Causes | Solution | References | |
|---|---|---|---|
Focusing and Image Blur Problems | |||
The subject is blurred; other parts of the photo are sharp | The camera focused on the wrong area of the picture | Use focus/exposure lock to lock the subject in sharp focus | Page 170 |
Can’t focus on the subject due to obstructions (wires, bars, screens, and so on) | The camera autofocuses on the object closest to the lens | Use focus lock to focus on an object at a similar distance; change the focus point; use manual focus | |
The camera focuses on the wrong part of the scene (the subject is blurry) | The camera has multiple focus points, which might not match what you want to focus on | Switch the camera to use only a single focus point | Page 172 |
The camera is not focusing on people in the photo | Face detection is not enabled | Enable face detection | Page 171 |
Can’t focus on rapidly moving objects | Normal focus mode locks focus and exposure | Switch to Servo autofocus or Sports mode | Page 171 |
The entire photo is blurred and streaky | The shutter speed is too slow for hand-held shooting | Use a tripod, or switch to a faster shutter speed and increase ISO as needed | Page 141 |
The subject is blurred and streaky | The shutter speed is too slow to stop action | Switch to S/Tv mode and increase the shutter speed or use Sports mode; increase ISO as needed; wait for the peak of action to shoot | Page 143 |
The depth of field is not deep enough to get everything in focus | Switch to A/Av mode and use f/11 or narrower aperture or use Landscape mode; increase ISO or use a tripod to avoid camera shake | Page 174 | |
Distracting background and subject are both in focus | Depth of field is too deep | Switch to A/Av mode and use f/1.8–f/5.6 aperture or use Portrait mode; focus on the subject; decrease ISO if needed | Page 174 |
Color Problems | |||
Indoor nonflash photo is too yellow, orange, or blue | The white balance is incorrect | Use incandescent or tungsten WB with traditional bulbs; fluorescent WB with tube fluorescent or CFLs | |
Indoor flash photo is too blue | The white balance is incorrect | Use Auto, Daylight, or Flash WB when using flash | Page 131 |
Outside sunny day photo is too blue | The white balance is incorrect | Use Auto or Daylight WB | Page 131 |
Outside cloudy day photo is too blue | The white balance is incorrect | Use Cloudy or Open Shade WB | |
Can’t find a satisfactory white balance | Preset white balance settings don’t always provide a satisfactory match for lighting conditions | Use custom (preset) white balance; shoot in RAW mode and correct later | |
Outside sunny day photo has reflections on leaves, water, or glass | Nonpolarized light causes glare | Attach a polarizing filter and adjust the reflection level by turning the front element of the filter | Page 192 |
Can’t select WB settings | The camera is set for full auto mode | Select P, A/Av, S/Tv, or M modes | |
Pictures are in black and white | The camera is set to a monochrome or black-and-white color setting | Change the color setting to normal or neutral | Page 138 |
Outdoor daytime photo is too light (overexposed) | Incorrect camera settings | Reduce ISO to the next lower setting; use faster shutter speed or narrower aperture; set EV adjustment to -1. | |
The subject is too light (overexposed) but the background is properly exposed | The camera is setting exposure based on the background | Use an EV adjustment of -1, reshoot, and adjust EV settings as needed | Page 118 |
Outdoor daytime photo is too dark (underexposed) | Incorrect camera settings | Use a slower shutter speed or wider aperture; set EV adjustment to +1; increase ISO to the next step | |
The subject is too dark (underexposed) but the background is properly exposed | The camera is setting the exposure based on the background | Use an EV adjustment of +1; reshoot, and adjust EV settings as needed | Page 118 |
The camera can’t set the proper exposure regardless of EV adjustment | Extreme bright or dark areas in the photo can throw off exposure | Note the shutter speed and aperture selected by the camera; set the camera to Manual (M) mode and set aperture and shutter speed manually; use ISO 400 or higher in dim light | |
Flash picture is too bright | The camera might be focused past the subject or be using too high an ISO, or you might be too close to the subject | Make sure you’re not too close to the subject; use focus lock to focus on the nearest part of the subject; reduce ISO to 400 or less; use Flash EV adjustment of -0.7 to -1. | |
The subject is beyond the flash range; flash might be partially blocked; flash exposure compensation might be enabled; too low an ISO | Make sure you’re not blocking the flash with your hand; increase ISO to 400 or higher; make sure flash exposure compensation is set to 0 or higher; move closer to the subject; zoom back to permit wider aperture; turn off flash and shoot using available light | ||
I don’t know what exposure I used for my photos | The camera stores this information as metadata inside the image files, but most cameras do not display this information when you review photos unless you change viewing options | Press the Information or Display button while reviewing your photos to see exposure metadata | Page 108 |
Lens Problems | |||
Shots with minimal zoom are exposed properly but are too dark when zooming in | The zoom lens has a variable aperture and lets in less light as you zoom closer | Increase the ISO setting; in A/Av mode, choose an aperture that is available in any zoom setting | |
Photos taken at the widest zoom setting (1x) have bowed lines | Zoom lenses often have distortion problems at both ends of the zoom range | Zoom to 2x or 3x; correct the distortion with a photo editor after shooting | Page 187 |
When I shoot tall buildings, they seem to be toppling backward | This is normal when you shoot tall buildings from ground level | Take photos of tall buildings from the upper floor of another building; correct distortion in a photo editor after shooting | Page 83 |
There are two colored dots on the lens mount for my DSLR and I don’t know which one to use for my lenses | This method of marking is used on cameras that can use film camera lenses or lenses made especially for DSLRs | Look at the colored dot on your lens and line it up with the appropriate dot on your camera | — |
I’m seeing colored blotches when I point my camera toward the sun | These are reflections off the lens elements and are normal | Use a lens hood, or use your hand to block direct sunlight from shining into the lens | — |
When I use a polarizer lens filter, different parts of the sky are different shades of blue | This happens when you use polarizers on a wide-angle zoom | The polarizer works best at a 90° angle to direct sun; adjust the filter | — |