DIY: How to make better videos

		Contents Introduction Camera movement Zoom lenses Autofocus Using light In-camera editing

Various methods have been developed to compensate for focus hunting. Canon's FlexiZone, for instance, allows you to restrict the autofocus to objects appearing only in the center of the frame. However, there's no guarantee that your camcorder has such a feature or that it will work in all cases. If you have a shot that you're holding for a few minutes, such as a speaker at a podium, it's a good idea to switch off the autofocus.

Focus and zoom
As we noted earlier, when you zoom in on a subject, the depth of field decreases. When the camera is zoomed in all the way, it's likely that the foreground and the background will be out of focus, even when the subject is in focus. As a result, the autofocus is more prone to hunting.

This can be a problem if you're shooting a table with several objects on it, such as a collection of gifts at a birthday party or wedding, and want to give each object a few seconds as the subject. Nothing ruins a complicated shot such as this faster than having each object go in and out of focus several times. To remedy this, zoom all the way out and step closer to the subject you're shooting. If that's not possible, move the camcorder slowly and carefully so that the autofocus will be able to adjust smoothly.

Focus for yourself
Whenever possible, focus manually. This could be difficult, since the manual focus controls on many camcorders may show up as an inconvenient and tiny wheel on the front of the camcorder or as a secondary option for the zoom rocker. However, it's the best way to avoid focus hunting.

Here's a little trick that pros use: To make manual focusing easier, activate manual focus, then zoom all the way into the subject. Focus your shot while zoomed in, then zoom out to the shot you want. You'll maintain a sharp, clear focus as long as the camcorder or subject doesn't move out of range.