[obol] auto focus cameras

[Floyd Schrock]

Another suggestion:  Your "point-and-shoot" digital camera probably first 
focuses on the object in the center of the viewfinder, before it goes on to 
capture the image.  In many simple cameras this focusing will happen when 
you depress the shutter button only halfway, but the capture will not happen 
until you depress the button completely.  So... (if the bird is staying in 
one place long enough) focus on another (large, solid) object at the same 
distance as the bird by depressing the button halfway, then (while holding 
that locked-in focus by not releasing or depressing the button further) 
swing back to the bird and press the button down the rest of the way to 
capture the image.

Worth a try, maybe?

=====================
Floyd Schrock
McMinnville, Oregon  USA
fschrock at macnet.com


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Owen Schmidt
  To: OBOL
  Cc: Dennis P. Vroman
  Sent: Friday, January 12, 2007 12:32 PM
  Subject: Re: [obol] auto focus cameras




   To maximize your chances in a situation like this .......... depending on 
what equipment you have and what the light conditions are .......... I might 
suggest you'd start by turning off autofocus and manually setting the focus 
to infinity.  Then set a high ISO and set your camera to aperture priority, 
f8 or higher.  Leave your camera on (if it has a "sleep" mode that's still 
faster than turning it on).  Then twirl and shoot .......


  No doubt there have to be compromises because of weight and cost, which 
may explain their troubles.  Your shirt-pocket digital point-and-shoot isn't 
going to be ready for a shot for a couple of seconds.  But they were 
carrying an "SLR" which probably means a "DSLR" -- digital single lens 
reflex.  There's nothing wrong with Kodak cameras (that I know of).  It's 
just that they were apparently not set up for a maximum chance at success in 
a twirl-and-shoot situation .............


  oschmidt at att.net
  Friday, January 12, 2007










  On Jan 12, 2007, at 12:12 PM, Dennis P. Vroman wrote:


    Having a Kodak digital camera (not one of the professional ones), I can 
say that even it doesn't obtain the "Kodak moments" with all photos either. 
It's an auto focus and trying to get it to focus on that little bird in back 
of and surrounded by dominate foreground vegetation is pretty tough to 
accomplish.

    Any suggestions on this Owen?  ...other than a better camera that is.

    Dennis




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