Camera refuses to take pics when it can't focus. Help!

S

stellarbeam

Suspended / Banned
Messages
539
Name
Jessica
Edit My Images
Yes
I'm having another panic with my camera and I'm hoping I'm just missing something really simple and someone will know what I need to do.

I wanted to take some pics out the front of my house tonight, of the snow. It's not really that dark out as the street lights are very orangy. The camera wouldn't do the whole "beep beep" focusing thing but I wasn't too fussed as I just wanted to do a fun panoramic for a (non photography) forum I'm on. When I pressed down the button to take the photo, nothing!! My camera is refusing to take a photo when the camera wont focus. I'm not really sure why it wouldn't focus even, with it not being that dark. I'm in a major panic as I'm photographing a (verk dark) club night this Friday so I'm doomed if my camera refuses to take pics. The camera is Canon 400D and I've tried more than 1 lens.

:(
 
Hi Stellabeam,
Just put the lens into manual focus mode if your not fussed about the shot being in focus.
The switch should be on the left side of your lens (looking from the back of the camera)
 
It's supposed to do that. It's the camera's way of telling you that summat's up!

Put your lens on manual focus and it will happily fire away. :)
 
I will do that for tonight.

Anyone know why the camera is doing this? MF won't work for the clubnight as I can't see when things are in focus using MF (stupid eyes)

:(

Edit - Just seen AliB's post. Nooooooooooooooo! My eyes just can't do MF. I'm doomed!
 
As AliB says, it's the cameras way of telling you the shot isn't in focus.
It assumes no one would want to take out of focus shots.
 
I don't know about canon, but certainly Nikons have a function in the menus for turning off the focus thing so that it will fire even if it hasn't locked onto focus, but a canon user will have to advise if this is possile with your camera.
 
Then you will have to work out the depth of field and distance the old fashioned way.

It's what togs had to do before all these modern new fangled gadgets came along.

Have a look for depth of field calculator online.
 
Yv said:
I don't know about canon, but certainly Nikons have a function in the menus for turning off the focus thing so that it will fire even if it hasn't locked onto focus, but a canon user will have to advise if this is possile with your camera.
Click to expand...


AAAHHHH how do you do that then on the D90 any idea?:thinking:
 
Give your camera chance to focus by having a fast lens. With a slow lens most cameras struggle as not enough light reaches the focus points. With a nice large aperture (like f1.8 and larger) your camera should let in enough light for the focus sensors to pick up contrast.

In a dark club, your camera should pick up the light on your subject.....
 
I was using my 24-70mm L lens (as well as a regular kit lens), so reasonably fast.

Out of curiosity do some models of (canon) cameras focus better in low light than others? I ask as I'm considering upgrading in the next 12 months, if I can afford it with the recent price hikes that is.
 
for stellabeam, another thing to watch for in low light is giving the camera something with enough contrast to aim for too. For intance, if the focus point was a single area that was mybe just snow, it has nothing to compare and contrast to make sure its focused.
 
Put the camera into AF Servo.

If you half press the shutter button it will try and focus, but if you just press the shutter button fully it will just take the shot.
 
stellarbeam said:
I was using my 24-70mm L lens (as well as a regular kit lens), so reasonably fast.

Out of curiosity do some models of (canon) cameras focus better in low light than others? I ask as I'm considering upgrading in the next 12 months, if I can afford it with the recent price hikes that is.
Click to expand...

Hmmm... The 24-70 should have been able. Maybe just the lack of contrast? Larger aperture lenses (that let in more light) will generally be able to AF quicker in low light. Look at primes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top