focusing on exactly what you want to focus on.
 
BackdoorArts

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
My D7100 will focus hunt against white walls and doors inside all the time, it's the nature of the system. Change to LiveView and I bet it locks in. Go outside, even in similar light, in a higher contrast situation (yes, a black and white photo like that is not necessarily contrasty in single point) and it probably won't hunt.
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Dollars to donuts you're using a single focus point. Switch do D-9 or D-21 and I bet it resolves your problem.

To do that, press and hold the AF/MF button on the camera body and spin the rear command wheel until you see "D 9" or "D 21" in the top LCD.

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crewchief227

Senior Member
Yes I am using a single point and yes when put in D9 it does work better but you can't have it in AF-S with the D9 it only gives me single or auto, I can only have D9 in AF-C and I don't want AF-C as I like to use compositing to get my shots, I have a plan today. I have a little local mom and pop camera shop in town and they don't have much but they do have some lenses, I think that if I bring in my body they would let me try it out on some good glass in the store and I will be able to see if the problem persists on the other lenses.
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
crewchief227 said:
Yes I am using a single point and yes when put in D9 it does work better but you can't have it in AF-S with the D9 it only gives me single or auto, I can only have D9 in AF-C and I don't want AF-C as I like to use compositing to get my shots, I have a plan today. I have a little local mom and pop camera shop in town and they don't have much but they do have some lenses, I think that if I bring in my body they would let me try it out on some good glass in the store and I will be able to see if the problem persists on the other lenses.
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Well if you use AF-A with D9 as long as the subject is stationary the camera will shoot in AF-S by default. It only goes to AF-C when it detects a substantial and consistent motion in the subject; and if your subject is in motion, I'm not sure how you would gets shots you could composite in post.

What kind of compositing are you doing? Focus stacking or HDR or... ???
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crewchief227

Senior Member
Ok guys a quick update, I went to my mom and pop camera shop and they didn't have any Nikon lenses to try but they did have two Tamron's that I tried. Wow what a difference decent glass makes, I say decent because these were not high end lenses, it was the 18-270mm and 16-300mm ($449 and $629). The focus was quick and snappy and you could just tell a difference in build quality. They felt good and I never considered Tamron before but I might give them a second look after today. Anyways I will see if there is any useable shots and will post them later.
 
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JohnFrench

Senior Member
I have both the Tamron 16-300 and the 18-270, that both shoot excellent photos through most of their range for sure. My 7100 will hunt sometimes or fail to focus when there is not enought light, or it can not focus because of not enough contrast I think. I use mostly 'full automatic", for the photos I grab on the fly. One time I had a Sigma 150-500 on the 7100 for long distance shot when it would not focus, I found that my ND filter was the issue and I took it off and the 7100 focused fine. So all of that said, don't panic, it's just a small issue I'm sure. Let the folks here work you through it if you have not already resolved the issue.
crewchief227 said:
Ok guys a quick update, I went to my mom and pop camera shop and they didn't have any Nikon lenses to try but they did have two Tamron's that I tried. Wow what a difference decent glass makes, I say decent because these were not high end lenses, it was the 18-270mm and 16-300mm ($449 and $629). The focus was quick and snappy and you could just tell a difference in build quality. They felt good and I never considered Tamron before but I might give them a second look after today. Anyways I will see if there is any useable shots and will post them later.
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crewchief227

Senior Member
JohnFrench said:
I have both the Tamron 16-300 and the 18-270, that both shoot excellent photos through most of their range for sure. My 7100 will hunt sometimes or fail to focus when there is not enought light, or it can not focus because of not enough contrast I think. I use mostly 'full automatic", for the photos I grab on the fly. One time I had a Sigma 150-500 on the 7100 for long distance shot when it would not focus, I found that my ND filter was the issue and I took it off and the 7100 focused fine. So all of that said, don't panic, it's just a small issue I'm sure. Let the folks here work you through it if you have not already resolved the issue.
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I have resolved the issue and these are my conclusions:
A) Get better glass, I know everybody says this but I am a believer now this is my first priority
B) It's not really the 7100 itself, it is a damn good camera, especially for the price and will carry me for the next few years until I am ready to progress to a full frame like the D810 (or something better by then)
C) I don't like it but I will use the 9 points until I get that better glass
D) And finally I want to say thanks as all your responses were quick and helpful and I look forward to many more posts and photos to come
 
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