d3400 Autofocus issue

[ameerhamza957]

I'm a noob here ...
there's issue with autofocus of my camera .......
with stock 18-55mm lens and yonghao 55mm prime lens too?
any known issues of d3400 with autofocus or any ideas for diagnostics

[ricktas]

When you say 'stock' what lens exactly. Nikon make several versions of the 18-55mm?

AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR
AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G
Nikon AF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 G DX VRII

[ameerhamza957]

AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G
this one I guess
I think I should buy a new zoom lens ..
do you one in mind?

[arthurking83]

can you describe the AF issue?

is it not focusing?is it always focusing and never locking?

is it always moving the red square in the viewfinder around and not stopping on any subject?

is it .... I think you get the idea. ;)

Can you upload a picture of the last photo you shot with the D3400, or take a quick shot with the camera ... doesn't need to be in focus or even an image. just lens cap on and black image. All that's needed is the full exif data from the image. Will show us the camera settings you've got currently active.

You have to be careful when using jpgs converted by Adobe software too tho ... they seem to remove almost all of this data in the exif.
Best way to do this is take a quick shot in jpg mode(if you use RAW mode at the moment).
Use some software to resize to a smaller file size and pixel size. One of the better ones to do this is Fastones' FSViewer.

Is it not focusing?

While you wait for a possible answer if you supply more info, there is a reset option in the menu system ... Camera Setup(menu) look for 'reset all settings'.

Next menu item is firmware version. would be good to know what firmware version you have. If it's a bit older, the installation of a newer version will reset the camera anyhow.

FYI: the latest(last) firmware for the D3400 is v1.13. if your firmware version number is any lower than that, could be a good idea to update it. The process is easy to do. We can assist in helping you to do so if required.

[ameerhamza957]

I''ll upload the photo..
well its not like it doesn't focus ...but when I open images in my laptop ..they're kinda blurry....Not Sharp focused.....I use it on automatic settings ..
I dont use it manually for now
I already tried resetting the camera
Firmware is lil old...1.1v I'll update it
Its my first camera so maybe its just a quality issue or could be lens issue IDK

sorry If I'm not being technical enough ...its start for me ...still learning about it

[nardes]

If your photos are blurry, generally there are usually 2 main reasons:

1. Your shutter speed was too slow and the subject (or photographer!) moved, so you did not "freeze" the action.
2. The auto-focus system did not "lock on" to the subject you had in mind, but instead, found something else in the viewfinder to "lock on" to.

Post a couple of examples.

Cheers

Dennis

[ameerhamza957]

okay I'll post the photos
thank you
Also I want recomendations for prime lens..I want 35mm Prime lens and I have no clue which one to get ...
I've compared some but couldn't decide...looks like I'm gonna waste money. here is comparison ...suggest anyother too ...
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4G vs Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G | ⿻ Full Comparison (productz.com) (https://productz.com/en/nikon-af-s-nikkor-35mm-f-1-4g-vs-nikon-af-s-nikkor-35mm-f-1-8g/v/8goo-GYpE)

[arthurking83]

Yep, post a photo.
Like Dennis said, too many possibilities in camera settings and user method to try to guess at focus issues.

What software do you use for your images?
Do you shoot in NEF mode or jpg mode in camera?
For this thread, jpg mode is fine, and as said before be careful what program you use to resize the images as some can lose exif info out of the image to help reduce file size.
This is why I recommended FSViewer. use it resize a jpg image straight out of the camera and we can analyze the camera settings from there.

As for the lens you want to check for the D3400 ....

I 'd recommend the AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8 (https://www.nikon.com.au/en_AU/product/nikkor-lenses/f-mount/dx-format/single-focal-length/af-s-dx-nikkor-35mm-f-1-8g) lens if price is OK.

If money is a consideration, check out the Yongnuo 35mm f/2 (https://yongnuousa.net/products/35mm-f2-nikon) lens too. Far cheaper than Nikon lens, still shoots quite nicely.
I have this lens as 'fun/test' lens to see how well it works. It's not the best lens you can find, so don't expect it to be a miracle cheap lens ... but it works very well for the very low price and a good 'starter' lens for folks looking to discover something new.