ENGLISH DIGITAL CAMERA Photo of PowerShot A540 Advanced Camera User Guide Before Using the Camera Shooting Playback/Erasing Print/Transfer Settings Viewing Images on a TV set Troubleshooting List of Messages Appendix Advanced Camera User Guide This guide explains camera features and procedures in detail. CDI-E221-010 © 2006 CANON INC. PRINTED IN MALAYSIA Main Features Shooting Automatically adjusts shooting settings to match particular conditions Avoid the effects of camera shake or blurry subjects when shooting by using a high ISO speed Automatically detects camera orientation with an Intelligent Orientation sensor Changes specific image colors to shoot (Color Accent, Color Swap) Attaches the separately sold wide converter, tele-converter or close-up lens to shoot (PowerShot A540 only) Playback Plays movies with sound Plays back automatically using the Auto Play function Editing Records sound memos for still images Edits movies Printing Makes printing easy with the Print/Share button Also supports non-Canon brand PictBridge compliant printers Uses of Recorded Images Effortlessly transfer them to a computer with the Print/Share button In this guide, explanations are given using illustrations for PowerShot A540. 0 Conventions Used in this Guide Icons appearing below titles indicate the shooting modes in which the procedure can be used. Mode switch Continuous Shooting PowerShot A540 PowerShot A530 * Unavailable shooting modes are shown grayed out. See Functions Available in Each Shooting Mode (p. 136). In this guide, the Basic Camera User Guide is referred to as the Basic Guide, and the Advanced Camera User Guide is referred to as the Advanced Guide. This mark denotes issues that may affect the camera's operation. This mark denotes additional topics that complement the basic operating procedures. You can use SD* memory cards and MultiMediaCards with this camera. These cards are collectively called memory cards in this guide. * SD stands for Secure Digital, a copyright protection system. Use of genuine Canon accessories is recommended. This product is designed to achieve excellent performance when used with genuine Canon accessories. Canon shall not be liable for any damage to this product and/or accidents such as fire, etc., caused by the malfunction of non-genuine Canon accessories (e.g., a leakage and/or explosion of a battery pack). Please note that this warranty does not apply to repairs arising out of the malfunction of non-genuine Canon accessories, although you may request such repairs on a chargeable basis. 1 Table of Contents Items marked with a are lists or charts that summarize camera functions or procedures. Handling Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Please Read. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Preventing Malfunctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Before Using the Camera ­ The Components Guide . . . 12 Before Using the Camera ­ Basic Operations. . . . . . . . . 15 Using the LCD Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Information Displayed on the LCD Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Using the Viewfinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Power Saving Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Menus and Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Menu List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Resetting Settings to Their Default Values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Formatting Memory Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Changing the Recording Pixels and Compression (Still Images) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Using the Digital Zoom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Continuous Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Postcard Date Imprint Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Using the Self-Timer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Movie Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Shooting Panoramic Images (Stitch Assist) . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Program AE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Setting the Shutter Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Setting the Aperture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Manually Setting the Shutter Speed and Aperture . . . . . . 47 Selecting an AF Frame. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Shooting Hard-to-Focus Subjects (Focus Lock, AF Lock, Manual Focus) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Switching between Metering Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 2 Adjusting the Exposure Compensation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Adjusting the Tone (White Balance) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Shooting in a My Colors Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Changing the Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Adjusting the ISO Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Switching between Flash Adjustment Settings . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Compensating the Flash Adjustment / Flash Output. . . . . . . .66 Setting the Auto Rotate Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Creating an Image Destination (Folder) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Resetting the File Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Playback/Erasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Magnifying Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Viewing Images in Sets of Nine (Index Playback) . . . . . .73 Jumping to Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Viewing Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Editing Movies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Rotating Images in the Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Attaching Sound Memos to Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Automated Playback (Auto Play) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Protecting Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Erasing All Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Print Settings/Transfer Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Setting the DPOF Print Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Setting the DPOF Transfer Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Viewing Images on a TV set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 When the power is turned on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 LCD monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Shooting Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 TV monitor output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Printing with a direct print compatible printer . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 3 List of Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Battery Handling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Handling the Memory Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Using the Power Kits (Sold Separately) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Using the Lenses (Sold Separately) (PowerShot A540 only)109 Using an Externally Mounted Flash (Sold Separately). . . . . 112 Replacing the Date Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Camera Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Functions Available in Each Shooting Mode. . . . . . . . 136 4 Handling Precautions Please Read Test Shots Before you try to photograph important subjects, we highly recommend that you shoot several trial images to confirm that the camera is operating and being operated correctly. Please note that Canon Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates, and its distributors are not liable for any consequential damages arising from any malfunction of a camera or accessory, including memory cards, that results in the failure of an image to be recorded or to be recorded in a way that is machine readable. Warning Against Copyright Infringement Please note that Canon digital cameras are intended for personal use and should never be used in a manner that infringes upon or contravenes international or domestic copyright laws and regulations. Please be advised that in certain cases the copying of images from performances, exhibitions, or commercial properties by means of a camera or other device may contravene copyright or other legal rights even if the image was shot for personal use. Warranty Limitations This camera's warranty is only effective in the country of sale. If a problem arises while the camera is in use abroad, please convey it back to the country of sale before proceeding with a warranty claim to a Canon Customer Support Help Desk. For Canon Customer Support contacts, please see the customer support list supplied with your camera. 5 Camera Body Temperature If your camera is used for prolonged periods, the camera body may become warm. Please be aware of this and take care when operating the camera for an extended period. About the LCD Monitor The LCD monitor is produced with extremely high-precision manufacturing techniques. More than 99.99% of the pixels operate to specification. Less than 0.01% of the pixels may occasionally misfire or appear as red or black dots. This has no effect on the recorded image and does not constitute a malfunction. Video Format Please set the camera's video signal format to the one used in your region before using it with a TV monitor (p. 88). Language Setting Please see the Basic Guide (p. 3) to change the language setting. Safety Precautions Before using the camera, please ensure that you read the safety precautions described below and in the "Safety Precautions" section of the Basic Camera User Guide. Always ensure that the camera is operated correctly. The safety precautions noted on the following pages are intended to instruct you in the safe and correct operation of the camera and its accessories to prevent injuries or damage to yourself, other persons and equipment. Equipment refers to the camera, battery, battery charger (sold separately) and compact power adapter (sold separately). 6 Warnings Equipment Do not look directly into the sun or at bright light sources through the camera's viewfinder. Doing so can damage your eyesight. Store this equipment out of the reach of children and infants. Accidental damage by a child could result in serious injury. · Wrist strap: Placement of the strap around the child's neck could result in asphyxiation. · Memory card: It may be swallowed accidentally. If this occurs, contact a doctor immediately. Do not attempt to disassemble or alter any part of the equipment that is not expressly described in this guide. To avoid the risk of high-voltage electrical shock, do not touch the flash portion of the camera if it has been damaged. Stop operating the equipment immediately if it emits smoke or noxious fumes. Do not allow the equipment to come into contact with, or become immersed in, water or other liquids. If the exterior comes into contact with liquids or salt air, wipe it dry with a soft, absorbent cloth. Continued use of the equipment may result in fire or electrical shock. Immediately turn the camera power off and remove the camera batteries or unplug the power code from the power outlet. Please consult your camera distributor or the closest Canon Customer Support Help ...