AllenDpics Loc: Williamsburg Virginia

Just bought a new Tamron 10-24 wide angle lens. I think I'm going to like it. However an old issue has come up again for me when focusing. This has happened with several lens in the past.
I was focusing on the sign below and the camera (Nikon D3400), kept trying to lock on focus but it kept searching with no luck. I gave up and focused manually. I moved to another subject and the fucus worked. After a few shots I came back to this sign and it focused ok. As I said this has happened on other occations with other lens. I took about 60 shots today with no problems so I know how to use the camera. Any ideas whats going on?

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Love Wildlife

I have a 3400 and if there is something in front of what I am trying to shoot it will focus on that object, and then I will use manual focus on the lens. If I try to shoot a bird that is inside of a bush it will focus on the outer branches and leaves. I then use manual focus on my lens which I keep on all the time. I don't know what the higher end cameras do, but I shoot on the walk and I don't have time to make all the adjustments on the camera since I am going in and and out all types of visual environments. I keep my lens on manual override for focusing always. I try to always be ready with shutter priority and aperture priority when the shot alwoys me the time. That is how it works for me and then I use my photo editing software just like it was done back in the day with the darkroom. I have learned so much from this web site compared to when I first started just by listening and viewing. I have been shooting for about seven years but this is my first year with a DSLR and it has been wonderful and I wouldn't have it any other way. Hope this is helpful.

Jim

CO

Check to see where the focus point(s) landed. To photograph the sign, it should have been in single point autofocus. Load the RAW file into Nikon Capture NX-D or into Nikon View NX-i. You can check "Show Focus Point". It will put red squares where the focus point(s) landed. In the photo that I loaded, the camera used 14 of its 39 focus points

Nikon View NX-i and Capture NX-D are a free download from Nikon's website.

leftj Loc: Texas

You shouldn't have this problem if you are using single point focus.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

For stationary subjects, when using single servo AF the image locks focus and exposure when using the shutter release button. For that, the selected focus bracket has to be on target.
Perhaps you had the focus bracket placed on the sky?

Nikon1201

If you want the sign to crisp then shoot in AFS and put the point on the sign.

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

I'll second this suggestion. I use a single focus point with back button focusing and it eliminated this issue. You can move a single focus point around with the multi sector if your subject is off center although releasing the BBF button will lock the focus in and you can recompose the shot.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

How many focus points are you using?

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Your focus point might be on the sky. The wider lenses have trouble with that.

CO

UHH members are correct. The autofocus points may have focused on the sky. It has a difficult time finding sufficient contrast in the sky and was hunting. Here is another Nikon shot I did. I turned on "Show Focus Point" in Nikon View NX-i. I can see that the camera used 21 of its 39 autofocus points. Nikon Capture NX-D will also show focus points. Just open your RAW file or .jpeg from the camera into one the those software programs. I think Lightroon probably strips out that information.

The tan colored squares show the 21 out of 39 autofocus points the camera used

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