problem focusing with s2 is?

[firstdigital]

Hi guys! i am new to the photo scene so please bear with me if my terminlogy is way of "but you'll get the picture :D . I have a brand new Canon S2 camera with a tele converter. The problem that i am encountering is.... when i am at the beach or taking pictures outside the autofocus does not seem to focus, i keep getting an orange box instead the green box which usually indicates that autofocus is complete. can anyone tell me what is wrong? also i read that using single focus is much better at taking pictures. I have that function on my camera but i am not sure as to what it actually does or is for. One more thing if you folks dont mind helping a newb out. can you folks tell what type of settings i shoud use instead of the default settings? i live in Hawaii and like to take alot of pictures outdoors what type of settings should i use to give the best quality pictures especially when using the teleconverter? i appreciate all responses good or bad. thank you

[TJG]

Look at your menu and see if you selected the teleconverter option. How is the auto focus without the tele lens? Hope this works.
TJG

[BowerR64]

Wich teleconverter is it? some of those teleconverters dont work on the S2. They are just over the focus point on the S2. You have to remember the S2 is already over 400mm so adding a teleconverter is really pushing the zoom.

Some teleconverters try and push the focal power of a teleconverter to far. Good lenses use more sections of glass (elements) and they can get away with more focal power like 1.7X or 2.0X but i think with a 2 element lens there are limits and some teleconverters just dont work. The curve of the lenses is so steep that the whole lens cant be in focus. Usualy the tip of the lens will focus but the edges are soft and out of focus. This can be corrected with more elements but then you lose light. I think 1.5-1.7X is about the limit of the S2.

go here (http://www.photo.net/learn/focustest/) and print that little chart and put it on a door and open it slightly then take a picture of it and see if your lens is focusing correctly. The lines help the camera focus

[BowerR64]

I got one off e-bay that would not work on the S2 so i took it apart and sanded the metal spacing ring that is between the 2 elements and now it works a little better.

before
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/BowerR64/Camera/Adjust1.jpg

After
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/BowerR64/Camera/Adjust2.jpg

Its a little more usable now.