Focusing

The shutter-release button
Using face detection
Subjects not suitable for autofocus
Focus lock

The shutter-release button

Operation	Description
Press halfway	To press the shutter-release button “halfway” means to press and hold the button at the point where you feel a slight resistance. Focus and exposure (shutter speed and f-number) are set when you press the shutter-release button halfway. Focus and exposure remain locked while the button is pressed halfway. The focus area varies depending on the shooting mode and settings.
Press all the way	To press the shutter-release button “all the way” means to press the button down completely. The shutter is released when the shutter-release button is pressed all the way. Do not use force when pressing the shutter-release button, as this may result in camera shake and blurred images. Press the button gently.

Using face detection

In the following settings, the camera uses face detection to automatically focus on human faces.

[Point and shoot]
[Underwater face framing], [Shoot at intervals], and [Take a series of pictures] in [Choose a style]
[Smile timer]

If the camera detects more than one face, a double border is displayed around the face that the camera focuses on, and single borders are displayed around the other faces.

If no faces are detected when the shutter-release button is pressed halfway:

When [Point and shoot] is selected, the focus area changes depending on the shooting conditions that the camera recognizes.
In [Shoot at intervals], [Take a series of pictures], or [Smile timer], the camera focuses in the center of the frame.

Notes about face detection

The camera’s ability to detect faces depends on a variety of factors, including the direction in which the faces are looking.
The camera cannot detect faces in the following situations:
- When faces are partially hidden by sunglasses or otherwise obstructed
- When faces take up too much or too little of the frame

Subjects not suitable for autofocus

The camera may not focus as expected in the following situations. In rare cases, the subject may not be in focus despite the fact that the focus area or the focus indicator is displayed in green:

Subject is very dark
Objects of sharply differing brightness are included in the scene (e.g. the sun behind the subject makes that subject appear very dark)
No contrast between the subject and surroundings (e.g. a portrait subject wearing a white shirt is standing in front of a white wall)
Point sources of light such as illuminations and night views, or subjects in which brightness changes such as neon lights
Several objects are at different distances from the camera (e.g. the subject is inside a cage)
Subjects with repeating patterns (window blinds, buildings with multiple rows of similarly shaped windows, etc.)
Subject is moving rapidly

In the situations noted above, try pressing the shutter-release button halfway to refocus several times, or focus on another subject positioned at the same distance from the camera as the actual desired subject, and use focus lock.
Focus lock

Focus lock

Focus lock shooting is recommended when the camera does not activate the focus area that contains the desired subject. The following explains how to use focus lock when the focus area is displayed in the center of the frame.

Position the subject in the center of the frame and press the shutter-release button halfway.
- The camera focuses on the subject and the focus area is displayed in green.
- Exposure is also locked.
Without lifting your finger, recompose the picture.
- Make sure to maintain the same distance between the camera and the subject.
Press the shutter-release button all the way down to take the picture.