FZ300 focus problems (1 Viewer)

[Carpathian Ed]

Hi guys

I finally splurged on a new camera as my old Canon SX412 was terrible at focusing.
So I bought an FX300. Which is even worse at focusing. Using it for video I'm amazed at the quality, but when I use it for wildlife photography, every single photo turns out blurred. I've attached a couple of examples. I've adjusted the eyepiece focus thing but that doesn't seem to matter. Please help.

 

[Hauksen]

Hi guys

I finally splurged on a new camera as my old Canon SX412 was terrible at focusing.
So I bought an FX300. Which is even worse at focusing. Using it for video I'm amazed at the quality, but when I use it for wildlife photography, every single photo turns out blurred. I've attached a couple of examples. I've adjusted the eyepiece focus thing but that doesn't seem to matter. Please help.

Hi Ed,

Try to judge the focus from photos of non-moving objects first.

The FZ300, if it's anything like the FZ200, has a rather slow focus, so it's hard to get moving objects into proper focus reliably.

Which focus mode are you using? If it's on fully automatic, stuff in the foreground can easily be mistaken for the intended main subject, causing the camera to mis-focus.

Regards,

Henning

 

[Carpathian Ed]

Hi Ed,

Try to judge the focus from photos of non-moving objects first.

The FZ300, if it's anything like the FZ200, has a rather slow focus, so it's hard to get moving objects into proper focus reliably.

Which focus mode are you using? If it's on fully automatic, stuff in the foreground can easily be mistaken for the intended main subject, causing the camera to mis-focus.

Regards,

Henning

Hi Henning. It's doing the same even with stationary objects. I'm using full automatic. And distance doesn't seem to matter - any use of zoom seems to mess up focus

 

[Hauksen]

Hi Henning. It's doing the same even with stationary objects. I'm using full automatic. And distance doesn't seem to matter - any use of zoom seems to mess up focus

Hi Ed,

Hm, that doesn't sound good. You could try to go to program mode and select either centre area or point focus mode to see if that changes anything.

Generally, subjects like a solitary goose sitting on a mostly featureless meadow are difficult for any autofocus, but if you take a photograph and the autofocus is off, there should be something in the picture that's actually sharp.

If you find those sharp picture elements, you have a first clue for figuring out what the camera is actually doing.

(Does the FZ300 have a manual focus mode, by the way? My ex had the FZ200, and I used the FZ30 and the FZ1000, but I don't remember all the details, except that the user interface was reasonably consistent between all those Panasonic cameras.)

Regards,

Henning

 

[njlarsen]

It’s been a long time since I used a bridge camera, but you need to take more control it seems. Likely, the shutter time was too long and movement of the camera is to blame if there is nothing sharp. Secondly, a focus setting where only a small center square is wha the camera use to focus on is what I used to use.
Niels

 

[tonytoned]

Hi guys

I finally splurged on a new camera as my old Canon SX412 was terrible at focusing.
So I bought an FX300. Which is even worse at focusing. Using it for video I'm amazed at the quality, but when I use it for wildlife photography, every single photo turns out blurred. I've attached a couple of examples. I've adjusted the eyepiece focus thing but that doesn't seem to matter. Please help.

Hello Ed

Have you checked to see what focus mode your in. The little lever just to the right of the viewfinder. If it's in AFC the camera will continuously keep trying to focus. Failing that it could be one of the settings in the menu. I have this camera and have it set on focussing by press the little button where the focussing modes are. I 'll have another look when I get home from work. If you haven't already you can download the manual from the net.

Good luck

Tony

 

[ipo]

Try to confirm that AF macro or Zoom macro options are not accidentally set

 

[Swissboy]

Hi guys

I finally splurged on a new camera as my old Canon SX412 was terrible at focusing.
So I bought an FX300. Which is even worse at focusing. Using it for video I'm amazed at the quality, but when I use it for wildlife photography, every single photo turns out blurred. I've attached a couple of examples. I've adjusted the eyepiece focus thing but that doesn't seem to matter. Please help.

I had similar looking photos with my FZ200 (several times). Every time it tuned out that the little lever on the left side of the lens had accidentally been moved to MF (manual focus). That can happen very easily when one moves the camera around, as there is no lock. Good luck, I hope it is just this simple problem.

 

[ipo]

MF was the other option I was going to mention but this is more clearly shown in the display.

 

[Carpathian Ed]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I'm trying to learn to use it more manually, but I'm still confused about changing the F buttons...
One thing I did pick up on the internet, which has resolved my issue a little bit, was that the FZ300 doesn't react well to certain types of UV filter. I was using a rotating Polaroid UV filter and have since switched to a fixed Polaroid UV filter, and there is a remarkable improvement - still nowhere near crystal clear but not the abomination it once was...

 

[John Nihon]

I'd start by removing all additions (filters, etc) that you've got on the camera, go back to basics with settings and see what happens. Take photos of something simple and stationary and work your way forwards from there. Good luck.

 

[Carpathian Ed]

Thanks John. I've also learned that you have to be careful which 'expert' on youtube to listen to or not. I followed the instructions of one bloke and i should really have been paying attention to the quality of his own video...
It's funny you mention something stationary. My wife always laughs at me for taking pictures of fungi, because she says at least they don't fly off so i can actually get a photo...