Autospec,
That camera focuses to 9.75 inches in macro, so I dont see how your getting too close and throwing off focus, unless as Phild suggests, it cannot operate on a solid color in low contrast.
The problem could be the ISO (light sensitivity) of 70. In low-light conditions, the camera's Auto-ISO function increase its effective ISO rating to 140, but this is still very slow (in relation to film ASA) and could be causing slow shutter blurring (as suggested by Lugnut).
Its possible to override the camera's ISO rating by using the Exposure Compensation function to adjust exposures from -2 to +2 exposure equivalents (EV) in half-step increments. Doing this and setting the ASA or compensation to a HIGHER number will underexpose the black, making it actually black.
For those that dont understand, camera meters read what they are pointed at and the resulting exposure make the subject 18% gray. That is why you overexpose to make white look white and underexpose to make black look black.
Theres a version of Photoshop called LE that comes with scanners and some cameras. If you can snag a copy of that, you can improve sharpness as well as making changes to brightness, contrast and color.
Let us know how you do.
That camera focuses to 9.75 inches in macro, so I dont see how your getting too close and throwing off focus, unless as Phild suggests, it cannot operate on a solid color in low contrast.
The problem could be the ISO (light sensitivity) of 70. In low-light conditions, the camera's Auto-ISO function increase its effective ISO rating to 140, but this is still very slow (in relation to film ASA) and could be causing slow shutter blurring (as suggested by Lugnut).
Its possible to override the camera's ISO rating by using the Exposure Compensation function to adjust exposures from -2 to +2 exposure equivalents (EV) in half-step increments. Doing this and setting the ASA or compensation to a HIGHER number will underexpose the black, making it actually black.
For those that dont understand, camera meters read what they are pointed at and the resulting exposure make the subject 18% gray. That is why you overexpose to make white look white and underexpose to make black look black.
Theres a version of Photoshop called LE that comes with scanners and some cameras. If you can snag a copy of that, you can improve sharpness as well as making changes to brightness, contrast and color.
Let us know how you do.