Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

I purchased a SX50 when it it came on the market. I can't get a decent image of a BIF using the screen on it or either a when it of my DSLRs. Using sport mode and the EVF works great, at least for me.

Haydon

Go to her page as listed and look on the right panel. In small letters, she has "email me". I won't post her email here as I respect her privacy.

SonyA9 Loc: Lexington, MO.

Do you have a diopter adjustment on the eye piece, if so you should use it to get in focus, then see if back of camera view is sharp. Suggest if one is out of adj. It affects all things to do with in focus.

User ID

Then you like it ? Hard to read.

SonyA9 Loc: Lexington, MO.

Tripod? What's ISO set at? Try tripod to eliminate camera shake if that's an issue. Assuming you're saying images not in focus. A camera review I see says at iso 80 you need to use a tripod to eliminate camera shake if focus problems.

fantom Loc: Colorado

Possibly you might want to adjust the camera's diopter, next to the eyepiece (viewfinder), to get a clear and focused image in it.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

I agree about using the diopter to make the viewfinder as sharp as possible...

Usually the best way to do that is to focus on various markings inside the viewfinder. Point the camera at something plain, like a blue sky and adjust the diopter until the autofocus points, icons, labels or anything else that appears on the screen is as sharp as possible... rather trying to adjust for the image itself. This is because the image (the "view" the lens is "seeing" can be out of focus so that no amount of adjustment of the diopter will bring it into focus. This can actually cause you to incorrectly adjust the diopter, making matters worse. So just concentrate on getting all the other objects inside the viewfinder as sharp as possible with the diopter.

See previous post showing how diopter adjustment is done on your camera.

Something else to check... Do you have a "protective" filter on your lens? If so, sometimes low quality filters cause images to be "soft". You might try some shots without it and see if that makes a difference. (Buy and use the lens hood instead... that will do a pretty good job protecting the lens and can only improve images, so long as it's installed correctly.)

Also watch your shutter speeds, that they aren't getting too slow to photograph handheld (camera shake blur) or too slow to freeze subject action (subject motion blur). The blur from too slow shutter speed can be mistaken for focus problems. Your camera has Image Stabilization that can help to some extent steadying your shot and avoiding camera shake blur. But there's still a limit to how slow shutter speed can be used before some images start to see camera shake blur. Even more important, Image Stabilization can't help at all with subject movement blur if shutter speeds are too slow to freeze it. With birds on the wing a shutter speed of 1/1000 or faster might be needed. Even active birds on a nest or roost making quick movements may call for 1/500 or faster shutter speed. Still, check in the menu to make sure IS is enabled on your camera (page 147 in your manual). I would recommend the "continuous" setting, which should help steady the image you are seeing in the viewfinder before you take a shot, too. (The alternative, "Shoot only", will act to stabilize only during the actual exposure of the image. The only other setting is "off".)

Finally, you mention "C1 setting for birds".... Not sure from that if you are aware... "C1" and "C2" aren't necessarily "for birds" or anything else. Those are "user defined, custom modes". A wide variety of different camera settings can be stored there. Those may or may not include focus modes. It may be that C1 is where you or someone else saved a bunch of camera settings that are particularly appropriate for use when taking photos of birds.... Or not. There's more info about using C1 and C2 on page 156 of your manual. (If you can't find your manual, you can download a copy for free from: http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/0/0300008700/01/pssx50hs-cug-en.pdf. Also, Canon often only provides abbreviated printed manuals with their cameras, while the downloadable ones are more complete and have add'l info.)

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Agree and that is one reason smart phone cameras are inching their way up the DSLR and ML ladder.

candle57 Loc: nova scotia, canada

Haven't forgotten ya'll - I /ve been working on these issues. and btw I know about the diopter. thanks