146 Video Production Handbook 7.9 AUTO-FOCUS many video cameras are fitted with an automatic focusing feature. this is a useful device for the occasions when the camera operator is preoccupied with following the action, is not sure where the subject is going to move to next, and might get the focusing wrong in the heat of the moment. But why not switch to auto-focus all the time so that we can forget about focusing altogether? if the camera operator relies entirely on the automatic focus features in the camera, the resulting images will vary greatly. the auto-focus system simply sharpens the focus in a selected zone of the shot, irrespective of what is appear- ing there. so it needs to be used with care. while auto-focusing can be very accurate, here are some situations that can be problematic: n when the subject is not in the center of the picture. if two people are placed on either side of the frame, auto-focus may sharpen on an unim- portant distant object in the center of the screen and leave the subjects soft-focused.