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02/04/2004 10:01:17 AM · #1 |
Okay, I've been playing with my camera since about the end of October. The one problem I'm having is focusing (outside) in low-light. I've read through the manual and scrolled through menus, but darn it all, I'm just not being able to get this thing to focus as sharply as I think it should. For instance, this morning there was a hawk sitting on the very top of a pine tree that I wanted very badly to capture. Due to the fact that the sun was not yet shining brightly and it had an overcast background it just would NOT focus on the bird at all. I switched to night mode and at least it would focus, but then the shutter speed slowed down too much and by the time I could get my tripod out, he was gone. If anyone has any suggestions for me as to how to bypass this auto-focus thing, I'd sure appreciate it!
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02/04/2004 10:17:19 AM · #2 |
I have the 720 and it does the same thing. The shutter lag is RIDICULOUS on these things. You can't manually focus so the best you can do is pre-focus. Doesn't work very well unless you're expecting the shot or at least A shot in that area, but it's the best you can do is to prefocus at that distance and keep the button half-pressed and hope your subject does something at that distance. Otherwise you gotta deal with the 2 second lag. Kinda dumb if you ask me (see also: upgrading to a non C-7x0 lol)
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02/04/2004 10:26:12 AM · #3 |
You CAN manually focus. It's just that it is clumsy and is very difficult to tell when you are in focus and not just close.
I've been a film camera user for 30 years and NEVER had an autofocus camera until I got my C-750. I miss the SLR split focus, but cannot afford a DSLR. I still like my Olympus, even with its flaws, and am glad I made the purchase (I've had it for about 6 months now). |
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02/04/2004 10:37:39 AM · #4 |
"The camera also has manual focus, though you'd be hard-pressed to find it unless you read the Acrobat-based reference manual. (Hint: Hold down the OK button for a few seconds.)"
Sorry it looks a heck of a lot like my cam - buttons, knobs and all. I figured it didn't have a ring, so it didn't have manual focus. I don't know how to use it sharply to answer the original question, but I guess you are right, it is there. Practice, I guess. :)
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02/04/2004 10:52:42 AM · #5 |
I feel your pain. Or have felt it, anyway. Here's how to engage the manual focus on the C-750:
1. Turn on the LCD on the back of the camera.
2. Hold down on the OK button until something happens - that something is the menu coming up for you to toggle between AF and MF - using the Left/Right arrows, go to MF.
3. Use the Up/Down arrows to move the arrowhead indicator to the approximate distance of your subject - obviously, be as accurate as you can, but the scale is pretty inexact.
4. Snap away. When you want to go back to AF, repeat step 2, and toggle back to AF.
Having the same problem as you described, even in higher-light situations, I finally found the directions on this in the .pdf that is the manual. This technique can be useful whenever the contrast between the subject and the background is low. I did not have this problem with my C-700, and I consider it the least handy/most bogus feature of the C-750 - but at least they gave us a way out, I guess.
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02/04/2004 11:05:14 AM · #6 |
| wkmen: Thanks! Just tried it on my C-740 and it works on it also. |
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02/04/2004 11:13:10 AM · #7 |
Thank you, wkmen! I figured it out - now I'll just have to try it outside and see if I'm any happier with the results than with the autofocus! Amazing all the hidden menus in this thing!
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02/10/2004 03:47:25 PM · #8 |
| I've been playing bout with manual focus mode for a while on C-750 and, like others, miss the simplicity of a lensfocussing ring (though check out new leica - handles like a good old fashioned analogue but is digital - £1300 though!). Low light is always a problem because autofocus mechanism uses contrast to determine correct focus. Manual focus is useful if you persevere but I find that the zoomed in bit of the viewfinder doesn't give many clues as to whether you're there or not. Best always estimate distance and use as small an aperture as poss (use aperture priority mode) to maximise depth of field. be reassured though - low light is the fundamental problem and the lack of a mechanism ( like lasers I think on more expensive cameras??) to deal with it. Though come to think of it - isn't there a diy tool - a tape measure - that works by bouncing lasers off walls? Hawk might not like it but other subjects might benefit - just a thought off the top of my head.. |
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02/10/2004 04:03:33 PM · #9 |
Yep, I've been playing with the manual focus as well - it does seem to be of help in some instances (fast flying birds for one seems to work a little better - nice to not have to wait on the autofocus) but I'm not entirely pleased with the results. Oh well. I've also had a devil of a time trying to learn the DOF capabilities - I wanted to do a fairly close shot for the current challenge, but finally gave up as it didn't seem to matter which aperture setting I used, everything came out in focus. Not something I plan to use a lot anyway, but I did think it would be good knowledge to have. I can control the DOF nicely if I'm taking an outdoor shot, but things within a couple feet I just couldn't seem to figure it out.
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