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heya



Ugh.

Why is it not focussing? These pics are worse than my webcam.

I thought it was the multitude of models confusing it (bare in mind I know nothing! ) so I put just one figure down.



my new camera (Its a xmas present, so I can't complain) is:

4megapixels
3 x optical zoom (2 digital zooms)
has a fair range of features like white balance options, four ranges of picture focus type (landscape/portrait/night/Auto) neither of them seem to improve much.

What else do you need to know?

I have it on a slow exposure (as recommended for static objects).

Compare it to this distance pic (which is still not brilliant, but identifiable)

If you have a slow exposure, are you holding it or setting it on a tripod. Try taking a regular photo, no slow exposure and see how it turns out.

If you intend to use such a slow exposure you'll need a tripod, just try taking pictures in what I call "idiot mode". no offence intended, I am a fairly experianced photographer and I use idiot mode. try basic mode and see if you pictures are more clear

If you are too close to something, it will focus on the background, not your actual subject. Also, if you have it zoomed all the way out, then if will not focus as well.

but more then likely its just like everyone else said, just use auto or macro settings.

Ok will do.

You probably have a macro-micro setting, which will we indicated by a flower and a mountain; the flower is the setting for taking really up-close pictures. You want that flower to be somewhere on your lcd screen.

Yep, the macro setting should sort it out for you

if it's the background that makes the camera unfocus try to put some copypaper behind towards something.
//J

Not sure about your camera but a half push quite often makes the camera focus???

Hello!
1)Have you got an optical zoom?I had a digital camera
that only had a digital zoom and I could only get
results like you have.
2)Set your camera to manual.That way you should to get
figures in focus.Flick through the picture options until
you get a numbers bar along the bottom of the screen,then
use the directional buttons to slide the bar along until
you find focus.
3)Ignore the close up option,if it's like mine you'll
never get in focus!

Damn ! Even my cellphone does better than that ! As has already been said, turn on the Macro feature ( the flower ) and half-push the trigger for a sec to let the camera focus before you finish the push, that should make a difference.

Amen Brick wrote:I have it on a slow exposure (as recommended for static objects).

ok ok ok. I have a degree in photography so I can shed some light on this. (knew that would come in handy at some point ).

A long exposure is for situations where there is low light, it is not "for static objects". In fact this recommendation is just plainly ridiculous as using it with a non static object will give you one big blur (unless that's the effect you want). You make the choice on exposure lenght based on your light levels not whether it is static or not.

What's happening is the shutter is opening and letting all the images it sees between that point and the point it closes onto your film. I can tell you now, long exposure is definitely not what you want when taking photographs of your models. You want a well lit environment and ideally a flash on your camera or external flashes if your that loaded.

If you are going to use long exposure the camera needs to be on a tripod or if not secured on something where it isnt going to move, be knocked etc. while the picture is being taken. And if theres too much light then your picture is going to be overexposed.

Now if the model isnt in focus before you take the picture through the viewfinder then check your aperture (on the lense (slr and up) and via your cameras digital menus on anything cheaper). It could be too small and your depth of field isn't allowing you to get the model in focus. Unless you have macro lenses I cant see this being a problem however you can test it by moving your camera closer and further away from it and seeing if your model comes into focus at any point (dont use the zoom). If it is the case you want a larger apeture, F8 and up i would say.

also use the camera's self-timer when taking the pic to ensure nothing is touching the camera when the shutter goes (either that or use a cable release if available for your camera)

Hey everyone, pics are better (I love macro), ie:



Timer's a nice tip. I found I was cutting the shake by holding on to the camera (silly button is on the other side from the tripod so it shakes like crazy).

Noticed the focus thing. Got annoyed that it would try to focus on a v close thing, appear to have it and then go out of focus again (from a half tap). Was too close tho and this pic turned out ok.