# Shutter won't release when taking macro shots.



## abowlofrice (Sep 29, 2011)

Hi all, I have a canon 28-135mm mounted on my t3i. today while I was trying to take a close up picture of my sandwich, the shutter won't release. The focus dot in the viewfinder is flashing. However, if I take a picture of anything that is further away, it works. The shutter will only release if I put it into manual focus. 

Does anyone else's lens behave this way?

Edit: I am in full manual mode.


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## cgipson1 (Sep 29, 2011)

you are too close for the system to focus.. no dot, no focus. You must have your camera set to focus priority, where it wont actuate the shutter without focus. Your lens has a minimum close focus of 1.6 ft per the specs...


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## abowlofrice (Sep 29, 2011)

camera is set to full manual.


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## cgipson1 (Sep 29, 2011)

yes.. but the AF system won't allow the shutter to release if it doesn't detect accurate focus. That is why you can still release in Manual focus, even if it isn't in focus! It is a setting in your menus.. since I don't do Canon.. I can't help. RTM, bro!


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## Overread (Sep 29, 2011)

Hmm in full manual mode the camera should fire the shutter when you press the shutter button even if its not in focus. I'm not directly aware of there being a custom mode which prevents the shutter being fired if focus is not achieved through AF (when in AF mode) however there might well be one in the custom functions menu. Check your user manual for the custom functions and see if you can find it; if not you can always try resetting the camera to its default (ie factory settings) whereby this mode should be disabled (I assume its disabled by default as I've never had it happen on neither my 400D nor 7D


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## cgipson1 (Sep 29, 2011)

Overread said:


> Hmm in full manual mode the camera should fire the shutter when you press the shutter button even if its not in focus. I'm not directly aware of there being a custom mode which prevents the shutter being fired if focus is not achieved through AF (when in AF mode) however there might well be one in the custom functions menu. Check your user manual for the custom functions and see if you can find it; if not you can always try resetting the camera to its default (ie factory settings) whereby this mode should be disabled (I assume its disabled by default as I've never had it happen on neither my 400D nor 7D



I was just going on my Nikon knowledge .. either focus priority (must have focus, or no shot) and release priority (actuate the shutter no matter what). Assumed Canon's have something similar. When in manual focus, it will release no matter what.. as the OP indicated in his original post. Focus priority (Canon may call it something different)  is the default in Nikons... it is just that if you are too close to the subject, the AF can't focus, and the shutter wont release.

OP... how close were you to your sandwich when the shutter would not actuate in AF.. only in Manual Focus? Keep in mind that the specs for the lens you listed show 1.6ft as closest focusing distance... closer than that, and you can't get focus..


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## analog.universe (Sep 29, 2011)

On my Canon, in One-shot AF mode, the shutter will not release until the focus locks.  In all the other modes it will release at any time.


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## Overread (Sep 30, 2011)

analog.universe said:


> On my Canon, in One-shot AF mode, the shutter will not release until the focus locks.  In all the other modes it will release at any time.



I've lived so long with Ai-servo focus (continuous AF) for so long that I've probably forgotten that particular feature of one-shot AF


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## abowlofrice (Sep 30, 2011)

cgipson1 said:


> Overread said:
> 
> 
> > Hmm in full manual mode the camera should fire the shutter when you press the shutter button even if its not in focus. I'm not directly aware of there being a custom mode which prevents the shutter being fired if focus is not achieved through AF (when in AF mode) however there might well be one in the custom functions menu. Check your user manual for the custom functions and see if you can find it; if not you can always try resetting the camera to its default (ie factory settings) whereby this mode should be disabled (I assume its disabled by default as I've never had it happen on neither my 400D nor 7D
> ...



less than 1.6ft for sure. shutter would only actuate in manual focus, even if not in focus. I know that i can't get AF to focus less than 1.6, but I don't know why it won't actuate the shutter.


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## abowlofrice (Sep 30, 2011)

analog.universe said:


> On my Canon, in One-shot AF mode, the shutter will not release until the focus locks.  In all the other modes it will release at any time.



I changed it and it works!! thanks

Edit: it doesn't work in AI focus AF either. only AI servo.


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## Edsport (Sep 30, 2011)

You could set the lens to MF...


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## Overread (Sep 30, 2011)

abowlofrice said:


> analog.universe said:
> 
> 
> > On my Canon, in One-shot AF mode, the shutter will not release until the focus locks.  In all the other modes it will release at any time.
> ...



Makes sense - AI-focus is a mode where the camera attempts to decide if you want single shot AF or AIservo focusing and then focuses using that mode. Its a most almost everyone avoids as most of the time the camera can end up picking the wrong mode for what you are shooting (which typically means not using AI-servo despite shooting a moving scene).


The best you can do is shift to using AI-servo and backbutton AF control; whereby the AF engages not on a half press of the shutter button, but on pressing the * or AF ON button on the back of your camera body. That way you've go the constant AF of the AI-Servo mode and if you ever need just one shot AF you just hold down the focusing button till it locks and then release it and the AF will stop (and won't re-engage when you press the shutter button).


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## abowlofrice (Sep 30, 2011)

Overread said:


> Makes sense - AI-focus is a mode where the camera attempts to decide if you want single shot AF or AIservo focusing and then focuses using that mode. Its a most almost everyone avoids as most of the time the camera can end up picking the wrong mode for what you are shooting (which typically means not using AI-servo despite shooting a moving scene).
> 
> 
> The best you can do is shift to using AI-servo and backbutton AF control; whereby the AF engages not on a half press of the shutter button, but on pressing the * or AF ON button on the back of your camera body. That way you've go the constant AF of the AI-Servo mode and if you ever need just one shot AF you just hold down the focusing button till it locks and then release it and the AF will stop (and won't re-engage when you press the shutter button).



thanks.


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## Big Mike (Sep 30, 2011)

It seems to have been figured out...but yes, the only time the camera should actually prevent you from taking a photo, is when in single shot AF mode (or AI-Focus, it seems) and it can't achieve focus.  

Actually, another time is when you accidentally knock the dial from M to A-DEP and when you think it should take a photo, it's just registering a distance.  Happens to me sometimes.


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