Manual focus

ProCamera can focus automatically, or let you set focus by hand. This article covers the manual methods — ideal for macro work and precise depth-of-field control. To let the app set focus for you, see Auto-Focus.

There are two ways to set focus manually:

• Manual focus with the Manual Focus dial
• Manual focus with a slide gesture on the viewfinder

Manual focus is available in semi-automatic SI and manual M mode; automatic A mode does not support it. SI and M mode use a single lens at a time, which is what makes manual focus possible. To switch, open the Control Panel (9-dot menu button, bottom right), tap A, then select M or SI mode.

Manual focus with the Manual Focus dial

1. Tap the MF button on the Manual Controls panel to activate the Manual Focus dial.
2. The dial appears in the bottom panel of the Capture Screen, just above the Shutter button. Move the dial to set focus.

With the Manual Focus dial there is no Focus Square or magnifier. Instead, Focus Peaking highlights what is sharp across the whole viewfinder, which makes this method well suited to macro work and precise focus pulls.

When the Manual Focus dial is enabled, you can also adjust focus by sliding up and down on the viewfinder (and left or right for fine-tuning), as described in the slide-gesture section below. To use this additional method, turn on the 'Manual focus' and 'Always active' options in Settings > Focus.

To reset the focus, tap the MF button again. This clears your manual adjustment and returns the camera to automatic focus (AUTO mode), which it keeps until you activate manual focus again. You can tell manual focus is off when the Manual Focus dial is gone and the MF button is no longer underlined and/or highlighted in blue.

Manual focus with a slide gesture on the viewfinder

Alternatively, you can also set focus by sliding directly on the viewfinder.

First, enable this method in Settings > Focus (in the General options section): turn on 'Manual focus' (works when the Focus Square is locked) and 'Always active' (works at all times, whether or not the Focus Square is locked).

Slide up or down anywhere on the viewfinder. The spot under the Focus Square is magnified, so you can see the area up close and set focus more accurately.

     

As soon as you start sliding, a focus indicator appears at the top of the viewfinder. It shows the range of focus adjustment and your current focus position.

To fine-tune focus, first slide up or down until the Focus Square is magnified. Then, without lifting your finger, slide left or right. Fine-tuning only works in this sequence: up/down first, then left/right.

     

Adjusting focus with a slide gesture always locks the focus (lock symbol added to Focus Square). To unlock it, do any of the following: (1) long-press the Focus Square, (2) tap the center of the viewfinder to reset focus and return to automatic focus (AUTO mode), (3) move the Focus Square to another spot on the viewfinder, or (4) reset the focus by deactivating the MF button (see next paragraph).

Pressing the MF button activates the Manual Focus dial; pressing it again resets your manual adjustment and switches the camera back to automatic focus.

MF button states on the Manual Controls panel

The MF button shows the current manual-focus state at a glance:

To let the app set focus automatically, see Auto-Focus. For an overview of every way to set focus, see Adjusting Focus; to learn how the focus and exposure control elements work together, see Adjusting Focus and Exposure.