Focus problems with s230

Hi all! Has anyone had any problems with focusing on the S230? I just got one for my girlfriend for Christmas and I have to admit that I am unimpressed with the image quality so far.

We used the S230 to capture some family pics during 12/25 and when I downloaded the images to PC last night, most weren't that sharp! The photos were shot in a living room with just a few lamps and a fireplace going. The flash did go off for each shot, but most shots were fuzzy. I even did some tests last night (in a different room, with lpenty of light) and noticed the same fuzziness (and the lens was clean too!). I had my roomate (who was wearing a flannel shirt) pose for a shot (he stood about 6 feet in front of me), and the S230 focused on his shirt, instead of his face (the green box appeared on his shirt). When we viewed the image at 100% zoom on the PC, the details of the shirt looked great, but his face was slightly blurred. What gives?

Has anyone else had problems with the AiAF not focusing properly on the right subjects? We even disabled the AiAF without much better results. Do we have a defective camera?

Any advice/insight would be greatly appreciated. I will definitely post pics if anyone is interested in looking at them for comparison.

Thanks!

I bought an s230 and used it for a couple of days before returning it. I am a Canon Pro and was disappointed with the autofocus in my s230. I have a number of digital cameras and thought that this would be the perfect compact to carry all the time. So I tested a number of different lighting situations and rather than using the AIAF, I used the manual mode and center focusing control. I also found that in normal portrait settings 6-10 ft most of the images were soft. I tried using a tripod and timer setting to ensure no camera shake. Numerous images were examined. I learnt a few things in my research that I want to pass on.
1. Camera shake can be tough to avoid with such a small camera and can be the source of most blurry/soft image situations.
2. The s230 does not use an in camera "sharpening" algorithm found in a lot of other digital cameras. So direct comparisons will often result in the appearance of poorer quality but a "sharpening" utility like that in photoshop will help.
3. The camera I had did definetly have a malfunction with the focusing and might not be true for all s230.

Finally, I have decided to wait some more before I choose the ultimate portable digital that I can carry with me all the time. I will stick to the s45 and g3 for casual stuff and the 1d/s for pro use.

Hope this is helps
Happy holidays
Eric

I find that the s230 takes pretty sharp pictures, but because its so small, shaking and keeping it still could be a problem.
You probably just have to work on holding the camera still when you're taking the pictures.

I've been having focus problems and blurry/fuzzyiness quite often when i take pictures in room light w/out my flash. Is that normal?? or should they be pretty clear.

It turns out decent when i leave the flash on, but that is quite annoying.

Well, I absolutely have to agree with Jedyt

My pictures with S230 have always been wery sharp (owned the camera since November and made hundreds of pics), but of course one has to take all necessary steps to ensure that - which means ensure proper light or choose flash or position your camera to avoid shaking - I have even made beautiful christmas light scenes with the camera in my hand !!!!
I think that although this is a point-and shoot camera for amateurs, it can make better or worse pictures depending on how you do it.

good luck,
zkosty

Thanks to all for their replies. Here's what I've noticed with some MORE testing. Photos taken outside with lots of light look GREAT. Photos taken inside, even with the flash on (well, the camera is in AUTO mode), look great sometimes, and sometimes look fuzzy. I've taken lots of precautions to keep the camera still. Any other ideas? Anyone care to share their images (I'd like to check out the Christmas lights shots!). I'll try to post my shots to a website for everyone to checkout.

PS - the macro mode *does* yield excellent shots though.

I have an S40 and am strting to get "a feel" for when the camera is going to have a hard time focusing. So far I've found low light (usually any indoors during the evening) and low contrast subjects give the camera the most problems. My two remedies are to use manual focus, and to use the viewfinder instead of the LCD screen. Putting the camera to you eye gives it another point of stability. This is especially important for these light-weight cameras.

Hummm....not to beat a dead horse...but rather, to beat the 230 drum. I bought a 230 to use on kayak expeditions with the DC600 housing. Now I find that it is with me ALL THE TIME and my G2 is getting less and less use. Is it "only" a point-and-shoot? Maybe, but I find its results to be SUPERIOR...

BJ
Sacramento

I agree, i had mine for a couple of weeks before returning it. I have a Nikon 950 digital camera but wanted something smaller and faster between picture times. I loved the size and speed but the auto focus was pretty poor.

Ditto what Qboom76 said. Owned my S230 for a couple weeks. Taking flash pictures of my kids indoors, less than 10 feet away, under low incandescent light. I can see the AF illuminator target. Results are sometimes sharp, sometimes fuzzy, for similar scenes and illumination. Fairly certain its a focus defect. I'm talking fuzzy, not modest softness or lack of sharpness.

Bought this camera instead of the Olympus C50 cause it had an AF illuminator. Didn't want to deal with focus problems.

Anyone know if Canon is acknowledging this defect? Might be a firmware update that could fix it.

As a see all post aboe users has the same problem and it not depending on which camera they use. You will experience the same problem with all very light compact camera. Several advices:
1. If wheather is not bright took always micro tripod with you. You will have problem taking architecture pictures (always see fuzzy pictures - result of hand shakes) and for sure moving objects will look fuzzy for sure. Shutter speed is low on this lighting conditions.
2. Switch off AiAF focus control and very carefully aim green box on the subject you conna shoot and lock the focus on this subject (see manual for details) - after locking the focus you can move a camera and shoot.
3. Shoot with bigger ISO (not 50 or 100) put 200. It will force shutter speed to be smaller.
4. Inside the room use ALWAYS flash light. And be shure not to be far away from object - camera flash is not strong and working on comparatively close to object.
5. It takes an expiriense with all cameras of this type to make clear pictures. If you do not want any of these problems - spend about $1500 or more and by a camera with reflector-type view-finder and you will see actual sharpness of the object and will have no problems at all in the future

One more advice - use self timer - 2 sec. to shoot - it will totaly eliminate hand shake effect when you press button to shoot. Very convinient in low light conditions!
And practise, practise and practise

has no problems at all!

And again, Canon camera has no defects. This is actually not "point and shoot" camera. As thow it maybe look like that. If you want easy camera (digital one) it's availble, for about 100 greens or more with steady focus, no zoom, it's focus system locked from less then 1 meeter till infinity - no blurry pictures! And does not has slow shutter - only fast, so you do not worry about shaking hands. But this type of camera, is kind of sofisticated, and you has to get to use to it sofisticated intellegent focus system, and once again, use more fockus locking possibilities (RTFM read the .... manual , I use my v3 for a short period of tyme but did a lot of pictures - some of them blurry - and I know for shure - it's my falt. Too many factors depend on it and Canon did a great job - you have a choice! You can be creative but it's not too easy, if you want easy - by cheeper camera.

AndreyD wrote:
As a see all post aboe users has the same problem and it not depending on which camera they use. You will experience the same problem with all very light compact camera. Several advices:
1. If wheather is not bright took always micro tripod with you. You will have problem taking architecture pictures (always see fuzzy pictures - result of hand shakes) and for sure moving objects will look fuzzy for sure. Shutter speed is low on this lighting conditions.
2. Switch off AiAF focus control and very carefully aim green box on the subject you conna shoot and lock the focus on this subject (see manual for details) - after locking the focus you can move a camera and shoot.
3. Shoot with bigger ISO (not 50 or 100) put 200. It will force shutter speed to be smaller.
4. Inside the room use ALWAYS flash light. And be shure not to be far away from object - camera flash is not strong and working on comparatively close to object.
5. It takes an expiriense with all cameras of this type to make clear pictures. If you do not want any of these problems - spend about $1500 or more and by a camera with reflector-type view-finder and you will see actual sharpness of the object and will have no problems at all in the future

I agree with everything you say here. The only exception might be number 4 where you say to set flash to ALWAYS be on. I prefer "AUTO" or "RED EYE" mode for indoors. I am not sure, but I think that locks the shutter at 1/60 second.

You make very good points about the S230. I have one and I am very impressed - it exceeds the capability of my previous point and shoot, the 35-mm Olympus Quick-shooter Zoom plus the Canon has more features than the Olympus did. And, its much easier to carry!

Thank you.
Yes, it's true, should not forget about RED EYE but I mean that without flash indoors - you will get 100% bad pictures if only you picture still objects and use tripod.
I experimented yesterday with long shutter and did pictures of almost completely dark room - very good shots! (but again, you can do this kind of pics only with tripod)
I am using v3 only for two weeks and as you, impressed about number of features and manual controls you can use. Leaving next week for a two weeks vacations, will be a good test for a camera Probably take a tripod with me, going to experiment with evening shots (long shutter) with evening city light and sunset in the sea.