Focusing With Canon Powershot S5

[JustAGirl]

Greetings All!

I've just upgraded my camera after many years with a Canon Powershot A75 and picked up the lovely Powershot S5. I'm having some issues adjusting to my new gadget though and need some advice.

My biggest problem is the auto-focus. So far the pics I've tried to take are in decent (not horrible, not wonderful) lighting situations inside my apartment. I've tried using the Auto and P settings on the cam. The photos I've tried to take are of objects ranging from a few inches to about 2-3 feet away. I've attempted using the Macro and Super Macro settings when things are close. Two things are my biggest problems.

1.) When I'm doing the few inches away, zooming, using macro mode, I seem to get a focused BACKGROUND but my object is blurry. I read around online that this seems to be an issue with the S series cams ... but does anyone have tips on how I can take clean macro shots with a nice blurry background, not vice versa?

2.) When the object is a 2-3 feet away, and I zoom, the cam will be focusing fine ... till I depress the shutter button half way and auto focus kicks in, then suddenly it's blurry! It's the weirdest thing! Nice, clear, crisp image on my screen till I go to have it autofocus. Then I get blurred out with a yellow box telling me it's having focus issues. Is it because of the lighting? The distance of the camera from the object? I'd have to say this problem is more frustrating than the first ... so I'd really like some insight on it.

Besides that the cam is great. So much fancier than my A75. And when I want pictures of things farther away, or using Super Macro, I'm doing well. I just seem to be having a bit of a learning curve on the two in-between focus areas.

Any tips would be appreciated! I'm so used to my A75, having so much more capability is just so new lol!

 

[Garbz]

Two things are effecting the camera here. The problem with number 1 is the near focus distance. All lenses have one. Regardless of super macro or any other software setting there's a mechanical limitation to how close you can get focus. Flick it to manual focus set the focus to minimum and move the camera back and forth until the subject is in focus for the biggest macro shot possible with your camera.

The second sounds like an autofocus issue to me. Autofocus needs 2 things. Defined pattern contrast in the shot, and enough light to read this pattern. P&S autofocus works by analysing the image and then adjusting the focus back and forth until maximum contrast is achieved. If it can't get a contrast reading while it is moving, because either there is no contrast or the light is low that the sensor can't see the scene then the camera gives an error. Unfortunately this is the key problem with P&S autofocus.

You can try shining a flashlight at an object if you're trying to focus on it in darker light. Or if the object is smooth and lacks defining contrast (a pattern of sort) then try focus on the edge of it.