why will my camera not focus?

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jamie unwin
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hi, my camera doesn't seem to be able to focus anymore, all it does is go from one end of the focusing right past the focused picture and down to the other end and back and forth!!! why is it doing this?:bang:
 
What camera do you have? I had a similar problem where mine would only manually focus, posted on here about my problem, only to find I had it on MF on the camera and AF on the lens. Most probable that its a different problem though :( I am just a beginner/novice so dont listen to me :)

Amy x
 
Both valid points! Check the contacts between lens and camera are clean, and also that it is fully locked in place. Perhaps you also have a focus limit on there...if it is an advanced lens!
 
If by chance you are taking a picture through a window, this will skew it big style, it will track the glass not the subject.
 
nope none of those, I checked all of them! could it be something to do with the auto focus motor
 
1) Check your lens hasnt accidently been knocked onto MF ..there will be a little switch

2) Try another lens.. if that does focus then its not your camera re subject

3) focus on somehting down the street and see what hapens

My money is on 1) I ahve done it myself more than once:)
 
is it a lens with a focus limiter switch on it perhaps?
 
A more obscure suggestion but have you got a CPL filter installed on a slow lens (f/4 or slower) ?

Bob
 
Do you have a bizarre focus point selected? If you are putting something in the middle of the frame but asking the camera to only pay attention to a focus point on the far left or right, this could explain it.

Do a factory reset on the camera and take the lens off and clean the contacts.

What camera is it?

Cheers,
James
 
no i hav a skylight filter on the lens, but i just took that off to see if that made a differences and it didn't!
 
i hav already tried that factory reset and it didn't change anything. the camera is sony a350
 
3rd time lucky.....what camera do you have?

What lenses are you trying with the camera?

EDIT: Like magic the camera model appeared!
 
Have you any other lenses to see if its a problem with the camera? its possible your under the minimum focusing distance if your using the 70-300 indoors, thats quite long for indoors
 
i hav got other lenses and i hav tried them and the same thing happens!!!
 
What are you trying to focus on? If what you are trying to focus on has no or little contrast for example a White wall it will not find the focus. The same is also true if there is not enough light on the subject
 
Just a thought, but on the A700, there is a 4 part switch on the front of the camera (AF-S/AF-C/AF-A/MF) plus also a button on the back of the camera (AF/MF). If either of these are on MF then the camera will not autofocus. I had this exact problem the other day and at some point I must have knocked the switch on the front of the camera to MF. Don't know if the A350 has the same functionality, but if it does, may be worth checking? :shrug:
 
Just a thought, but on the A700, there is a 4 part switch on the front of the camera (AF-S/AF-C/AF-A/MF) plus also a button on the back of the camera (AF/MF). If either of these are on MF then the camera will not autofocus. I had this exact problem the other day and at some point I must have knocked the switch on the front of the camera to MF. Don't know if the A350 has the same functionality, but if it does, may be worth checking? :shrug:

Just had a rethink and rmembered that my problem was that the camera was defaulting to MF when switched on but I was able to override it with the switch on the back, so this may not be the same issue. :bonk::bonk:
 
is it at all lfocal lengths on the lens. I know that lens has a macro switch on it!
 
be aware that the sigma will only focus 95cm in macro and 150cm in normal mode, try focusing at 70mm then zooming in as that lens sometimes finds it hard to focus at 200 to 300mm end.
 
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