Nikon d3000 18-55mm focus

I have the d3000 with the 18-55mm lense that it came with,
i've been taking photos latley and the focus and quality is shocking! Its not good at all i mise well use my iphone, i don't know what it is, i don't know much about this stuff, is it the actuall camera? Lense? Or did i press somehting to make it like that? Its usually takes really good photos when i first got it now its really horrible!

Check your exposure settings, and others. Make sure it is set to auto. Other than that, the lense itself might be defective to the type of camera you are using.

You really have to become one with your user manual.

With a fully adjustable camera like the D3000 requires more than just pressing a button to get a great shot.

First you need to learn now to balance the ISO, shutter speed and lens aperture using the light meter in the camera

The D3000 is perfectly able to shoot quality images, images that match those professionals shoot, but you have to learn the basics and actually the fundamentals of photography.

Here is how you can learn to balance the triangle of exposure.

http://camerasim.com/camera-simulator/

Make sure that the cameras auto-focus is turned on at the lens and camera body.

The deal is that you really have to "know this stuff" to get good shots.

If it went from really good to horrible, it is almost certainly user error.

For the focus, I keep my focus point set to the middle one. A half press sets the focus and exposure (on auto) Then you move the camera to recompose the shot. If the quality is bad, perhaps you have it set to a high ISO, which causes digital noise. Always use the lowest ISO possible to get the shot.

There's no substitution for the owner's manual. It should be with you all the time while you are learning how to work the camera. You should sit down, camera and book in hand, and practice going through the menu, accessing the settings, and changing them until you are familiar with what they are and what they do. I have had my D300 a few years now and occasionally still consult the manual after 30 years of photography experience. So it ain't just for beginners either! Also consider joining a local group or club, or seek a mentor from school or the family shutterbug.

If you can get better pictures from you iPhone then you should probably use that instead.

Your camera is capable of taking good pics if you learn how to use it. If you are not willing to learn, then stick with your iPhone.

You can get a book on photography tips from the library - that might help.

Turn on the camera and set AF on, mode dial to Auto (A), Auto ISO, Auto White Balance, and EV to 0 (zero). Go out and take a picture of a brightly colored car parked under the hot sun from about 15 feet. Go back inside the house and preview the picture. If the picture is bad, take the camera to an authorized Nikon service center and have it be serviced.