Nikon focus trouble... Help needed

NikonLover

This possibly may be a dumb question but I have been trying to search all over for a solution and can't seem to find anyone else with my problem. I shoot with a Nikon d300s. I've had the camera for only 1 year. I have not changed my settings at all from my original setup of how I waned, but in the past month or so it has started something very weird and I can't seem to resolve it. I have tried resetting it but the camera didn't reset for some reason.

When I used to push down the shutter release the focus points would show up in my viewfinder and I would be able to focus my camera properly, and it would beep to let me know that it was in focus. Now though I don't get my focus points in the viewfinder, no beep, and it ALWAYS focus's dead center if at all. Has anyone had something similar to this problem and if so how did you fix it?

For some info I have my camera set to Matrix mode, 51 point AF, Continuous Focus.

And like I said I have tried resetting and it didn't reset at all.

Someone help please.

Zerodog

Did you bump your lens to manual focus? Easy to do pulling your camera out of a bag.

Does single focus work? Can you move your focus point with the joystick pad?

zoomer

Sounds like you have inadvertently bumped one of your settings.
Go back throught them all and check them.

NikonLover

Lens is set for auto focus. Have tried putting on spot meter and I cannot move the focus point. I have gone through all my settings in the camera and even tried changing some things then putting them back how I like them and nothing has worked. Is there a hard reset I could try? I tried doing reset through menu but that didn't reset anything at all. I really hope it doesn't need to be sent to Nikon for repair I can't afford that.

ziggy53

The first thing I recommend you try is resetting the camera with the 2 green buttons on the top right of the camera. First remove the lens. Hold those buttons in simultaneously for 5 seconds. This will take the camera back to "factory" settings. Now go to the Menu, Custom Controls, Reset.

time2smile

welcome,

i don't have a D300s, but this sounds like a setting issue, i think that default setting are not what you want and so things seem different to you.

first try to take it off of continuous AF-C, and this should give you normal focus lock when you press shutter half way.
illuminated focus point is a menu option, and i believe automatic is the standard setting.

I know in a few hours all the D300 duds will chime in

good luck

NikonLover

Thank you everyone. I will see how the hard factory reset works. Hopefully it solves the issue. And I will also try taking it off of AF-C that may be my issue right there. I hope the issue is this simple.

ziggy53

Good one Ted. I missed that the camera was in AF-C mode. That is most certainly what's happening.

Zerodog

Spot meter does not mater. That is your light metering mode. You need to choose 1 of the following Single point AF, Dynamic Single point AF, or Auto area AF. These are selected using a little switch next to the LCD screen. Make sure you are not on M for manual on the front switch. Try picking S for single instead of C for continuous.

Harryb

The only time I've seen the focus points disappear is when the AF-Area Mode is set to Auto Area AF. The selector switch is located on the rear of the camera to the right of the LCD. If its in the top position (the blacked in rectangle) you have it set to Auto Area AF. Change it to Dynamic Area AF or Single Area AF and the focus point will reapear.

NikonLover

Problem has been solved everyone. It required a hard reset. Even taking off of AF-C mode didn't fix the issue alone. Thank you everyone for your help.