Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM lens With Pictures Out of Focus

skysss

Hi,

Yesterday I was gifted a Canon 50mm f/1.4. I am still figuring how to use it. I set it on auto focus and tried to take shots of my kids, but their faces are blurred out while bits of background look sharp. Obviously I am doing some thing wrong here. What do the numbers on the focus ring mean? They are in feet and meters. How are these numbers helpful?

Can someone please help me to start off using the lens. Your advice and suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

amigo

In your email you do not mention your level of proficiency with the camera. Let's start with a few simple checks.

1. Your camera is in full automatic mode, A+
2. The lens is set for Autofocus. There is a little switch directly on the lens marked AF/MF. Make sure it is set to AF.

Can you hear the lens focus motor or is it completely dead silent, as if the autofocus didn't work? I am trying to determine whether the camera is focusing wrong or not even trying to focus.

Are you focusing with the center focus point on the camera? Is it possible that your kids are standing side by side and you're focusing in-between them? Try half-depressing the shutter button while aiming at the eyes of one of your kids, then while holding the button half pressed, recenter the camera and then fully press the button to take the picture.