User-selected focus settings. Some camcorders provide pre-sets and others use a focus ring similar to those found on still cameras.
The digicam's focus can be set by the user at any point from near to far or in steps such as 3 feet, 15 feet to Infinity. A useful override feature on some autofocus cameras which sometimes refuse to fire when they cannot focus accurately in very low light or on fast moving subjects or objects.
Most cameras use a technology called autofocus which attempt to focus on the subject by detecting the nearest subject or a subject that is being pointed at. However, autofocus can fail in dim light or when there is not much contrast (such as an evenly lit wall, sky, etc. Also, you may not always want to focus of the closest subject or one in the center of the screen. Manual focus is available on some digital cameras to enable you to focus rather than letting the camera focus for you.
This is often provided on cameras and camcorders to allow the user to override the camera's auto focus system.
Allows camera users to bypass the auto-focus system and manually focus the camera. Good for focusing in low light or focusing in very precise increments.
Lets you adjust the focus. Some camcorders come with focus settings, which let you choose from discrete, predetermined values. Others come with a focus ring, which gives you much greater control and a smooth, hands-on feel that's similar to using a 35mm camera.
Allows the user to manually adjust the focus of the camcorder using the dial. Manual focusing also allows the user to control the focus in difficult situations where either the environment or the subject does not allow the camcorder's auto focus to perform optimally, such as when shooting through a window or in a crowded environment.
In the field of photography, a manual focus camera is one in which the operator has to adjust the focus of the lens by hand. Before the advent of autofocus, all cameras had manually adjusted focussing; thus, the term is a retronym.