Obtaining Good Focus with a Compact Point and Shoot Camera in Macro Mode
Have you ever taken a closeup shot (macro) and the camera reports to you that the shot is in focus, but the result is not exactly the focus you desired? There are 4 possible reasons for this and one technique to overcome it, which I call FHRS. Parts of this post pertain to shots taken on a tripod, but mostly this advice is for hand held macro photography.
FHRS stands for Focus, Hold, Recompose, Shoot, and I will explain the technique fully in this thread, but first, let's review the 4 causes of incorrect focus.
1 - Compact cameras have an auto-focus system. There are menu options allowing you to set various auto-focus methods. On most cameras, the default setting is the center of the frame. Other options include multiple points of focus, face detection and so on. But since most people use the center default setting, we shall discuss that.
Let's say you have a bracelet as your subject. It's circular and the main pendant or bead is at the bottom of the circle. The bracelet rests upon a textured cloth. When you take your shot, you center the bracelet in frame, the camera tells you that the shot is in focus and you take your shot. But the main bead is out of focus and you get great focus on the cloth texture in the center of the bracelet. That's because the camera focus is set to center, and your beads are at the periphery, so the camera set the focus upon the cloth, not the bead.
2 - Depth of Field (dof). Closeup photos have a shallow depth of field. For a visual explanation of dof, see this post: Understanding DOF. So, your lack of focus might be related to having the camera at an angle to your subject, and to correct this, the camera should be perpendicular.
3 - In hand held shots, no matter how steady and stable you think you are, it is possible for the camera to drift closer or further from the subject, and because of the shallow dof, the shot goes out of focus.
4 - Most people are not aware that they are moving the camera when they push the shutter button down, or when releasing it after the shot is taken. The camera takes the shot in a fraction of a second after the shutter button is pushed all the way down, so if your pressing action or lifting action causes camera movement during the exposure time, the image will have blur.
And now we shall discuss methods to improve macro focus.
Before we get into FHRS, these settings will help. If your camera has image stabilization, make sure it is activated. Set the camera to ISO 200 or 400 as this will force a faster shutter speed.
FHRS
Your camera's shutter button has 2 positions. You can press it half way down to the focus detente, and you can push it all the way down to the shoot detente. Next:
FOCUS and HOLD: Looking in your monitor, bring the camera toward your subject until you have the focus and composition you desire. Now press the shutter button half way to the focus detente and hold it there.
HOLD and RECOMPOSE: Continue holding the shutter button at the focus detente, look into the monitor to check the focus and if necessary, make adjustments to the camera position (or subject position if using a tripod) to refine your desired focus.
SHOOT: As soon as you see perfect focus in your monitor, press the shutter button the rest of the way down to take the shot. However, be aware that pressing and releasing the shutter button itself can cause camera movement and blur. So practice eliminating movement by pressing the shutter button gingerly. Also, once you press the shutter to shoot, it is a good idea to not release it until after the shot has been taken. This will eliminate any possibility of camera movement while releasing the shutter.
A little experimentation and practice goes a long way to create the union of camera to photographer. It's like riding a bike. After a fashion, you and the bike are one. Same with your camera, a union evolves through familiarity.
FHRS stands for Focus, Hold, Recompose, Shoot, and I will explain the technique fully in this thread, but first, let's review the 4 causes of incorrect focus.
1 - Compact cameras have an auto-focus system. There are menu options allowing you to set various auto-focus methods. On most cameras, the default setting is the center of the frame. Other options include multiple points of focus, face detection and so on. But since most people use the center default setting, we shall discuss that.
Let's say you have a bracelet as your subject. It's circular and the main pendant or bead is at the bottom of the circle. The bracelet rests upon a textured cloth. When you take your shot, you center the bracelet in frame, the camera tells you that the shot is in focus and you take your shot. But the main bead is out of focus and you get great focus on the cloth texture in the center of the bracelet. That's because the camera focus is set to center, and your beads are at the periphery, so the camera set the focus upon the cloth, not the bead.
2 - Depth of Field (dof). Closeup photos have a shallow depth of field. For a visual explanation of dof, see this post: Understanding DOF. So, your lack of focus might be related to having the camera at an angle to your subject, and to correct this, the camera should be perpendicular.
3 - In hand held shots, no matter how steady and stable you think you are, it is possible for the camera to drift closer or further from the subject, and because of the shallow dof, the shot goes out of focus.
4 - Most people are not aware that they are moving the camera when they push the shutter button down, or when releasing it after the shot is taken. The camera takes the shot in a fraction of a second after the shutter button is pushed all the way down, so if your pressing action or lifting action causes camera movement during the exposure time, the image will have blur.
And now we shall discuss methods to improve macro focus.
Before we get into FHRS, these settings will help. If your camera has image stabilization, make sure it is activated. Set the camera to ISO 200 or 400 as this will force a faster shutter speed.
FHRS
Your camera's shutter button has 2 positions. You can press it half way down to the focus detente, and you can push it all the way down to the shoot detente. Next:
FOCUS and HOLD: Looking in your monitor, bring the camera toward your subject until you have the focus and composition you desire. Now press the shutter button half way to the focus detente and hold it there.
HOLD and RECOMPOSE: Continue holding the shutter button at the focus detente, look into the monitor to check the focus and if necessary, make adjustments to the camera position (or subject position if using a tripod) to refine your desired focus.
SHOOT: As soon as you see perfect focus in your monitor, press the shutter button the rest of the way down to take the shot. However, be aware that pressing and releasing the shutter button itself can cause camera movement and blur. So practice eliminating movement by pressing the shutter button gingerly. Also, once you press the shutter to shoot, it is a good idea to not release it until after the shot has been taken. This will eliminate any possibility of camera movement while releasing the shutter.
A little experimentation and practice goes a long way to create the union of camera to photographer. It's like riding a bike. After a fashion, you and the bike are one. Same with your camera, a union evolves through familiarity.
For a visual example of FHRS in action, go to Little BigShot and watch the video entitled "Macro Photography Technique" which perfectly demonstrates FHRS while attempting to capture hand held macros of seltzer bubbles on a slice of lemon.
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