B. Morden

2005Source: http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/A75/A75A.HTM

External Controls

Shutter Button: Resting in the center of the Zoom lever, this button sets focus and exposure when halfway pressed, and fires the shutter when fully pressed.

Zoom Lever: Surrounding the Shutter button on the top panel, this lever controls the optical and digital zoom while in Record mode.In Playback mode, the wide side displays a nine-image index display of all images on the memory card, and accesses a "Jump" function that lets you scroll through index display screens quickly. Alternatively, the telephoto position enlarges the currently displayed image as much as 10x, so that you can check on fine details.

•         Auto: The camera controls everything about the exposure, except for Flash and Macro modes, image size and quality settings. •Creative Zone •     Program AE (P): Places the camera in control of shutter speed and lens aperture, while you maintain control over everything else (i.e., white balance, ISO, metering, exposure compensation, flash, etc.). •       Shutter-Speed Priority AE (Tv): Allows you to control the shutter speed settings from 1/2,000 to 15 seconds, while the camera controls the aperture. All other exposure settings are available. •        Aperture Priority AE (Av): Allows you to set the lens aperture from f/2.8 to f/8.0, while the camera controls the shutter speed. The maximum aperture depends on the zoom setting, ranging from f/2.8 at the wide angle end to f/4.8 at the telephoto position. In this mode, you maintain control over all other exposure variables. •     Manual (M): Provides complete control over all exposure settings, including shutter speed and lens aperture.

Mode Dial: Also on the camera's top panel, this large, notched dial is used to select the camera's shooting modes. Canon divides these functions into three categories: Auto, Image Zone, and Creative Zone. The options are as follows:

Image Zone •     Portrait: Uses a large aperture setting to blur the background while keeping the primary subject in sharp focus. •      Landscape: Employs a small aperture setting to keep both the background and foreground in focus. (May use a slower shutter speed, so a tripod is recommended.) •     Night Scene: Uses slower shutter speeds and flash to even out nighttime exposures. The slow shutter speed allows more ambient light to be recorded in the low-light areas, while the flash freezes the subject. The Red-Eye Reduction mode can be used with this exposure mode to eliminate Red-Eye in night portraits. •      Fast Shutter: Uses fast shutter speeds to stop action and maintain sharp focus on moving subjects. •       Slow Shutter: Uses slow shutter speeds to blur fast-moving subjects.•       Special Scene: Choose from Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Underwater, and Indoor modes. •       Stitch-Assist: Allows you to record a series of images, either horizontally, or vertically, to be "stitched" together into one panorama on a computer. •      Movie: Records as long as three minutes of moving images with sound, at approximately 15 frames per second.

         Power Button: To the left of the Mode dial, this button turns the camera on or off.             Mode Switch: Adjacent to the top right corner of the LCD monitor on the rear panel, this switch selects between Record and Playback modes.                   Five-Button Function Pad: These five buttons are arranged in a disk pattern on the rear panel, right of the LCD monitor. They serve as the left, right, up, and down arrow keys to navigate through settings menus, and the center button is the Set button, better-placed in our opinion. In Record mode, the left and right buttons adjust available exposure settings, as well as manual focus, when enabled. The top button controls flash mode, while the bottom button accesses Macro and Manual Focus modes.In Playback mode, the left and right buttons scroll through captured images. When an image has been enlarged, all four arrows pan within the view.             Print/Share button: Glows blue when enabled for printing to a PictBridge printer or Windows computer for uploading images.              Function / Erase Button: On the lower right corner of the LCD monitor, this button displays the following Function menu while in Record mode:

Battery Release Lever

Memory Card

Batteries

• NiMH AA − Low cost− High capacity− Excellent high-drain performance—just what digital cameras demand − Flat discharge curve—you can actually draw most of the rated capacity − Light weight − Carefree rechargability—charge them whenever you like without fear of a

NiCd-like "memory effect" − Long service life (500-1,000 charges per AA) − Environmentally friendly, thanks to their reusability and lack of toxic heavy

metals 

• Li AA

− Not rechargeable− Maintains charge for extended periods of time− Function well in a wide temperature range

The capacity of the memory card is indicated by a number.

Examples might be: 128 MB 256 MB 512 MB 1 GB

How many pictures you are able to record on the memory card is also dictated by the resolution level you have selected on your camera.

Resolution: Specifies the image resolution and quality settings. Still image resolutions are 2,048 x 1,536; 1,600 x 1,200; 1,024 x 768; and 640 x 480 pixels. The new Postcard mode defaults to 1,600 x 1,200 for fine 4x6 printing, with the option of date printing on the photo.

The higher the resolution, the more memory taken up. The higher the resolution, the longer it takes to transfer into other applications, and the more space it occupies.

To alter the resolution:• turn camera on• be certain mode switch is set to camera function• depress function button• use function pad to move cursor to hi-lite resolution icon• use function pad to move cursor right or left to preferred resolution• depress set button to select

Good composition is essential in photography. It allows you to convey messages and emotions through the images that you shoot. Fortunately, good photo composition is easy to achieve by following a few simple guidelines.

Rule of thirds

First, learn the "rule of thirds." As you look through your camera's viewfinder, imagine there are lines dividing the image into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, essentially dividing your image into nine equal-shaped blocks. Frame your subject at one of the intersection points instead of in the center of the viewfinder, as shown in the following illustration.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/learnmore/composition.mspxSource:

Framing

Careful framing of your subject can make a dramatic difference in your photos. Remember—every photo has a foreground and background, so use them together to add an interesting element to the shot.

Use foreground elements to frame your photo's subject. Architectural elements work well (windows, doorways, arches, and so on), but you can find any number of interesting elements to use for framing your photos. The important point here is the subject. It doesn't do much good to frame your subject with interesting elements if they overshadow the subject, making it difficult to determine what the subject is supposed to be.

Visual cropping

Crop your photos visually before you take them. Look into the corners of the viewfinder. Do you see things that shouldn't be there? You can remove, or crop, these elements from your photos simply by moving closer to your subject, zooming in on your subject, or moving your subject within the viewfinder. Try different angles. Look for anything that will diminish the impact of unwanted objects in your photos.

Angle of the view

Believe it or not, the best angle for a photo is not always upright and directly in front of the subject. Some of the most interesting photographs are those taken from a unique vantage point. Get down to the level of the flowers before taking the picture. Climb a tree to take a picture of a meadow. Always ask yourself if the photo would look better taken as a landscape or portrait shot. Experiment and try different perspectives. Look for angles that are interesting and demonstrate the mood and inspiration you're trying to capture.

BalanceAchieving good balance in your photographs requires the correct combination of colors, shapes, and areas of light and dark that complement one another. Achieving the right balance in your photos is easier than it appears. Think about your subject and capture it from an angle, viewpoint, or even time of day that focuses attention on the subject.

Perspective

To capture the essence of what you experience when viewing a scene, it helps to add an element to your photo to convey this perspective. In the following picture, the bow of the boat helps to add an interesting perspective to the vastness of the scene.

Without the bow of the boat in the picture, the scene would be far less interesting and void of any drama.

Draw the viewer's eyes through the photo

A path, a row of telephone poles, or even a line of chairs at the beach can serve as elements in a good photo.