D4s focus point selection problem - please help!

[Ylesiya]

Hi everyone,
I recently transitioned from D3 to D4s. Quality is really cool but I can't seem to figure out how to select focus point manually (not focusing manually but selecting focus point!)
When I select Live view, no problem: I use multi selector and move focus point.
When I am in normal view (through the viewfinder), nothin seems to help. Of course I read manual, tried to play with the settings, etc... I just want to understand whether I am doing something wrong (if yes, then any advice on settings?!), or I have a faulty camera?
Please help. Took few shots today: the camera focuses on the nose instead of the eye. Sigh. Never had that issue with my old friend D3 before.

 

[daredevil123]

Did you try using the mini joystick to move the focus point?

 

[Ylesiya]

Did you try using the mini joystick to move the focus point?

Yes of course. Did not work. It keeps focusing on whatever it prefers.

 

[Ylesiya]

All other functions seems to work OK as well, mechanically and electronically all is good. It is just the manual focus point selection which is giving me a lot of trouble. Manual says I should be able to use either multi selector or point stick but nothing happens :-(

 

[one eye jack]

Yes of course. Did not work. It keeps focusing on whatever it prefers.

I don't own Nikon, a "new" camera takes time to learn especially a pro model even if you've read the manual a few times.
That said from searching online nikon or rather autofocus is a finicky issue so it helps to know how nikon implements autofocus.
I know the questions I'm about to asked is "obvious" but please bear with me...

1. Please recheck autofocus settings like: predictive focus,3D, priority of focus eg,nearest or etc. AF-C?
2. Nikon especially D4s have a hair trigger autofocus so there is a lock function L.It could be the setting duration is too short
so goes all over the place.
3. If it's a question of button use/focus selector (it works with live view) perhaps it needs to visit service center.

So here is some links hope it helps:
http://www.bythom.com/autofocus.htm

http://www.dslrbodies.com/lenses/lens-articles/lens-technique/tracking-down-autofocus-2.html
From part2.

Lock On versus Off. This is one of the trickier aspects of Nikon's focus system, and even I have to test my assumptions from time to time, as other things interact with this setting. Basically, Lock-on is part of Nikon's attempt to deal with the "not steady enough" problem I note above. (It didn't start out that way; I believe the origins of Lock-on were to try to deal with moving foreground distractions, like blowing tree limbs and leaves.) Here's the way to think about this setting: if the system thinks that it has lost the subject it was focusing on (perhaps because you overpanned), how long will it wait for that subject to get back on the sensor before starting to hunt for something fore or aft to focus on? Sometimes you want the system to go elsewhere (for example, you shifted your framing from one football player to another). Sometimes you don't (you got off the framing you wanted for the bird for a moment but will get it back). I wish there were a hard and fast rule here, but there isn't. What you have to do is watch for what the focus system is doing. If it's jumping from a foreground subject to a background too often, you may have too short a Lock-on setting. If focus is not jumping between different subjects as you want it to, you may have too long a setting. But this gets back to the previous item: practice.

Jun 22, 2013 at 9:54 PM

 

[Ylesiya]

I tried to play around with the focus lock and it did not help.
It was so much easier with D3. Just move focus point with multi selector where you need it and snap. Especially useful when you shoot at 1.4 and focal plane is so narrow.
I will try to trouble shoot again tonight. Spent whole evening yesterday on google and manual :-(

 

[Light Machinery]

With a lens mounted on the camera, press the AF mode button located near the lens release then please check that you are in

1) AFS mode with
a) Single point AF
b) Group area AF

Alternatively
2) AFC mode with
a) Single point AF
b) Group area AF

3) Check that the "Focus selector lock" switch is in the unlock position.

You should be able to move the AF points in the viewfinder with the sub-selector joystick or the multi-selector joystick.

 

[Ylesiya]

With a lens mounted on the camera, press the AF mode button located near the lens release then please check that you are in

1) AFS mode with
a) Single point AF
b) Group area AF

Alternatively
2) AFC mode with
a) Single point AF
b) Group area AF

3) Check that the "Focus selector lock" switch is in the unlock position.

You should be able to move the AF points in the viewfinder with the sub-selector joystick or the multi-selector joystick.

It worked!!! Huge thanks!
The wrong thing I did was to try and adjust this through settings menu rather than through AF mode button and dials on the body of the camera

 

[daredevil123]

Yes of course. Did not work. It keeps focusing on whatever it prefers.

Sounds like you are not in AF-S single focus point mode. Anyway from your above post seems like you have solved the problem. Congrats.

 

[Ylesiya]

Sounds like you are not in AF-S single focus point mode. Anyway from your above post seems like you have solved the problem. Congrats.

I have tried AF-S and AF-C of course before that. I did not pick up this new control thing on D4s to assign single point focus control/group control because this is quite different from my old D3.
I was reading manual carefully but often I still find manuals quite not straightforward and a bit confusing when it is not a very straightforward issue :-(
Don't know if other people have the same experience?