focus problems with digital

[kk3]

A lot of the pictures I would like to take require focusing the camera. the camera i have is a good digital camera (pentax optio 555 if it makes a difference) that takes beautiful scenic pictures effortlessly. But if i need to focus in on something, like a still object, it comes out blurry. Is there any way to focus these cameras or does that require a digital camera with an adjustable lens?

 

[j_mcquillen]

The Pentax Optio 555 is an auto-focus camera, so focusing shouldn't be a problem with still objects (I take it you know how to the focus the camera - most digitals etc require a half-press of the shutter release button to focus and take a light-reading, before fully pressing to take the shot).

The problem you are having with blur could be for a number of reasons:

1) The object you are trying to photograph is too close to the camera for it to focus properly (in which case move back a little and use the zoom function)
2) The shutter speed the camera (or you...) have chosen is too slow to be able to hand-hold the camera without shaking. In this case, increase the ISO, use flash, or use a tripod or some other sturdy camera support.

Also, when you mention 'focus in on something', do you mean you are zooming in? Most compact digitals like the 555 have a combination of optical and digital zoom. Optical zoom uses the lens to zoom in on an object, and gives the best results. Digital zoom effectively crops the image to give the appearence of zooming in - the more digital zoom you use, the more image quality you lose. There should be a setting on your camera to disable digital zoom.