There are times though that this auto-focusing can cause problems, especially if your subject happens to be to the left of center, and turns out blurry, while an inconsequential object in the center of your picture is focused.  In such cases, you can manually focus the camera to bring your chosen subject into focus.

The first step is to look for the auto-focusing ‘brackets’ in your camera:

Notice the Auto-Focus 'Brackets'

If you wanted to focus on the left portion of the bridge for example, instead of the center, simply place the auto-focusing ‘brackets’ around the main subject (the left bridge support) and partially press down the shutter-release button.  Keep the focus locked by maintaining partial pressure on the shutter release.  Next, re-frame your picture: maintaining this partial pressure, press the button down all the way in order to take your picture with its chosen focus subject.

Do you have any ideas on ideal conditions for using or not using the auto-focus on your digital camera? Or how to take the optimal photo with this feature? Let us know in the comments section below, or on the Contact page

Photo taken using digital zoom. Note the blur and 'graininess' of the photo.

How does digital zoom work? Well, it takes the center of the image and crops the edges, then enlarges the center section to a full-image size.  Some cameras also add pixels to the image through a process called “interpolation” (or adding pixels to the image by guessing where they should go).  Because of this, the results of digital zoom can be blurry and grainy, especially under low light conditions.

So, how do you avoid this problem? In cameras that have an optical zoom, simply turn off the digital zoom (in an option found on one of the camera menus).  You can also use your cameras audible signal (LCD indicator) to know when to move from optical to digital zoom, and when to avoid using digital zoom (when conditions are unsuitable).

Do you have any ideas on ideal conditions for using digital zoom? Or how to take the optimal photo? Let us know in the comments section below, or on the Contact page.