Subject is too dark and out of focus indoor

Hope I can help with some input to your problem. Let me suggest please that you switch the "mode" dial to "P" for program, check your ISO (I personally shoot ISO 100) and set it for a speed ISO 400 or lower. Most DSLR's use contrast to focus so a mirror, chrome, flat body of water, painted wall especially a white wall are just terrible to get an auto focus on. Also auto focus isn't going to happen in darkness unless you have (for Canon) an external Infrared auto focus assist beam. Also you could be to close to your subject as in attempting to do close up or macro photography and have over extended your lens capabilities.

You aren't doing anything wrong it's just I think that you have fallen into one or all of the above situations that auto focus just can't read being either dark, lacking contrast, or reflective surface or to close to your subject.

I wanted you to get off the full auto so you could enjoy the Rebel and expand on its features shooting in full auto turns it into a very expensive point and shooter. Shooting in "P" you can do what is called Program shift where you actually input settings into the camera before the picture is taken.

That little green dot focus confirmation will work even in manual mode so even though it might look out of focus to you if that dot is green and solid not blinking then it's in focus squeeze the shutter make the shot.

One other bit of information make sure you shut the IS off before mounting the camera on a tripod. if left on it will actually cause more vibration (that took me a while to figure out) have a great day hope this was a help sorry it took three days for me to find you with this problem Robert in Canada

Since you didn't tell us the make and model of your camera, we can't help you.

This rather odd as the "Sport" mode should cause the camera to use faster shutterspeeds in order to stop your subject from blurring.

I can think of two issues here: First, in order to get faster shutterspeeds the camera uses a larger lens open to let more light reach the sensor. This results in less depth of field and makes accurate focus even more important. It also may be that the "Sport" mode defaults to "Continuous" focus which will allow the camera to fire before the subject is in focus.

The other problem could be that you are using a low ISO setting which results in slow shutterspeeds. If you are shooting outdoors try setting the ISO to 400. Indoors, you will need to go to 800 or even higher.

The one that I really must stress is that you should read the manual. There is always some information on how each mode works and how each should be used.

If all else fails: Switch to A, "Aperture" mode and set the camera to use the lowest number f-stop (displayed as "Fn.n" on the camera's top LCD. This may work better for you in any case.

Try going into "reset" master mode. otherwise you need to make sure your camera is shooting on the right setting for the light you are using. For example, when shooting in daylight with interior light setting (approx. 3200k) your photos will look off color and yellow or pink because sunlight is 5600k approx.,. . . contrary while shooting indoors with incandescant lighting if the camera is set for sunlight exposure (5600k) the picture will look blue. Make sure you read the manual on how to white balace, but first take the camera out of AutoExposure settings to do all the settings manually. Auto focus and auto exposure are for rookies and these types of errors will happen. Always try to do manual iris and manual focus for best results zoom in and get your focus on the subjects eyes then zoom out and frame up your shot.

Evening & Indoors? The kit lens is really going to struggle here. Your only immediate solution is to use ISO 1600 which makes the shutter faster but adds a little noise to the pictures.

You really want to get a better lens for indoor work. If you need cheap, try the 50mm f1.8, it's a prime not a zoom, so you will need to use your feet to "zoom" but it's incredibly good for indoor / low light work.

I upgraded to a 17-55mm f2.8 IS, it was rather expensive but I have never had a blurry indoor shot since - I do also use an external Speedlite flash with it though, which also helps tremendously.

It's an expensive hobby!!

Panfocus mode on the F505 appears to convert the lens to a fixed-focus design, (everything in reason is always in focus) presumably by stopping down, and perhaps by doing other lens adjustments. So "panfocus" must mean "the whole world is always in focus", instead of "quickly focus as you pan", as at least one reviewer has misinterpreted it. This feature is very handy for a couple of reasons. First it eliminates the autofocus delay, cutting the shooting time down to just the shutter release delay. And second, it allows for shooting in total darkness, since the image is always in focus.

Try using the night mode on your FZ10, but use a tripod.

You are expecting too much for any auto mode. When shooting under low light conditions, the camera may take longer to achieve focus lock. If the subject is moving too, it will take even longer to lock focus. Try using manual focus for the conditions you described.

You are expecting too much for any auto mode. When shooting under low light conditions, the camera may take longer to achieve focus lock. If the subject is moving too, it will take even longer to lock focus. Try using manual focus for the conditions you described.

Program Auto (Factory default setting) Program Auto mode is used for regular photography. The camera automatically makes the settings for natural color balance. Other functions, such as the flash mode and metering, can be adjusted manually. Portrait Portrait mode is suitable for taking a portrait-style picture of a person. The camera automatically sets the optimal shooting conditions. Landscape + Portrait Landscape + Portrait mode is suitable for taking photos which include both your subject and the landscape. The camera automatically sets the optimal shooting conditions. Landscape Landscape mode is suitable for taking pictures of landscapes and other outdoor scenes. The camera automatically sets the optimal shooting conditions. Night scene Night scene mode is suitable for shooting pictures in the evening or at night. The camera sets a slower shutter speed than is used in normal shooting. If you take a picture of a street at night in any other mode, the lack of brightness will result in a dark picture with only dots of light showing. In this mode, the true appearance of the street is captured. The camera automatically sets the optimal shooting conditions. If you use the flash, you can take pictures of both your subject and the night background. Indoor Indoor mode enables you to take pictures while indoors by allowing the flash to reach farther away. Beach & Snow Beach & Snow mode enables you to take pictures of scenery containing white sand or snow. Cuisine Cuisine mode enables you to take pictures of food by increasing the saturation, sharpness and contrast settings to take sharp, vivid pictures of the subject. Self-portrait Self-portrait mode enables you to take a picture of yourself while holding the camera. Point the lens towards yourself, and the focus will be locked on you. The camera automatically sets the optimal shooting conditions. The zoom is fixed in the wide position and cannot be changed. QuickTime Movie QuickTime Movie mode lets you record movies with sound. The focus and zoom are locked. If the distance to the subject changes, the focus may be compromised.