Canon Powershot Quick Guide

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Revision as of 10:39, 8 July 2013 by Kisaar24 (Talk | contribs)

A proficiency test is not required to check out these cameras.

About Media Loans Canon Powershot Cameras

Media Loan carries a variety of Canon Powershot point- and-shoot cameras, each with slightly different features and interfaces. Operations with these cameras are generally alike. This handout will provide an overview of their similarities. First, here is the interface for the Powershot camera:

Precautions

Do not aim the camera directly into the sun or other intense light sources.
Do not immerse camera in liquid or allow to get wet.Wipe dry with soft, absorbent cloth if exterior contacts liquid or salt air.
Do not use, place or store in direct sunlight or in places subject to high temperatures such as the dashboard or trunk of a car.
Do not place camera on speakers, electric motors or other equipment generating strong electromagnetic fields.

Basic Operations

Shooting Mode Dial Use the shooting mode dial to switch between the shooting modes.

Auto – The camera Automatically selects settings.

Image zone – The camera automatically selects settings according to the image composition type.

Portrait – Use this mode when you want the subject to appear sharp and the background to blur.
Landscape – Use this mode to shoot spacious landscape scenes.
Night Scene – Use this mode to capture human subjects against the backdrop of an evening sky or night scene.
Fast Shutter – Use this mode to shoot fast moving objects.
Slow Shutter – Use this mode to shoot moving objects to make them appear blurred.
SCN : Special Scene – Select from 8 scene modes to shoot with the most appropriate settings for the scene.
Stitch Assist – Use this mode when taking shots that you want to combine into a panorama.
Movie – Use this mode to shoot movies. Sound is also recorded simultaneously.

Creative Zone – The user selects exposure, aperture or other settings to achieve special effects.

P – Program AE
Tv – Shutter-speed priority AE
Av – Aperture priority AE
M – Manual exposure
C – Custom

Switching Between Shooting and Playback

To enter Shooting mode, slide the mode switch to the camera icon. To view images, slide the mode switch to the play icon.

Playback and Zooming

Slide the mode switch to the camera icon, and using the left/right buttons move between images. To magnify an image, use the zoom lever. When zoomed, use the left/right/up/down buttons to move around the image. Use the zoom lever again to return to full view.

Battery Power

The Canon Powershot cameras all require 2 AA batteries. To install batteries, slide the battery cover as indicated on the camera. Make sure to put the batteries in the correct way, also indicated on the camera. Batteries are not provided by Media Loan.

Image and Movie Resolution

With each camera image and movie resolutions vary. you can set them in the menu under compression or recording pixels. In general the finer the resolution, the larger the file size. Keep this in mind when considering how many movies you need to capture.

Transferring Images to a Computer

(Using Windows Vista, XP or Mac OSX (v 10.3/10.4)

  1. Plug camera USB cable into Camera USB port
  2. Plug the other end of cable into an available USB port
  3. Turn camera on and wait, follow on-screen prompts
It may take a few minutes for the initial install before you can transfer your photos.
Disconnecting the Camera
Make sure no information is being transferred. (green light is not flashing) Then unplug the USB cable and turn off the camera.
Please note: For some older versions of Mac OS you must unmount the camera drive by dragging it to the trash bin before disconnecting the USB cable or turning the camera off.