My SD550 will not focus. It appears to take good "macro" pictures, but anything farther away is blurry. The camera is set to auto.

blurry can be due to out of focus or camera shake are the most common if you are in video mode try turning off Auto focus and using manual or the other way around , next if the image is blurry while in close up mode when does the image become clear again ? what adjustments are necessary to get a sharp image ? moving the camera further away ? change settings ? add more light ? does your camera have a setting called MACRO ? It seems your device has the capabilities to shoot clear video close up so let me know if anything I have suggested worked or was of no help .

Are you handholding the camera? For macro photography you almost have to have the camera on a tripod or other stable support.

Is everything blurry? That probably indicates camera motion since I assume the jewelry isn't moving. If part of the picture is sharp, probably in the center, then it's a depth of field issue. The camera focuses a certain distance away, and anything not at that distance (closer or farther away) tends to blur. Unfortunately there's not much you can do to control depth of field with a point&shoot camera. See http://www.fixya.com/support/r9564373-controlling_depth_field.

Diopter is for your eye only and does not effect the focus of the camera. By using the 1/2 down method, by pressing the photo taking button half way down, you can set the cameras focus. on some cameras this is shown where it will focus by a red square. If you change the diopter this is like adding by focal lenses for reading a book. and setting the distance your particular eye needs for eye relief. On binoculars this is done with screwing the eyepiece closer or farther away from the other lens. check out online http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyeglass_prescription this will give you more details of what a diopter is or does. Always know what setting your shooting at as well. for instance if you are on a flower setting or Macro then this is for up close work. But up close doesn't mean too close. Most cameras on Macro need to be 6 inches to 12 inches away. But if you are say 24 inches away it won't focus right so don't try to zoom in, use your optical instead of digital and simply move closer or change the settings on the camera to a different setting or it may be blurry.

ensure finger is not covering auto focus.

ensure camera is not in macro setting. look for icon like a flower this is only for close up shots and will cause bluring if subject is too far away.

check that camera is set in auto focus and not manual focus mode if it has this.


I hope this was helpful.

most cameras come with an option called macro,this setting is for close up shots.on your camera it needs to set at wide angle.when choosing the shooting mode move left or right and choose the icon of a flower.if you adjust the zoom, a zoom bar will appear at the top of the lcd.if you try to use a zoom not intended for macro shots the flower icon will gray out and the bar will appear yellow,if you take a picture with the yellow bar it will be blurry.if you zoom out a little until it stops you should be ok. if you use a flash in macro mode the images edges usually will darken.hope this helps.

Your camera's Focus mode may be set on Macro Selectable in which case the Auto Focus Range will be "wide: 0.07–0.7 m, tele: 0.4–0.7 m (macro AF)" as quoted in the specifications from www.kodak.com web page for the EasyShare M1033. While this setting is great for a close-up of a flower, anything more than a meter (about one yard) away will be blurred unless you reset your Auto Focus mode back to "normal AF" or "landscape mode"

ake sure your subject is within the camera's range. You should be at least 20 inches away to take a picture without the flash, and 20 inches to 8 feet away to take a picture with the flash. You can take a picture as close as 8 inches in macro mode. When you take macro close-ups, make sure you have adequate lighting (with the flash disabled). Using a tripod will help you capture sharp pictures. Make sure you hold the camera steady after you press the shutter button (until the red light starts to flash), and your subject isn't moving. If you are shaking the camera when you lock the focus, a warning icon appears in the right corner of the LCD. If you want to photograph a moving subject, you can change the shutter speed while the camera is connected to your computer. Try increasing the shutter speed. See Chapter 4 for more information about how to change the shutter speed from the LCD menus. Make sure your flash is not set to flash off. When you focus on a nearby object, your picture's background may appear blurry. Try changing your focus.

Make sure your subject is within the camera's range. You should be at least 31 inches away to take a picture without the flash, and 31 inches to 8 feet away to take a picture with the flash. You can take a picture as close as 8 inches in macro mode. When you take macro close- ups, make sure you have adequate lighting (with the flash disabled). Using a tripod will help you capture sharp pictures. Make sure you hold the camera steady after you press the shutter button (until the red light starts to flash), and your subject isn't moving. If you are shaking the camera when you lock the focus, a warning icon appears in the right corner of the LCD. If you want to photograph a moving subject, you can change the shutter speed while the camera is connected to your computer. Try increasing the shutter speed. For more information, see Chapter 6. Make sure your flash is not set to flash off. When you focus on a nearby object, your picture's background may appear blurry. Try changing your focus.

Make sure your subject is within the camera's range. You should be at least 20 inches away to take a picture without the flash, and 20 inches to 8 feet away to take a picture with the flash. You can take a picture as close as 8 inches in macro mode (2.3" zoomed to wide). When you take macro close-ups, make sure you have adequate lighting (with the flash disabled). Using a tripod will help you capture sharp pictures. Make sure you hold the camera steady after you press the shutter button (until the red light starts to flash), and your subject isn't moving. If you are shaking the camera when you lock the focus, a warning icon appears in the right corner of the LCD. If you want to photograph a moving subject, you can change the shutter speed while the camera is connected to your computer. On the PhotoPC 3000z you can also use Program (Sports Mode) or Manual (Shutter Priority) to increase the shutter speed. Make sure your flash is not set to flash off. When you focus on a nearby object, your picture's background may appear blurry. Try changing your focus.

There are several factors that can contribute to getting better focus and improved results. 1. Auto Focus / Auto Exposure lock. Press the shutter button down HALF WAY. The camera will attempt to adjust exposure to the current lighting environment for maximum benefit. Then the camera will automatically correct the focus based on objects in the center of the display. If the camera can automatically set the focus and exposure, the LED by the viewfinder will turn GREEN. If the camera can not adjust the settings automatically, the LED will turn RED. This process usually takes about two to three seconds. 2. Be sure not to cover the sensor on the front of the camera with your finger. This will disable the automatic focus and exposure controls. 3. Only us the MACRO MODE (Flower Icon) for CLOSE-UP photography. Be sure to use MACRO MODE if you are taking pictures of an object at less than six inches away. Using MACRO MODE improperly will result in poor focus. 4. Rely on the Rear LCD Display. When in doubt, trust the LCD. The LCD will display the subject more accurately than the viewfinder. This will help with "framing" the subject, or determining if you have enough light for proper exposure. 5. Motion can cause a "blur" effect. Either motion of the subject, or motion by the photographer. This phenomenon is just like traditional photography. Moving objects may appear to blur, and this will be even more evident in lower lighting situations as the shutter speed slows down to allow for more light. The shutter will react faster in bright light, and motion will not be as apparent.