S75 closest macro zoom, and getting focused

[Michael43787]

After running a few tests, it's clear that the closest apparent macro shots (narrowest field of view) are abtained by setting the zoom one step to the tele side of center, looking at the sliding scale in the LCD monitor. That is five steps up from full wide angle, and three steps up from the default power-on position. For what it's worth, the EXIF says the focal length at this position is 13.9mm. The closest actual distance does not change significantly (if at all) for the first six zoom settings from wide. After that, each step toward tele has a longer minimum distance.

Also, while focusing on a single item among many items at varying distance, the camera will focus on items within the square in the LCD monitor. If there is more than one possible focus within the square (very likely with macro shots), it will tend to prefer the item closest to the current focus setting. If it has a focus lock, it will not try for another. So, to get a particular item in focus it is helpful to move the camera closer to or further from the subject, or from side to side until you get the desired focus lock. Half-pressing the shutter button will cause the camera to seek focus, even if it otherwise wouldn't. You can then move the camera until your shot is framed the way you like it (keeping the desired object in view), and the focus will usually stay locked on that item. This is by no means an infallible technique. That autofocus has a mind of its own. But I've amost always been able to coax it to focus on what I want.

And finally, the focus lock does lock in the macro focus, even though the macro icon disappears. This lock lasts through changes in the zoom, and from shot to shot. So the zoom can be used to help get the right focus, and then re-frame the shot.

Michael

 

[René]

After running a few tests, it's clear that the closest apparent
macro shots (narrowest field of view) are abtained by setting the
zoom one step to the tele side of center, looking at the sliding
scale in the LCD monitor. That is five steps up from full wide
angle, and three steps up from the default power-on position. For
what it's worth, the EXIF says the focal length at this position is
13.9mm. The closest actual distance does not change significantly
(if at all) for the first six zoom settings from wide. After that,
each step toward tele has a longer minimum distance.

Also, while focusing on a single item among many items at varying
distance, the camera will focus on items within the square in the
LCD monitor. If there is more than one possible focus within the
square (very likely with macro shots), it will tend to prefer the
item closest to the current focus setting. If it has a focus lock,
it will not try for another. So, to get a particular item in focus
it is helpful to move the camera closer to or further from the
subject, or from side to side until you get the desired focus lock.
Half-pressing the shutter button will cause the camera to seek
focus, even if it otherwise wouldn't. You can then move the camera
until your shot is framed the way you like it (keeping the desired
object in view), and the focus will usually stay locked on that
item. This is by no means an infallible technique. That autofocus
has a mind of its own. But I've amost always been able to coax it
to focus on what I want.

And finally, the focus lock does lock in the macro focus, even
though the macro icon disappears. This lock lasts through changes
in the zoom, and from shot to shot. So the zoom can be used to
help get the right focus, and then re-frame the shot.

Michael

Thanks for the info, Michael. After sailing through extreme macro shots with the S70, I'm finding the S75 to be a challenge. What seems to be in focus on the LCD is not what turns out to be in focus when the shot in taken. Even when I review the shot zooming in, it appears to be in perfect focus, but when I open the image in Photoshop, focus is consistently about 1/4" behind where I wanted it to be. I took about 40 macro shots one session when I first got the camera, and only one of them was in focus!

I was working on a tripod, and photographing jewelry items. The lens was about as close at it would go. And ideas or suggestions for me? I don't use the "focus lock". I don't understand what that accomplishes. I'm on a tripod and aiming the rectangle on the area I want focused, half pressing the shutter, waiting for the green light, etc. At first I thought I was just too close for the lens, but usually when that's the case, the focus will fluctuate on the LCD.

How are you finding the EXIF information showing the focal length??

thanks for your help!

 

[Michael43787]

You may have a defective camera. Every time I have seen an object appear in focus on the LCD monitor, it has been in focus in the picture taken.

I read the EXIF using a free program for Windows called ExifReader. I found it using Google.

Michael

After running a few tests, it's clear that the closest apparent
macro shots (narrowest field of view) are abtained by setting the
zoom one step to the tele side of center, looking at the sliding
scale in the LCD monitor. That is five steps up from full wide
angle, and three steps up from the default power-on position. For
what it's worth, the EXIF says the focal length at this position is
13.9mm. The closest actual distance does not change significantly
(if at all) for the first six zoom settings from wide. After that,
each step toward tele has a longer minimum distance.

Also, while focusing on a single item among many items at varying
distance, the camera will focus on items within the square in the
LCD monitor. If there is more than one possible focus within the
square (very likely with macro shots), it will tend to prefer the
item closest to the current focus setting. If it has a focus lock,
it will not try for another. So, to get a particular item in focus
it is helpful to move the camera closer to or further from the
subject, or from side to side until you get the desired focus lock.
Half-pressing the shutter button will cause the camera to seek
focus, even if it otherwise wouldn't. You can then move the camera
until your shot is framed the way you like it (keeping the desired
object in view), and the focus will usually stay locked on that
item. This is by no means an infallible technique. That autofocus
has a mind of its own. But I've amost always been able to coax it
to focus on what I want.

And finally, the focus lock does lock in the macro focus, even
though the macro icon disappears. This lock lasts through changes
in the zoom, and from shot to shot. So the zoom can be used to
help get the right focus, and then re-frame the shot.

Michael

Thanks for the info, Michael. After sailing through extreme macro
shots with the S70, I'm finding the S75 to be a challenge. What
seems to be in focus on the LCD is not what turns out to be in
focus when the shot in taken. Even when I review the shot zooming
in, it appears to be in perfect focus, but when I open the image in
Photoshop, focus is consistently about 1/4" behind where I wanted
it to be. I took about 40 macro shots one session when I first got
the camera, and only one of them was in focus!

I was working on a tripod, and photographing jewelry items. The
lens was about as close at it would go. And ideas or suggestions
for me? I don't use the "focus lock". I don't understand what that
accomplishes. I'm on a tripod and aiming the rectangle on the area
I want focused, half pressing the shutter, waiting for the green
light, etc. At first I thought I was just too close for the lens,
but usually when that's the case, the focus will fluctuate on the
LCD.

How are you finding the EXIF information showing the focal length??

thanks for your help!

 

[Peter S.]

You may find macro photgraphy to be easier if you mount the S75 on a focusing rail, the mount the rail on the tripod. After getting an approximate auto-focus, lock the focus with the focus button, and then tweak the focus as necessary by slightly moving the entire camera with the focus rail. A geared focus rail, rather than a sliding rail, will be easier to use when tweaking the focus. Calumet.com has some nice Novoflex rails that are geared.

After running a few tests, it's clear that the closest apparent
macro shots (narrowest field of view) are abtained by setting the
zoom one step to the tele side of center, looking at the sliding
scale in the LCD monitor. That is five steps up from full wide
angle, and three steps up from the default power-on position. For
what it's worth, the EXIF says the focal length at this position is
13.9mm. The closest actual distance does not change significantly
(if at all) for the first six zoom settings from wide. After that,
each step toward tele has a longer minimum distance.

Also, while focusing on a single item among many items at varying
distance, the camera will focus on items within the square in the
LCD monitor. If there is more than one possible focus within the
square (very likely with macro shots), it will tend to prefer the
item closest to the current focus setting. If it has a focus lock,
it will not try for another. So, to get a particular item in focus
it is helpful to move the camera closer to or further from the
subject, or from side to side until you get the desired focus lock.
Half-pressing the shutter button will cause the camera to seek
focus, even if it otherwise wouldn't. You can then move the camera
until your shot is framed the way you like it (keeping the desired
object in view), and the focus will usually stay locked on that
item. This is by no means an infallible technique. That autofocus
has a mind of its own. But I've amost always been able to coax it
to focus on what I want.

And finally, the focus lock does lock in the macro focus, even
though the macro icon disappears. This lock lasts through changes
in the zoom, and from shot to shot. So the zoom can be used to
help get the right focus, and then re-frame the shot.

Michael

Thanks for the info, Michael. After sailing through extreme macro
shots with the S70, I'm finding the S75 to be a challenge. What
seems to be in focus on the LCD is not what turns out to be in
focus when the shot in taken. Even when I review the shot zooming
in, it appears to be in perfect focus, but when I open the image in
Photoshop, focus is consistently about 1/4" behind where I wanted
it to be. I took about 40 macro shots one session when I first got
the camera, and only one of them was in focus!

I was working on a tripod, and photographing jewelry items. The
lens was about as close at it would go. And ideas or suggestions
for me? I don't use the "focus lock". I don't understand what that
accomplishes. I'm on a tripod and aiming the rectangle on the area
I want focused, half pressing the shutter, waiting for the green
light, etc. At first I thought I was just too close for the lens,
but usually when that's the case, the focus will fluctuate on the
LCD.

How are you finding the EXIF information showing the focal length??

thanks for your help!

 

[Ulysses]

How are you finding the EXIF information showing the focal length??

René, this is really odd. I can't speak for the S75 LCD, but even with the Hybrid LCD of the F505V, I can almost always tell when a macro is in focus. Could it be a matter of training. I know you've taken a lot of macros already, but maybe training your eye to look at different rules might help.

Or maybe it's the camera that's the problem. Or maybe the S75 just isn't for you, after all.

On the EXIF information, I use Mike Kawalski's EXIF Image Viewer, and you can input the appropriate multiplier factor for your camera's lens so that the program shows 35mm equivalents for focal lengths.

 

[Peter S.]

I just tried out the technique I was recommending in my earlier post below, and to my surprise the focus button does not lock in the focusing distance in macro mode. The focus rail technique will therefore not help out much. Just another reason I will be doing most of my macro photography with a 35mm SLR and a true macro lens.

After running a few tests, it's clear that the closest apparent
macro shots (narrowest field of view) are abtained by setting the
zoom one step to the tele side of center, looking at the sliding
scale in the LCD monitor. That is five steps up from full wide
angle, and three steps up from the default power-on position. For
what it's worth, the EXIF says the focal length at this position is
13.9mm. The closest actual distance does not change significantly
(if at all) for the first six zoom settings from wide. After that,
each step toward tele has a longer minimum distance.

Also, while focusing on a single item among many items at varying
distance, the camera will focus on items within the square in the
LCD monitor. If there is more than one possible focus within the
square (very likely with macro shots), it will tend to prefer the
item closest to the current focus setting. If it has a focus lock,
it will not try for another. So, to get a particular item in focus
it is helpful to move the camera closer to or further from the
subject, or from side to side until you get the desired focus lock.
Half-pressing the shutter button will cause the camera to seek
focus, even if it otherwise wouldn't. You can then move the camera
until your shot is framed the way you like it (keeping the desired
object in view), and the focus will usually stay locked on that
item. This is by no means an infallible technique. That autofocus
has a mind of its own. But I've amost always been able to coax it
to focus on what I want.

And finally, the focus lock does lock in the macro focus, even
though the macro icon disappears. This lock lasts through changes
in the zoom, and from shot to shot. So the zoom can be used to
help get the right focus, and then re-frame the shot.

Michael

Thanks for the info, Michael. After sailing through extreme macro
shots with the S70, I'm finding the S75 to be a challenge. What
seems to be in focus on the LCD is not what turns out to be in
focus when the shot in taken. Even when I review the shot zooming
in, it appears to be in perfect focus, but when I open the image in
Photoshop, focus is consistently about 1/4" behind where I wanted
it to be. I took about 40 macro shots one session when I first got
the camera, and only one of them was in focus!

I was working on a tripod, and photographing jewelry items. The
lens was about as close at it would go. And ideas or suggestions
for me? I don't use the "focus lock". I don't understand what that
accomplishes. I'm on a tripod and aiming the rectangle on the area
I want focused, half pressing the shutter, waiting for the green
light, etc. At first I thought I was just too close for the lens,
but usually when that's the case, the focus will fluctuate on the
LCD.

How are you finding the EXIF information showing the focal length??

thanks for your help!

 

[René]

OK, now I'm really confused about what "autofocus" does. Just exactly what does it lock? The exact distance of the lens from the subject? This is the impression I'm getting from your comments so far, although if I'm in focus and lock it, why would I want to move the camera (on a rail, e.g.) after that? If the camera locks the distance, wouldn't moving the camera/lens put the image out of focus? Why do I need to "lock" a focus once I've found it?

OTOH, maybe it locks the exact location in the rectangle where I'm finding my focus? Now, this would be really useful, becaue it would operate in a similar manner to the spot meter. I could tell the camera "focus here, where this crosshair is" (or wherever) and then move the crosshair around to compose.

I know you've
taken a lot of macros already, but maybe training your eye to look
at different rules might help.

What different rules are these? What should I train my eye to look for that I'm not already looking for? Macros are largely what I've taken for the past umpteump years. Focus is what it's all about, and DOF. I had no problem with the S70, but my S75 camera is consistently out of focus in the same manner, over and over. If I'm doing something wrong, what is it?

To explain further, imagine a cylinder about 5/8" in diameter, and about 1 3/4" long. (These are jewelry objects that I make.) It has detail all around it. I lay it down on its side and arrange the detail I want in the front, maybe moving up toward the top a little. I focus on that front detail. The LCD shows it in focus, and the playback image shows it in focus. But in Photoshop, the camera's real sharp focus is behind this, where the "edge" of the cylinder visually meets the background. The leading face and the top "shoulder" is always out of focus. I would think if it were my sloppy technique, I would have varied results. But I always have the same results. (Incidentally, I'm not having this problme with my friend's CP990 I've used for the same purpose.)

Can you suggest a surefire test to see whether my camera is defective?

I appreciate the help.

René

 

[Ulysses]

OK, now I'm really confused about what "autofocus" does. Just
exactly what does it lock? The exact distance of the lens from the
subject? This is the impression I'm getting from your comments so
far, although if I'm in focus and lock it, why would I want to move
the camera (on a rail, e.g.) after that? If the camera locks the
distance, wouldn't moving the camera/lens put the image out of
focus? Why do I need to "lock" a focus once I've found it?

I'm not sure of exactly what you mean by this series of questions. I don't think I said anything that led to these ideas of locking you focus, did I?

OTOH, maybe it locks the exact location in the rectangle where I'm
finding my focus? Now, this would be really useful, becaue it would
operate in a similar manner to the spot meter. I could tell the
camera "focus here, where this crosshair is" (or wherever) and then
move the crosshair around to compose.

Yes, the rectangular area should represent the center of where the focus is obtained.

What different rules are these? What should I train my eye to look
for that I'm not already looking for? Macros are largely what I've
taken for the past umpteump years. Focus is what it's all about....

I really can't think of a sure-fire method for you. Nothing is fool-proof these days, and each user has his own tricks and gauges for knowing his own camera.

But how do you know that what you are seeing in the LCD is really in focus? Are you seeing an image sharply enough? On my F505V when I am doing macros, the best way I can describe it is that I see a sort of moire pattern when things are in focus. I look at contrasty edges in the image, and I try to look for little sparkly moire patterns. To my eyes, it is quite visible when an object demonstrates this pattern, and I can see where it is on the object that this effect occurs. This is where my focus is, and it is correct about 80-90% of the time. But that's me, and I haven't seen anyone else describe it quite like this. Your mileage may vary.

If your camera is ALWAYS really getting its true focus behind the spot at which it appears in the LCD, then either something is wrong with the camera, or you may need to reevaluate how you "see" the image in the LCD.

 

[Ulysses]

This is the impression I'm getting from your comments so
far, although if I'm in focus and lock it, why would I want to move
the camera (on a rail, e.g.) after that? If the camera locks the
distance, wouldn't moving the camera/lens put the image out of
focus? Why do I need to "lock" a focus once I've found it?

Oh, those rails. I don't like that either. But I guess some cameras might require that by design. The S75 shouldn't.

 

[René]

Trying agin: what does "focus lock" do? Just exactly what does it "lock"? (and please don't say "it locks the focus, because that isn't helpful.) The distance of the lens from the subject? Or the placement of the subject in the rectangle? If I'm on a tripod and "lock the focus", what purpose does it serve me to then move the camera lens? It seemed like a straightforward question.

As for what I see on the LCD, I see areas which are "sharp" and areas which are "blurry". Same as when I take the pic and zoom in to check the focus. I don't see moire patterns, I see "sharpness" vs. "Not-sharpness". Detail vs. no detail. But those areas are reversed in Photoshop.

 

[Ulysses]

Trying agin: what does "focus lock" do? Just exactly what does it
"lock"? (and please don't say "it locks the focus, because that
isn't helpful.)

But it does!

The distance of the lens from the subject? Or the
placement of the subject in the rectangle? If I'm on a tripod and
"lock the focus", what purpose does it serve me to then move the
camera lens? It seemed like a straightforward question.

Straightforward maybe to you.

That's why no one but this glutton for pain called Ulysses is replying to your question? And apparently, I'm still not following you.

But seriously: Are you asking for an explanation of how contrast detection works?

Or are you asking about the manner in which the area for focused is sampled?

For what it's worth, the whole rail idea I do not think would apply to what you are asking other than to compensate for what you are consistently observing. My solution, however, would be to try another S75, if you know someone who has one, or else swap your current one for a new one. Maybe you do have a defective camera.

The rectangular area in brackets should serve as the most reliable area in which the camera chooses to apply its contrast detection system so as to maintain a successful focus. This is translated in firmware into a figure for distance, which you'll see in the display when you switch to Manual Focus mode (at least that's what happens in the F505V... I don't know about the S75...). The only thing that I would think is relevant to you here is that you place your subject for focus within that rectangle.

Unfortunately, this must be frustrating for you.

As for what I see on the LCD, I see areas which are "sharp" and
areas which are "blurry". Same as when I take the pic and zoom in
to check the focus. I don't see moire patterns, I see "sharpness"
vs. "Not-sharpness". Detail vs. no detail. But those areas are
reversed in Photoshop.

Sorry if my own terms are confusing you as much as yours are confusing me. But we'll figure this out eventually.

I guess moire is not really accurate. But I do see a sort of interference pattern on my LCD screen which my eyes translate as the area of optimal focus. Out of focus areas do not have these little glints in the same way.

I'm at a loss as to why your actual pics would not carry the same sharpness once in Photoshop.

 

[Michael43787]

The autofocus lock behavior that my S75 shows is just like manually focusing a SLR lens, and leaving it set. You can take the picture and move the camera around, then go back to your shot and the focus is still set to the same distance from the lens. I have found this to be of some help while trying to frame and focus a shot. You can get the focus, then lock it and work on framing the shot with the zoom. It can also help if the camera really "wants" to focus on the wrong item. You can focus on that item, lock the focus, then move the camera in or out until the right item is in focus. None of this, however, seems to address the problem you are seeing.

While not foolproof, I would set a ruler and a small item on a smooth white sheet on a table. Make sure the sheet is well ironed, so that there are no areas of contrast for the autofocus to see. Set the ruler so that it falls outside the focus square, and is perpendicular to the focal plane of the camera. Make sure that the zero point of the ruler starts at the front of the lens. Set the small item so that it is the only thing in the square, and therefore the only thing the autofocus can focus on. Take your shot. The ruler should very plainly show what is in focus and what is not. If the focused part of the ruler is in front of or behind the focused item, you have a defective camera.

Michael

OTOH, maybe it locks the exact location in the rectangle where I'm
finding my focus? Now, this would be really useful, becaue it would
operate in a similar manner to the spot meter. I could tell the
camera "focus here, where this crosshair is" (or wherever) and then
move the crosshair around to compose.

I know you've
taken a lot of macros already, but maybe training your eye to look
at different rules might help.

What different rules are these? What should I train my eye to look
for that I'm not already looking for? Macros are largely what I've
taken for the past umpteump years. Focus is what it's all about,
and DOF. I had no problem with the S70, but my S75 camera is
consistently out of focus in the same manner, over and over. If I'm
doing something wrong, what is it?

To explain further, imagine a cylinder about 5/8" in diameter, and
about 1 3/4" long. (These are jewelry objects that I make.) It has
detail all around it. I lay it down on its side and arrange the
detail I want in the front, maybe moving up toward the top a
little. I focus on that front detail. The LCD shows it in focus,
and the playback image shows it in focus. But in Photoshop, the
camera's real sharp focus is behind this, where the "edge" of the
cylinder visually meets the background. The leading face and the
top "shoulder" is always out of focus. I would think if it were my
sloppy technique, I would have varied results. But I always have
the same results. (Incidentally, I'm not having this problme with
my friend's CP990 I've used for the same purpose.)

Can you suggest a surefire test to see whether my camera is defective?

I appreciate the help.

René

 

[platyase]

But how do you know that what you are seeing in the LCD is really
in focus? Are you seeing an image sharply enough? On my F505V when
I am doing macros, the best way I can describe it is that I see a
sort of moire pattern when things are in focus. I look at contrasty
edges in the image, and I try to look for little sparkly moire
patterns. To my eyes, it is quite visible when an object
demonstrates this pattern, and I can see where it is on the object
that this effect occurs. This is where my focus is, and it is
correct about 80-90% of the time. But that's me, and I haven't seen
anyone else describe it quite like this. Your mileage may vary.

Just so you know you're not alone, I use the same sparkly aliasing pattern to know where the focus is. I just did a little bit of experimenting with the macro mode of my S75, and there does seem to be a region of sharpness just closer to the lens than the sparkly region. If one were looking for sharpness (and felt that the sparkles detracted from sharpness), then one would end up with the true focus consistently just behind the desired subject.

René, can you try to look for this sparkly region and see if this is what is happening with your macro pictures?

****

 

[Michael Kincaid]

Let me give this a shot. Focus lock simply freezes the position of the lens once the camera has focused. So, when the camera focuses, it is focusing on the object in the rectangle. But once focus is locked, you can do anything you want… you can take a picture of the same subject from the same distance, and the focus will be right. You can take a picture of a subject at a different distance from the same place, and it will be out of focus. You can move the camera to make a different subject in focus (this is especially helpful if there's a subject the autofocus doesn't want to focus on -- focus on something else, then move the camera so the subject you want is the same distance as the object you originally focused on).

In other words, and this is probably an oversimplification, once focus is locked, the camera is focused on an object at a given distance, and you can either wait and take the picture, or use that same focus for a different subject at the same distance. If you shoot a subject at a distance different from the subject you focused on, after locking focus, it'll be out of focus.

Someone who knows better, please correct me, if necessary.

Trying agin: what does "focus lock" do? Just exactly what does it
"lock"? (and please don't say "it locks the focus, because that
isn't helpful.) The distance of the lens from the subject? Or the
placement of the subject in the rectangle? If I'm on a tripod and
"lock the focus", what purpose does it serve me to then move the
camera lens? It seemed like a straightforward question.

As for what I see on the LCD, I see areas which are "sharp" and
areas which are "blurry". Same as when I take the pic and zoom in
to check the focus. I don't see moire patterns, I see "sharpness"
vs. "Not-sharpness". Detail vs. no detail. But those areas are
reversed in Photoshop.

 

[Ulysses]

platy -

Maybe you're on to something here (plus I'm glad I'm not alone on this...)

I've always sort of intuited how I obtain this focus. But now that I really give some directed thought to it, there is a significant difference between how an S75 user would achieve their focus versus the way an F505V user would get it. I have a manual focus ring, and I can carefully dial in where I want the focus. So I may be compensating for it as I slowly turn the ring back and forth to get my range for the focus. Or maybe the F505V is just fundamentally different as to when the sparkly aliasing appears relative to the actual focus being landed upon.

But how do you know that what you are seeing in the LCD is really
in focus? Are you seeing an image sharply enough? On my F505V when
I am doing macros, the best way I can describe it is that I see a
sort of moire pattern when things are in focus. I look at contrasty
edges in the image, and I try to look for little sparkly moire
patterns. To my eyes, it is quite visible when an object
demonstrates this pattern, and I can see where it is on the object
that this effect occurs. This is where my focus is, and it is
correct about 80-90% of the time. But that's me, and I haven't seen
anyone else describe it quite like this. Your mileage may vary.

Just so you know you're not alone, I use the same sparkly aliasing
pattern to know where the focus is. I just did a little bit of
experimenting with the macro mode of my S75, and there does seem to
be a region of sharpness just closer to the lens than the sparkly
region. If one were looking for sharpness (and felt that the
sparkles detracted from sharpness), then one would end up with the
true focus consistently just behind the desired subject.

René, can you try to look for this sparkly region and see if this
is what is happening with your macro pictures?

****

 

[Ulysses]

Couldn't have put it any better. This is simply the way it works.

 

[platyase]

platy -

Maybe you're on to something here (plus I'm glad I'm not alone on
this...)

I've always sort of intuited how I obtain this focus. But now that
I really give some directed thought to it, there is a significant
difference between how an S75 user would achieve their focus versus
the way an F505V user would get it. I have a manual focus ring, and
I can carefully dial in where I want the focus. So I may be
compensating for it as I slowly turn the ring back and forth to get
my range for the focus. Or maybe the F505V is just fundamentally
different as to when the sparkly aliasing appears relative to
the actual focus being landed upon.

I think the S75 and the F505V are the same in that the sparkly aliasing appears at the region of actual focus. My point was that there is a region outside of the focused region (at least on the S75) where the image appears sharp on the LCD but not sharp enough to be sparkly. If the user were looking for this "sharp enough on LCD" region as a guide, then they would get consistent misfocusing.

A manual focusing ring would be pretty cool to have. As it is, the jog dial on the S75 is much better than the single button focusing on the S70 where you could only scroll through the focusing distances in one direction.

****

 

[René]

Are there two Michaels here? If so, thank you both for taking the trouble to explain. (If only one Michael, then thank you twice!)

I understand what focus lock does now. Your suggestion about the ruler + the object is excellent. I'll definitely try it. Took another dozen macros today, similar to the first batch. I was mainly testing the same objects against the Nikon 990 to see how the color fidelity and sharpness compared. Same lighting conditions. I was the minimum distance from the object, about 1 5/8". When I was too close, the green light would continue to blink. The focus was "better" than the first batch, but the images were still extremely soft at the point of focus. Much too soft for what I have been expecting, compared to what the S70 did under the same situation. I really hope the camera is defective, because so far, I'm terribly disappointed with its performance in terms of image sharpness. The Nikon is supposed to give a "soft" picture, but so far, it rings circles around my S75 in the level of detail it captures.

The color of the S75 pics was quite acceptable, BTW. It also handled the exposure much better than the Nikon, even on the darker and undersides of the object. And DOF is pretty good.

Thanks again for your help, Michael(s). I'll let you know what I find out!

René

 

[Michael43787]

Yes there are two people on this forum using the name "Michael".

The S75 does use a default sharpness much less than the S70. To achieve the same sharpness as the S70, set the S75's sharpness to +2. Personally, I prefer to leave it at the default value and increase the sharpness in Photoshop. That way I can sharpen different areas of the picture different amounts. Others like the camera to do the sharpening.

Michael

Are there two Michaels here? If so, thank you both for taking the
trouble to explain. (If only one Michael, then thank you twice!)

I understand what focus lock does now. Your suggestion about the
ruler + the object is excellent. I'll definitely try it. Took
another dozen macros today, similar to the first batch. I was
mainly testing the same objects against the Nikon 990 to see how
the color fidelity and sharpness compared. Same lighting
conditions. I was the minimum distance from the object, about 1
5/8". When I was too close, the green light would continue to
blink. The focus was "better" than the first batch, but the images
were still extremely soft at the point of focus. Much too soft for
what I have been expecting, compared to what the S70 did under the
same situation. I really hope the camera is defective, because so
far, I'm terribly disappointed with its performance in terms of
image sharpness. The Nikon is supposed to give a "soft" picture,
but so far, it rings circles around my S75 in the level of detail
it captures.

The color of the S75 pics was quite acceptable, BTW. It also
handled the exposure much better than the Nikon, even on the darker
and undersides of the object. And DOF is pretty good.

Thanks again for your help, Michael(s). I'll let you know what I
find out!

René

 

[René]

I have been setting the default sharpness to +2, and the images have been so full of jpeg artifacts that I can see them in 5X7 prints! No thank you! Even a sharpness setting of 0 does not begin to have the same smooth sharpness as the S70. There is a "halo" around areas of contrast - the kind of stuff you see in basic jpegs, not fine ones. Noise is "sharpened", even at a setting of 0. This is my biggest disappointment with this camera, the lack of the same image quality that the S70 had.

I ran some macro focus tests today with a ruler, and a straight pin stuck into a piece of white foam core, intersecting a fine horizontal black line across the set up. The line and the pin were 2" away from the lens, with the ruler just outside the focusing rectangle. What I learned was the point of focus appears to to be just behind where it is supposed to be, by about 3/32". But the camera seems to have no forward DOF whatsoever, so everything in front of the focus point, even by 1/16" is ever so slightly out of focus. I'm fussy about crisp images (since I am mainly photographing jewelry that I make), so this lack of sharpness drives me nuts. To someone else, it may not even be noticeable. Combine this with the noise and the halos (such as around all the lines of the ruler), and I'm gnashing my teeth.

Are you getting sharp images in macro, with a little DOF in front of the focus point as well as behind? (This is what happens with a conventional film camera - they tell you to focus about 1/3 of the way into your image for the greatest DOF.)

René

Yes there are two people on this forum using the name "Michael".

The S75 does use a default sharpness much less than the S70. To
achieve the same sharpness as the S70, set the S75's sharpness to
+2. Personally, I prefer to leave it at the default value and
increase the sharpness in Photoshop. That way I can sharpen
different areas of the picture different amounts. Others like the
camera to do the sharpening.