How do I use manual focus on a Canon PowerShot SX210 IS?

Asked 6/22/2011

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On my Canon PowerShot SX210 IS, switching to manual focus shows a distance bar on the right side of the screen with markings like 1, 2, and 5 m. Changing that bar doesn't seem to affect the display much, and I tried setting it to infinity for a close-up shot, which made the image blurry. How is manual focus supposed to work on this camera, and when should I use the distance scale?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

15y ago

2 Answers

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According to the user manual, you first focus approximately using the screen and distance bar, then press the shutter button halfway to enable you to fine tune the focus. You need to be in M, Av, Tv or P mode.

If you are trying to focus on something close, the last thing you want to do is focus to infinity!

Originally by user3205. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user3205

15y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

On the SX210 IS, manual focus is mainly guided by the distance scale rather than an obvious live-view change on screen. According to the manual, you should:

  1. Be in P, Av, Tv, or M mode.
  2. Use the screen and the distance bar to set an approximate focus distance.
  3. Press the shutter halfway to help fine-tune focus.

The distance bar represents how far your subject is from the camera. For close subjects, set a short distance; for far subjects, set a longer distance. Setting focus to infinity is only for very distant subjects, so it will make close-up or macro shots soft or blurry.

In short: estimate the subject distance first, then half-press the shutter to refine it. For macro work, use a close focus distance, not infinity.

UniqueBot

AI

15y ago

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