Nikon COOLPIX S6600 Camera User Guide

Focusing

The focus area varies depending on the shooting mode.

Using Target Finding AF

When AF area mode (

A58) in A (auto) mode is set to Target finding AF, the camera

focuses in the manner described below when you press the shutter-release button halfway.

• The camera detects the main subject and focuses on it.

When the subject is in focus, the focus area glows green. If a human face is detected, the camera automatically sets focus priority on it.

• If no main subject is detected, the camera automatically selects one or more of the nine focus areas containing the subject closest to the camera. When the subject is in focus, the focus areas that are in focus glow green.

Focus areas

Focus areas

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Notes About Target Finding AF

• Depending on shooting conditions, the subject that the camera determines to be the main subject may vary.

• The main subject may not be detected when using certain White balance settings.

• The camera may not detect the main subject appropriately in the following situations:

- When the subject is very dark or bright

- When the main subject lacks clearly defined colors

- When the shot is framed so that the main subject is at the edge of the monitor

- When the main subject is composed of a repeating pattern

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Using Face Detection

In the following shooting modes, the camera uses face detection to automatically focus on human faces.

• x (scene auto selector) mode (A32)

• Portrait or Night portrait scene mode (A34)

• Smart portrait mode (A42)

• When AF area mode (A58) in A (auto) mode (A44) is

set to Face priority.

If the camera detects more than one face, a double border is displayed around the face that the camera focuses on, and single borders are displayed around the other faces.

If the shutter button is pressed halfway when no faces are detected:

• In x (scene auto selector) mode, the focus area changes depending on the scene.

• In Portrait and Night portrait scene modes or in smart portrait mode, the camera focuses on the area in the center of the frame.

• In A (auto) mode, the camera selects the focus area containing the subject closest to the camera.

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Notes About Face Detection

• The camera’s ability to detect faces depends on a variety of factors, including the direction in which the faces are looking.

• The camera may be unable to detect faces in the following situations:

- When faces are partially hidden by sunglasses or otherwise obstructed

- When faces take up too much or too little of the frame

Using Skin Softening

When the shutter is released while using one of the shooting modes listed below, the camera detects human faces and processes the image to soften facial skin tones (up to three faces).

• Smart portrait mode (A42)

- The skin softening level can be adjusted.

• x (scene auto selector) mode (A32)

• Portrait or Night portrait scene mode (A34)

Editing functions such as Skin softening can be applied to saved images by using Glamour

retouch (

A70) even after shooting.

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Notes About Skin Softening

• It may take more time than usual to save images after shooting.

• Under some shooting conditions, the desired skin softening results may not be achieved, and skin softening may be applied to areas of the image where there are no faces.

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Subjects Not Suitable for Autofocus

The camera may not focus as expected in the following situations. In some rare cases, the subject may not be in focus despite the fact that the focus area or the focus indicator glows green:

• Subject is very dark

• Objects of sharply differing brightness are included in the scene (e.g. the sun behind the subject makes that subject appear very dark)

• No contrast between the subject and surroundings (e.g. a portrait subject wearing a white shirt is standing in front of a white wall)

• Several objects are at different distances from the camera (e.g. the subject is inside a cage)

• Subjects with repeating patterns (window blinds, buildings with multiple rows of similarly shaped windows, etc.)

• Subject is moving rapidly

In the situations noted above, try pressing the shutter-release button halfway to refocus several times, or focus on another subject positioned at the same distance from the camera as

the actual desired subject, and use focus lock (

A67).

Focus Lock

Focus lock shooting is recommended when the camera does not activate the focus area that contains the desired subject.

1

Set AF area mode to Center in A (auto) mode (

A57).

2

Position the subject in the center of the frame and press the shutterrelease button halfway.

• Confirm that the focus area glows green.

• Focus and exposure are locked.

3

Without lifting your finger, recompose the picture.

• Make sure to maintain the same distance between the camera and the subject.

4

Press the shutter-release button the rest of the way down to take the picture.

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