My Powershot SX60 HS is 'Terrific', but has been performing strangely at times, failing to focus on things which my previous Powershots would not have had a problem with...
It is Feria time here in Andalucia, Spain.
Last Saturday we were at a feria and I shot a 5 minute video of a singer on a stage which was not particularly well lit. Handheld, I was at the limit of the zoom to capture her expressions and dancing. The image stabilisation did a wonderful job, considering the conditions and only momentarily did I lose focus which quickly recovered. I was very pleased with the results at the end of the evening.
This weekend we visited a local music festival, where, on a well lit stage, dancers performed to guitars and fiddle. Unlike the previous week, I had real problems trying to keep the video from completely losing focus and not recovering. With plenty of light coming from the stage, I had to zoom right out and then back in again to the detail I wanted, to get the focus back...only to lose it again. Many sequences were shot in the not so well lit area in front of the stage where the performers lingered and played before handing over to the next group. These captures were much more successful..despite poor light!
Something else I noticed sometimes was a 'rippling' effect in the light background areas of the stage and on white shirts etc. At first I thought it was an effect of the viewfinder, but have found that the effect is recorded, ruining the video. Now I have to edit out all of these anomalies in the hope that I have enough footage to create my production. There seem to be too many experiencing focusing issues with this camera with both still shots and video, for it to be merely the wrong settings. I have not changed settings from last week to this, but have experienced wildly different results.... even when shooting conditions are more favourable.
I have owned 3 Powershots...all good... the Powershot Pro 1... an Amazing camera, which sadly developed an exposure fault, 'Uneconomical for repair' according to Canon. I still have it. It was a fabulous camera. I do miss using it... such a quality build!
I often think that if only Canon would have made the Pro 2, same build, with Image Stabiliser, better zoom and a few more megapixels, it would have been a surefire Winner!!
Anyway, I digress, any thoughts on my focusing issues welcomed.
Many thanks!:)
