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I have a Canon A520 and I am having trouble getting my models in focus. If you check out my gallery half of my pics look pretty bad. I tried all the settings, any advice?

Make sure you have a Tripod. When taking these extreme close ups, you'd have to have the hands of a surgeon to not get a blurry photo.

Use a two second timer. Even with a Tripod, pushing the button will move the camera slightly and blur the picture. Using the timer lets you push the button and let go, so the camera is still when it goes off.

Use the Macro setting. It's a little tulip shaped icon, and it used for taking extreme close ups.

Turn off your flash. You want lots of good room lighting, but a camera flash will wash out your color.

Depends a lot on the flash though.
Built-ins, definitely.

I use an external mount Metz flash unit, at 1/16 power at a range of 2' or so and it adds just enough light and doesn't add hiroshima level overexposure (FULL power though, does) but I also use a DSLR as my runaround camera. I've never used a compact camera even in the film days.

Seconding the tripod comment. If you can sit it on the table and line it up, that also works. You need some kind of stabilising method. Unless you have very steady hands, you will get blur from shake (I do have steady hands, but there is a breathing technique that works as well to minimise this, as well as a holding technique).

Hey guys thanks!!!

I would say just get a really cheap digital camera or just any digital camera that has more the 6 megapixel. I have found digital cameras and a small bendable tripod work best at reducing a blurry pic.

Also no one mentioned, dont take your pictures by just setting them on a counter and snapping away.
At the very least, use a sheet of clean white paper (or black, it works better on some paint schemes) Make sure the mini and paper are the entire shot, you dont want some counter or the stove in part of the shot.
The reason is a camera will focus on those objects instead of a mini, mainly because minis have more texture then a random counter. The White paper will only allow the camera to focus on your minis. They look pretty good BTW

Stabilize the camera somehow, tripod or no. Take photos at the narrowest focal length possible -- maybe f/8 on a small consumer camera. Try not to use too much flash -- especially on-camera flash -- as you'll white out the front of your focal area.

For SLRs: tripod + f/16 + whatever off-camera flash or external lighting you want to use, or a macro setup if you have it.

Remember that non-macro lenses have a minimum focus distance, so you might need a zoom lens to take photos of minis. I use anywhere from 150-200mm.

To OP: looking through your pics i can tell you the blur came from 1 easily spotted problem.

The lense is focusing either on the busy background
or the wood grains on your table.

The next time you take pics , make sure the whole ground / background = white. This way the camera know where its focusing on.

Problem solved.

All of these are good advise, some of it's new to me.

But the big thing is be judicious in posting pictures.

They don't magically migrate from the camera to the internet, people put them up.

So take a minute to go through them, rotate them the right way, crop them, delete the ones that look like a tank-colored blur. Spare the poor eyes of your aged Dakkites!

I remember yours and they were not the worst by any stretch, but I'm gald you're looking to improve them.

Thanks Guys! Thanks Kid!!

Aduro wrote:Use the Macro setting.

That is the single biggest thing that you can do to help your pictures.