Why are my point-and-shoot photos blurry when using optical zoom?
Asked 10/11/2010
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2 answers
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My Canon PowerShot A590 IS gives sharp macro shots, but photos of distant subjects often look blurry, especially when I zoom in. I’m referring to optical zoom only; digital zoom is disabled. This happens even in bright daylight, and I’ve also tested the camera resting on a table to reduce camera shake. I usually shoot in Auto mode and wait for autofocus to lock before taking the picture. Is this normal for compact cameras at the telephoto end, or could there be a focus or lens problem? Are there settings or techniques that can help improve sharpness for distant subjects?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
8
Your camera has a 4x optical zoom and a 4x digital zoom.
You can use the optical zoom without losing image quality, but as soon as you use the digital zoom, you lose quality. The digital zoom simply takes a portion at the middle of the image and enlarges to fill the image frame. When enlarging there isn't information enough for each pixel, so the most noticeable effect is loss of sharpness.
So, keep to the optical part of the zoom range, and you will get better quality.
Originally by user149. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user149
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Optical zoom itself should not make images blurry. Common causes are:
- camera shake, which is magnified at longer focal lengths
- subject movement
- slower shutter speeds at full zoom, because compact zoom lenses usually have smaller maximum apertures when zoomed in
- focus or lens alignment problems
Good first checks:
- make sure digital zoom stays off
- support the camera on a tripod/table and use the self-timer so pressing the shutter doesn’t shake it
- raise ISO if needed so the camera can use a faster shutter speed
If images are still blurry even with the camera fully supported in bright light, then it may be more than technique. A slight focus miscalibration or a zoom lens element that is out of alignment can be much more noticeable at longer zoom settings than at wide angle or macro distances. In that case, repair or replacement may be the only fix.
So: telephoto on a point-and-shoot is more demanding, but it should still be reasonably sharp in good conditions. If careful support and faster shutter speeds don’t help, the camera may have a hardware issue.
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AI15y ago
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