Focusing with the S400

[rsprods]

I'm having problems focusing with my S400. The first problem is that the Canon cameras seem to have a "soft" focus in general, compared to, say, an Olympus, which tends to be over-sharp.

The second problem I'm having is with the S400's 9-point auto-focus system: it seems to always focus on something OTHER than what it is I WANT to focus on. I know the manual says to let the camera find a focus point and then move the camera so that that spot lines up with the subject you're wanting to focus on, but then the composition of the picture is all out of wack! I turned off the 9-point AiAF but I'm still not getting the results I'm looking for. I took a couple of shots of a dandelion this morning using a G3; the second shot came out beautifully. I then took about 20 shots of the same flower using the S400, with and without the AiAF and I couldn't get a single shot that was in focus compaired to the G3.

How can I get the camera to focus on MY subject when using the AiAF???

Is the AiAF only for wide shots compared to macro shots?

Also, if anyone would care to explain how white balance works, I'd greatly apprecaite it...

Thanks!

John

[Andrys]

John,
Go into manual mode and choose SPOT metering.

Focus on the area you want, press your shutter half way down (which will lock that focus at the same point as the spot metered) and reframe the picture while holding that shutter half way down.

OR, you can spot-meter and press the flower button on the left of the 4-way thing to lock the focus there and also press the exposure button at the 12:00 o'clock of that 4-way thing which will lock the exposure at the exposure for the area too while letting you let go of the shutter. Then frame anyway you want, keeping the same distance from the subject. Even for the next shot(s).

Alternatively, in manual mode you can chose center-focus and press down the shutter halfway to lock that.
Same alternate process in pushing the other buttons to lock without having to keep the shutter button pressed halfway down all the time.

I'd never use 9-point evaluative mode in macro mode though.