Canon Rebel question..

[Teresa]

I got a Canon Rebel EOS XS for Christmas and I just started trying to use it today. So far, I am having a heck of a time focusing it! Is there anything I can do to make it easier? I only have the 18-55 lens that it came with and I'm wondering if I just don't have enough zoom on it or what . I still need to finish reading my manual and everything, I was just hoping that some of you may have some tips for me .

Thanks in advance!!

[thejibstah]

I have the XSi but I'll try to help if I can, though I'm still learning too . Are you trying to manually focus it or are you using the auto focus? What do you mean by you are having trouble focusing it? Are you not able to get a clear focus, or are you just getting a short depth of field (only part is in focus and the rest is blurry)?

[NocturneSiren]

I have the XSi too. I keep it set to auto-focus on the lens (same as yours) and it focuses whenever I push the shutter button halfway. Is that what you're talking about? Or are you having trouble focusing objects far away?

[Teresa]

I have it on auto focus and it focuses when I hit the shutter button halfway, or it's supposed to at least. It seems like the pictures look better when taken from far away and I can't get a clear picture when I'm zoomed in.

[Caimbrie]

You are probably physically too close to the object you're trying to take a picture of

[Teresa]

Originally Posted by Caimbrie You are probably physically too close to the object you're trying to take a picture of

Maybe. I need to play around with it a lot more!

[SandyKay]

i have an xti and keep it on Auto focus, that way it will focus for me, I just zoom in to where I want. If you are too close if won't focus properly, to get really up close pics, invest in another lense. Just play around and have fun with it.

[NocturneSiren]

One thing that is teaching me about the proper settings for different pictures is to take the picture in Auto mode first. The camera tells me what settings it used for aperture, shutter speed, etc. and then I tweak it from there.

[Stoniebolonie]

Originally Posted by Caimbrie You are probably physically too close to the object you're trying to take a picture of

Thats what i was thinking.

Is it blurry through the view finder, or actually on the LCD screen? If its the view finder you need to adjust your diopiter (sp?)...a little dial that should be super close to your view finder opening.

Otherwise if you're seeing blurry results on the LCD for picture playback, then its probably due to focal lengths and being too close to the object you're trying to photograph. Also, with auto focusing, a lot of the time since the camera is in total control of what you're focusing on, it will focus on the background rather than the foreground and give you a blurry subject. If the entire picture itself is blurry and nothing is in focus, thats a lens error or possible just camera shake from bad lighting.

I found my kit lens (the 18-55) to be quite useless and haven't touched it since upgrading to a mid-grade lens. (The kit lenses are usually classified as "cheapies", you'll note this by the silver ring canon uses at the end of those lenses. The midgrades i think have a gold ring, and the whopping L series professional lenses have the red ring...anyway the cheapies on auto pilot just add to the frustrations with blurry images, etc etc until you are comfortable and can control the camera's functions manually.)

I used to end up with tons and tons and tons of useless blurry images until i got into school and have forced myself to go 100% manual with my DSLR. I havent looked back since, and im only on my second semester. (I went the school/degree seeking route to learn the technicalities of photography because i SUCK at self teaching, lol).

If you're shooting without the flash, try adding that to take away camera shake blurryness if thats the cause of a blurred image. You should post some examples of the blurry pics your getting. Might help specify the problem.

[Caimbrie]

Originally Posted by Teresa Maybe. I need to play around with it a lot more!

If you can't get auto focus to focus at all.. then you're too close