D300 focusing issues in focus priority

I have had my D300 for a short while and I am noticing problems with focusing

when in focus priority. I have it set to set to 9 points in dynamic ,auto point at 11

and when the af-area mode is in any setting I am having problems focusing on

anything both hard to focus on areas like a white or black item or a gery stone wall.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

I personally have never used focus priority for Continuous focus. I rather shoot off a few frames with release priority while consciously checking to see that the AF is tracking my subject otherwise i will lift off my finger place the selected focus point on the subject and refocus. This way i think i get more keepers.

Even the best autofocus technology needs something to focus on. My D2H can't autofocus on a blank white, gray or black surface. But it can detect enough contrast in a textured white wall in normal room light to AF.

Lex the grey stone wall is loaded with texture it is the manufactured stone facing used on fireplaces. It also will not focus on faces and flowers. I have read to switch to manual or live view and I have tried it but when I switched back still not focusing and even in live mode it will not always take the picture due to not focusing

Will the camera focus when in single servo, single AF point?

no it will not

So... what lens do you have? Check to make sure it is not on manual mode.

 

Have you ever seen the green focus dot inside the viewfinder?

BTW, what do you have your 'A' bank settings? Also, check your C/S/M switch on the camera front.

I have tried it on my 50mm & 20mm. No green dots ( what is the green dot for?)

The green dot tells you when the camera thinks you are in focus (it turns green)

I reset the banks and I have the front set on s

I dont see any green dots and I looked in the manual and could not find it referenced in there

it's in the bottom left corner of the VF and comes on when you are in focus. maybe turn the "beep" on for an audio verification while in S?

Does your camera ever focus properly or it never, ever focuses regardless of the subject matter or camera settings? Please elaborate.

I do see the dot , I am sorry it just does not look green, the beep does go off. It will focus on a sharper edge example a chair in my house has a back with almost a honeycomb effect it will focus on that. If I focus on a drape ( not shiney) even on the edge it will not, if I focus on an artificial flower it will , sometimes) I shot a anniversary party the other night and had problems on the dance floor, I shot a grand opening of a wine store no problems.

Jim, I have little doubt the problem here is that you are still not very familiar with how the D300's (and the D3's) AF system works, and admittedly it is a complex system.

 

Unless you are shooting a fast moving subject, such as sports, birds in flight, animals running, etc., I would not use dynamic AF. Instead, try single-area AF. Whenever it is possible, I would use 1 of the 15 cross-type AF points among the 51. The other 36 line-type AF points are not as sensitive, esecpially if there is little contrast on the subject; in that case any AF system can have difficulties.

it looks white, I still should have known what you meant, I apologise

Shun, I am using single area AF and have the back set on the bottom and have the dynamic area set at 9

Jim, sorry I had a typo. I meant single-POINT AF, which is set on the back. Do not use Dyanmic-Area AF for still subjects. Single-point AF and dynamic-area AF are mutually exclusive.

Yes I do have it set on single point in the back ( the bottom icon) thank you for trying to help

The bottom icon is a single point focus from my knowledge, the middle icon will give you 9 points (or whatever a3 is set too).