My Camera Won’t Focus

f your photos often come out soft or blurry, it’s probably not because your camera is bad.

In this short video, I walk through five common focusing mistakes beginner photographers make — and how to fix them with simple adjustments.

👉 Watch the video first, then use the notes below as a quick reference.

▶️ Watch the Video

1. Your Lens Is Set to Manual Focus (Without You Realizing It)

This is the most common issue I see.

Many lenses have a small switch labeled AF / MF, and it’s easy to bump it by accident.
When your lens is set to manual focus, the camera will not focus for you — at all.

Quick check:
Look at the side of your lens and make sure it’s set to AF.

2. Low Light or Night Photography Confuses Autofocus

Cameras need light and contrast to focus. In dark situations, autofocus may “hunt” back and forth trying to lock on.

That’s why for things like:

• Fireworks

• Very dark scenes

I intentionally use manual focus.

The problem happens when you forget to switch back to autofocus later.

Tip:
If you used manual focus at night, double-check it before your next shoot.

3. Your Shutter Speed Is Too Slow

Sometimes photos look out of focus when the real issue is motion blur.

• Fast-moving subjects (birds, sports): try 1/1000 or faster

• Portraits or still subjects: 1/100 or even 1/50 can work

Rule of thumb:
The faster the subject moves, the faster your shutter speed needs to be.

4. Aperture Changes How Much Is in Focus

Aperture doesn’t just control light — it controls depth of field.

• Wide aperture (f/2.0): small area in focus, blurry background

• Smaller aperture (f/8 or higher): more of the scene in focus

Portrait photographers often use wide apertures on purpose.
Landscape photographers usually stop down to keep everything sharp.

Neither is wrong — but you need to choose intentionally.

5. Your Focus Mode Doesn’t Match the Subject

Most cameras have two main focus modes:

• One-shot focus: focuses once and stops

• Continuous focus: tracks a moving subject

If your subject is moving, one-shot focus may fail.
If your subject is still, continuous focus may not behave how you expect.

A Simple Solution: Back Button Focus

Back button focus separates focusing from the shutter button:

• Press once → one-shot focus

• Hold it → continuous tracking

It’s optional and personal preference, but many photographers find it easier once they try it.

One Simple Practice Tip

Next time you take one photo, pause and ask:

• Is my lens in autofocus?

• Is my shutter speed fast enough?

• How much of the scene do I want in focus?

• Is my subject moving or still?

Photography improves when you slow down and pay attention.

Getting better at one photo at a time.