Camera won't focus

[Parselmouth]

I bought my first DSLR camera just a couple of weeks ago, it's a Canon EOS 1200D. Yesterday I was fiddling around with some of the settings to see what they did, and now the camera won't focus at all. 

The lens is the standard 18 - 55mm lens that came with it, and it won't focus at at either on manual or auto focus mode. It's a bright sunny day with no low light issues, so that's not the problem. It just won't focus at all. I have tried resetting it but that hasn't helped.

Any suggestions as to what I might have done, what might have gone wrong, what I could do to fix it would be very welcome. Bear in mind that I know very little about DSLRs at this stage. Many thanks. 

[kvbarkley]

So in manual mode when you turn the focus ring on the lens, it does not focus? You might have the 18-55 mm lens focus problem, look for that lens in the lens forum.

[Waddizzle]

Does "it won't focus" mean that the lens doesn't try to move, or that it never locks onto a focus point?

Camera not focusing can be caused by any one of a number of reasons, none of which are related to hardware failure.

1.  Not enough light for the AF system to operate.

2.  Too close to a subject for the AF to focus.

3.  There isn't enough contrast at the selected AF point for the AF system to operate.

4.  The lens AF/MF switch is set to MF.

The auto focusing motors could also be jammed, which is a common problem with your lens.  Most users of the lens are new to DSLRs and frequently turn the focus ring, instead of the zoom ring, when the lens is in AF mode.  The lens lacks manual override of auto-focus, so turning the ring can jam the AF motors inside the lens.  The lenses reportedly rattle when shaken when this happens.

[Dianemarie1028]

I had ghe same problem......I had it set to MF mode and switched it back to AF mode and now it focuses.

[TTMartin]

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@Parselmouth wrote:

I bought my first DSLR camera just a couple of weeks ago, it's a Canon EOS 1200D. Yesterday I was fiddling around with some of the settings to see what they did, and now the camera won't focus at all. 

The lens is the standard 18 - 55mm lens that came with it, and it won't focus at at either on manual or auto focus mode. It's a bright sunny day with no low light issues, so that's not the problem. It just won't focus at all. I have tried resetting it but that hasn't helped.

Any suggestions as to what I might have done, what might have gone wrong, what I could do to fix it would be very welcome. Bear in mind that I know very little about DSLRs at this stage. Many thanks. 

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Set the camera to 'Green Square' Automatic mode. And go outside during the day and try and take a picture of something about 10 feet away.

If the camera works you have messed up something in the settings and you need to clear the cameras settings.

Set the camera to P mode and in the menu

Clear the camera settings

and

Clear all Custom Functions

Check your manual for the exact location of these settings on your model camera.

[cicopo]

AND make sure the switch ON THE LENS is in AF.

[Waddizzle]

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@cicopo wrote:

AND make sure the switch ON THE LENS is in AF.

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Just as a test.  Set lens AF/MF switch to MF, and see if the focus ring turns freely and silently, throughout its' range.

It is possible that you may have set up Back Button Focus, too.  That must be manually disabled.

[ebiggs1]

"AND make sure the switch ON THE LENS is in AF."

This is the problem!  Manual in the camera is different than manual on the lens.

[kvbarkley]

Where is there a manual focus setting in the camera?

[Waddizzle]

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@kvbarkley wrote:

Where is there a manual focus setting in the camera?

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"The lens is the standard 18 - 55mm lens that came with it, and it won't focus at at either on manual or auto focus mode."

I am fairly certain that the OP fully understands the significance of the AF/MF lens switch.