NIkon 18-55 sometime work auto focus sometimes not work

trend

New member
Please help! I have Nikon 18-55 lens and Nikon D3200 body. Sometimes auto focus is not work when i will turn on the camera. After 5-10 tries it will start to work, and then is no problem. I can focusing. I will turn off the camera, after example 20 min still work without problems. Next day again the same problem. Like hard starting car engine :). I don't know what can be the problem. Please answer me. Thanks
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
Welcome aboard. Enjoy the ride.
We look forward to seeing more posts and samples of your work.

A couple of questions to help us help you.

How long have you owned this camera? If you just recently purchased it, I would return it.

Do you have or can you borrow another lens to try it?

Did this just recently start, or has the camera always acted this way? If it just recently started to have this issue, sound like you need to take it and your lens to the camera doctor.
 

trend

New member
Thank's for great welcome!
I have the camera almost 4 months, i am second owner. When i was buy it, everything was perfect with the lens. After one month the problem with focusing was begin and i see that the problem is progressing. It was start with one-two fail tries, and now its around 5-10 tries.
So as i say, the first "cold" start is the main problem, after 1-2 hours still working fine but after around 15 hours the problem is here again. I don't know where can be the problem, the body or the lens?
I am new in photography, and so far I still haven't other lens to try it.
 
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TwistedThrottle

Senior Member
@trend
Your contacts may be dirty or the motor in the lens is going bad. Make sure all the shiny silver parts on the camera and lens are still shiny and silver. I have a 55-200 that did the same thing. I sent the camera and lens to be cleaned and I found out the lens motor was going bad. I can get it to work if I help it focus by just bumping the manual focus ring as I am holding down the shutter release before I take the shot. Sometimes I can get it to auto focus, most of the time it doesn't work though. I can still use it as a manual focus lens, but its been replaced and I don't use that lens anymore.
 

trend

New member
@TwistedThrottle
I was inspect the contacts on the body and on the lens, it looks clean. What can I use to clean it contacts, some liquid or?
Please tell me does the problem of that kind is only in the lens (AF motor)?
I am scared for the camera because i have plan to buy and other lenses in future and to use it my Nikon D3200.
 
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TwistedThrottle

Senior Member
@trend
No liquid! Just wipe off contacts with a clean lint free cloth. To go the extra mile, a tiny dab of deoxit will help conductivity, but if you are not familiar with it, best left alone. Its easy to over use that stuff. Most likely, its a dead or dying lens and your camera is just fine. The inexpensive kit lenses with plastic mounts are not designed to last very long and if its an older lens, its best to just replace the lens with another of the same or use the opportunity to upgrade to a new lens. I chose to go with the 18-140 and is much better all around over the 18-55 and 55-200 combo I used for many years.
 

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
@trend
Another option would be to take the camera to a camera store and try another lens from the store on it. Most brick and mortar shops will let you do that. Of course that depends on if you are fortunate to have a camera shop close by.
 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
Have you tried toggling the manual/AF switches on the body as well as on the lens? Switch it back a forth a few times. Maybe one of the switches is slightly off somehow.
 

trend

New member
Now after around 12 hours I was turned on my camera and lens still works normal. Before 12-13h I was remove the lens out to see the contacts and mount it back on the camera. When I remove the lens the contacts was clean, but for any case I will clean it with dry cloth for cleaning LCD (quality microfiber cloth).
Other thing I was remember that on cold weather the lens can make problem for just 1-2 hours but with 2-3 tries focus is starting.
This is first time to buy something pre-owned in my life and it will be last time. The camera have 14254 shoots, and I was buy it for 150$. But who know how long the first owner was make it videos with them and lens motor was always in function. I was buy it from man who live in Alaska.
 

trend

New member
Because I am in Europe now, here is daytime. I was clean the contacts on the lens and on the body. Outside temperature is 46°F and I was leave the camera outside on balcony from my apartment of the hotel. We will see how the lens will work after some 4-5 hours. On the microfiber cloth i was see little dirties after cleaning. We will see maybe the result will be positive.
 

trend

New member
After cleaning the contacts on the body and on the lens, lens work normal for now. For this elapsed time the lens will stuck with sure before cleaning the contacts. On the first look the contacts was shining, but as I say i saw little dirties on the cloth when I made cleaning. Now i will keep turned off the camera for example two-three days and if after that time everything works correctly definitely the problem was only in dirty contacts. Thanks to all for the help. I will write the final results for some day. I hope that everything will be ok.
 
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trend

New member
Guys the lens is OK! After cleaning the contacts everything works perfect. I was made the last test (camera was turned off 48 hours) and now the AF motor works from first touch. Thanks for all who was help me for that problem. I am very happy!
I have just one question about that. Is it possible with the cleaning to give only extra miles on the lens or the problem is solved forever and that was only in dirty contacts and in future everything will be ok. Give me your opinions about that. Thanks!
 

TwistedThrottle

Senior Member
Guys the lens is OK! After cleaning the contacts everything works perfect. I was made the last test (camera was turned off 48 hours) and now the AF motor works from first touch. Thanks for all who was help me for that problem. I am very happy!
I have just one question about that. Is it possible with the cleaning to give only extra miles on the lens or the problem is solved forever and that was only in dirty contacts and in future everything will be ok. Give me your opinions about that. Thanks!

Extra miles. It's always just extra miles, nothing lasts forever. Buying used, you'll have to deal with other peoples problems including dirty contacts and worn out lens motors. You get a warranty if you buy it new from an authorized retailer, but then you need to determine if the added cost is worth it.
 
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