Pics out of focus, what am I doing wrong?!

[WaterFox]

Been playing around with my canon A570 w/ canon housing. I'm using the flash diffuser, but no stobe.

I snap pictures underwater and they look decent on the little LCD screen, but when I get on dry land and download them to my computer, almost every single one is out of focus. I'm not looking to take super high quality stuff, but it would be nice if the pictures at least weren't so blurry.

I've been shooting in both auto mode and the P mode. Both modes seem to be giving me pictures that are out of focus. I've not yet tried the M, Av, or Tv modes. Also, I'm shooting in the highest resolution available on my camera... should I not be? I don't think that has anything to do with it, but you never know.

Am I just too close to my subjects? I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

 

[Kim]

You probably just need to stay very still, or at least keep the camera very still. You could also try shooting in "sport" mode while you are learning. Then the camera will select as fast a shutter speed as it can, which might also help.

 

[jldodd]

It also looks like you are quite close to your subjects. You made be too close for the normal focus range. Have you tried shooting in macro mode?

 

[bigfrog23]

it is definitely not motion blur or camera shake it looks like you are to close to your subject or it is having a difficult time focusing because you are in low light. i would try ether move back a little or set the camera to macro mode try both on land and get a feel for how close you camera can focus.

 

[clgsamson]

on "P" mode the camera is trying to get that "perfect exposure" but at a slow shutter speed. Can you post the exifs for each pic?

 

[Noboundaries]

I tried finding the owner's manual online for your camera. No luck.

With my Casio digital you hold the shutter button down 1/2 way for an instant and give the auto focus a chance to do it's magic. Then continue to depress fully and capture the image.

More than likely it is like the others said and you need to be in macro mode. Use your manual to memorize the min/max ranges for your different settings. With my camera, if the subject is less than 18 inches from the lens, I'd better be in macro mode or I get blurry images.

 

[Gilligan]

You may need to invest in some type of focus light to help the camera lens focus.

Check out this one. It turns off automatically when the cameras strobe fires so as not to be in the picture.

 

[Eskasi]

Make sure macro mode is on too.... If camera is on Auto and flash is fired (which seems like the case), the shutter speed should be adequate. A good focus light or simply using a torch to help would work wonders too. I have found that if macro mode is not on and light is low, the camera may hunt for a focus and sometimes just get it wrong....

 

[scubadiggy]

Apart from the above suggestions, it could also be that your lens gets fogged and hence although the pics are in focus they look hazy and out of focus.

 

[doctormike]

Been playing around with my canon A570 w/ canon housing. I'm using the flash diffuser, but no stobe.

I snap pictures underwater and they look decent on the little LCD screen, but when I get on dry land and download them to my computer, almost every single one is out of focus. ...

I'm shooting in the highest resolution available on my camera... should I not be? I don't think that has anything to do with it, but you never know.

Am I just too close to my subjects? I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

Your autofocus isn't locking. I assume that you are just pointing at something and pushing the button.

The autofocus takes a bit of time to lock on a subject, assuming that you are not closer than the minimum focus distance, which you don't seem to be. Does the same problem happen with photos take from further away? If your camera doesn't have a good (low) minimal focus distance, you could try the macro mode. You should be able to figure this part out on land...

With point and shoot cameras, especially in situations where the light isn't great, you need to prefocus - push the button halfway down after centering the focus point (usually the center, but this can be changed) on the subject. Once your focus locks in place, then push the button all the way down to take the picture.

This has nothing to do with resolution, and it doesn't look like motion blur to me...

Mike