Canon S5 - Focusing Problems

[JustBananas]

Hi there,

I've just received my new Canon S5, have taken a few shots, fiddled with the settings, and now I can't seem to get the camera to focus on a subject if I zoom into it and it's less than 1 metre away from camera. I've tried all the settings, I've switched from normal to macro (thinking I'm too close to the subject), but it won't focus - it's all fuzzy. Manually focusing doesn't have any affect either. What setting have I fiddled with that I shouldn't have?

I only use the optical zoom, stay away from the digital zoom capabilities - and as long as I'm more than a metre away from the subject I'm shooting, the camera will focus sharply. any closer and there's no focus.

Surely I can take a photo of, say a hedge or a shrub, zoomed in while I'm standing close to it?

I would appreciate your feedback.

JustBanans

[griptape]

Hold the macro button for a few seconds and it will go to super macro mode. You won't be able to zoom, but you can focus to 0cm (right up against the lens).

[JustBananas]

Thanks for the reply Griptape, but I'm not actually trying to get macro or super macro shots. I've taken some lovely macro/super macro already and I'm very ahppy with the results.

The problems is - and I'll illustrate by another example.
I've just come in from the garden. There was a dragonfly hovering on some of the blossoms, I was within 1 metre (3 feet) of the dragonfly. I set the camera to AV, zoomed in a little for a tighter cropped finish (and I wanted the dragonfly to be in focus, and the background out of focus), and tried to focus, and the camera wouldn't focus on the dragonfly or the blossom it was perched on, no matter what I tried. I did end up switching settings and taking a great supermacro shot, but that's not what I was initially trying to achieve. I'm getting really frustrated that I can't seem to find the button to undo what I've obviously checked. I can't believe that the Canon S5 won't let me focus on a subject when I zoom in and when I'm standing less than 1 metre from the subject - that can't be right?!

[griptape]

Actually, it can be right. I won't go into the mathematical formulas for focusing distance, but you're simply expecting your camera to do something that isn't physically possible. Even on high end SLR's, good macro lenses are fixed focal length (they don't zoom). A camera can't focus closer at a long zoom range just because you think it should be able to.

[JTL]

The minimum focusing distance for the S5 is 3ft. at full tele. Unless you had a measuring tape with you, I posit that you were actually closer than three feet.

If you want to focus closer you have to be in macro or super macro mode. Also, there has to be enough light and enough contrast to achieve focus lock.

[JustBananas]

Ok, so am I expecting way too much?

Using that same scenario of the dragonfly on the shrub. How should I have shot it? Further away and optically zoomed in, setting on AV to obtain good DOF? The lighting was very good, sunny day, blue sky. I did obtain a good super macro of the dragonfly - very tricky when you have to almost position the lens on the poor thing...

And out of interest, where should all my menu settings be?

[Beowulff]

When you say "zoom" are you talking about full zoom?..... I can't seem to get the camera to focus on a subject if I zoom into it and it's less than 1 metre away from camera.I don't have an S5 (we've got an A720 IS) but you may be better off moving away from the subject a bit more before using full zoom. I find with the A720 the subject-to-camera distance seems to be critical when zooming in — there seems to be a sweet spot? The other issue may be your focusing zone, which should be single point and locked on the dragonfly only.

Cheers :)

[Glasstream15]

There should be a readout in the top of the VF to tell you the closest focusing distance at any zoom. And I can stand back 5 feet and get a really good close up of my cat's face. If I need closer, I can go to macro or get an accessory lens or get out the XT.

Just check your VF for focus distance.

[JustBananas]

Thanks so much guys for your help. I was asking a little too much of the S5 It does have a readout at the top, and maybe I was underestimating the distance afterall.

I'm really happy with the images it takes, and will bear the distances in mind.
:)

[S5-User]

I have made many efforts to focus at something that is far away (-> ∞) while using full optical zoom (x12), like the moon or even at other objects in daylight and my canon s5 just wont focus on them.
Even if i switch to manual focus (set it to ∞) and turn off the continuous AF setting. Still nothing. If i reduce the optical zoom (like 6x it can focus on those items that i want, but are now smaller of course).
Is this a matter of lens? Is this happening with other cameras too?
Thank you!

[Beowulff]

I have made many efforts to focus at something that is far away (-> ∞) while using full optical zoom (x12), like the moon or even at other objects in daylight and my canon s5 just wont focus on them.
One thing to bear in mind is that the camera should have its WB (white balance) set to "daylight" when photographing the Moon. At first this sounds a bit odd, but when you think about it, the Moon is simply reflecting sunlight, or daylight, towards your lens. Many folks make the understandable mistake of setting their WB to "night" which simply won't work for astrophotography.

You seem to have covered all the other bases settings-wise, but if you've not set your WB correctly, the subsequent overexposure of a bright source point of light (such as the Moon) can easily create the perception of the subject — in this case the Moon — appearing to be "out of focus". The camera simply can't cope with the light "overload" at the dark/light edge between the Moon and the black surrounding sky.

Similarly, any features on the Moon's surface will suffer clipping (like being bleached out).

The usual end result is simply a blurry white disc against a black background.

As far as your other difficulties go with focusing in ordinary daylight conditions, I'm at a bit of a loss to understand what's happening here. I'm guessing the Canon S5 IS uses contrast detection to focus? If that's the case, you need to be focusing on a subject with at least one pronounced change-of-contrast edge, as a subject with an all-over "average" contrast — or no contrast — could be the problem. Things like picket fences, tree trunks, buildings, automobiles etc usually provide a good auto-focus area. Also, contrast detection works more effectively with vertical (rather than horizontal) lines or edges.

Additionally, you can lock focus (half press shutter) on some subject at a similar distance to your intended subject, and then recompose the image whilst holding the half press. The only issue with this method is that you're also locking exposure, and this could be different for your intended subject.

Hope this helps (and that I'm not teaching you how to suck eggs!).

Cheers :)

[S5-User]

Thanks a lot for this!!!!!
I will try again and tell you the result i'll have.
Thanks again!!!

[Tones7McA]

I have had an S5 for about 6 months and am still learning to use it, so I can sympathise with your frustrations.

I also find that I cannot get focus when I am closer than about 1m, so I have to switch to one of the macro settings, I think as previous posts have said, this is just the way it is. Either go further away or go to macro, I get good results either way.

By the way, re one of the other posts, I have some amazing shots of the moon, you just need the right settings... so the S5 is totally capable of this.

Nuf said.