auto focus and being to close

[readysetgocapture]

will auto focus work if you are to close to your subject for the lens used?
becasue i tend to use auto focus but i was just playing around with my camera and when i stand back a bit i get a clearer photo even if i zoom in its clearer then zoomed out and being closer.
maybe thats one of the reasons my photos are blury?

[DStanic]

Lenses have a minimum focusing distance. I shoot in "one shot" AF mode and it beeps indicating that the image is in focus, if I'm too close it will not take the picture.
The 50mm f/1.8 lens for example, can shoot as close as 18inches. I do not think shooting in manual focus will make any difference, that's simply as close as you can get with that particular lens. Generally longer the lens, the further back you have to be. Macro lenses on the other hand, are designed to shoot very close. The 100mm macro lens you can shoot from as close as 12inches away.

[ELT_Photo]

Also, it is imperative that you focus AFTER you zoom - the focus shifts when you zoom with almost all modern zoom(varifocal) lenses - the larger the difference
between start and finish focal length, the greater the focus shift.
Every lens has a minimum focus distance, you can not focus closer
than this, whether using auto or manual focus, without using something like
extension tubes or bellows. A tele-extender does not reduce the
mfd, it just increases magnification.

[readysetgocapture]

Thankyou both,

i will be getting a macro lens very soon (its on order) so nice to know i'll be able to get so close...i knew it was closer than zoom lens but wasn't sure by how much.

also i do sometimes focus then zoom so thanks for the warning.