EOS Rebel T3i- won't focus and can't figure out why!

New to the forums but excited to be a part of it.

First, I am very much a novice when it comes to this camera- so please bare with me.

I have a Canon EOS Rebel T3i. The lens is a Canon EFS 18-55mm I think a pretyt standard lens.

We've been having issues lately when we press the button halfway down to take a picture with the image not coming into focus and therefore not allowing the picture to be taken. For the life of me I can't figure out why. I'm sure it's a setting or adjustment that needs to be made but I'm not sure what that is.

it's happened while shooting both close up and items far. My wife made some adjustments where it doesn't seem to happen as much while shooting something in far but today I tried to take some close ups and it was never able to come into focus.

Any help on this topic would be VERY much appreciated!

Thank you!

Have you tried pressing BBF (*) button in case some one modified focusing button settings.

And what are you using to judge focus? Viewfinder? If so check diopter adjustment. Is this behavior only with one lens or cannyou test with somethingvelse? How is focus when transferred to a PC?

Can you upload a suspect image that we can see. Try to keep the EXIF information intact.

If you bought it used, the most likely culprit is BBAF is enabled. Use the * button to focus and the shutter release to... DUH! release the shutter. Do not reset it to focus and trip the shutter with the same button. You'll eventually regret it.

check the mf/af switch on the lens, you need to have it on AF for the lens to focus.

Check the AF/MF switch, if that is in AF, put the camera on the green box fully auto mode and try to take a shot using a well lit target with good contrast.

SWB1234 wrote in post #16770949
...so please bare with me.

Only if you go first.

Yep, sounds like BBF is engaged. Try pressing the * button to focus or use Green Box(full-auto) mode to see if it will focus. If it does then you can change it back to shutter button focus if you wish.

It could also be "lens drive when AF is impossible" that's set to OFF. That custom function/setting is available on most EOS cameras. If that's the case, then the standard symptom is that focusing works sometimes, but not always.

If the camera is set not to focus with the trigger button, or if the AF/MF switch is set to MF, then it will never focus. Not when using the trigger button, that is.

Dig through the manual on how to reset the camera back to the factory settings and start from there.

SWB1234 wrote in post #16770949
New to the forums but excited to be a part of it.

First, I am very much a novice when it comes to this camera- so please bare with me.

I have a Canon EOS Rebel T3i. The lens is a Canon EFS 18-55mm I think a pretyt standard lens.

We've been having issues lately when we press the button halfway down to take a picture with the image not coming into focus and therefore not allowing the picture to be taken. For the life of me I can't figure out why. I'm sure it's a setting or adjustment that needs to be made but I'm not sure what that is.

it's happened while shooting both close up and items far. My wife made some adjustments where it doesn't seem to happen as much while shooting something in far but today I tried to take some close ups and it was never able to come into focus.

Any help on this topic would be VERY much appreciated!

Thank you!

I would check the obvious first and that is make sure the lens is on Auto Focus. I would then check to make sure it's not set to back button focus (actually, I prefer that method). But if it's set to back button focus, then it's not going to focus by pressing the shutter button half way.

apersson850 wrote in post #16772169
It could also be "lens drive when AF is impossible" that's set to OFF. That custom function/setting is available on most EOS cameras. If that's the case, then the standard symptom is that focusing works sometimes, but not always.

If the camera is set not to focus with the trigger button, or if the AF/MF switch is set to MF, then it will never focus. Not when using the trigger button, that is.

The Rebels(xxxD models) don't have a custom function for turning off Lens Drive when AF is impossible Anders.

Rats.

After checking all above I see you also say it wont focus when shooting close up , how close up are you trying if I remember correctly this lens has a MFD of around 10" meaning it wont focus on anything closer than 10" .

Just a shot in the dark .

David

dpds68 wrote in post #16773418
After checking all above I see you also say it wont focus when shooting close up , how close up are you trying if I remember correctly this lens has a MFD of around 10" meaning it wont focus on anything closer than 10" .

Just a shot in the dark .

David

I haven't researched the other options yet but the pics I was taking were closer than 10"- they were some close up photos for an item I was selling on EBay....maybe the issue?

No, you definitely can't focus on anything closer than 9.6 inches from the camera's focal plane.