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R. Hames

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I'm having diffuculty in getting good focus when using the 'Macro' mode on the G2. In particular, when shooting outdoors over 50% of my photos have poor focus.

I have set the aperture at f8 hoping for some benefit from increased depth of field and have use the self-timer to avoid camera shake. So I think the fuzziness I get when I review the photos in the magnified image mode is mostly due to poor focus.

I attempt to use manual focus (difficult with the LCD screen when outdoors) and it appears that selecting this mode may cancel the Macro mode - at least the symbol on the screen disappears.

I have been thinking about getting a close-up lense but wondering whether I would experience similiar focus problems with the close-up lenses as I do now using the Macro mode.

Comments ???

Thanks,

****
 
Macro mode seems to focus very well for me, in fact I use it all time whenever I shoot under 3-4 feet. Exactly how close are you? Also, if you're using the tele setting, f8 won't help much with DOF. Close up and with a longer lens you get essentially zero DOF, so you might want to look at the images and see if there is any sharp spot at all. That would indicate good focus, shallow DOF.

alan.
R. Hames said:
I'm having diffuculty in getting good focus when using the 'Macro'
mode on the G2. In particular, when shooting outdoors over 50% of
my photos have poor focus.

I have set the aperture at f8 hoping for some benefit from
increased depth of field and have use the self-timer to avoid
camera shake. So I think the fuzziness I get when I review the
photos in the magnified image mode is mostly due to poor focus.

I attempt to use manual focus (difficult with the LCD screen when
outdoors) and it appears that selecting this mode may cancel the
Macro mode - at least the symbol on the screen disappears.

I have been thinking about getting a close-up lense but wondering
whether I would experience similiar focus problems with the
close-up lenses as I do now using the Macro mode.

Comments ???

Thanks,

****
Click to expand...
 
First question. Are you using a tripod? If not, get one. Macro focus is very precise. The only way to hold that perfect macro focus in manual, will be with a tripod. That way camera distance is locked and you are free to dial in focus. I don't have the close up kit yet but i imagine focus precision will be just as or even more critical.

good luck and let us know how things go. I'm a G2 owner since Feb 15, 2002--Roger http://www.pbase.com/rvision
 
Could you post a link to a few of your pictures so we can see what your talking about?

Ivan
=========
R. Hames said:
I'm having diffuculty in getting good focus when using the 'Macro'
mode on the G2. In particular, when shooting outdoors over 50% of
my photos have poor focus.
Click to expand...
 
ivan4741 said:
Could you post a link to a few of your pictures so we can see what
your talking about?

Ivan
=========
Click to expand...
I have been using a tripod and maybe I am trying to get too close (the manual indicates that in telephoto mode, I should be able to use 7.9 inches to 2.3 feet).

Since sending my first note, I have practiced indoors and it works fine in Macro mode using autofocusing. I also took practice shots using manual focus and did OK - considering the poor lighting,etc. So I guess that my outdoor photos taken with manual focus are poor as a result of poor focus but that doesn't explain why I did so poorly with autofocus (I was attempting to take photos of the 1st flowers of this late winter (crocus) and I would think that they exhibit high enough contrast for good focus (but maybe that's a factor)

I would like to post some pictures but will have to admit that I'm not sure just how to do that; and including photos in an email note is probably not acceptable due to the file sizes.

Does manual focus cancel the macro mode ??

Re close-up lense, I assume that I will be able to get higher effective macro pictures without getting as close to the subject or is that incorrect?

Appreciate the responses from all.

****
 
R. Hames said:
ivan4741 said:
Could you post a link to a few of your pictures so we can see what
your talking about?

Ivan
=========
Click to expand...
I would like to post some pictures but will have to admit that I'm
not sure just how to do that; and including photos in an email note
is probably not acceptable due to the file sizes.
Click to expand...
Just go to http://www.yahoo.com the photos.. set things up and upload some pictures besure to make a public Dir. for them..Take a look at mine it's nothing special just some examples.. http://photos.yahoo.com/ivan4741

Ivan
=======
 
R. Hames said:
I have been using a tripod and maybe I am trying to get too close
(the manual indicates that in telephoto mode, I should be able to
use 7.9 inches to 2.3 feet).

Since sending my first note, I have practiced indoors and it works
fine in Macro mode using autofocusing. I also took practice shots
using manual focus and did OK - considering the poor lighting,etc.
So I guess that my outdoor photos taken with manual focus are poor
as a result of poor focus but that doesn't explain why I did so
poorly with autofocus (I was attempting to take photos of the 1st
flowers of this late winter (crocus) and I would think that they
exhibit high enough contrast for good focus (but maybe that's a
factor)
Click to expand...
I shot a crocus and had the same problem in auto focus. The camera focused on the tree instead of the crocus. I had to go to manual to get the crocus in focus. Gee I'm a poet and don't know it. ha ha
R. Hames said:
Does manual focus cancel the macro mode ??
Click to expand...
No. I've used manual in macro. It just hard to use.
R. Hames said:
Appreciate the responses from all.

****
Click to expand...
--RogerG2 owner since Mid February 2002 http://www.pbase.com/rvision
 
R. Hames said:
Since sending my first note, I have practiced indoors and it works
fine in Macro mode using autofocusing. I also took practice shots
using manual focus and did OK - considering the poor lighting,etc.
So I guess that my outdoor photos taken with manual focus are poor
as a result of poor focus but that doesn't explain why I did so
poorly with autofocus (I was attempting to take photos of the 1st
flowers of this late winter (crocus) and I would think that they
exhibit high enough contrast for good focus (but maybe that's a
factor)
Click to expand...
It's probably not focus that's the problem outdoors, as you say the high contrast helps that. A tiny breeze blowing the flower as little as 1/4" is all it takes to go out of focus.
R. Hames said:
Re close-up lense, I assume that I will be able to get higher
effective macro pictures without getting as close to the subject or
is that incorrect?
Click to expand...
No, that is incorrect. Close-up lenses do not so much magnify the image, as they permit you to get closer focus, thus providing larger images. In essence they make worse the problem of attaining good focus, because the closer you get, the less effective DOF is.

alan.
 
R. Hames said:
I have set the aperture at f8 hoping for some benefit from
increased depth of field and have use the self-timer to avoid
camera shake. So I think the fuzziness I get when I review the
photos in the magnified image mode is mostly due to poor focus.
Click to expand...
Even in macro mode, there is a limit to how close the lens can be to the subject. I don't recall offhand, but it's probably in the manual.
R. Hames said:
I attempt to use manual focus (difficult with the LCD screen when
outdoors) and it appears that selecting this mode may cancel the
Macro mode - at least the symbol on the screen disappears.
Click to expand...
Macro mode is an AF thing. It tells the AF to start beyond the "macro" range and not bother with trying to look in the macro range. It's a time saver. It does not change the lens.
R. Hames said:
I have been thinking about getting a close-up lense but wondering
whether I would experience similiar focus problems with the
close-up lenses as I do now using the Macro mode.
Click to expand...
Close-up lenses really reduce DOF, but will allow you to get closer.
 
Roger

You took the thought out of my head - definitely use a tripod. I copied a photo that my neighbour took (my scanner is hopeless) so I could enlarge his photo for him and was hard pressed to see the difference between his shot and the copy. Macro does work but definitely need a tripod.
Sheila
rvision said:
First question. Are you using a tripod? If not, get one. Macro
focus is very precise. The only way to hold that perfect macro
focus in manual, will be with a tripod. That way camera distance
is locked and you are free to dial in focus. I don't have the
close up kit yet but i imagine focus precision will be just as or
even more critical.

good luck and let us know how things go. I'm a G2 owner since Feb
15, 2002
--
Roger
http://www.pbase.com/rvision
Click to expand...
--Sheila Smartwww.pbase.com/sheila/galleries
 
This may be painfully obvious, but be sure that you are completely zoomed out. The manual says you can be as close as 2.4 in. to 2.3 ft. at maximum wide angle; closest you can get in maximum telephoto, according to manual is 7.9 in.

brooke
eg said:
R. Hames said:
I have set the aperture at f8 hoping for some benefit from
increased depth of field and have use the self-timer to avoid
camera shake. So I think the fuzziness I get when I review the
photos in the magnified image mode is mostly due to poor focus.
Click to expand...
Even in macro mode, there is a limit to how close the lens can be
to the subject. I don't recall offhand, but it's probably in the
manual.
eg #37159 said:
I attempt to use manual focus (difficult with the LCD screen when
outdoors) and it appears that selecting this mode may cancel the
Macro mode - at least the symbol on the screen disappears.
Click to expand...
Macro mode is an AF thing. It tells the AF to start beyond the
"macro" range and not bother with trying to look in the macro
range. It's a time saver. It does not change the lens.
eg #37159 said:
I have been thinking about getting a close-up lense but wondering
whether I would experience similiar focus problems with the
close-up lenses as I do now using the Macro mode.
Click to expand...
Close-up lenses really reduce DOF, but will allow you to get closer.
Click to expand...
 
R. Hames said:
I'm having diffuculty in getting good focus when using the 'Macro'
mode on the G2. In particular, when shooting outdoors over 50% of
my photos have poor focus.

I have set the aperture at f8 hoping for some benefit from
increased depth of field and have use the self-timer to avoid
camera shake. So I think the fuzziness I get when I review the
photos in the magnified image mode is mostly due to poor focus.

I attempt to use manual focus (difficult with the LCD screen when
outdoors) and it appears that selecting this mode may cancel the
Macro mode - at least the symbol on the screen disappears.

I have been thinking about getting a close-up lense but wondering
whether I would experience similiar focus problems with the
close-up lenses as I do now using the Macro mode.

Comments ???

Thanks,

****
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for all the feedback - from my indoor testing, I find that I can get good sharp photos.

Will experiment outdoors (weather permitting) and I do recall that it was fairly breezy this afternoon so that may have been another factor (as mentioned in earlier note).

I had assumed that since I was shooting at around 1/250 that the breeze factor would not be that great but considering the distance between the object and the lense I suspect that any small motion can be significant.

Won't be jumping to get a close-up lense right away - will see if I can make some improvements in use of macro mode first.

Set up a Yahoo Web site this evening but haven't uploaded any of the macro shots (got to convert from raw and downsize first.)

Thanks to all,

****
 
The Kodak Browine camera picture on my yahoo picture site was taken today with G2 in macro and auto...bright sun also windy here.

Ivan
========
R. Hames said:
Set up a Yahoo Web site this evening but haven't uploaded any of
the macro shots (got to convert from raw and downsize first.)

Thanks to all,

****
Click to expand...
 
From what I see you were just to far from the flower(only one was close enough) for the macro mode. Were you in single focus mode? you should be for this type of close picture.
Ivan
========
R. Hames said:
R. Hames wrote:

The macro photos are in the Digital Photo file.
Click to expand...
 
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