OOF subjects.

[Chantel Stewels]

Hi all.
Here's something that I find irritating every now and again and it's high time I got an answer for it.
Let me first mention that I've got a Canon Powershot S3 IS camera.
Why, sometimes, when I take a close-up or fairly close-up shot of say a bird or a flower, thus the main subject, the bird or flower is out of focus and the background is in focus although the camera beeped to say that the focus is right, I can take the pic. But when I download the pic it's exactly not what I want.

Thanks!

[EOSThree]

The camera has no idea what your "subject" is, it's up to you to make sure what you want the camera to focus on is in focus when the green box lights up and goes beep. This may mean several re compose and half presses before you get it right. All the focus system is looking for is the highest contrast in the focus box and that may or may not be your subject.

[Chantel Stewels]

So there's no 'magic formula' to get this right. It's just try and try again?

[EOSThree]

Pretty much, an SLR will do the same thing, it's just looking for high contrast. I will half press until what I want to be in focus is, it may take a couple. I usually move the green box around a little(by moving the camera, not the focus box)and then half press again. When I see my subject in focus I will maintain the half press and re compose to what I am looking for in the frame then take the shot.

[mjs1973]

So there's no 'magic formula' to get this right. It's just try and try again?

Yes there is a formula for getting this right. I don't know much about the S3, but there is an easy way to get the results you're after. Simply make sure your cameras AF point is on your subject and press the shutter button half way down until you hear it peep, or the focus light comes on. This will lock the focus on your subject. Then you can recompose your shot however you like while still holding the shutter button half way down, then press it all the way to take the photo.

You may be able to adjust the AF points in your camera.

Canon's website lists the AF system for the S3 as being single/continuous. I'm not sure how it works, but if you can, I would set it to single, and then follow the method I mentioned above.

[Chantel Stewels]

Alright. Thanks mjs1973 and EOSThree. I think I've got it now. That's obviously why some of my shots work and others not. I'll practice a bit this coming week. When all the friends and family and goodness alone knows who else have finally left my building!

[another view]

You may need to be in Macro mode, depending on how close you're trying to get. It's usually the one with the flower icon. If you're not in Macro mode, the camera can only focus to a certain distance, but in that mode you may be able to focus within a few inches.

[Frog]

One way to get it that I've used if the camera is having a hard time focusing on what you want it to foucus on is to find something easier for it to focus on,(maybe brighter and larger), and focus on it at same distance you want the subject at and then do the half press thing.

[Chantel Stewels]

I'm also thinking of using macro mode and Frog, you've also got a good idea there.