Query

On Thu, 7 Feb 2008 08:20:41 -0800 (PST)
wrote:

> [...]
> I did mean focus from 50cm to infinity. Is there any way to control
> this focus ?

Most likely not. This is an ultra compact camera. The spec sheet I
found by Googling doesn't mention a manual focus capability. It's
a fixed focal length lens (no zoom at all) that can focus from 120cm
to infinity. The specs don't mention auto focus, so it might be a
fixed-focus camera.

> Can you also tell me what a 5 glass lens means ?

It could mean that the lens is made of five separate pieces of Coke
bottle glass. For this camera, it's most likely marketing babble.

You've purchased an extremely limited camera. This is your opportunity
to demonstrate that great photographs are made by photographers rather
than by their equipment.

Paul Allen
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wrote:
>1. Is 1/555555th sec shutter speed a realistic speed ?

No. That's about 2 microseconds. You would need a lens the size of a dinner
plate or some _very_ bright light to get any meaningful exposure.

>2. Does focal length of -50cm~infinity mean that the focal length can
>be altered along this ?

A 500mm-infinity zoom has not been invented yet. Any manufacturer would love
to have a lens with unlimited magnification.

Maybe you meant focus from 50cm to infinity? That would be quite typical.

>3. Does interpolation degrade image quality ?

Well, "interpolating" means the camera is inventing picture information
where there has been none recorded before. If those invented pixels have
anything to do with reality is everybodys guess. And it can be done after
the fact on the computer, too, no need to clutter memory card with invented
data.

In other words: it's a ploy by the marketing department to fool uneducated
buyers.

jue
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wrote:
>Im a complete beginner to photography, hence
>there are many areas where I stumble.
>I did mean focus from 50cm to infinity. Is there any way to control
>this focus ?

The focus defines at which distance objects are "in focus" or appear sharp
in the photo. Objects in front of and behind this distance become
increasingly "unsharp" or blurry.
Cameras have been using auto-focus for the past 20 years to set the focus
distance automatically. Of course you can adjust or override this setting
manually if e.g. the camera picked a the wrong object to focus on.
Unfortunately many bottom-end cameras don't provide manual focus any longer,
check the manual for your camera to see if and how you can focus manually.

>Can you also tell me what a 5 glass lens means ?

It is a lens (in the photographic meaning of lens) that consist of 5 lenses
(in the optical meaning of lens). In other words: that thing in front of
your camera is not a single piece of glass but consists of 5 pieces that are
arranged to form the lens for the camera.

High-end lenses may have 15 and more optical elements and use different
materials for some lenses to conteract the unwanted optical effects that you
get with a single element, see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lens_%28optics%29#Aberrations for some good
illustrations.

On the downside each element adds yet another two surfaces, where light rays
are reflected and deflected and thus weakening the projected picture.

jue
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