D800 AF-C Focus Priority Error?

[Stagecoach]

Purely by chance today I found that my D800 will now always release the shutter when in AF-C mode when 'Focus Priority' is set in the menu (custom setting A1) when the subject under the focus point is obviously well OOF and the green light is not showing.

It does not release when in AF-S mode, with the same Focus Priority setting. My D300 set up in exactly the same way as the D800 works as expected.

This I'm sure has not been the situation before and having checked everything I'm stumped !

Both cameras are set to AF-C, single point focus, single shot, BBF (AF-On button activates focus) as set 99% of the time unless in continuous shoot mode.

I have tried using both Nikon and non Nikon lenses, no difference. I can try a reset and then a firmware reload as a last resort.

Any clues would be appreciated.



Grahame

Edit;

I undertook some more research and found this was a recognised problem with talk about hoped firmware updates to correct the bug. Checking the firmware version which I'm sure I'd updated to the latest I find it's version 1.10 and the latest is 1.11.

Drat, re-read the update info and the bug was supposedly fixed in version 1.10 that I have

Oh well, a job for tonight

[Manfred M]

Grahame - while the cameras and the settings are a bit different, my D810 appears to behave exactly the way that your D800 does. I have it set to AF-C, single focus point and use BBF. In this mode, it will fire whenever I press the shutter release, regardless of whether or not I have achieved focus lock. In the "default" setting, it will not let me switch to AF-S at all. I have to dive into the menu and over-ride the default and that lets me switch to AF-S.

When I override the default and enable AF-S, the camera will not fire until it gets a focus lock. Unfortunately(?) once the camera focuses and I reframe without hitting the BBF button, the camera will happily assume that nothing has changed and will fire away even if things are now out of focus.

[Stagecoach]

Grahame - while the cameras and the settings are a bit different, my D810 appears to behave exactly the way that your D800 does. I have it set to AF-C, single focus point and use BBF. In this mode, it will fire whenever I press the shutter release, regardless of whether or not I have achieved focus lock. In the "default" setting, it will not let me switch to AF-S at all. I have to dive into the menu and over-ride the default and that lets me switch to AF-S.

When I override the default and enable AF-S, the camera will not fire until it gets a focus lock. Unfortunately(?) once the camera focuses and I reframe without hitting the BBF button, the camera will happily assume that nothing has changed and will fire away even if things are now out of focus.

I undertook more investigation on the web Manfred and have spent more time confirming 'exactly' what is happening in the D800 AF-C mode with respect to shutter release options.

There's a surprising amount of incorrect, incomplete and misleading information out there, and that includes articles on Nikon sites

My D800 : AF-C operation;

a) Mode : AF-C, Single focus point, BBF set as follows;

Menu Setting A1 : AF-C Priority set to 'Focus' (suggests has to be in focus to release the shutter)
Menu Setting A4 : AF Activation set to 'AF ON Only' (shutter button will not activate AF)

Set as above the shutter will release when the area under the focus point is OOF IF the AF-ON button is not being depressed. If the AF-ON button is being depressed the shutter will not release unless, or until, focus is detected.

To confirm this I used my slowest AF lens, de-focused fully, watched and listened.

b) Mode : AF-C, Single focus point, BBF set as follows;

Menu Setting A1 : AF-C Priority set to 'Focus' (suggests has to be in focus to release the shutter)
Menu Setting A4 : AF Activation set to 'Shutter/AF ON' (shutter button will also activate AF)

Set as above the shutter will not release if OOF when the shutter button is pressed either with the AF-ON button depressed or not.

Some discussion suggests it was arranged this way to allow focus and re-compose as set up in a).

As for changing between AF-C and AF-S it's a simple press of the AF/M switch centre button and rotation of the thumb-wheel but something I never do.

With respect to your first para that sounds like you simply have AF Activation set to 'Release' priority.