Focusing a digital camera in low light can be challenging, even if a camera has an autofocus assist lamp. But the main culprit of misfocused images is usually caused by low contrast, not low light. That’s why sometimes even in bright light you may have difficulty focusing if the subject lacks contrast.

Look for contrast

When having difficulty focusing, lock focus and exposure on something in the scene that has contrast by pressing the shutter button halfway. It should be of equal distance and lighting as the main subject so when you  recompose the focus and exposure remains correct.

You may need to move the camera around a few times before achieving focus lock. Once focus is confirmed, reframe the scene and fully press the shutter button. This technique works best when a camera is set to a single area focus mode.

Misfocused or blurred images?

Sometimes a photo that appears misfocused is actually blurred because of camera shake. How can you tell the difference?

For misfocus, there is usually some area in the photo that is in focus, even if it’s not where you intended it. A blurred image is blurry throughout the entire image.

Watch the shutter speed

When lighting is low, the aperture opens wider to let more light onto the sensor. The larger the aperture opening, the slower the shutter speed. Few people can hold a camera steady when shutter speeds are below 1/60th of a second, especially if the camera doesn’t have Image Stabilization.

Increase shutter speed by increasing the light on the subject. Let more light into the room, turn on more lights or use the flash.

You can also increase camera sensitivity by using a higher ISO number. The downside is that higher ISO numbers can cause image noise, with a resulting loss of detail. Fortunately, noise can be reduced with noise reduction software.

Use a tripod or other support to keep the camera from moving. If not possible, hold the camera as steady as you can.

If your camera has a viewfinder, use it rather than the LCD to frame shots. Pressing the camera against your face helps minimize movement. If your camera doesn’t have a viewfinder, learn how to frame a shot using the LCD.