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What's wrong with these photos!
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Mar 4, 2019 11:49:49   #
cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA
 
There is not enough information here to make any specific comments on the focusing problem except that one does exist. It is also most likely to be operator error for a wide variety of reasons, but one can't completely rule out an issue with the camera either. The FIRST thing I would suggest would to READ the manual which came with the camera, especially the section on focusing. You (your daughter) will learn so much by doing this. For complete information on the Nikon autofocusing systems, there is no better e-book than the one by Steve Perry from Backcountry Gallery. Finally it isn't necessarily a good idea to unbox a new camera and take it on a trip. I would strongly suggest that the focus modes be practiced at or in your home until you either get it right or find you really do have a camera problem. Perhaps you could return to the place of purchase and get some help as well. Finding a local shop ready willing and able to help is one reason I buy all my big stuff locally. Best of luck.

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Mar 4, 2019 12:57:55   #
charlienow Loc: Hershey, PA
 
if this camera was bought used or refurbished it may be set to Back Button Focus...you can check this by using the most popular button for this...the ae-l/af-l button...simply look through the viewfinder and press this button with your right thumb...do a close focus point then a far focus point...

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Mar 4, 2019 13:04:50   #
charlienow Loc: Hershey, PA
 
another though is right below the lens lock button is a lever for autofocus and manual...be sure the lever is selecting the af....

and you might try cleaning the contacts on both the camera and the lens...

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Mar 4, 2019 13:36:12   #
polonois Loc: Lancaster County,PA.
 
rrazdan wrote:
A good overview of solving focus problems can be found on this informative video by Steve Perry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEDzAMm1FCc


Thank you, I sent her the link

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Mar 4, 2019 13:39:15   #
polonois Loc: Lancaster County,PA.
 
MountainMike wrote:
It is NOT camera shake.
Before looking at anyone else's response and thus being biased, I would strongly suspect that your daughter has her new Nikon on some form of "spot focus" and that "spot" is falling "away from" or "off of" her subject(s).

It would have been nice if you had numbered the photos before uploading them to the uglyhedgehog (UHH), so we could be more certain of which photo we are speaking about.

In the first photo, the white colored bird (goose?), has the bird out of focus slightly, but magnify the image and look to the blades of grass in the background. These are in focus, especially the area near the brown leaf to the right of the bird's neck. I am seeing a "zone of focus" BEHIND the bird of interest. So, the lens appears to be capable of focusing, it is just focusing in an area that is outside of the zone of interest.

Another factor, the "depth of focus" might be too shallow for her photos. What ISO is she using? Fast shutter speed? Wide-open lens? Maybe it is time for dad to check out the camera and lenses for his daughter, and return the camera if possible, or if it is under a new warranty, send it back to the manufacturer. New cameras sometimes are defective!

I have presumed your daughter is a teenager. So it will be a difficult teaching curve to show her she might need to change. Good luck!

Later comment: *************************
I have just read the other responses; we all seem to be "on the same page". If it is not the lenses, then it must be the (defective) camera body. Yes, they are mostly badly UNDEREXPOSED.

Obviously, if she has been taking photos for 20 years, she's past the teenage years!
It is NOT camera shake. br Before looking at anyo... (show quote)


She is bring me the camera this evening.

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Mar 4, 2019 13:56:49   #
polonois Loc: Lancaster County,PA.
 
mikeroetex wrote:
It's generally not camera shake, although I see some in a couple of photos. Moving up to a D7200, one needs to understand various focus modes. Spot metering isn't the same as spot focus.

Have her check her focus mode (push button in on body down by lens). Make sure it is also set to AF as well as the lens. I'm betting she is also on AF-A and d51 and the camera is grabbing first thing it see to lock on to. Move to AF-S or AF-C. And be sure the focus point selector is in Lock (L) position.
It's generally not camera shake, although I see so... (show quote)


I too think she needs some understanding of the focus modes. However I'm sure she used AF-S and AF-C and the focus selector was locked. She called me about the problem each day. Hopefully when I get the camera I can find the problem.

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Mar 4, 2019 13:58:55   #
polonois Loc: Lancaster County,PA.
 
sbohne wrote:
Best bet is to try to do a factory reset. I only owned one digital Nikon (besides the Fuji S1/S2 bodies) and one film Nikon. ALL of them tended to back focus. I nearly spiked one on a particularly frustrating day. Ditched the lot, went back to Canon, and with one foray into Sigma as a side camera, have been happy ever after.


Thank you I will reset it when she brings it to me.

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Mar 4, 2019 14:00:49   #
polonois Loc: Lancaster County,PA.
 
jr168 wrote:
Nikon cameras come from the factory set in the AF-A focus mode (Auto). To me, this is the most unreliable focus setting. The camera guesses where to focus and usually chooses areas with the most contrast. Set it to single point or dynamic 9 point for better results.


Thank you, that could be the problem because it seems to be guessing where to focus.

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Mar 4, 2019 14:16:52   #
SalvageDiver Loc: Huntington Beach CA
 
polonois wrote:
My daughter just bought a Nikon 7200. She went to Florida on vacation and shot 6000 pictures and didn't get any sharp photos. Less than 10 are ok. She asked me to put a few here for an opinion what could be wrong. She has a D80 and a D90 and never gets a bad picture. She is quite upset with the D7200. She wants an opinion other that mine. Most all are out of focus. She tried 2 different lenses.


Hi Polonois,

I concur with MountainMike's analysis of photo #1. The camera focused on the grass to the right and behind the bird. Looks like you daughter just miss-focused, since focus was set to manual.

Photo 2 looks like movement at 170mm (255mm FFeq) FL. Even though a very fast shutter speed was used (1/4000s) there is sill a lot of movement artifacts in the near background. The camera was set to AF-C and it does look like it's best focus was on the bird. The shot also looks overexposed. The camera says the scene was very bright (BrV=14.0). You may have exceeded the camera's capability to set exposure. In aperture priority mode f/8 and iso 1600, the camera set SS to it's maximum 1/4000s which may not have been fast enough for the other settings.

Photo 3 was also miss-focused. In this image, focus mode was set to AF-A and the camera selected the tree well in front of the deer to focus on, assuming the deers were the subject.

I didn't look at the rest of the images but, in my opinion, 1 and 3 are simple miss-focus. Photo 1 was missed by the operator and Photo 3 was missed by the camera due to the operator giving the camera too many things to select. The camera just selected the wrong subject.

Photo 2 looks like a combination of excessive camera movement while taking the shot and the scene was too bright for the selected exposure settings.

Hope this helps
Mike

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Mar 4, 2019 16:08:55   #
k2edm Loc: FN32AD
 
reading all above I think it is time to send the camera back... Ed

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Mar 4, 2019 17:32:03   #
CHuckle's Loc: Lockhart, Texas
 
Hi, I own the D7100 and there is a button to press on the bottom front left next to lens body. It along with the top right rotating dial below the actuator button will let you choose how many focal/focus points the camera will use. If you use too many your shots will usually be unfocused because the camera can't find a focal point. However that will negate the manual setting. Taking in the camera is a good idea.

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Mar 4, 2019 18:44:02   #
k2edm Loc: FN32AD
 
ek2lckd wrote:
reading all above I think it is time to send the camera back... Ed


thnking more, tho not famaliar with camera, looks like mirror may not be fully or properly seated before shot,but really dont know if that camera has one,,,.almost hasta be a camera problem tho ...Ed

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Mar 4, 2019 19:01:26   #
MountainMike Loc: Northern California, USA
 
cjc2 wrote:
There is NO such thing as Center Weighted or Spot focusing. Those are METERING methods and the third, and the one I use the most, is Matrix Metering.


Okay, okay, you're being nit-picky! He meant "single-point center weighted focus".

polonois:
Watch the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEDzAMm1FCct
I agree, Steve Perry does a great job of an overview of "focus problems", which may help you solve her problem.
Mike

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Mar 4, 2019 19:21:22   #
polonois Loc: Lancaster County,PA.
 
MountainMike wrote:
Okay, okay, you're being nit-picky! He meant "single-point center weighted focus".

polonois:
Watch the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEDzAMm1FCct
I agree, Steve Perry does a great job of an overview of "focus problems", which may help you solve her problem.
Mike

Thank you, I watched it and sent it to my daughter.

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Mar 4, 2019 20:33:33   #
scphoto Loc: Lancaster, CA
 
polonois wrote:
My daughter just bought a Nikon 7200. She went to Florida on vacation and shot 6000 pictures and didn't get any sharp photos. Less than 10 are ok. She asked me to put a few here for an opinion what could be wrong. She has a D80 and a D90 and never gets a bad picture. She is quite upset with the D7200. She wants an opinion other that mine. Most all are out of focus. She tried 2 different lenses.


The Picture Control settings look suspect to me. The image information states "standard mode," but the individual settings are really extreme. I'd try resetting it them all to zero and see what happens. I couldn't see the focus points in ViewNxi, but I see the focus mode varied from continuous to auto.



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