When the Nikon Z8 Won’t Autofocus, Check This Button First

I’m posting this here in case someone else runs into this panic-inducing problem. Based on my web searches, I’m not the only one. But what I didn’t find quickly online was a clear solution.

Here’s what worked for me.

The problem

My Nikon Z8 suddenly stopped autofocusing.

It didn’t matter whether the lens was a Nikon/Nikkor Z lens or an AF lens using the FTZ II adapter.

This wasn’t the same problem of not being able to lock onto focus because of issues with the scene; it was that the camera was in manual focus mode, and I couldn’t find how to get it back to autofocus.

I ran into this when I was just out shooting. Everything was going normally with no issues. Until they weren’t. My Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4 just suddenly stopped autofocusing.

I hadn’t changed lenses, batteries, or any menu settings. I could manual focus, but no matter what I did, I could not get it to resume autofocusing.

It’s worth noting that this lens doesn’t have any switches or dials, so there’s no AF/MF switch to accidentally bump. And after trying several other lenses, some of which do have that switch, it became clear that it wouldn’t have been the problem anyway.

The solution

It turns out that, in shooting in the cold with gloves, I had both bumped a switch and rotated a dial. And in retrospect, it’s a really easy thing to do.

The culprit is that small, inconspicuous button on the bottom-front-left of the camera. Nikon calls this the Focus Mode button. It is hiding in plain sight, but as I don’t often change the focus mode, I wasn’t used to using that button.

My glove must have been pressing that, and when I went to use exposure compensation on the back command dial, I had inadvertently switched the focus mode. So it was user error, even if accidental.

So the solution in my case was simple, even if it wasn’t obvious if you don’t routinely change the focus mode on the Z8: hold down that Focus Mode button and then rotate the REAR dial (aka main command dial) to toggle the focus mode.

Note: Rotating the FRONT dial changes the AF Area mode (e.g., 3D Tracking vs Auto), but the REAR dial changes the actual Focus Mode (AF vs MF).

While you’re on that button, it’s worth knowing what the front dial is doing. Nikon quotes 493 selectable focus points on the Z8 in single-point AF with the FX image area, but in Auto-area AF the camera works from the whole frame and picks the point itself. So if you find you can’t put the focus point where you want it, check which AF-area mode the front dial has landed on before assuming the camera is misbehaving.

An alternative way to access it is through the menu items.

For still photos:

PHOTO SHOOTING MENU > Focus Mode 

For video:

The button-and-dial method works the same way in video mode; the only difference in the menu is that you’ll find Focus mode under the video recording menu rather than the photo shooting menu. Video mode also adds a focus mode that stills mode doesn’t have — AF-F, or full-time AF — so don’t be surprised if the list you cycle through is one item longer than you expect.

VIDEO RECORDING MENU > Focus Mode

Help! Focus Mode is grayed out in the menu

If you go to the menu and find Focus Mode is grayed out and unavailable, check your lens barrel.

If your lens has a physical A/M switch and it is set to M, the camera hard-locks into Manual Focus. You cannot override a physical switch with a digital menu setting on the camera’s menu system.

Other troubleshooting steps worth trying

This is what the problem was in my case, and it was an easy fix. But it’s possible that your issue is something else.

Here are some other troubleshooting things to try (more than a few of which I also tried when I ran into the issue):

• Remove the lens and reattach it, making sure it is firmly locked in place. This is probably the most obvious thing to try, which should hopefully fix any issue with the electronic contacts between the lens and the camera. You can also clean the contacts with a microfiber cloth and a tiny bit of high-purity alcohol (be careful not to touch the glass).
• Try a different lens. Similar to above, but also helps rule out a lens-specific problem.
• Power off and on again. When in doubt, restart the computer.
• Remove and reinsert the battery (making sure it’s charged).
• Check the firmware version.
• Back-Button Focus Confusion: Check if you have assigned autofocus to only the AF-On button (see how to enable back button focus on the Z8 for how that’s set up). If you did, the shutter button won’t focus, making the camera feel broken.
• Disable the Focus Ring Override: Custom Settings > a Focus > a17 Manual focus ring in AF mode > Disable. On some lenses, it can be easy to accidentally bump the focus ring while holding the camera, which instantly overrides the autofocus. If a17 isn’t in the list at all, that’s not a bug — Nikon only shows this item when a compatible lens is attached, so it can disappear when you swap lenses.
• The “Recall Shooting Functions” Hold: If you have assigned a button (like Fn1 or Fn2) to “Recall Shooting Functions,” you might have accidentally programmed that “Recall” to include Manual Focus. If you are holding that button down, the camera will force MF until you let go.

Check Focus Mode Restrictions: Custom Settings > a Focus > a9 Focus mode restrictions. If this is set to anything other than No restrictions, holding the focus-mode button and rotating the main command dial will not change the focus mode at all. It’s meant to stop accidental changes, but if it was left on Manual focus, the button fix above simply won’t work.