Aloha y'all... and especially Laura...
I know how frustrating not knowing can be about cameras in general... Canon in particular...
When you say manual focus...
...you mean pushing the button on the lense itself to the MF position from the AF position, yes?
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Have you tried focusing with the live view function which uses the view screen behind the camera?
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Additionaly, you are turning the focus ring and not the zoom ring, correct?
The focus ring is actually quite narrow just behind the front lense...
Well, it depends on the sort of lense you have attached....
My kit lense is the 18-55 mm lense... it has a very narrow focus ring at the very front of the lense.
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Turn on your camera, hit the live view button so the rear view screen comes on, and then turn the focus ring.
Let us know what happens...
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By the way, while you are in manual focus and viewiing the rear view screen, if you push the PLUS button on the upper right corner of the rear panel, you can zoom the image in the viewfinder to 5x and 10x viewing to REALLY sharpen your focus! OH, IF you're on a tripod, when you hit the live view button and the PLUS button the first time, it'll bring up a little square. You move the square when you want to focus... then zoom in a bit, adjust your focal box again, then hit it a third time for 10x focusing. Use the buttons around the SET button as directional buttons to move the box OR you point of interest. IT is not zooming the image ONLY the view finder. Take your picture and the spot in the clearest focus should be the point you selected.
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Good luck...
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Until that time. . .
