Why did my Nikon D3100 viewfinder suddenly look blurry when zooming the 18-55mm lens?
Asked 9/22/2012
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2 answers
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I was shooting indoors with a Nikon D3100 and the 18-55mm kit lens when the view through the optical viewfinder suddenly started looking fuzzy, especially as I zoomed in. I turned the camera off, tried again the next day, and saw the same thing. Then I checked the image on the rear LCD, and after that the viewfinder looked normal again. What likely caused this, and what should I check?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
6
I bet you accidentally adjusted the viewfinder diopter, which lets you compensate for minor or moderate vision problems without glasses or contacts.
On the D3100, it's a little dial above and to the right of the finder window.
Try this to get it set right: How do I calibrate the diopter correction on my DSLR's viewfinder?
Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1943
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The most likely cause is that the viewfinder diopter was accidentally moved. The diopter only affects how the scene looks through the optical viewfinder; it does not affect the actual photo. On the D3100, the diopter control is the small adjustment next to the viewfinder. If it gets bumped, the finder can suddenly look blurry even though the camera and lens are fine.
Another possibility is that the lens focus switch was set to M instead of A/M or AF, which would stop autofocus and make the view appear out of focus until you refocus manually.
Check these first:
- Make sure the lens focus switch is in autofocus mode.
- Adjust the diopter while looking through the finder until the autofocus points or viewfinder markings look sharp.
If photos on the rear LCD look sharp, the camera likely isn’t broken—it’s usually just a viewfinder adjustment or focus-mode switch issue.
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