Full focus, auto focus

[Bartmanekul]

So what's the main pros and cons for each?

The reason I am asking is that I am looking at the C7, which has full focus, and the N8, which has autofocus.

I heard that while full focus is very good for quick shots, it's got a minimum range. This would not be good for me, because I often use my phone to take a picture of a document, and as such need to be able to take a picture of say a letter or menu, and be able to read it later.

So as well as the pros and cons, is there no way a full focus camera such as on the C7 can take close up shots, not even with changing mode?

[Homer]

I assume full focus means fixed focus with a large DOF? I's a term I've never seen used in photography.

A lot of cheap cameras in the days of film used fixed focus, which sets the focus at something like six feet but has such a large depth of field that everything from around 1 foot to infinity is acceptably close to being in focus given the expected use of such cameras (7x5 prints at the largest).

Advantages:
Cheap,
Quick to focus,though still needs to work out exposure so I don't imagine it will be that much quicker to take a shot, the old film cameras would be a fixed exposure as well which made them instant point and click.
Less to go wrong.
More compact camera unit (I guess).

Disadvatages:
Almost nothing is ever really in focus.


Seems pointless to me matching a fixed focus lens with anything over a one or two megapixel sensor. Fine for snaps on Facebook but if you want to use those megapixels you just don't have the definition to do so.

Wikipedia has this to say about fixed focus:

In order to reach a short minimal focal distance the aperture and the focal length of the lens are reduced (a slow wide-angle lens), so that the hyperfocal distance is small. This allows for the depth of field to be extended from infinity to a short distance.

The disadvantage is the reduction of light that will reach the film through the small aperture. Therefore the lenses are usually not suitable for fast-moving objects which require short exposure times – see lens speed. The amount of collected light can be increased by opening the angle of view, which is achieved with an even shorter focal length resulting in a wide-angle lens. Telephoto lenses are not feasible at a reasonable lens speed.

The advantage of this design is that it can be produced very inexpensively, more so than autofocus or manual systems. The system is also effectively automatic; the photographer need not worry about focusing. It can also be more predictable than automatic systems.

Some disadvantages are that this type produces images that are less sharp than a lens that has been set to the best focal point for a given scene, and they are unable to produce sharp images of objects close to the camera, usually within 2.4 - 3.7 meters (8–12 feet). The latter limitation makes them unsuitable for portraits, as they cannot fill the frame of an image with a person's face and render it sharp at the same time. This limitation is likely to confuse inexperienced photographers.

[barney stinson]

Got me this Close-Up Jelly Lense on ebay from China for about 2 bucks:



Here two sample shots. First one obviously without the jelly lense, second one with lense:



I wonder if there's something like that to take decent shots of full book and text pages with this full focus cam.

[koolestprashant]

the last photo is good but looks a bit distorted. I think its the lens thatg is causing this. The effect could be disastrous on a full page snap

[barney stinson]

It does macro shots only. That's why ...

I wonder if there's something like that to take decent shots of full book and text pages with this full focus cam.

[nguyenazn]

You mean like this Macro ? I am sure i was the first one who can capture this close. This is the 1 cent American money.
Check this out.




I will provide tips if you want to Macro this close. Remember this is the closest you can get with 11x zoom.

[carman58]

This gives a good explanation
EDoF versus Auto-focus: Understanding the compromises involved

Jelly Lens "close up" review

[Doc Tran]

Pulled this off with the C7 Astound. Don't know how.

[doshunnN85]

You mean like this Macro ? I am sure i was the first one who can capture this close. This is the 1 cent American money.
Check this out.




I will provide tips if you want to Macro this close. Remember this is the closest you can get with 11x zoom.

What were you using then ? The N8 ? If so how DID you get such close up macro shots ?

[adityan8]

Boss................................HOW??????(plz say that it was n8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

[xbean]

Wow, how did you captured this with which Nokia phone?

You mean like this Macro ? I am sure i was the first one who can capture this close. This is the 1 cent American money.
Check this out.




I will provide tips if you want to Macro this close. Remember this is the closest you can get with 11x zoom.