Problem with viewfinder - focus?! I've been using my Nikon d3000 for over a year now. Few days ago I tried to take a photo but when looking through the viewfinder, the photo wasn't focused. It was set on AF and when half-pressing the button it made a sound like the object is focused - but the picture was still blurry. I tried with MF, but no improvement (no matter how much i was changing the focus). But then i took a picture anyway and when i looked on the screen, the photo was perfectly clear and focused. Lenses are cleaned and the viewfinder does not have any spots. What seems to be the problem and how can i fix it? Any help appreciated!

There seems to be two separate issues here. I'm going to assume you have a charged battery pack in the camera.

First, the screen. Turn the camera on. Do you see the menu when you press the MENU button? Does the shooting info show when you press the Info button? Can you see previously taken photos when you press the Playback button? If none of those show up then something is wrong with the screen (or the battery is dead).

Second, the viewfinder. First, make sure the viewfinder in the back is clean. Now turn the camera on and look through the viewfinder. Do you see the eleven focus marks? Do you see the info at the bottom? Now turn the camera off and remove the lens. Don't touch anything inside the camera! Do you see a mirror at a 45-degree angle? Is it clean? Look at the focusing screen above the mirror. Is it clean? Now look through the viewfinder and point the camera out a window. Do you see a more-or-less white blob, or the same grainy dark film?

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I am assuming it is a TTL (Through The Lens) Viewfinder meaning a mirror, Prism and screen gives you the image. This is based on reality and not any settings. This question confuses me. If something gets in the way and the viewfinder darkens AND the image you take is dark this means there is something very wrong with the lens and possibly with the camera. The Viewfinder image is what bounces off a mirror and when you take the photo the mirror flips out of the way. What is left is the lens, some air space and the sensor. It may be that one of the aperture blades may be moving when it should not. I am close to saying send the lens in and ask for a quote..

You're on the right track with oxidation. Try cleaning the contacts in the body and on the lens with contact cleaner, and let it dry. Remove the battery, and clean the contacts inside the camera.

Remove the lens of your camera, do it in a clean room, look at the mirror insie the lens to see if the dot is not there rather that on the outside of your viewfinder.
If it is not there it might be on the inside part of the focusing screen. Still inside the camera look at the upper part of the body, the focusing screen looks opaque.

If you still cant find the dot it might be on the inner side of the focusing screen.
Here is a tutorial on how to remove it on a d70 it is essentially the same thing on your camera.
Otherwise it can also be on the inner part of the viewfinder. In this case I recommend to send the camera to a repair shop as the removing of the viewfinder seems to be more difficult on the d3000 than on other camera.

Hope this helps.

Try adjusting the viewfinder diopter. There's a little dial just to the right of the viewfinder. Turn it while looking through the viewfinder. You want to be looking at an unfocused view or a blank wall. Turn the dial until the focus brackets are sharp. Make sure you do this with your shooting eye.

Unfortunately, the D3000 is one of the dSLR models that do not offer the LiveView feature. You'll have to use the D3000 the way people have used SLRs for half a century, looking through the viewfinder to compose photos.

The D3000 does not have Live View, you need to use the viewfinder.

You can get the shooting information on it. If you're looking to use the D3000 as a point&shoot by viewing the image on the screen, then no, you have to use the viewfinder.

Try Blow cleaning the Memory card slot ... sometimes dust does that