New Nikon D5300 autofocus works intermittently with multiple lenses — what should I do?
Asked 12/4/2014
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2 answers
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My new Nikon D5300 has intermittent autofocus problems. I’ve tested it with both the 18-55mm kit lens and a 50mm f/1.8 AF-S lens, in good light, on different subjects, and at reasonable focusing distances. Sometimes autofocus won’t engage at all, but if I unmount and remount the lens it may start working again and then focus quickly and normally for a while. Since I’m new to DSLRs, I’m wondering whether this points to user error, dirty lens/camera contacts, or a fault with the camera body. Should I try cleaning the contacts, or should I contact the retailer or Nikon for a replacement/repair?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
2
On the face of it, this does sound very much like a problem with your camera - you've tested it with two lenses so it's (almost certainly) not the lens, and you've shown it's intermittent by unmounting and mounting the lens. Given that, my recommendations would be:
- If you've got any friends / co-workers / acquaintances with SLRs, ask them to have a quick look at the camera. I think it's pretty unlikely, but they may point out something you're doing wrong.
- Contact the store you bought it from. The product is most likely faulty, so you want them to get you a working camera (preferably a replacement rather than repair in order to get you up and running as quick as possible).
- If the store won't help (at least in the UK, they'd legally have to), contact Nikon under your warranty.
I wouldn't recommend a beginner trying to clean any contacts - there's just a bit too much chance of things going wrong, at which point you may not be able to get your money back from the store and/or Nikon.
Originally by user11371. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11371
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Because the problem happens with two different lenses, it’s much more likely to be the camera body than the lenses. The fact that removing and remounting the lens sometimes restores autofocus also points to an intermittent fault rather than normal behavior.
If possible, have an experienced DSLR user quickly check your settings and technique just to rule out simple user error. But based on what you described, this sounds like a faulty camera.
Best course of action:
- Contact the store first and ask for a replacement if possible.
- If the retailer won’t resolve it, contact Nikon under warranty.
Cleaning contacts is unlikely to be the real fix on a brand-new camera, and you generally shouldn’t need to troubleshoot a new body this way. Since it’s new, don’t spend much time trying to repair it yourself—use the return/warranty process.
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