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Auto Focus issue.
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Apr 26, 2018 23:48:58   #
Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts
 
I am having a problem autofocusing my D7100. It will not auto focus intermittently.
I have to camera set up to back button focus continuous single point. Today while I was shooting a lacrosse game in good lighting conditions I was having trouble getting the camera to auto focus. Sometimes I had to release the focus button and press it again to engage the auto focus. Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.

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Apr 26, 2018 23:55:47   #
kpmac Loc: Ragley, La
 
Could be the lens and not the camera. Did you clean the contacts on the lens and camera body?

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Apr 27, 2018 00:25:39   #
Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts
 
kpmac wrote:
Could be the lens and not the camera. Did you clean the contacts on the lens and camera body?


No I have not. Will give that a try.
Thanks

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Apr 27, 2018 05:06:53   #
Harry0 Loc: Gardena, Cal
 
My 7100 works best in matrix focusing when shooting moving objects. Dial it back to f8 to get more more field in focus. I haven't shot lacrosse, but I have done football games and marching bands at halftime.

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Apr 27, 2018 05:47:18   #
crazydaddio Loc: Toronto Ontario Canada
 
Jaackil wrote:
I am having a problem autofocusing my D7100. It will not auto focus intermittently.
I have to camera set up to back button focus continuous single point. Today while I was shooting a lacrosse game in good lighting conditions I was having trouble getting the camera to auto focus. Sometimes I had to release the focus button and press it again to engage the auto focus. Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.


Not a Nikon shooter but i seem to have to release and repress BBF sometimes on all my bodies when shooting spot focus with continuous AF for sports. Better or worse depending on the camera and lens combo. Will also be affected by the AF release priority and tracking sensitivity.
Seems like I have to toggle the BBF to "get it to wake up" sometimes as it will want to "lock-on " to the background when I miss the target rather than pick it back up when I reframe...even though i have moved the spot focus. Also affected by whether you have the switch on Full or 10m-Infinity for the focusing distance if you are using a long lens and if you have stabilization turned on. (Turning it off helps)

Cant speak to whether any of the above is relevant for you but that has been my experience.

I am now familiar with my body/lens/setting combos behaviours so its not an issue.
(More of an issue with my 3rd party lenses, lower light and longer focal pts in general....)

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Apr 27, 2018 06:11:03   #
Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts
 
crazydaddio wrote:
Not a Nikon shooter but i seem to have to release and repress BBF sometimes on all my bodies when shooting spot focus with continuous AF for sports. Better or worse depending on the camera and lens combo. Will also be affected by the AF release priority and tracking sensitivity.
Seems like I have to toggle the BBF to "get it to wake up" sometimes as it will want to "lock-on " to the background when I miss the target rather than pick it back up when I reframe...even though i have moved the spot focus. Also affected by whether you have the switch on Full or 10m-Infinity for the focusing distance if you are using a long lens and if you have stabilization turned on. (Turning it off helps)

Cant speak to whether any of the above is relevant for you but that has been my experience.

I am now familiar with my body/lens/setting combos behaviours so its not an issue.
(More of an issue with my 3rd party lenses, lower light and longer focal pts in general....)
Not a Nikon shooter but i seem to have to release ... (show quote)

Thanks for the reply. I will have to think through some of those issues and see if they are coming into play. It sounds possible

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Apr 27, 2018 06:34:51   #
CO
 
The focusing motor in the lens can be a factor as well. I have a Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 AF-S lens and a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 AF-S lens. They both have Nikon's silent wave motor (AF-S) but the one in the 80-400mm is clearly superior. The 70-300mm has difficulty tracking birds in flight. The 80-400 does much better. It stays locked on and continues to track even birds that move rapidly. This is with both lenses used on the same camera body.

Also, try activating more focus points and 3D tracking mode. 3D tracking mode is designed to track when the main subject is moving erratically from side to side. I use it for birds in flight.

3D-tracking: Select the focus point as described on page 96. In AF-A and AF-C focus
modes, the camera will track subjects that leave the selected focus point and select
new focus points as required. Use to quickly compose pictures with subjects that
are moving erratically from side to side (e.g., tennis players). If the subject leaves
viewfinder, remove your finger from the shutter-release button and recompose
the photograph with the subject in the selected focus point.

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Apr 27, 2018 06:42:28   #
Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts
 
CO wrote:
The focusing motor in the lens can be a factor as well. I have a Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 AF-S lens and a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 AF-S lens. They both have Nikon's silent wave motor (AF-S) but the one in the 80-400mm is clearly superior. The 70-300mm has difficulty tracking birds in flight. The 80-400 does much better. It stays locked on and continues to track even birds that move rapidly. This is with both lenses used on the same camera body.

Also, try activating more focus points and 3D tracking mode. 3D tracking mode is designed to track when the main subject is moving erratically from side to side. I use it for birds in flight.

3D-tracking: Select the focus point as described on page 96. In AF-A and AF-C focus
modes, the camera will track subjects that leave the selected focus point and select
new focus points as required. Use to quickly compose pictures with subjects that
are moving erratically from side to side (e.g., tennis players). If the subject leaves
viewfinder, remove your finger from the shutter-release button and recompose
the photograph with the subject in the selected focus point.
The focusing motor in the lens can be a factor as ... (show quote)

That’s interesting. I was using a 55-300 kit lens which I know is not a great lens but I have never had a problem with before. In good light it has been fine.

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Apr 27, 2018 11:56:36   #
speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho
 
Jaackil wrote:
I am having a problem autofocusing my D7100. It will not auto focus intermittently.
I have to camera set up to back button focus continuous single point. Today while I was shooting a lacrosse game in good lighting conditions I was having trouble getting the camera to auto focus. Sometimes I had to release the focus button and press it again to engage the auto focus. Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.

By the sounds of it, you do not have cancelled your shutter button for the use of the back button (which ever one you chose). The camera might be simply confused. There should be no need to release the shutter button to engage the af, the shutter button should be disconnected!

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Apr 27, 2018 12:37:05   #
amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
 
According to Ken Rockwell... "AF-S 55-300mm Nikkor autofocus is slow. If you plan to shoot action, spend a little more for the AF-S 70-30mmm Nikkor instead.".... and from the above, previous response, it sounds as if the 80-400mm would be even better yet.

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Apr 27, 2018 13:39:44   #
FreddB Loc: PA - Delaware County
 
Jaackil wrote:
I am having a problem autofocusing my D7100. It will not auto focus intermittently.
I have to camera set up to back button focus continuous single point. Today while I was shooting a lacrosse game in good lighting conditions I was having trouble getting the camera to auto focus. Sometimes I had to release the focus button and press it again to engage the auto focus. Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.


check out Rick Perry's website (backcountry...)
he's the guru for the Nikon autofocus system

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Apr 27, 2018 15:42:04   #
Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts
 
speters wrote:
By the sounds of it, you do not have cancelled your shutter button for the use of the back button (which ever one you chose). The camera might be simply confused. There should be no need to release the shutter button to engage the af, the shutter button should be disconnected!


No that’s not the issue at all. The shutter button has been released and I am using the ae button on the back. The issue is I put the focus point on the subject press the ae button and sometimes the lens does not focus. I have to release the button and press it again to get the lens to search for focus. The camera is set up single point continuous.

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Apr 27, 2018 15:48:07   #
Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts
 
amfoto1 wrote:
According to Ken Rockwell... "AF-S 55-300mm Nikkor autofocus is slow. If you plan to shoot action, spend a little more for the AF-S 70-30mmm Nikkor instead.".... and from the above, previous response, it sounds as if the 80-400mm would be even better yet.


I understand the limitations of the 55-300. But that really is not the issue. The issue is lining up a shot and press the ae button and auto focus is not engaging or I will lock onto a subject (player) and as he moves sometimes there is no focusing going on if I hold the button down to keep the subject in focus. When this happens I can seem to get the af to engage simply by releasing the button and pressing it again. I know it is a slow focusing lens but it is not a case of slow focus it isn’t even searching for focus at times.

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Apr 27, 2018 18:24:42   #
CO
 
It would be worth trying Dynamic-area AF and 3D tracking modes as well. See if those modes work better than single point.

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Apr 27, 2018 18:43:54   #
Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts
 
CO wrote:
It would be worth trying Dynamic-area AF and 3D tracking modes as well. See if those modes work better than single point.


The problem with those modes with a sport like lacrosse hockey basketball and other sports like that where other players can come into the frame the camera can chose the wrong thing to focus on. You give up some control of what you want to focus on. The problem is not focus mode it is definately a mechanical problem. It’s also not something that happened previously. This is a new issue. So if no settings have been changed and it is a new problem it’s not likely a setting.

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