Nikon D80 Owners HELP with a AF Problem

redhalton

Hi

I had another message yesterday on this board which all started with the purchase of an ebay lens. I've worked through this issue with the help of many here on Dgrin, the thread is here http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=107560 if you care to read.

I just got home and I still can't believe my 10 month old Nikon D80 will not autofocus. Took it to my dealer who changed out the lenses to try on another body and the lenses are all okay, even the lens I purchased on ebay. They tried for a considerable time to get the camera to AF, but finally came to the conclusion the camera was pouched.

I don't give up easily and have been trying everything to get the camera back to where it will AF when I just discovered if I hold the shutter button down half way and then push the 'AE-L/AE-L' button on the backside of the camera, right top beside viewfinder, the camera will autofocus everytime. Now this makes me feel the (dealer) assessment of the camera being pouched may not be correct. The dealer said no setting in the menu will prevent the camera from focusing--I now believe there maybe a setting they don't even know about which has locked the AF out.

Oh...I've reset the camera a hundred times, changed the settings, nothing makes this camera AF unless I hold the shutter and the button as described above. They may in fact be right...but try I must.

Any D80 users out there who can add something to this mystery.

ziggy53

Switch the camera to manual mode and check Custom Setting menu item #18.

If this item is set to "AF On" the half-depress function of the shutter button is turned off. In that case return the setting to the default "AE/AF Lock".

redhalton

Ziggy you're my hero ;-))

I did as you suggested and the camera works fine. However I'm still in shock both guys on the counter at Henry's missed this.

Thanks again for your expertise and patience...

Bob

ziggy53 wrote:

Switch the camera to manual mode and check Custom Setting menu item #18.

If this item is set to "AF On" the half-depress function of the shutter button is turned off. In that case return the setting to the default "AE/AF Lock".

redhalton

Ziggy

Just a final post to let you know I used the camera all day Sunday and everything is working as it should...thanks again.

redhalton wrote:

Ziggy you're my hero ;-))

I did as you suggested and the camera works fine. However I'm still in shock both guys on the counter at Henry's missed this.

Thanks again for your expertise and patience...

Bob

muffinbod

Huge thank you

ziggy53 wrote: »

Switch the camera to manual mode and check Custom Setting menu item #18.

If this item is set to "AF On" the half-depress function of the shutter button is turned off. In that case return the setting to the default "AE/AF Lock".

I bought a second hand D80 and had this same problem. I have been working through this problem with the manual and various online advice for weeks, managing with pressing the AE-L AF-L button which I only discovered by accident. This is the first clear diagnosis and the fix was simple and immediate. Thanks again!

ziggy53

Glad we were helpful. Tell all your friends.

MomaZunk

BTW, the function you have stumbled upon in known as back-button focus. Once you use it, you may not want to go back to the shutter release focus.
It is particularly useful in sports.

Do a quick Google on it, and see what you think.

Dustbolwrefugee

Eleven years after the original post and tweelve years after I bought my D80 which I've been delighted with I have suddenly had the same problem. My wife used the camera last week but swears that she didn't chnge any of the settings (she tends to use it in full auto mode as a point & shoot). I've tried the above and it still doesn't allow me to press halfway to focus and then press the last bit to fire the shutter. Nothing at all happens when I press halfway and if I press the whole way, it does focus but then immediately fires the shutter so I have no chance of composeing the picture with the subject in focus. It's not impossible that a child may have gotten hold of the camera and messed about with the setting but it seems unlkely. I've never had anything like this at all. I'm using a OE Nikon 18-300mm 3.5 G ED and A 50mm 1.4 lens both of which I've had for years with no trouble. Any help or advice on how I can get my camera back to how it was last week would be greatly appreciated.

ziggy53

The first thing I would try is the two-button system reset. You can return the Nikon D80 to default values by holding the af button and +- button down together for more then two seconds (these buttons are marked by a green dot). The control panel turns off briefly while settings are reset.