My 18-200mm lens is driving me crazy! It doesn't auto focus all the time!

10 years 10 months ago #285619 by Steve Kemp
This doesn't happen often but it's annoying when it does happen. I could be a few feet away from something that I'm photographing and the auto focus just goes back and forth and back and forth with out locking focus. Why does this happen sometimes and other times it's fine?


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10 years 10 months ago - 10 years 10 months ago #285621 by hghlndr6

Steve Kemp wrote: This doesn't happen often but it's annoying when it does happen. I could be a few feet away from something that I'm photographing and the auto focus just goes back and forth and back and forth with out locking focus. Why does this happen sometimes and other times it's fine?


Maybe when it does happen, you're closer than the lens' closest focusing distance and when it doesn't happen, you're not?
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10 years 10 months ago #285630 by Shadowfixer1
Closer than the minimum focusing distance is one thing that can make it happen. Another is not enough light on the subject. When a camera hunts focus, that is primarily a problem with the camera, not the lens. There has to be enough light or a line of contrast the camera can see. If you had ever used a spilt focus finder to manually focus, it would be easier to understand. You just need to learn what auto focus limitations are and work around them.
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10 years 10 months ago #285647 by garyrhook
:goodpost:

Yep, I get this a lot when doing stage work. If there's not enough light, the camera can't figure out what to do. Contrast is key for auto focus.


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10 years 10 months ago #285678 by luckywish1
im thinking about buying 18-200mm what can you tell me about the 18-200


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