Thank you all for the comments, advice, and info. With your help, a re-re-reading of the manual, and some more experimentation, I think I have managed to work out the focus problems I was having. I have started using center weighted metering, manual focus and the cameras macro mode settings. I have no problems admitting I have never been more than a point and shoot camera user, even when I had a very nice Pentax 35mm in the 70,s. It has been gone for at least 20 years and no picture taking since then until I got a Sony p32 digital for Christmas of 2004. I picked up where I had left off, POINT and Shoot. I just recently got the Nikon7900 and have decided to become more serious about photography so I started using the different settings it has. This led to using the macro mode and that led to the focus issue. I think all I need now is lots of practice, lol. I really appreciate the time all have spent in trying to assist me in this. I am including a manipulated macro I did today with this thread and I will be posting a series of them to my gallery soon, so if you are interested you can see the results of your assistance. Thanks to all again, Lee