Nikon D3100 owners... help!

(D3100 with the kit lens.) My camera hardly ever focuses right, Idk if its something I'm doing wrong or if this is common, but its really irritating me. It makes me miss out on those spur of the moment shots. More times than not, when I push the shutter button half way down, it'll start to focus and then go completely blurry, so I let go and hold it half way down again and it does the same thing.. I usually have to zoom all the way out press the shutter button half way, and then with the other hand zoom back in while holding the shutter button.. Did I get a defected camera? Is this common? What am I doing wrong? Please help!!!

** I am new to the DSLR world.

Well do you have it on auto focus!?

take auto focus off

Go Ito your menu and change the focus mode from af-c or af-a whichever its on, to af-s. That'll change your focus to a single point then you can use your directional pad to select the correct focus point in camera af is rarely spot on

I believe I changed it to the single point focus the other day, and its still doing it..

When I shoot in A mode its on af-s but when i shoot in Auto mode it was on auto focus, the only other option is manual, should I change it to that?

Quoting ♥Kylie&Teagan♥:" When I shoot in A mode its on af-s but when i shoot in Auto mode it was on auto focus, the only other option is manual, should I change it to that? "

id do manual so u can get better i have one and leave it on AF because im in school right now i dont have the time to devote towards it if i did tho i would leave it in manual... AF is just like a point and shoot and TBH much cheaper lol. When im done with school and stuff i may take a class on how to use it.

Quoting ♥Kylie&Teagan♥:" When I shoot in A mode its on af-s but when i shoot in Auto mode it was on auto focus, the only other option is manual, should I change it to that? "

Auto makes everything automatic instead of you changing. So yeah, I'd change it to Manual. Photographs are much better on manual.
And you don't have to change it to manual focus.

Quoting Click Me Click Me!!!:" id do manual so u can get better i have one and leave it on AF because im in school right now i dont ... [snip!] ... just like a point and shoot and TBH much cheaper lol. When im done with school and stuff i may take a class on how to use it."

OP do not take advice about cameras from this person ....Bonnie Beaver can better answer your questions

Quoting º×ß¡±©µ×º:" OP do not take advice about cameras from this person ....Bonnie Beaver can better answer your questions "

LJ would actually be better. She has Nikons. haha. I'm a Canon girl.

Quoting Legendary Bonnie Beaver:" LJ would actually be better. She has Nikons. haha. I'm a Canon girl. "

 

OP, I'd start on Aperture priority, set your focus mode to AF-S, your lens to AF, and go from there.  

Quoting L☮J:"   OP, I'd start on Aperture priority, set your focus mode to AF-S, your lens to AF, and go from there.  "

You nikon people have that "change it to af-s" crap. I just push a button and scroll.  

Quoting Legendary Bonnie Beaver:" You nikon people have that "change it to af-s" crap. I just push a button and scroll.   "

Well, *I* can do it that way too because I have a focus mode button on my camera...but the lower end ones don't  

Quoting L☮J:" Well, *I* can do it that way too because I have a focus mode button on my camera...but the lower end ones don't  "

Ahhh.