Blurry Pictures

[ugaskidawg]

Hey...I have an SD1000 and I am having a problem with the focusing of the camera. I have a feeling it might be the camera, but I thought I would post here just in case there is something going on. My camera will not focus regularly, but when I zoom or am really close to the subject I am trying to catch, it focuses clearly. Any ideas...I have tried changin some of the configurations. The pictures are fuzzy. Let me know...

[Jon]

Post an example or two?

[ugaskidawg]

Here they are.

[Techuser]

I dont see a problem in the first
the second looks like it was taken on macro, you sure you are in the right mode?

[DDWD10]

Is it beeping before you take the shot? One or two beeps?

[WT21]

The first one looks OK to me. Are you using the center focus, rather than multi-focus? The bottom one looks like it's shot through a window, and the camera locked on the window for focusing. Did you use an auto focus assist lamp to shoot? The would have reflected off the window and caused the short focus.

[Tee Why]

The focus on the first one is on the keyboard. The second one seems to have been taken through a window which may have confused the AF. I'd use a specific AF point, like center, and focus and recompose.

In situations like the second one, it may fool the AF and using a MF option if the camera has one would be better.

[ugaskidawg]

The picture of the first one is the good one. At short distances, when you zoom and on the macro setting, the focus is good. When the target is further away, the focus does not work. The second is an example of this. The last 20 pictures taken with the camera have been like the 2nd fuzzy one...and those have been taken indoors, outdoors, with people, with objects, and in various light conditions. I have messed around with the different modes (Man, Portrait, etc.) and it makes little differences. I have a feeling that something is wrong with the AF sensor. I have turned it from the standard AF setting, to Face Detect, to Center, and it always comes our blurry. Does this sound like a sensor malfunction...or is it user error. The macro zoom looks sharp...I have also switched it between superfine, fine and normal shot modes to see if it changes, but still the same. Let me know...Thanks!

[CRE@TE]

Could it be you zoomed it into the digital zoom zone? The photos degrade a bit in the digital zoom.

[gjl711]

A sample with EXIF data intact would help.

[Jon]

A sample with EXIF data intact would help.
I agree. I'm thinking I'm seeing some signs of camera shake in the second shot (notice the window of the white SUV in the lower right corner? "Vertical" edge is fairly sharp while the horizontals seem to show a distinct double edge?)

[ugaskidawg]

When I get home tonight, I can post more examples of other pictures. Please excuse my "rookie-ness," but what does EXIF mean?

[gjl711]

When I get home tonight, I can post more examples of other pictures. Please excuse my "rookie-ness," but what does EXIF mean?When you save the pic, don't use the "save for web" feature. It takes all of the shooting data out of the picture. If you just resize and "save as" the data remains intact. It helps tremendously if when trying to offer advice on a pic or debug a problem the settings are still attached to the pic.

[Jon]

EXIF data includes shutter speed, aperture and other camera settings used when you took the picture.

[ugaskidawg]

Here are 2 in focus pictures...

[ugaskidawg]

Here is another in focus picture...

[ugaskidawg]

Here are some unfocused pictures...

[ugaskidawg]

Here is another unfocused picture...

[Tee Why]

shutter speed certainly seems fast enough on those soft images.
How are you selecting the AF points and are you confirming AF before releasing the shutter?

[DDWD10]

I think something is genuinely wrong with the camera. The blurry images clearly aren't from camera shake or digital zoom and I've never once had my SD1000 focus on a clean window and blur the background. Something is misaligned in that little lens.

[ugaskidawg]

So is the concensus that it is the camera and not a config issue? I was hoping for it be an easy fix, but it doesn't sound like that is it...

[n1as]

It looks like a camera issue, but check one thing. Make sure you're not in macro focus mode. Also, pay attention to the beeps or visual focus confirmation for close and distant shots (you are 1/2 pressing, seeing the settings then finishing the press to take a photo rather than just mashing it down and waiting, right?). Do you get the same confirmation in both cases? One beep or two? Green confirmation box or yellow?

The indoor shot shows a flash reflection on the TV so I know it isn't camera shake. It is clearly a focus issue. The question that remains is whether the camera thinks it focused but didn't or is trying to tell you it didn't focus.