Out of focus pictures

[Mike 1017]

Why do people post out of focus pictures? It takes a lot of skill and time to build a model car that you are proud of. Then the pictures that you post are junk. I don't get it.

I preview all my pictures weather they are posted in Fotki,forums,or E mailed.

Mike

[Baugher Garage]

Most likely technical limitations. I'm sure if they were able, they'd post better pics.

[Lovefordgalaxie]

Most of that happen when people use a cell phone to take pictures of the models. That's what I think.

i'm old fashioned I know, and for me a phone is a phone and not a camera or a computer.

[Greg Myers]

Funny you bring that up. I heard somewhere that 80% of all pictures taken today were taken with a cell phone. And if that ain't enough , most cell phones are of a greater quality than most cameras, more pixels as well.

[pharoah]

It could be the best camera in the world,but if you don't use it right,the pictures are still going to look bad.

Take a little time and see what works best.

It could be a whole other thread,but some sellers on *bay are awful. They're selling parts,but they just dump the box on the table and take a few fuzzy pictures. OK I'm done...

[Harry P.]

Bad photos aren't the camera's fault, whether digital camera or cell phone camera. Any cell phone camera or digital camera is capable of taking an in-focus photo.

The problem is the person taking the pictures, not the cameras.

[Erik Smith]

Good pots don't make good dinners any more than bad ones make bad dinners...

I use both an DSLR and my iPhone for photos. If I take the time to set up decent lighting, my iPhone takes decent photos.

[Eshaver]

Tulio makes a great point . I can prevue any picture BEFORE I send it out regardless on any forum. Simply store the picture on the computer , go to "Pictures " , then go to "Prevue ", dang , that was too easy wasn't it ?

[slusher]

I try not to hurt someone's feelings and take it they may not can do better. I can't see enough I don't leave a comment..

[rmvw guy]

Guilty. I have tried the best I can to get all of my photos in focus with my Sony Cyber-shot with 3.2 pixels (whatever that means), digital camera. I can not get close-ups of engines to save myself, sorry. I have tried to take and retake shots and usually just post my best. I figure it's better than nothing but, maybe not. I do appreciate some of the photography on this site and only wish I could do the same, as also applys to some of the skill level of the models I see. I have seen worse than what I do but, I figure everyone is at their own current skill level and looking for help here to improve their own skills.

[cartpix]

Every lens has a minimum distance. Most people don't know this. when they try to take a close up, they move the camera (lens), too close to the subject. Back off & zoom in or crop the photo after.

[Harry P.]

Guilty. I have tried the best I can to get all of my photos in focus with my Sony Cyber-shot with 3.2 pixels (whatever that means), digital camera. I can not get close-ups of engines to save myself, sorry.

If you shoot close-ups the macro setting has to be on (the little tulip icon). Anything from about two feet or farther, macro off.

It's all in the manual.

[Tom Geiger]

That's always bothered me. My father was a photographer and taught me how to frame a photo, focus and hold the camera still. I think of framing a photo as common sense, which isn't that common! I cannot believe the photos of cars for sale on Craigs List and eBay... how do you point a camera at a full size car and um... miss! Cars half in the picture and cut off on the edge? I can't believe what people upload as acceptable!

And people trying to sell "Pro Built" models on eBay. 3/4 of the sales potential is in a good description AND clear concise photos. You can have the greatest model on Earth, but I'm not gambling the $25 on the fuzzy object in your photos.

[Tom Geiger]

If you shoot close-ups the macro setting has to be on (the little tulip icon). Anything from about two feet or farther, macro off.

I just got a new Canon PowerShot A2500 (5x optical zoom / 16.0 megapixels) on eBay for less than $60 with free shipping. It has an automatic macro setting. That works for me big time. I'd always get 20 shots down an aisle at a model show and find out I forgot to set the macro setting!

[Harry P.]

I just got a new Canon PowerShot A2500 (5x optical zoom / 16.0 megapixels) on eBay for less than $60 with free shipping. It has an automatic macro setting. That works for me big time. I'd always get 20 shots down an aisle at a model show and find out I forgot to set the macro setting!

Auto macro is a good thing!

[Tom Geiger]

Auto macro is a good thing!

For less than $60 including a tri-pod, 2 memory cards, a camera bag and a spare battery. You just point at an object and the camera makes all the decisions. I just watch the macro symbol appear, and it decides whether to use the flash, or I swear it manufactures it's own light.

I was taking birthday pictures of my wife and two daughters and it literally focused on all three faces. Yea, three boxes appeared on the screen, each around a head. Amazing!

I only stumbled on this because I dropped my old camera in the snow and then ran it over for good measure!

[Harry P.]

Sounds like you got a great deal. Amazing how digital camera prices have come down while quality has gone up.

I have an older Sony Cyber-shot. Maybe 5-6-7 years old? I remember when I bought it, the 7.2 megapixels was pretty much top of the line. Today that's nothing.

[rmvw guy]

If you shoot close-ups the macro setting has to be on (the little tulip icon). Anything from about two feet or farther, macro off.

It's all in the manual.

I have not had much success with the marco setting on my camera. I wish I had the manual but, this is a case where you get what you pay for maybe. The camera was $5 at a garage sale. This should tell you it was old technology already when I got it.

I am wondering now if my problem has something to do with the minimum distance.

Every lens has a minimum distance. Most people don't know this. when they try to take a close up, they move the camera (lens), too close to the subject. Back off & zoom in or crop the photo after.

Or maybe lighting? My best close-up to date was taken oudoors in the full Sun. It was so bright out I couldn't even see through the camera and had to guess at the aim, just got lucky maybe?

[Custom Hearse]

When I first bought a digital camera, it took me awhile to figure it out. When I did I was able to get really good closeups:

Unfortunately the camera I had was lost. So now I'm starting all over again. I don't remember the settings, so I just have to start over again. When someone posts a pic that's out of focus, I won't criticize them. I've been there myself...

[rmvw guy]

Every lens has a minimum distance. Most people don't know this. when they try to take a close up, they move the camera (lens), too close to the subject. Back off & zoom in or crop the photo after.

Thanks for the help. The minimum distance may be my problem. I think my minimum might be around 8 inches in the marco setting. Check out these pictures. The first one was taken outside under full Sun.The second one was taken just now in doors under artificial light at about 8 inches in the marco setting. I will have to try this outside.

[W-409]

These are the best pictures that I've taken with my old Cell Phone:

But here I'm with Tulio "and for me a phone is a phone and not a camera or a computer".

Anyway what I found out while taking those pictures is that with a cell phone camera the pics need to be taken with extremely good light (Outside!) and they need to be taken further away than you'd do with real camera. Last you could crop the picture in Photobucket Photo Editor, for example. I don't say that those are very good pictures, but they are better than some cell phone shots that I've seen. I hope this helps someone.

But only time when I've used cell phone to take pics was when my camera broke down and I had nothing else.

Edited February 27, 2014 by W-409

[cartpix]

Or maybe lighting? My best close-up to date was taken oudoors in the full Sun. It was so bright out I couldn't even see through the camera and had to guess at the aim, just got lucky maybe?

Lighting is VERY important. Your camera "sees" a lot less light than we do. Another problem with not enough light is the aperture (much like your pupils), opens up, as much as it can. This cuts down on you depth of field or depth of focus. That means, the distance of what is in focus is very short. Like the front bumper is tack sharp, in focus, but further back it starts to get softer & blurry. As you close up the aperture, the the depth of field gets deeper.

If you can change the ISO (ASA in the old film days), you can set it higher, & you can shoot in lower light levels. If you set it too high (it varies with different cameras), the pictures will get nosey (grainy). You can even see noise, at a lower ISO, if the exposure isn't right.

You also have to pay attention to where your focus point is. I've seen shots, where the contest table is in focus, & the model blurry.

As for framing the shot, if I can frame race cars, at 200+ MPH, at night, panning, one after another, I don't know how anyone can't frame a stationary object, in the bright sun.

[cartpix]

Here's one of my shots, from last year's California 500, at Fontana Motor Speedway.

[slusher]

Every lens has a minimum distance. Most people don't know this. when they try to take a close up, they move the camera (lens), too close to the subject. Back off & zoom in or crop the photo after.

I learned to back off and zoom in and with our camera you must be real still when you take the picture.

[Lovefordgalaxie]

My brother has the newest Iphone. He loves those things. Me? I have Chinese Smartphone branded "Android" that I paid 20 Dollars for, and it takes better pictures than my brother's 600 Dollars phone. Prices here in Brazil.

Ask me how loud was my laughter when we compared pictures...

Anyway, none of them can take pictures as nice as my simple Sony Cyber-Shot (to stay digital)

I can adjust the flash, can adjust ISO level, exposure time, she can take pictures with very low light without pixelating the shot, something that the cell phones can't, not to mention I can set the macro, so the pictures can be taken from the interior of a model car with the actual lens carrier touching the model.

And my camera is a cheap one, imagine what can be done with a professional camera. No chance a cell phone can do the same.

If I'm willing to wait for the pictures to get processed, my 35mm Zenit 19 can make circles around the Sony. She won't make a call, or get online, but will take great photos.