D700 - can't reposition focus point with the mulit-selector switch

<p>Hey All, <br>

I can't seem to find and answer in the forum archives and Nikon support hasn't done more than recommend that I check the AF-area mode selector switch...so before I ship it off for repair I thought I might ask the group...<br>

As the title of the thread mentions, the multi-selector switch no longer allows me to reposition the focus point. Here is what I've tried so far:<br>

- moving the focus lock selector switch from "L" to "dot" and back (many times)<br>

- moving the AF-area mode selector switch (rear of body) to each position (many times)<br>

- moving the focus mode selector switch (front of body) to each position (many...)<br>

- resetting the camera by pressing the buttons marked with the green dots<br>

- Resetting each shooting mode and each custom mode (each bank, A, B, C, D was reset)<br>

- updating the firmware to 1.02<br>

- changing lenses and cleaning the contacts</p>

<p>Time for a repair trip? Or is there anything else I'm missing?</p>

<p>Thanks for any help offered,<br>

Stephen</p>

 

<p>Is the multi-selection pad on the back of the camera working at all? E.g. can you still use that pad to select different images to review and select different options? Obviously for whatever reason it cannot be used to select different AF points.</p>

<p>Sorry, should have mentioned that in the original post - yes the multi-selector switch is functioning normally otherwise.</p>

<p>You are pressing the shutter button half-way before trying to select the focus point, right?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>That means the multi-selection pad itself is working fine, without any hardware problems. Perhaps the lock around that pad is malfunctioning, since that lock only locks the AF point selection but not the menu selection.</p>

<p>The D700 has a Custom Setting f8 to lock the apreture and shutter selections, but as far as I know there is no way to lock the AF point selection besides the lock around the multi-selection pad.</p>

<p>@Jerry - Yes, I've made sure the meters are active by pressing the shutter button.<br>

@Shun - Thanks, I had looked through the manual for the last few days and done quite a bit of searching but I'm stumped at this point if it's a setting.</p>

<p>Contact Nikon technical support. You may need to send your camera in for service.</p>

<p>@Elliot - Started with them, so far one repsonse. Will give them a few more days and then probably send it somewhere. Thanks.</p>

<p>One thing to look at is the little switch on the back of your camera that selects the focus point setting. If you are set to "Dynamic AF" (the big white rectangle), you will not be able to use the multi-selector to change your AF point in the VF. Change this to "Single point AF", ( The bottom one that looks like a bracket with one point selected), to select individual AF points.</p>

<p>SEE ATTACHED IMAGE:</p><div></div>

<p>Yes, tried that, doesn't make a difference. But thank you very much for taking the time to respond post the image.</p>

<p>Have you checked if the Multi selector center button is stuck? The default function is to select the center focus point. you could change the custom function f2 to disable it ("not used" setting)</p>

<p>If you select "Auto Area AF" and AF-S (single servo) could you see if the camera uses different focus points than the center one? (This is to discard malfunctioning of the auto focus system)</p>

<p>Have you tried to remove the battery, and install it again? Maybe silly, but did not see it mentioned in the previous posts.</p>

<p>Another possibility is to perform a full reset (press and hold the two buttons marked with a green dot).</p>

<p>@Francisco - The multi-selector button appears to be working since I can use it to select different options in the various menus. <br>

Also when I set the AF-area selector switch to the Auto Area focus, different focus point appear depending on what I point the camera at, so the autofocus system also appear to be working. <br>

And I hadn't tried removing the battery, but per your recommendation I did that last night. In fact I left the battery out for several hours, then replaced it with the spare, which was fully charged. Unfortunatley, there was no change.<br>

@James - Yes, I did a reset.<br>

Thank you both..</p>

<p>In that case maybe the lock around the pad is malfunctioning as Shun suggested</p>

<p>Do you have a way to get or borrow a MB-D10 Grip? Then you could try to change the focus point from there and narrow the probable cause to the lock.</p>

<p>Anyway, it seems that you will need to send it to service.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, I have no access to a grip. None of my camera-owning friends have one (that I remember?) and I'm sure no store locally has one in stock. Looks like a service call. Thank you again to everyone who responded. </p>

<p>If the problem is indeed in the lock around the multi-selection pad, when you attach an MB-D10 grip onto your D700, the chance is that the selection pad on the MB-D10 will work fine. The OP has done all obvious self check items I can think of. I am afraid that it has reached a point that repair is the clear option.</p>

<p><br>

As a follow up to all suggestions I thought I might mention that after two weeks of back and forth email responses with the online support from Nikon their recommendation was also to send it back for repair. <br>

So today I finally collected all the information and figured I'd go online and start the process when I did something I have never done - I dropped my camera bag. <br>

As I was getting out of the car it was on my lap, and then just as suddenly it was off and on to the ground. Now the bag is well padded and it was a short fall, so I didn't worry too much, but I did quickly take a look at it and everything seemed ok, including (unbelievably) the ability to use the multi-selector to reposition the focus point.<br>

How about that? <br>

Who knows how long it will last, and I’m certainly not recommending this as a fix, but hey, it’s working for now…</p>

<p>I hope you are not pulling our legs .... :-)</p>

<p>Perhaps there was a loose connection and the fall happened to reconnect it. The thing is that this kind of "fix" might not last. If photography is important to you such that the D700 has to work all the time, I would get it checked out. If you are a more casual photographer or this D700 is merely 1 of many cameras you have so that you can easily switch to a back up, you might as well wait until the problem returns.</p>

<p>100% true.<br>

And yes, it will definitely go in for a check-up at some point, but since it there is always a back up around and I'm not a pro (where the failure might become someone else's problem) I'll wait see if it does return.</p>

<p>The same thing has recently happened to my D700. I may have to send it in.</p>

<p>Not that this will help you any, but I haven't had an issue since the drop...</p>

<p>I was a knuclkehead ... the focus point lock was on. Thanks ... Ray.</p>