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Advanced Features
3
36
FOCUSING
(
DISTANCE
)
PHOTOGRAPHY FUNCTIONS
3
Advanced
Features
The distance from the subject to the camera is referred to as the shooting distance.
When the shooting distance is set correctly and the image appears sharp, the image is focused.
■ Three focusing methods
The mechanisms for focusing are S-AF (Single AF), C-AF (Continuous AF) and MF (Manual focus).
S-AF: Use S-AF for normal photography. In this mode, the camera focuses each time the shutter
button is pressed down halfway. Select the AF mode
(➡P.68) when the Mode dial is set to
“N”, “M”, “<” or “>” mode.
■ Causes of focusing errors and the solutions
The subject is not suited to AF.
Use AF lock (AF mode: AF (CENTER)) ✽1 or MF.
The subject is not in the AF frame.
Use AF lock (AF mode: AF (CENTER)) ✽1 or MF.
The subject is outside the shooting range.
Turn Macro mode on or off ✽2.
The subject is moving too quickly. Use MF (pre-setting the shooting distance for a shot )
Cause Solution
✽1 Taking pictures using AF lock
◆
Subjects not suitable for autofocus
◆
h Very shiny subjects such as a mirror or car
body
h Subjects photographed through glass
h Subjects that do not reflect well, such as hair
or fur
h Subjects with no substance, such as smoke or
flames
h Dark subjects
h Fast moving subjects
h Subjects with little or no contrast between the
subject and the background (such as white
walls or subjects dressed in the same color as
the background)
h Shots where another high-contrast object (not
the subject) is close to the AF frame and is
either closer or further away than your subject
(such as a shot of someone against a
background with strongly contrasting
elements)
Press the shutter button down halfway to focus.
Recompose the shot and take the picture.Capture the main subject
in the center of screen
Main subject
✽2 Turning Macro mode ON/OFF
Macro OFF Macro ON Super macro ON
Wide-angle:
Approx. 40 cm (1.3 ft.) - infinity
Telephoto:
Approx. 2 m (6.6 ft.) - infinity
Wide-angle: Approx.10 cm-3 m
(3.9 in.-9.8 ft.)
Telephoto: Approx.90 cm-3 m
(3.0 ft.-9.8 ft.)
Approx.
1 cm
-
1
m
(
0.4
in.-
3.3
ft.)
(Wide-angle only)
EXPOSURE
(
SHUTTER SPEED AND APERTURE
)
PHOTOGRAPHY FUNCTIONS
Exposure refers to the light that hits the CCD or the total amount of captured light and determines
the brightness of the image.
The exposure is determined by the combination of aperture and shutter speed. In AE (Auto-
exposure), the camera determines the correct exposure, allowing for factors such as the brightness
of the subject and the sensitivity setting.
The graph at left shows the way the aperture and shutter speed settings can
be changed while maintaining the same exposure level.
hWhen the aperture is decreased by one step, the shutter speed also
decreases by one step (the dot moves upper left).
hWhen the aperture is increased by one step, the shutter speed also
increases by one step (the dot moves lower right).
hCombinations that result in the shutter speed or aperture being outside the
available range of settings cannot be selected (white dots).
hIn the “
N”, “M” and “<” Photography modes, it is easy to select different
settings along this line.
hSelecting settings that run parallel to this line by adjusting the brightness of
the photographed image is referred to as exposure compensation.
OpenClosed
(
A
p
erture
)
Slow
(Shutter speed)
Fast
◆
When you cannot get the correct exposure
◆
AE lock: Determines and fixes the exposure at a target level. Use the following procedure to take a
picture using AE lock:
Press the “AE-L” button (sets and locks the
exposure). ➡ Press the shutter button down
halfway (sets and fixes the focus). ➡ Press
the shutter button down fully (takes the
picture).
Exposure compensation:
This function uses the exposure level set by
the AE function as a reference (0) and then brightens (+) or darkens (–) the image.
By selecting auto bracketing, you can shoot 3 frames, one underexposed (–), one at the
reference exposure (0) and one overexposed (+).
(–) (0) (+)
Closed Open
When shooting a moving subject, you can either “freeze the motion” or “capture the sense of
movement” by adjusting the shutter speed.
Freezes the motion of the
subject.
Photographs the traces left
by the subject’s movement.
By adjusting the aperture, you can change the depth of focus (depth of field).
The area in front of and
behind the subject is also
in focus in the shot.
The area in front of and
behind the subject is out of
focus.
Fast Slow
Shutter speed
Aperture
Main subject
C-AF: Use C-AF to photograph moving subjects. When this mode is set, the camera focuses
continuously on the subject in the center of the screen. See P.48 for details.
MF: The focus is adjusted by turning the focusing ring manually. See P.49 for details.
◆
The AF sensor
◆
The FinePix S9100 / FinePix S9600 uses an external AF sensor (external-light passive phase
difference AF) that features faster AF operation than previous models. The external AF sensor does not
function when Macro mode, Super macro mode, the digital zoom, AREA or C-AF focusing is used. It
may take longer to focus if the external AF sensor is soiled (➡P.145).