D7200 AUTO FOCUS: Out of the blue the AF isn't working. Double checked all settings and nothing is amiss. I then cleaned the lens and camera contacts and tried another couple lenses...

Cryppy Loc: Gouldsboro, ME

Out of the blue the AF isn't working. Double checked all settings and nothing is amiss. I then cleaned the lens and camera contacts and tried another couple lenses but the problem persists. I do see occasional flashes of the ball but mostly nothing at all that indicates the camera/lens is even attempting to focus.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

I know this is a dumb question but is the battery fully and the contacts both on the battery and in the camera clean?

Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts

Cryppy wrote:

Out of the blue the AF isn't working. Double checked all settings and nothing is amiss. I then cleaned the lens and camera contacts and tried another couple lenses but the problem persists. I do see occasional flashes of the ball but mostly nothing at all that indicates the camera/lens is even attempting to focus.

I know this might seem pretty silly but did you check the auto/manual focus switch on the camera body? Make sure it is fully in auto. It’s easy for that switch to get moved to manual when changing lenses of putting a camera in a bag. I can’t tell you how many times I have hit that switch inadvertently. The other thing to check is do you have a full battery? I have had auto focus stop working when the camera is still showing 1/4 battery. That meter is not entirely accurate. Put a fully charged battery in. Two things that get over looked but are simple to check. Good luck.

dadaist

Curmudgeon wrote:

I know this is a dumb question but is the battery fully and the contacts both on the battery and in the camera clean?

I have a D7100. If your camera has the same (similar) body, check the AF/M button hasn't moved to M Mode by accident. It's located front of camera, left side from shooting position. Hope this solves your issue.

Drbobcameraguy Loc: Eaton Ohio

Cryppy wrote:

Out of the blue the AF isn't working. Double checked all settings and nothing is amiss. I then cleaned the lens and camera contacts and tried another couple lenses but the problem persists. I do see occasional flashes of the ball but mostly nothing at all that indicates the camera/lens is even attempting to focus.

I had a small ball of fuzz on my D7200 that caused me problems. Took me quite a while to figure out what was wrong. Finally plucked it out with a rocket blower and a pair of plastic tweezers. Best of luck

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

Did you try a different lens? - Dave

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Cryppy wrote:

Out of the blue the AF isn't working. Double checked all settings and nothing is amiss. I then cleaned the lens and camera contacts and tried another couple lenses but the problem persists. I do see occasional flashes of the ball but mostly nothing at all that indicates the camera/lens is even attempting to focus.

Did you move the switch on the lens to manual focus?
Did you do a two button reset?
Did you consult the trouble shooting part in your camera manual?

DAN Phillips Loc: Graysville, GA

Try resetting the camera to original specs, go from there.

Cryppy Loc: Gouldsboro, ME

I've been repeatedly looking at the AF/M switch for the last 2 days as part of my double check of settings. It appeared to be in AF so I didn't touch it. Just touched it and found it was off of the AF position by a hair - and that's what caused the problem. Gave it a little nudge back into AF and all is well. Live and Learn.

Thanks everyone.

yorkiebyte Loc: Scottsdale, AZ/Bandon by the Sea, OR

Cryppy wrote:

I've been repeatedly looking at the AF/M switch for the last 2 days as part of my double check of settings. It appeared to be in AF so I didn't touch it. Just touched it and found it was off of the AF position by a hair - and that's what caused the problem. Gave it a little nudge back into AF and all is well. Live and Learn.

Thanks everyone.

~ Well done!! Thank you, Cryppy, for telling us! Now we can add that to the list of checks when something seems amiss on our cameras. GOOD info!!

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Cryppy wrote:

Out of the blue the AF isn't working. Double checked all settings and nothing is amiss. I then cleaned the lens and camera contacts and tried another couple lenses but the problem persists. I do see occasional flashes of the ball but mostly nothing at all that indicates the camera/lens is even attempting to focus.

Are you too close? Or is the problem at any distance. How do you have it set to focus? If the focus Ball is flashing, it appears to be mechanically ok.

saxman71 Loc: Wenatchee

Cryppy wrote:

I've been repeatedly looking at the AF/M switch for the last 2 days as part of my double check of settings. It appeared to be in AF so I didn't touch it. Just touched it and found it was off of the AF position by a hair - and that's what caused the problem. Gave it a little nudge back into AF and all is well. Live and Learn.

Thanks everyone.

That's almost always what the problem is. Almost. Glad you got it figured out.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Cryppy wrote:

I've been repeatedly looking at the AF/M switch for the last 2 days as part of my double check of settings. It appeared to be in AF so I didn't touch it. Just touched it and found it was off of the AF position by a hair - and that's what caused the problem. Gave it a little nudge back into AF and all is well. Live and Learn.

Thanks everyone.

chrisg-optical Loc: New York, NY

Drbobcameraguy wrote:

I had a small ball of fuzz on my D7200 that caused me problems. Took me quite a while to figure out what was wrong. Finally plucked it out with a rocket blower and a pair of plastic tweezers. Best of luck

Where was that fuzz located on the AF sensor?