Autofocus Setting on D850

A couple of days ago I reset my D850 for AF-ON focus and shutter to release only. The lens on it at the time was the f2.8 24-70 mm. Yesterday I had to take a portrait and the lens would not autofocus - I didn't have time to mess around with the settings, so I used manual focus and got the shot I wanted. Today, I reset all the controls to factory default (including the shooting banks) and it still would not focus. Just on the off-chance a problem had developed with that lens, I tried with a couple of other lenses, and autofocus worked!. I put the 24-70 mm back on, and it was still not working. I switched everything off for maybe 5 minutes, came back to the camera, gave it one last try, and autofocus was now working on the 24-70mm. Has anyone else had this experience or maybe could explain it to me?

I would clean the electronic contacts around the mount on the 24-70 zoom, and you might as well clean those contacts on the body side as well. Also please make sure that the lens is switched to AF. Edited February 7, 2018 by ShunCheung

I would clean the electronic contacts around the mount on the 24-70 zoom, and you might as well clean those contacts on the body side as well. Also please make sure that the lens is switched to AF.

 

Good thinking - I was in too much of a panic to think of that.

I assume your 24-70mm/f2.8 is a Nikon AF-S lens (instead of 3rd party). Is that the 2007 version with 77mm filter without VR or the newer AF-S VR with 82mm filter thread? I understand that even the 2007 version is still available new, but if your lens has been used for several years, potentially there is oxidation on the electronic contacts, and the AF/MF switch could have gotten old with poor connectivity. The AF-S VR is probably new enough that it is unlikely to have developed issues, but then you never know.

 

Hope it is all fine now.

I assume your 24-70mm/f2.8 is a Nikon AF-S lens (instead of 3rd party). Is that the 2007 version with 77mm filter without VR or the newer AF-S VR with 82mm filter thread? I understand that even the 2007 version is still available new, but if your lens has been used for several years, potentially there is oxidation on the electronic contacts, and the AF/MF switch could have gotten old with poor connectivity. The AF-S VR is probably new enough that it is unlikely to have developed issues, but then you never know.

 

Hope it is all fine now.

 

Yes - it's the AF-S with 77 mm thread with a US serial number. I bought it in 2014. It seems to be working consistently now thank goodness.