Seems Soft - Focus Off?

 

I'm still learning the settings on this Fuji X100T, and enjoying most results immensely. But I posted this Poppy photo earlier in No Words, and I'd like feedback on the image regarding the softness it shows, and whether perhaps it was a simple mistake of shooting too close to the Poppy without setting the camera to macro?

 

The camera settings were:

 

Aperture & shutter speed on Auto

Auto Focus

Mono/ Br

ISO - Auto 2

Image quality - F + RAW

Sharpness +1

Shot approx 10" - 12" from the Poppy

 

Thanks for the help!

Looks like autofocus found the green stuff, rather than the flower. There are various strategies you can use for focus. I usually set things up so I can focus on a small area near center, freeze it with 1/2 shutter push, then move over and take the shot. With some cameras you can move the focus area to where you really want it or use a multi-point focus that, hopefully, finds whatever is closest to the camera. You might also be at the limit of focus where it couldn't reach the flower, but I doubt it.

I post processed your photo by adding some sharpness to the image, and the greenery and background were definitely in focus, while the flower, itself, was not, so it wasn't camera shake, but rather you were just a tad too close, or had the focus point somewhere other than dead centered on the flower..

Looks like autofocus found the green stuff, rather than the flower. There are various strategies you can use for focus. I usually set things up so I can focus on a small area near center, freeze it with 1/2 shutter push, then move over and take the shot. With some cameras you can move the focus area to where you really want it or use a multi-point focus that, hopefully, finds whatever is closest to the camera. You might also be at the limit of focus where it couldn't reach the flower, but I doubt it.

 

Yep, that's exactly what I didn't do, and somehow I now even remember not doing the 1/2 shutter push prior to shooting. Should that action occur prior to shooting at all distances, or did I not allow, in this case, enough time for the AF function to complete its action when shooting close to a subject? A ask because now I think it's happened on other 'close subjects', yet not distances beyond a few feet. I do have the focus area selected for center.

 

Thanks much for this Conrad.

I post processed your photo by adding some sharpness to the image, and the greenery and background were definitely in focus, while the flower, itself, was not, so it wasn't camera shake, but rather you were just a tad too close, or had the focus point somewhere other than dead centered on the flower..

 

Thanks SCL. I do have the AF center point selected as centered, but it sounds as if maybe I should have selected macro for shooting that close.

But as Conrad Hoffman indicated above, perhaps had I done the 1/2 push on the shutter prior to shooting, do you think that would have focused the flower successfully?

Remember, I don't know anything about the Fuji X100T. The usual idea is you put the subject in the focus box, do the 1/2 push to focus it, then, without letting up on the shutter button so you don't lose the focus, move over for the framing you want and complete the shutter press. You have to read the manual to see just how the camera can be set up. It's easy enough to test- just set something on a shallow cardboard box on the floor to replicate your shot and try it.

Yes further testing and checking results is likely the way to go. The manual, at least what I received, is very sketchy but there's good stuff elsewhere.

 

Thanks Conrad

. . . I'm still learning the settings on this Fuji X100T, and enjoying most results immensely. But I posted this Poppy photo earlier in No Words, and I'd like feedback on the image regarding the softness it shows, and whether perhaps it was a simple mistake of shooting too close to the Poppy without setting the camera to macro? . . . Shot approx 10" - 12" from the Poppy . . .

 

AF did find the green stuff, but there is no doubt that the Poppy Flower was too close for the AF to ever lock on.

 

The Fuji X100T can only focus to a Subject/Object at about 500mm (about 19") from the Lens's Front Surface.

 

Macro Mode was required to be engaged if the Poppy Flower was about 10"~12" from the Lens: that will allow focus on Objects up to at about 4" from the Lens’s Front Surface.

 

WW

Working close-up, I'd definately shift the AF point.

 

Either assign a button to AF point, or assign the four-way controller directly. It's fairly evident in the menus.

AF did find the green stuff, but there is no doubt that the Poppy Flower was too close for the AF to ever lock on.

 

The Fuji X100T can only focus to a Subject/Object at about 500mm (about 19") from the Lens's Front Surface.

 

Macro Mode was required to be engaged if the Poppy Flower was about 10"~12" from the Lens: that will allow focus on Objects up to at about 4" from the Lens’s Front Surface.

 

WW

 

Excellent information WW, I'd failed thus far in my search for this - Thanks

Working close-up, I'd definately shift the AF point.

 

Either assign a button to AF point, or assign the four-way controller directly. It's fairly evident in the menus.

 

Thanks Steve, yes working on those settings now. It isn't complicated really, it's just new which can be worse.

. . . I'd failed thus far in my search for this [i.e. the information regarding Minimum Working Distances for X100T, Normal Mode vs. Macro Mode] . . .

 

I have a Fuji X100S. Regarding the two models, I understand that the Working Distances are the same. In my User Manual, I find those details in the last pages where the "Specifications" are listed. I expect that your X100T would be the same. The details/instructions for "Macro Mode" in the main body of the User Manuals are not explicit.

 

They make nice cameras and lenses; they publish poor quality User Manuals. Also mine is laced with a few Typographical Errors - so their Proof Readers aren't much chop, either: but the camera is fantastic, so all is forgiven.

 

WW

Edited April 18, 2020 by William Michael

I have a Fuji X100S. Regarding the two models, I understand that the Working Distances are the same. In my User Manual, I find those details in the last pages where the "Specifications" are listed. I expect that your X100T would be the same. The details/instructions for "Macro Mode" in the main body of the User Manuals are not explicit.

 

They make nice cameras and lenses; they publish poor quality User Manuals. Also mine is laced with a few Typographical Errors - so their Proof Readers aren't much chop, either: but the camera is fantastic, so all is forgiven.

 

WW

 

Perhaps Fuji was confident that its customers would simply progress from the original 100, to S, to T, and so on so thought 'why put out a decent manual?'. Mine has no specification page at all, and consists of mainly part and warning light identification. Page 6 & 7 do cover mounting the strap very well.

 

But now thanks to your post Google searches should include that information. Yes, a lovely camera and will remain far beyond me for some time. I'm still stunned what it puts out with no 'post' whatever.

 

Thanks again -

For me, not refocusing by half-depressing (and waiting) is the nr. 1 cause of my blurry and out-of focus photos. It's just so tempting to see something interesting and just 'point and shoot.

 

The nr. 2 cause is trying to AF at a closer distance than the lens can cope with. With special 'macro' lenses, you can get real close up. With 'longer' lenses less so. I have 3 very different lenses that I could have used for this shot. But it's very unlikely that I would have all 3 lenses with me at ant one time. In other words: you work with what you have /

Ideally

I would have used dedicated macro lens with a minimum focusing distance of about 20 cm. A second (the most likely) option would have been to use my 24-70mm .'walkabout' lens that has a minimum focusing distance of some 40 cm. A thirhave produced the same size photos. But the 'longer' the lens is, the 'flatter' the photos would look.

 

So, first of all develop the habit of half-depressing and waiting (0.5 sec.) before fully depressing the shutter. Secondly, know what the minimum focusing distance is for your lense(s). These days, the size of digital images n pixels is far more than most people need for digital use or to make prints. So take photos well within the optical AF limits of your lenses and zoom in digitally (by cropping) as necessary.

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0 lens,

Edited April 26, 2020 by mikemorrell

Looks like autofocus found the green stuff, rather than the flower. There are various strategies you can use for focus. I usually set things up so I can focus on a small area near center, freeze it with 1/2 shutter push, then move over and take the shot. With some cameras you can move the focus area to where you really want it or use a multi-point focus that, hopefully, finds whatever is closest to the camera. You might also be at the limit of focus where it couldn't reach the flower, but I doubt it.

 

Conrad, the settings were on full automatic, so the camera software did the thinking.

[ATTACH]1337944[/ATTACH]

 

I'm still learning the settings on this Fuji X100T, and enjoying most results immensely. But I posted this Poppy photo earlier in No Words, and I'd like feedback on the image regarding the softness it shows, and whether perhaps it was a simple mistake of shooting too close to the Poppy without setting the camera to macro?

 

The camera settings were:

 

Aperture & shutter speed on Auto

Auto Focus

Mono/ Br

ISO - Auto 2

Image quality - F + RAW

Sharpness +1

Shot approx 10" - 12" from the Poppy

 

Thanks for the help!

 

Perhaps you should set the camera on aperture priority or shutter priority until you get the hang of it.

Thanks Mike, yes that 1/2 shutter press was forgotten when shooting the poppy, which resulted in the soft focus. Another issue with that action, that as an amateur I was able to cause, was that occasionally I would look for a shot on the SD card that wasn't there, as I'd likely pressed half down on the shutter thinking I'd actually shot a photo, when clearly not.

 

I'm still running 'full auto' on the settings, but have activated the AEL/AFL button for faster more certain focusing, that, with pressing the wheel above for enlargement has pretty much solved the focus issue for me. This, and having a better idea of the measurements required by the lens before going to the macro setting.

Perhaps you should set the camera on aperture priority or shutter priority until you get the hang of it.

 

Thanks Michael, yes actually those are the current settings, the only change I've made after the soft focus poppy is now I'm using the AEL/AFL rear button, which provides more certain focus seemingly quicker.

 

I've tried the settings available for manual focus, but find them far more sketchy to use than, for example, my old Nikon 35's SLR's. I'm certain though it'll be a matter of practice.

Its not the settings. if its on autofocus, it should focus, but do you have focus or shutter priority enabled? If shutter priority is enabled, the camera can fire before its focused, Its either that, or the OP had some movement. But in any event, the photo is a bit soft.

Its not the settings. if its on autofocus, it should focus,

 

Probably, you missed this comment - (post #8)

 

"The Fuji X100T can only focus to a Subject/Object at about 500mm (about 19") from the Lens's Front Surface.

 

Macro Mode was required to be engaged if the Poppy Flower was about 10"~12" from the Lens: that will allow focus on Objects up to at about 4" from the Lens’s Front Surface."

WW

Probably, you missed this comment - (post #8)

 

"The Fuji X100T can only focus to a Subject/Object at about 500mm (about 19") from the Lens's Front Surface.

 

Macro Mode was required to be engaged if the Poppy Flower was about 10"~12" from the Lens: that will allow focus on Objects up to at about 4" from the Lens’s Front Surface."

WW

 

No I didn't miss it, I responded and thanked you in post #10.

...I was only commenting that Barry might have missed it.

Did you test the camera's auto-focus - back/front focusing by taking pics of a ruler?

Probably, you missed this comment - (post #8)

 

"The Fuji X100T can only focus to a Subject/Object at about 500mm (about 19") from the Lens's Front Surface.

 

Macro Mode was required to be engaged if the Poppy Flower was about 10"~12" from the Lens: that will allow focus on Objects up to at about 4" from the Lens’s Front Surface."

WW

Makes sense. But if you are looking through the EV, shouldn't you be able to see it is out of focus? I use an X-Pro2 maybe its different than the 100T. In any event its out of focus.

if you are looking through the EV, shouldn't you be able to see it is out of focus?

 

Two answers -

 

1. Probably, if directly above and the flower was near the centre, then both the EV and Screen should have shown !AF : but if shooting slightly askew, then the camera might have thought that the Photographer wanted the background in focus and did not give that warning.

 

2. Yes, I think that someone used to using the camera would have seen the OOF in both the EV and the Screen, but, things like that are also really easy to miss when one is learning a new camera.

 

WW

Edited May 20, 2020 by William Michael