How to fix out-of-focus picture.

[olya]

I have a problem - almost all my portraits and still lives appear to be out-of-fucus. I posted a few portrait here and they do not look ok because i cant'e focus properly. I have a Kodak dx 7440. It allows multi-zone, centre-zone and selectable-zone focus. For portraits i use selectable-zone but the photos still are not in-focus. This zone allows moving brackets to centre, left and right, but not upwards or downwards. What can i do to somehow improve my photos and make them in-focus. I realize that my cam is only a point-and-shoot, but still i believe that it is possible to improve a situation even with a compact camera.

P.s one more question. Can i somehow fix my out-of-focus photos in the post-processing? Thanks in advane.

[Scottie137]

Sharpening in Post Processing using unsharp mask or the like will help to a point. Do you use a tripod when you take portraits? Most likely, it is movement that is throwing your focus off, not the camera itself. You may also try to take continuous shots, if your camera has a drive mode or such. Often, you can get a clearer shot on the second or third shot. Hope this helps!

[Saralonde]

Lots of people here have point and shoots, Olya. I think Scottie is right about using a tripod. I know I have a problem holding my camera steady so I use a tripod whenever possible. You can pick up an inexpensive one in Wal-Mart-type stores. Or try resting your camera on a stationary surface.

[wulf]

There are two main types of "bad blur" your pictures can suffer from. If the subject is out of focus, then there will probably be another portion of the picture that is sharp; if the blur is because you moved, then everything will be slightly smudged. Of course, the two can combine so it is sometimes difficult to tell apart; getting the camera well anchored and taking pictures in good light can help.

With most cameras, you can also put the subject in the middle of the frame, half-press the button to lock the focus and then move the camera (keeping the button half-pressed) to the composition you want; with a point and shoot this is generally the only way to fix the focus on exactly the area you want.

Wulf

[Darren Rowse]

Olya - check out this tutorial for a few tips on different types of blur/out of focus shots (http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/how-to-tell-the-difference-between-camera-shake-or-poor-focussing/).

[clockdoc]

Hi Olya,
I see it has been over a month since you posted your question about your out-of-focus photos. The tips provided were excellent. Have you had better luck recently? Looking forward to seeing how you are progressing.

[blzrd]

One more suggestion is to not zoom in whenever possible. Zooming in drastically increases your camera shake and can really hamper your clarity if you aren't in very brightly lit areas.

[inkista]

Haven't used it myself, but a friend of mine swears by it. Might wanna take a look at Focus Magic (http://www.focusmagic.com/).

[ryansmith111]

I had this problem on my previous camera, so when I upgraded to the Panasonic FZ-5, I hoped the Optical Image Stabilization would help, and it helped immensely, especially if you are zooming in tight.