AF-C Continuous not working

Right folks - I'm putting this here as it will with any hope catch any Nikon modern users as well as anyone else who might help?

I have been posting a few threads about my focus issues with my Nikon D7100 and Nikkor 70-300 AFS ED VR lens, i have noticed a strange quirk with its focusing that i have been constantly led to understand and possibly put down to user error/environment/cond​itions, this situation is during trying to capture moving objects - from BIF to planes at different distances away/heights, upon first getting my camera(second hand it is) i read the manual and set about setting it up.
I selected AF-C Continuous Focus with anything from single center focus point to dynamic cluster of 9, with the shutter set at either - focus release priority, or just release priority, but i found that in this mode the focusing would not work as it should, would not capture anything ready to track it and the focus brackets would jitter back and forth in fast motion, i have tried and re tried this setting over and over and it has given me a 100% miss focus rate with all moving subjects.

I discovered by chance the only way to remedy this is to use a hybrid Nikon focus setting called AF-A, its basically a one shot setting that then when it detects movement it selects what is supposed to be Continuous focus with predictive focus tracking, just the same as AF-C mode, it is not so popular with Nikon users as its considered an Auto Mode for when the camera can be set in the Green zone.

I dont understand this - why is AF-C refusing to work and AF-A working almost in its place like they are back to front?

Any ideas folks please?


Pagman.

Hey, you've been posting in our General Photography Talk sub-forum, but since many/most of us have been/are Canon shooters, I'd encourage you to focus your posting in the Nikon sub-forum:

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/index.ph​p#NikonGear

I'd imagine there would be more Nikon D7100 shooters there, maybe with the same lens, and maybe they could take on some experiments as to what you are struggling with!!

tonylong wrote in post #17569841
Hey, you've been posting in our General Photography Talk sub-forum, but since many/most of us have been/are Canon shooters, I'd encourage you to focus your posting in the Nikon sub-forum:

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/index.ph​p#NikonGear

I'd imagine there would be more Nikon D7100 shooters there, maybe with the same lens, and maybe they could take on some experiments as to what you are struggling with!!

I assumed the General Photog Talk forum was all manufacturers and not limited to just canon, so open to all to discuss anything?


P.

Sure, people have been discussing, but since most will not be Nikon users, we are limited to "guesswork" in the context of "general photography", not specific to using your Nikon camera with your Nikon lens! Hence, my suggestion you move this to the Nikon forum, since you are very specific about your using the Nikon camera/lens!

Moved to Nikon Cameras.

General Photography is about "photography", the art/craft.

Nikon etc, is bout working with the gear.
This is a post about the gear.

Pagman wrote in post #17569773
Right folks - I'm putting this here as it will with any hope catch any Nikon modern users as well as anyone else who might help?

I have been posting a few threads about my focus issues with my Nikon D7100 and Nikkor 70-300 AFS ED VR lens, i have noticed a strange quirk with its focusing that i have been constantly led to understand and possibly put down to user error/environment/cond​itions, this situation is during trying to capture moving objects - from BIF to planes at different distances away/heights, upon first getting my camera(second hand it is) i read the manual and set about setting it up.
I selected AF-C Continuous Focus with anything from single center focus point to dynamic cluster of 9, with the shutter set at either - focus release priority, or just release priority, but i found that in this mode the focusing would not work as it should, would not capture anything ready to track it and the focus brackets would jitter back and forth in fast motion, i have tried and re tried this setting over and over and it has given me a 100% miss focus rate with all moving subjects.

I discovered by chance the only way to remedy this is to use a hybrid Nikon focus setting called AF-A, its basically a one shot setting that then when it detects movement it selects what is supposed to be Continuous focus with predictive focus tracking, just the same as AF-C mode, it is not so popular with Nikon users as its considered an Auto Mode for when the camera can be set in the Green zone.

I dont understand this - why is AF-C refusing to work and AF-A working almost in its place like they are back to front?

Any ideas folks please?


Pagman.

Well my previous issue with AF-C was *fixed* by reloading the most recent firmware even though it was labelled as the same version. I don't know if that would fix yours but it's worth a shot in the first instance.

Can you give us some more details about the situation in which you're have troubles? e.g.:

smythie wrote in post #17570151
Well my previous issue with AF-C was *fixed* by reloading the most recent firmware even though it was labelled as the same version. I don't know if that would fix yours but it's worth a shot in the first instance.

Can you give us some more details about the situation in which you're have troubles? e.g.:

How is the target moving? Away from you, towards you, across your plane of vision (e.g. shooting a plane well up in the sky pretty much directly above you)

Are you acquiring the target and maintaining the focus point on it for a few seconds before your first shot? What is happening if you manage to do that?

Have you tried a different lens or body?

What are the lighting conditions?

How much contrast does your target have? (e.g. I wouldn't be surprised if a the underside of a white aircraft at 20,000+ft altitude in a bright blue sky doesn't have enough contrast for the camera)

How far away from you is the target? Is it a consistent type of shooting that causes the problem or does it happen at any old distance?

Finally, if AF-A is working for you as you want it to, is it really a big problem?

Hi there, i tried what you suggested today with installing the firmware again mine was at C 1.02 and L 2.005, this is what i reinstalled, when i went to my cam i didn;t have to install it manually so i presume it did it automatically, anyway i then we tried the AF-C mode but this time in release priority, there was no planes about as it was overcast and cloudy but a few birds were out playing jays and swallows, the focus confirm brackets each side of the focus confirm dot, were still dancing back and forth, but i just took pot luck and fired away, these are what i got - what do you think?

P.

And these of the same jay a bit lower and closer and with the same settings 1000th and f8 and auto iso.

P.

Hi there. I think we may have chatted about this before on messages etc. The suggested settings must not have helped. I'd say bite the bullet and send to Nikon to check out. The focus system on this camera is pretty excellent, if you can focus other Nikon models that are older with more success, I'd imagine the camera is faulty

jaomul wrote in post #17571441
Hi there. I think we may have chatted about this before on messages etc. The suggested settings must not have helped. I'd say bite the bullet and send to Nikon to check out. The focus system on this camera is pretty excellent, if you can focus other Nikon models that are older with more success, I'd imagine the camera is faulty

Hi there,

Thanks for the reply, yep it is a fault with the AF-C mode, i tried it all day yesterday and it just will not focus on anything moving near ot far, the focus confirm dot and infront/behind signals either side of it just dance about like crazy real fast and i never the see the focus dot illuminated even for a second.
The only modes that work are good old AF-S for static shots and AF-A for ermm static shots till movement is sensed by the camera, so i would say the focusing is not firing on all barrels at the moment.

P.