Nikon D5000 autofocus

[RMONROSE]

I have a new Nikon D5000. I have been using autofocus but most of my pictures come out unfocused. I have used a variety of apertures and shutter speeds--it doesn't seem to matter. I push the button half way down and wait until the camera indicates it is focused, but they still come out unfocused. Does anyone have an idea why this might be happening?

[feppe]

I have a new Nikon D5000. I have been using autofocus but most of my pictures come out unfocused. I have used a variety of apertures and shutter speeds--it doesn't seem to matter. I push the button half way down and wait until the camera indicates it is focused, but they still come out unfocused. Does anyone have an idea why this might be happening?

First of all, are you sure you are focusing where you think you are focusing? What I mean is that your camera probably has several focusing points, and if you have inadvertently set a focusing point to one on the edges you might be focusing on the background instead of what's in the center of the frame.

If that's not it, it might be the lens, or the AF of the camera. How badly are they unfocused? Have you tried more than one lens? Have you tried focusing with liveview?

[Rod.Klukas]

When you look through the finder and depress the shutter button half way, do you see one of the focus marks illuminate red?
If it does not light on the item you want focused, it is focusing on something else.
When you say the image is out of focus, do you mean on the back screen or through the finder?
If it is through the finder, have you adjusted the eyepiece to your eye?  This done by putting on the lens cap and turning off the AF.
Then looking through the finder with the shutter depressed 1/2 way, focus the display numbers in the finder until sharp.  then when you turn on the AF and focus everyhting should appear sharp.  Never try to set the eyepiece diopter using an image.  Always use the number display
with the lens cap on.
If this doesn't help then you have a defective camera or ens.
Rod