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Any camera nerds out there?!

I just got a new Panasonic TZ3 Lumix camera for Chrimbo and I've come across a problem that I cannot find the solution to!

When I try to zoom into something really close (macro mode) and 'half-press' the button to focus, the AF area flashes red indicating it is not in focus.

The FAQ's in the booklet suggested it is because of dim light, but I was sitting outside during the daytime?!!

Anyone have any suggestions? Could it be a fault with the camera?

thats a weird one! sorry to ask the obvious, is the camera definately set to Macro Mode?
or even are you aiming too close to the subject? other than that, i'm stumped!

yeah, how close are you?

Yes, definitely on Macro.
Distance I just tried again was about 2ft and it won't zoom to anymore than 2x and stay focused.
It is a replacement for my old Fuji A350 which was much more basic and significantly lower zoom capability and even that one would focus closer than this one?!

Confoooozed!

Mine does the same, I think in Macro it doesn't let you zoom because it's designed for when you're close to the object without zooming. Then again, you can be too close!!

some macro lenses are set at maximum zoom, I know the DSLR lenses are like this - so you have to be about 3ft away.

Great choice in camera Charlie, I got a TZ3 a couple of months back.

I had a little play last night with the macro mode after I read your post, and as far as I can tell it depended what I was trying to focus on as to what zoom level I could use. One thing I couldn't focus on when zoomed in 2x I just tried zooming out to normal and just getting closer and seemed to focus fine. Other times I needed to be a bit further away with more zoom for it to focus.

Also make sure you aren't covering the AF lamp (orange light thing) with your fingers, as I found I was doing that. Although if you were outside in daylight, that may not have come on anyway.

Also, not sure whether this actually makes a difference so I could be talking utter rubbish, but have you got the Optical Image Stabiliser on, as if its off it may be that a bit of camera shake in your hands in interfering with the focus or something - but if it is on then which mode is it on, as the instruction book says that mode 2 is the best

2ft is a very long distance to be using macro on a compact camera. most compacts are set to around 2cm for macro mode. and i think that is is best used with no zoom although i could be wrong on that but whenever i've used macro on my compact, i've found that using no zoom is best.

I would think its probably that you can't zoom much using macro.

I have a pentax A series camera and on macro mode zoom is limited and on super macro you can't zoom at all, however you can get very close to the subject by moving the camera close to it instead.

yeh macro works best (on mine at least) from about an inch or 2