Autofocus not working. (18-55mm lens)

[marcosochoa]

Hello,

The autofocus on my Canon 18-55mm is malfunctioning and I'm afraid it may be broken.

All the internet research I've done points to issues electronic, but I believe this to be mechanical simply because of the noise it makes. With the lens set to AF, it does nothing, but makes a slight whirring sounds as if the camera is trying to, but can't focus the lens. In MF, turning the focus ring makes soft clicking sounds.

The autofocus works fine on the other lens I have.

The lens has not been dropped. I take really, REALY good care of my stuff!  Any other recommendations or bits of advice are much appreciated!

[Roi-canon]

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@mc4 wrote:

Hi,

I have the same problem, a Canon EFS 18-55 IS lens and the autofocus does not work correctly, but in my case only in one way. It retracts but does not extend. If I extend manually the lens, the autofocus retracts it till in focus, but if I retract it manually it does not extend till in focus, I can ear and feel something but no movement...

I disassemble the lens, took out the autofocus motor and with a 1.5v battery I managed to verify that the autofocus motor and the gears work well in one direction and in the other, so it seems that it is not a problem with this autofocus motor, don't you think?

If it is not that the problem what could it be?

I tried my camera (EOS 50D) wih other Canon lenses and all work well, so it is not a camera problem..

Thanks for any help.

Mike

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Hi Mike,

I have exctly the same problem with my Canon EFS 18-55 IS II lens, and at least two other pepole in this post describe exctly the same problem.
I could not find any explenation online on how to solve this problem.
I opened the lens to check the gears and they look fine.

Does anyone have any other suggestions on what can cause this problem and how to fix it?

Thanks for helping

[Waddizzle]

Roi-canon, buy a new lens. Do not take the new one apart.

[hinsd]

I recently took my 2 rebel xt and xti bodies out of storage. They had been unused for several years. They will both auto focus in only the Basic Zone modes (portrait, sports, etc.) However, neither will auto focus in any of the Creative modes (M, Av,Tv, etc.) I have tried switching lenses and still have the problem. I have tried moving the focus swithes on and off numerous times and rotating the focus rings back and forth. The problem remains. Anyone have ideas on what might be going on and options for a fix?

[Waddizzle]

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@hinsd wrote:

I recently took my 2 rebel xt and xti bodies out of storage. They had been unused for several years. They will both auto focus in only the Basic Zone modes (portrait, sports, etc.) However, neither will auto focus in any of the Creative modes (M, Av,Tv, etc.) I have tried switching lenses and still have the problem. I have tried moving the focus swithes on and off numerous times and rotating the focus rings back and forth. The problem remains. Anyone have ideas on what might be going on and options for a fix?

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Reset your cameras back to factory defaults.

#autofocus #efs1855 #noautofocus #focusring #stucklens 

[hinsd]

Thanks very much. Problem solved sfter reading another of your posts in a Rebel thread. The problem was with my memory. I had forgotten I had long ago set a C.Fn function to option 1, which assigned focus to the * button and exposure to half press of shutter button. This forum is a great resource with the help of yourself and othe helpful contributors.

[velvetmist]

Thanks bud! I'm in a long trip in japan, and when the AF stop working I panicked, you literally saved my trip!

[hinsd]

Happy to be of help. Enjoy your trip.

[inkjunkie]

I am having an AF problem with my 1DX body. Lense does not matter, it has done this will all my lenses. Shooting happily along. The focal points will get blurry. Camera will hunt thru however many I have active. If I swithc the lens to MF I can continue shooting but givne the fact that virtually all of my photography, at leat up too this point, involves Motorsports MF is not much of an option. If I go into the menu and enter the Manual Sensor Clean section, flip the mirror up and then turn the camera off problem goes away. It may return again in a few hundred shots. It may take thousands. Starting to get very frstrating. I am a CPS member so the body will be going to Canon after the last planned event of the year. I am hoping that it acts up nearing the end of the event so that I can send it in with the problem happening. Simply turning the camera off/on will not "fix" it.

[ebiggs1]

"I am having an AF problem with my 1DX body"  ... and you are using the 18-55mm lens?  I doubt it so you just might want to start a new thread.

[cazu]

amfoto 1, your solution was posted back in 2015, but thank you, thank you, thank you! I haven’t used my 18-55mm lens for 2 years because its auto focus stopped working... and have been using my phone for those shots. Today, my husband said “just throw it out” but I just decided to google the problem..so glad I did....and I found your solution...cleaned the contacts, switched the AF/MF button a few times (couldn’t elicit a click by pulling), but hey presto! The auto focus now works! Peace and Merry Christmas to amfoto 1 and the Canon Community!

Der...not sure why I didn’t google this 2 years ago....