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D3200 not autofocusing on the sky
#1

Hi everyone, I got my first DSLR a Nikon D3200 a couple of months ago and have been trying to use it set to Manual as much as possible. I was at the coast yesterday and trying to take pics of some nice cloud formations on a clear sunny evening. I soon noticed my camera would not take a pic when I pressed the shutter button. I switched from manual to auto and it took nice clear pics of the sky, I switched back to Manual and it still wouldn't do it, my wife was nagging me at this point to had to go and thought about it on the way home. Would switching to Manual Focus have sorted the problem and why wouldn't it autofocus even tho there were clouds in the shot. I was using the standard 18-55 lens and tried changing AF Area and Autofocus settings to no avail. Thanks in advance for your help
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#2

Personally I am not clear as to what you are saying, sorry. When you say Manual, are you referring to Camera, or Focus, Autofocus can be fooled by many things, Inst. Book should detail this, but I would have expected it to hunt, and, indicate this in the viewfinder. What were the settings, If Manual referred to camera, when it would not function. If Focus was on Manual, it would take pictures regardless,whether the subject was in focus or not. Perhaps, rephrasing the post would help, me, at least. Welcome to the Forum. Ed.

To each his own!
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#3

The camera mode was set to M and I had focus set to auto but the shutter button wouldn't press. Then when I set the camera mode to auto it worked ok, it just wouldn't work when the camera mode was set to M (for manual).
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#4

What exactly were your Manual settings. Did the release button go down, but nothing happened. Ed.

To each his own!
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#5

(Aug 13, 2014, 05:20)redwazza Wrote:  The camera mode was set to M and I had focus set to auto but the shutter button wouldn't press. Then when I set the camera mode to auto it worked ok, it just wouldn't work when the camera mode was set to M (for manual).

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#6

When you take pictures of the clouds, the camera has no place or edge to focus on. Just half press the shutter and focus on the edge of the cloud, and hold the shutter button half way till it focuses, and then move the frame to the full cloud and fully press the shutter button. The camera needs an edge to focus and that is why it will not focus on the cloud.
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#7

Thanks for the replies ... when I finally got chance I went into my back garden and tried again, same again I set camera mode to M and had focus on autofocus and same result, shutter button wouldn't go down when I aimed at a cloud yet it worked when I set the camera mode to auto. I then refocused on the top of a neighbours roof, pressed the shutter button half way and with it still pressed half way I moved the camera up towards the clouds in the sky and it worked ok, I guess there's nothing wrong with my camera and that it is just a focussing technicality, I am correct with my assumption ?
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#8

Yes. Ed.

To each his own!
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#9

(Aug 12, 2014, 06:54)redwazza Wrote:  Hi everyone, I got my first DSLR a Nikon D3200 a couple of months ago and have been trying to use it set to Manual as much as possible. I was at the coast yesterday and trying to take pics of some nice cloud formations on a clear sunny evening. I soon noticed my camera would not take a pic when I pressed the shutter button. I switched from manual to auto and it took nice clear pics of the sky, I switched back to Manual and it still wouldn't do it, my wife was nagging me at this point to had to go and thought about it on the way home. Would switching to Manual Focus have sorted the problem and why wouldn't it autofocus even tho there were clouds in the shot. I was using the standard 18-55 lens and tried changing AF Area and Autofocus settings to no avail. Thanks in advance for your help

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#10

Hi Redwazza I have same camera and do not seem to have same problem you are experiencing?
I use in Manual mode and shutter depresses halfway to focus as in auto and then I just click away.
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#11

Just a guess, but if you are manually setting shutter speed and aperture you may have selected a combination that at a certain ISO was outside your camera's ability. Again, just a guess. I use a D5100 which us very similar to your 3200.
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