How come I can't take clear pictures with my lens?

I have a Canon Rebel XTi.





I've had no problems with other lenses, however, the lens I'm using now wont take clear pictures unless I get really close to the item/person. I tried out this same lens in the store with a test camera and it didn't do that, am I doing something wrong?





It's the Canon EFS 18-55mm lens.





Any help is appreciated, thanks!How come I can't take clear pictures with my lens?
Is the AF switch on? Check the switch on the side of your camera.





Another possibility is that you've got your camera set for close-focus. See if you've turned the control dial to the ';flower'; icon.





If your photos are in focus, but blurry, your camera may be using too slow of a shutter speed. Try changing to a higher ISO, using flash, or setting the camera to A (full auto exposure).





I hope this helps.How come I can't take clear pictures with my lens?
Try zooming out and using the focus ring?
Also check what resolution your camera is set to. Using too low of a resolution can create images that aren't ';clear';.
the one in the store was set up by someone in the store........








read the manual, look up focus, i always use manual - if your eyes are ok try it





classes in photography would be useful





a
buy a lumix!!
Make sure that the auto focus points are set to auto. Its the thumb button way up on th right. When you see the LCD dispaly show you the autofocus points make sure they are all highlighted in yellow.





And as someone else said make sure its set to af and not mf.
When you invest in a camera other than a point and shoot camera, you really need to take some photo classes. ANY DSLR camera is either a pro camera or has pro cameras features and to expect to learn how to use it at its optimal advantage.
Make sure the camera and lens are set on ';autofocus'; -- check the manual for instructions.
auto focus?