D800 Chokes and Won't Shoot

I'm not really sure what to call this issue other than the camera won't take the picture I'm trying to get. A little background...

I'm shooting with a D800 purchased in 2013. It's been used very little, maybe gets out to do stuff 4 times a year and that's being generous. I'm generally shooting with an AF-S 24-70 f/2.8 lens but I dabbled with another lens and the issue still persisted so I don't think it's lens specific.

The best way I can describe the issue, I have everything in focus, press the shutter button and it will focus again (sometimes not) but won't actually take the picture, no matter how hard I press. Literally, it won't do anything but sit there while the perfect shot slips away. I'm at concerts shooting bands and I've lost out on many an epic pose due to this issue. It strikes out of nowhere. Sometimes I can get the camera to work if I quickly change a setting like f/2.8 to f/3.5 or shutter speed from 200 to 400 but not all the time. Sometimes it will work again if I turn it off and on, sometimes not. I can't discern what's making it do this but I do notice that every time it happens, I get the [r13] thing but if the camera hasn't been shooting in burst or was just turned on, I don't see why that would come up. I'm using a SanDisk 32G extreme pro CF card and it was never an issue when I first started shooting with the camera, it's only developed in the last few times I've used it. I did fiddle with some settings last night but I've had the issue before last night and I had it again last night. I need something reliable so I can get that shot when I need it to. I'm not sure if this is operator error or if it's time to say goodbye and upgrade to the D850 or the Z7 (or both!) It can't be a low light issue because the camera will take low light photos and usually the scene is a well-lit one when it chokes on me. Maybe I need to do a firmware update? That's not something I generally think about with a DSLR but maybe I should...

Any and all input would be much appreciated!

Oh, and I know this is user error but does anyone else struggle with having the camera focus on the mic stand instead of the human behind/next to it? Sometimes I think the human is the one in focus and then I look at the pictures and the mic stand is sharper. Any tips or tricks for combating that? Thanks!

Hi ST,

Isn't there a focus setting of focus priority which means it won't take a shot until focus has been achieved.

What focus settings do you have, single matrix etc?

I think I adjusted some setting like that when I was panning motorbikes, it might be a priority setting, something like that. I wanted the camera to shoot when I pressed the shutter even if focus had not been achieved.

Mark_A

Scarlett_Trinity said:

I'm not really sure what to call this issue other than the camera won't take the picture I'm trying to get. A little background...

I'm shooting with a D800 purchased in 2013. It's been used very little, maybe gets out to do stuff 4 times a year and that's being generous. I'm generally shooting with an AF-S 24-70 f/2.8 lens but I dabbled with another lens and the issue still persisted so I don't think it's lens specific.

The best way I can describe the issue, I have everything in focus, press the shutter button and it will focus again (sometimes not) but won't actually take the picture, no matter how hard I press. Literally, it won't do anything but sit there while the perfect shot slips away. I'm at concerts shooting bands and I've lost out on many an epic pose due to this issue. It strikes out of nowhere. Sometimes I can get the camera to work if I quickly change a setting like f/2.8 to f/3.5 or shutter speed from 200 to 400 but not all the time. Sometimes it will work again if I turn it off and on, sometimes not. I can't discern what's making it do this but I do notice that every time it happens, I get the [r13] thing but if the camera hasn't been shooting in burst or was just turned on, I don't see why that would come up. I'm using a SanDisk 32G extreme pro CF card and it was never an issue when I first started shooting with the camera, it's only developed in the last few times I've used it. I did fiddle with some settings last night but I've had the issue before last night and I had it again last night. I need something reliable so I can get that shot when I need it to. I'm not sure if this is operator error or if it's time to say goodbye and upgrade to the D850 or the Z7 (or both!) It can't be a low light issue because the camera will take low light photos and usually the scene is a well-lit one when it chokes on me. Maybe I need to do a firmware update? That's not something I generally think about with a DSLR but maybe I should...

Any and all input would be much appreciated!

Oh, and I know this is user error but does anyone else struggle with having the camera focus on the mic stand instead of the human behind/next to it? Sometimes I think the human is the one in focus and then I look at the pictures and the mic stand is sharper. Any tips or tricks for combating that? Thanks!

Click to expand...

As mentioned above, the first thing I would check that release is set to release and not focus. a1 and a2. If it's random then it's likely a communication issue in camera or between lens and camera. I had this repaired and was in the lens mount. $300-500 repair if so. Not worth it for an ~$800 camera IMO

D800 AF is known for issues and not the greatest AF module. D810, D850 or Z would be better for sure.

Or you could use phone....just kidding, but I was surprised at the quality the other night at a club.

open your menu, go to the pencil, select autofocus then to a2 af-s priority selection then select release then ok. That allows your camera to fire even when focus is not achieved.

Set to matrix. I hesitate to call it a focus issue because the subject is in focus when I'm trying to shoot and it won't go.

Try setting focus to AF-C instead of AF-S or locking focus with the AE-L/ EF-L button. In AF-S the camera won't fire if it thinks the focus isn't locked, so if the active focus point isn't right on the subject it won't fire.

Mark_A said:

Hi ST,

Isn't there a focus setting of focus priority which means it won't take a shot until focus has been achieved.

What focus settings do you have, single matrix etc?

I think I adjusted some setting like that when I was panning motorbikes, it might be a priority setting, something like that. I wanted the camera to shoot when I pressed the shutter even if focus had not been achieved.

Click to expand...

I remember, I was taking photos of wild animals at night and because the camera could not lock focus in the almost dark situation, I couldn't take a shot.

My initial workaround was to switch to manual focus which solved the issue temporarily but then I found the setting to remove focus priority, as has been expanded on by other responders. I have left it set to that, I prefer it.

Mark_A

This is an educated guest, because you supplied little useful information amid a lot of extraneous stuff (like the type of memory card).

What this looks like is that you have your camera set for Focus Priority (which is the default) and have autofocus tied to the shutter release. What that means is that you press the shutter, the camera focuses and then - when the subject is in focus - it takes the shot.

Your problem is that the camera can't tell if it is in focus or not, probably because you're shooting a low contrast subject in dim lighting. This is why everyone is telling you to set the camera to Release Priority instead of Focus Priority.

Let me tell you my experience, back in the day (D300), which caused me to change to the back-button-focus-AF-ON method.

I had a couple of strobes and a background set up so that I could take pictures of my sister with her new Poodle puppies. Three of them. Two were all white, but the squirmiest, smallest one was all black.

So imagine the scene: Three new puppies sitting in my sister and brother-in-law's laps, doing anything but sit still and look at the camera. I'm whistling, waving arms, clapping, anything I can do to get three dogs and two humans to look at the camera at the same time. And the instant that happens, I press the shutter release.

And... nothing. The camera cannot lock on to the black puppy and confirm focus, so it hunts the lens back and forth trying to find something with a bit of contrast. And of course the split-second is gone where everyone is looking at the camera.

Solved with AF-ON method. Here's what that means, and where you run into problems.

WIth AF-ON, you do not focus when you press the shutter release. You only focus by pressing the AF-ON button. ('Back Button').

There are two other related settings. With just AF-ON, you would still find the camera not taking a picture, but it would no longer try to refocus also.

What you need to change now is change Focus Priority to Release Priority. NOW when you press the shutter release, the camera will take a picture whether it is in focus or not. (Whether the camera "thinks" the subject is in focus). And that is where you can run into issues. You MUST focus with some degree of recognition that autofocus takes time, and it is up to YOU to be sure that focus has been achieved.

In the field, it just means giving the camera a little bit of time between pressing AF-ON and shutter. In your concert scenario, you prefocus on a subject (singer at a microphone), and then when you press the shutter release you're already in focus and the camera just takes the shot. Focus on a face when there is good lighting, and then leave focus alone.

I said there were two other settings that go with AF-ON. One is release priority. The other is AF-C (continuous autofocus). It doesn't make a difference for your particular scenario, but you'll surely find uses.

The idea here is flexibility. WIth AF-C, you can track moving subjects. Simply keep the AF-ON button pressed, and the camera continuously focuses on it. For stationary subjects, you simply press the AF-ON button and release it when focus is acheived. This is useful for focus-and-recompose.

WIth AF-ON only, Release Priority and AF-C, you can basically do any kind focus. Recompose? check. Focus on moving subjects? check. Prefocus and immediate release for dim subjects? check. You almost never need to change the settings, except for self-timer. (Camera won't focus at all with AF-ON.)

There is one other related setting - Focus+Release (and Release+Focus). This has to do with autofocus performance during bursts on moving subjects. Here is the Nikon explanation for these settings:

Focus + Release
In burst mode, priority is given to focus for the first frame and to release for later frames, ensuring that the first frame is in focus and that no subsequent frames are missed.

Make sure the distance between the subject and the camera does not change significantly during the rapid capturing of frames, or at least make sure that the aperture setting provides enough depth of field to cover the subject while it moves.

Select this option when you do not want the frame rates to slow down.

Release + Focus
In burst mode, priority is given to release for the first frame and to focus for later frames.

Select this option if you do not have any problems with frame rates getting slow as the AF system has to allow the camera to attain focus.

Scarlett_Trinity said:

Set to matrix. I hesitate to call it a focus issue because the subject is in focus when I'm trying to shoot and it won't go.

Click to expand...

Switch to AF-C - will fire regardless of focus status. Camera will not fire if it can not establish secure focus under AF-S - low light, moving subject and AF-S not good.

Thank you all for your replies! I switched from AF-S to AF-C and went into the a1 a2 and changed that as well. Hopefully, this solves the issue.

I was stumped because when this happens, the subject is well lit and focus has been achieved but it won't shoot. It's literally the perfect shot and won't fire, which is highly frustrating because I didn't see a reason for it to fail, especially because it will shoot when the subject/area is too dark and sometimes out of focus. Also, as stated before, it's a relatively new problem because I didn't experience this when I first started using the camera.

Thanks again!

I threw out all the information that I thought might be important because I didn't know what the issue was. I included the info about the memory card because I had read the [r13} thing had to do with write speed. For future reference, what other pertinent info could/should I have provided?

Thanks for all your help and insight. It was a lot to digest but I think I've got the settings set up correctly thanks to you and everyone else in here. It's really nice to post in a forum where I can get help right away instead of waiting forever like Apple.

Thanks again!

Scarlett_Trinity said:

Thank you all for your replies! I switched from AF-S to AF-C and went into the a1 a2 and changed that as well. Hopefully, this solves the issue.

I was stumped because when this happens, the subject is well lit and focus has been achieved but it won't shoot. It's literally the perfect shot and won't fire, which is highly frustrating because I didn't see a reason for it to fail, especially because it will shoot when the subject/area is too dark and sometimes out of focus. Also, as stated before, it's a relatively new problem because I didn't experience this when I first started using the camera.

Click to expand...

Hi Scarlett_Trinity,

Did it resolve the issue for you?

Asking because I might have to tweak my settings also.

Mark_A

I haven't had an opportunity to try it out since posting this but I did talk to a Nikon rep about it tonight and he had some other suggestions...

He said if you're dealing with something like a metal concert, then something like AF-C is a better option because it's not a focus priority but otherwise, to keep it at AF-S and he recommended switching it to single point and adding the face detection. Now, I haven't done a firmware update in years, I actually need to find that cable but he said it's likely having it at matrix was giving the camera too much to think about for focusing, which makes sense if there's a lot going on.

So I think I'll switch my settings back, download the firmware and try out what the rep said and if that fails, switch to AF-C and see how that handles.

Good luck!

Scarlett_Trinity said:

I haven't had an opportunity to try it out since posting this but I did talk to a Nikon rep about it tonight and he had some other suggestions...

He said if you're dealing with something like a metal concert, then something like AF-C is a better option because it's not a focus priority but otherwise, to keep it at AF-S and he recommended switching it to single point and adding the face detection. Now, I haven't done a firmware update in years, I actually need to find that cable but he said it's likely having it at matrix was giving the camera too much to think about for focusing, which makes sense if there's a lot going on.

So I think I'll switch my settings back, download the firmware and try out what the rep said and if that fails, switch to AF-C and see how that handles.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

I'm sure the Nikon rep said all those things but probaly not in the same context. You've got some conflicting things going on in that paragraph.

- As several have said above, you can have focus priority (vs release priority) in either AF-S or AF-C, depending on your menu selections. Focus vs release priority is not permanently assigned to just AF-C.

- You cannot "switching it to single point and adding face detection" at the same time. Single point is just that, a SINGLE point that you choose. There is no intelligence with single point. Face Detection operates in Auto-area AF mode only. Auto-area is a good concept but if there are multiple faces you might not be tracking the one you want. It works ok in the D800 generation, but not really until you get to the D5 where I would call Auto-area reliable. You could try single and Auto area and see which works better in the scenario you are shooting.

Nikon D800 focus modes:

- Matrix is a metering mode, not a focus mode. The matrix metering does assist with tracking in 3D Focus and Auto area, but matrix itself is not a focus mode.

Updating firmware is always a good idea. You don't need a cable. The firmware is downloaded to a memory card, then insert the card into the camera and follow the steps. I don't believe that is your problem so don't worry about the update if you don't want to do it.

My settings are as others above have suggested, and I recommend for you:
- go into the custom settings and select RELEASE PRIORITY for both AF-S and AF-C
- disable AF from the shutter button. Focus only with the AF button just to the left of the viewfinder. Using the AF button only, there is no reason to use anything other than AF-C because the focus locks when you let go of the button anyway.

None of these problems will be solved by buying a different camera, either DSLR or mirrorless. All cameras have focus modes with their own minor differences. You have a good piece of equipment already.

Thanks for the input. I know I misinterpreted part of that chat but I was pretty full in the head after his mirrorless presentation. I didn't even know face detection was a thing in these cameras to be frank. I haven't kept up with what's new like I should.

After posting, I did do the firmware update. It went from v.1 to v.11 so, that tells you how far behind I was...

The D800 has few cross type AF sensors and so if the camera is horizontal it needs a hard vertical edge on which to focus. The user needs to find that in the scene and this is where focusing and then shifting the frame and shooting works the best by either locking focus or changing the camera so the back button does the autofocus and the shutter release only trips the shutter and does not refocus the image.

The center AF sensor will provide the best results in low light situations and going to back button autofocus using this sensor and then using the shutter release to take the shot will provide the best results.

The D800/D810 cameras were not designed for action shooting in low light. For that the D4/D5 are a better choice or even the D750 camera. If concert shooting is important then get a 85mm f/1.4 lens and a D750 or a D4/D4s camera.

Important to appreciate that a f/1.4 lens provides 4 times as much light to the camera's autofocus sensors as a f/2.8 max aperture lens and this naturally has a big impact on low light autofocus performance.

mais51 said:

Scarlett_Trinity said:

Set to matrix. I hesitate to call it a focus issue because the subject is in focus when I'm trying to shoot and it won't go.

Click to expand...

Switch to AF-C - will fire regardless of focus status. Camera will not fire if it can not establish secure focus under AF-S - low light, moving subject and AF-S not good.

Click to expand...

This is incorrect. AF-C will continuously focus - but that has nothing to do with actually tripping the shutter. With default settings, AF-C will still not shoot if it thinks the subject is out of focus. To do that you need to change to Release Priority.

calson said:

ing is important then get a 85mm f/1.4 lens and a D750 or a D4/D4s camera.

Important to appreciate that a f/1.4 lens provides 4 times as much light to the camera's autofocus sensors as a f/2.8 max aperture lens and this naturally has a big impact on low light autofocus performance.

Click to expand...

I think you are mistaken here as to how autofocus sensors work. They do not operate based on light intensity hitting the sensors, though more helps.

Marianne Oelund did a nice explanation back in the day here:


Some changes have been made since then with autofocus sensors using the F2.8 circle, not just F5.6. But I don't think there is any benefit all to autofocus using a lens faster than F2.8.