HELP! New D50 isn't acting right....

[EOS_JD]

there should be a switch on the side of your camera with a MF on it.....just use that. i mean cmon, whats the point of sending a camera back when you could just use manual focus? i havnt used autofocus in a while. but i guess if you have a fast lens and your taking pictures of errrr a race? then you might need af.

Doesn't solve the problem if the camera or lens is indeed not working properly? (Although I suspect it is).

 

[RMThompson]

Here is a video...

You decide: DARK ROOM or faulty lens?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-928744384404909250

EDIT: The music you hear is Nikon's hold music... they never picked up!

I've always known that a 50mm 1.8 would work best indoors, or at least something 2.8, but to think that a 500 dollar camera doesnt even WORK indoors, even for a crappy flash photo is ridiculous! I mean, my Canon A610, which is slower, works fine in the same light.

 

[EOS_JD]

the above image was one. That is a VERY well light office... wouldnt focus on that toy.

That's my point. It might "look" bright to you but your camera sees light differently. Your eyes have a tremndous range for picking out dynamic range but your camera does not.

Indoors (unless using flash or a very powerful continuous light) will not be bright enough at f5.6 or slower. Believe me.

Try focusing on a window during the day which will have a LOT more light and you should be able to focus on that.

My camera will not allow me to take an exposure unless the camera has focussed. Are you sure it's not focussed but the shutter speed is just very slow and causing camera shake? At 18mm you can shoot at around 1/20th sec and get a sharp image but at 55mm you need around 1/50th or perhaps more to get a sharp image.

What was your shutter speed for this image?

Using a faster lens will let more light onto your most sensitive focus points allowing faster focus.

I'm not saying you are wrong but trying to make sure there is a problem before you go to the expense of sending it back.

 

[RMThompson]

That's my point. It might "look" bright to you but your camera sees light differently. Your eyes have a tremndous range for picking out dynamic range but your camera does not.

Indoors (unless using flash or a very powerful continuous light) will not be bright enough at f5.6 or slower. Believe me.

Try focusing on a window during the day which will have a LOT more light and you should be able to focus on that.

My camera will not allow me to take an exposure unless the camera has focussed. Are you sure it's not focussed but the shutter speed is just very slow and causing camera shake? At 18mm you can shoot at around 1/20th sec and get a sharp image but at 55mm you need around 1/50th or perhaps more to get a sharp image.

What was your shutter speed for this image?

Using a faster lens will let more light onto your most sensitive focus points allowing faster focus.

I'm not saying you are wrong but trying to make sure there is a problem before you go to the expense of sending it back.

It was on AUTO, and I appreciate your help, but I am NOT referring to the quality of the IMAGE... Without MANUAL FOCUS, I could NOT take the picture at all. It went back and forth, hunting, and never taking the picture.

If an 18-55mm is THAT crappy, then I dont know HOW the hell Nikon sold so freakiny many.

 

[EOS_JD]

Here is a video...

You decide: DARK ROOM or faulty lens?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-928744384404909250

EDIT: The music you hear is Nikon's hold music... they never picked up!

I've always known that a 50mm 1.8 would work best indoors, or at least something 2.8, but to think that a 500 dollar camera doesnt even WORK indoors, even for a crappy flash photo is ridiculous! I mean, my Canon A610, which is slower, works fine in the same light.

In my view it's certainly not the camera.
I looked at the above image stats.

1/25th at f5 and 40mm. That is too slow a shutter speed. Should be at least double this to get a sharp image.

DSLRs are very different from compact cameras. They have tremendous depth of field. You shoot the same image with a compact and all that area behind the toy will be in focus. With a DSLR the depth of field is much narrower.

Your problem on the above image is Camera shake - no doubt about it. If your camera didn't focus it would not allow you to take the shot.

THe video I watched. That room is VERY VERY dark!! Seriously. The lens you have is also seriously VERY slow. If you are trying this at 55mm that is f5.6. . Most lenses (even f2.8 would struggle i a room that dark). Your eyes are very different as I say.

I remember telling you in a post a while back that the lens was slow

Put the camera in Auto and shoot outside with only the centre point for focus. Set the camera to 55mm and the fstop to f8. Make sure shutter speed is above 1/50th (increase ISO if you must to get this). Focus on something like a building with nothing in the way between you and the subject. Your image should be pretty sharp most of the way through. Do not focus on something close to the camera or youll find everything behind will be out of focus - like your image above.

This is just a brief test top try something out - Not a definitive test

 

[dewey]

Lenses of that quality (prob all of them really) Are made by the batchloads and QC isn't as good on the cheaper lenses. I would imagine you got a bum lens that's all. Seems strange - I've never seen an 18-55 move that fast

I would guess a good test would be to take a shot in a bright room at ISO 400 in aperature mode around f8. Try for a faster shutter speed to test EOS's theory... at 1/25 WITH a 2.8 lens and VR it's a gamble, so with that lens and no VR it's nearly impossible to get a clean shot hand holding.

 

[EOS_JD]

How close were you to that toy?

 

[EOS_JD]

Might have found the problem......

http://www.bythom.com/1855lens.htm

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The review states for the 18-55[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Autofocus is not very fast considering that it's AF-S, though hunt-free. Even in bright light this lens isn't a snap-to performer when it comes to focus. At 55mm, the f/5.6 aperture is also pushing Nikon's AF system to the limits, so off center sensors sometimes will cause the lens to "double-clutch" at the focus point (do a secondary refocus). [/FONT]

Your lens is doing this because it cannot focus in the low light.

 

[gmarquez]

I'm guessing it's one lens an 18-55 and at 18mm the lens is ok and at 55mm there's a problem?

Ooooooh, I think you are right. My bad. :blushing:

 

[EOS_JD]

Ooooooh, I think you are right. My bad. :blushing:

No worries

 

[RMThompson]

Might have found the problem......

http://www.bythom.com/1855lens.htm

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The review states for the 18-55[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Autofocus is not very fast considering that it's AF-S, though hunt-free. Even in bright light this lens isn't a snap-to performer when it comes to focus. At 55mm, the f/5.6 aperture is also pushing Nikon's AF system to the limits, so off center sensors sometimes will cause the lens to "double-clutch" at the focus point (do a secondary refocus). [/FONT]

Your lens is doing this because it cannot focus in the low light.

Thanks. A 'double clutch' I can deal with, but a 'infinty-clutch' I cannot.

I was under the impression that even with the crappy lens, with flash I could at least take a freaking snapshot of my kids.

Oh, how ****ty I feel.

 

[dewey]

Snap out of it!!!

I've watched that video and passed it on to a friend who has the D50. She says that her 18-55 has never made that sort of sound. Even in the dark it doesn't jerk back and fourth like that.

I agree that the reason the above shot is blurry is because of the slow shutter speed. What I'm still wondering is if you have a bad lens? Troubleshoot it. Go to a local camera store and say you'd like to try out a lens on your D50 - it'll confirm if the camera works or not. If the body is okay you should send the lens back - it shouldn't quick hunt like that with that noise.

 

[smyth]

When i said AF assist lamp i was not reffering to the picture he posted. In lower light the AF assist lamp comes on to help the camera focus, which is what he was talking about at first.

I also remember, when I was at a concert w/ the D50, that it was not able to focus unless the flash was popped up in manual mode.

Just a thought.

 

[xfloggingkylex]

something is wrong with your equipment. if you have a friend that shoots nikon, borrow a lens to see if thats the problem, if not, the camera body is faulty.

Your lens shouldn't do that, especially with the lighting you had. When my camera is having problems focusing in the dark, it goes to the minimum focus and then to the infinity side and sits there flashing the "cannot focus" light.

My friends D50 I used a while ago didn't have that problem at all and I was shooting in a normally lit basement at all focal lengths. If it had down that I probably would of had a terrible taste for nikon as a result.


I know its discouraging man, to drop so much money after you researched and saved, just to find out you got a faulty part. Nikon will take care of it, but I'd go to the camera store and figure out what exactly isn't working so you know what to send to Nikon.

 

[losttravelerfl]

Don't worry RM, you'll get it sorted out. Sucks about this weekend, but if it's the camera/lens I'm sure they'll fix it for you. Just take the advice and figure out where the problem is. When I bought my canon 20d, I got two lenses, one was the sigma 100-300 ex, a pretty darn expensive lens and it would say it was in focus, but wasn't even close when you looked at the pic. Worst thing I had ever seen, thought I might be screwed because I bought online as opposed to an officially lic dealer. But, Sigma didn't care, they fixed it and it kicks ass now, just cost me postage to get it to them. You'll get it, might just require a little patience...
300mm, wide open at F4 (car probably at about 100mph here) Just posting a pic to show things can turn out well!