weird f5, 50 1.4 focuses and then computer says no?!

<p>I can change from manual to an AF and it works, once, maybe twice. Then it won't except for a few jittery starts and then just sulks.. I'm getting the red triangles at the top aswell. I'm really not sure what the problem is. Any ideas would help me feel less confused, it's like I've said something wrong..</p>

 

Very common problem. You have to recalculate the interface. Too cumbersome to describe now but press F1 for help

and all will be clear.

I don't think you're the only one feeling a bit confused. Your problem description is one of the least lucid I've seen in a while...

<p>Thanks Jos. Common I hope means easily treatable.. I'm not sure how to recalculate the interface. Are there any links online. I'm noit sure what I'm looking for. I also don't know what the F1 button is. Is it the first stage of rewinding on the back?</p>

<p>Sorry it's a bit tricky to describe. The camera will auto-focus if I go from manual to C or S mode. But afterwards it won't and I get 2 red triangles at the top that state auto-focus isn't possible. <br>

<br />Thanks again guys</p>

Am I missing something? You haven't even mentioned what camera you're dealing with!

 

Do you mean the Nikon F5? I can only guess.

 

What do you mean exactly by "computer says no"? What exactly are "a few jittery starts", and in what way exactly is your camera "sulking"? What exactly are these "red triangles" you mention? And no, you haven't said something wrong, not to the camera at least.

 

I'm genuinely impressed Jos can decode your problem.

<p>Yeah F5 in the subject. "Computer says no" is from a not very helpful receptionist in Little Britain. The jittery starts are its tiny attempts at working. Camera sulking is when a camera that doesn't wanna work and just mopes around looking at the floor and not doing anything. The red triangles appear at the top of the viewfinder. It feels like I've said something wrong</p>

<p>David I still don't understand your question!</p>

<p>David, do you have/own this F5 for a long(er) period yourself, or are you using it for the first few rolls? If it's a new-to-you camera, do make sure to download the manual from Nikon, if only to be able to describe better what is what. People here are much better able to help you if you can name parts of the camera by their normal accepted name, after all. The red triangles sound most like the lightmeter indicator, it's been a fair while since I played around with a F5, but if I recall well, it's got the dot with triangles in the viewfinder for the exposure indication.<br>

As a very first step, have you tried different batteries? I'm not positive at all, but it just sounds like the power is low.</p>

<p>Hi I'm pretty experienced. But not so much with this camera, it's more like a digital camera in many respects. It did get wet though. But everything is working fine except for the autofocus after I try and aim a second or third time, but the first or second attempt always works. The two red triangles means that the camera can't autofocus properly. But if I put the camera into manual focus the indicators work fine directing me towards a focus. I can the AF for a few seconds. I'm on full batteries. Thanks everyone for looking</p>

<p>Did you do that in low light or does it does that even in bright light? The F5 doesn't focus well in low light. Is the lens is of the screw driver type or it's an AF-S lens?</p>

<p>yeah it works the first time or second in my bedroom light. </p>

<p>I found the F5 does have some difficulty doing AF in dim room light. Sometimes it can do it sometimes it can't. So I wouldn't be too surprised about that. <br>

But if your lens is of the screw driver type I know a failure of the camera that it can only focus in one direction.</p>

<p>Aging thread now, but F5 has little manual-focus-aid 'triangles' as arrows on either side of the in-focus dot in the viewfinder -- suggesting which direction to turn the focus ring when focusing manually. Indicators like this were also present on some other early AF bodies like Pentax ME-F and SF-1, presumeably because it was assumed a lot of old manual focus lenses would still be in use. Possibly on the Nikon these flash when camera 'gives up' trying to AF. I guess I am also wondering whether this works OK in good daylight and it's just that it's failing in dim interior lighting.</p>