How to use
The first step in using the camera is turning it on. The camera’s on switch is located right above the hand grip on its right side. Make sure to switch the camera off after you’re finished using it to preserve battery life.
Another step that needs to be taken before using the camera is extending the lens. On this camera, the lens fully retracts to keep it safe and compact. Notice the “Canon” logo and notch present at the base of the lens, along with a small dot above. Turn the lens to the left until the “18mm” mark reaches the notch. This will extend the lens enough that it can now be used. Continuing to turn the lens like this will change its focal length (a.k.a. the zoom). This specific lens ranges from 18-45mm, with 45mm being the farthest it can zoom in.
To take pictures or video, you will also need to decide how you want to display your frame, or the visual field you want to record. To do this, you can look through the viewfinder (the small window in the center of the camera) or flip out the digital display built into the back of the camera. The digital display is also how you will navigate menus and media storage on the camera
Another consideration to make before you start shooting pictures is how you want to focus your frame. Like most modern digital cameras, this camera has the option for either manual or automatic focus. The focus setting can be changed with the small switch on the front of the camera, just to the left of the lens (marked with AF and MF).
Automatic focus, like the name implies, will automatically focus the frame for you before you take a picture. When automatic focus is selected, look through the viewfinder or digital display and press the shutter button about halfway until the lens focuses.
If manual focus is selected, you will instead need to manually rotate the focus ring until the frame is focused to your preference. The focus ring is located in between the lens body and the zoom ring, which was used to extend the camera lens.
The shutter button is the most important one on the camera. This is what will allow you to take pictures. The shutter button is located on the end of the camera’s hand grip. If you’re holding the camera as intended, your index finger should be resting right on top of it. Once your frame is set exactly how you want it, just press the shutter button all the way down until there’s a click. Once you hear that, congratulations! You’ve taken your picture.
As previously mentioned in the guide, this camera is also capable of recording video. To switch from photography to video, rotate the mode dial (the raised dial to the right of the viewfinder) until the white notch reaches the camera icon. Then, to start recording, press the red record button in between the mode dial and the shutter button.
Just like with photographs, focus settings still apply. Automatic focus will do the same for video, and manual focus will require the use of the focus ring.
Once you’ve taken your photos or recorded your video, you can browse through them on the camera. When the digital display is flipped outward, press the blue play button on the bottom right of the camera’s back. This will bring up all saved media on the camera, starting with the most recent. To scroll through them, use left and right on the circular directional pad above the blue play button. Pressing the circular pad’s center select button on a particular photo will provide an array of editing options, such as rotating, cropping, filters, and more.
Deleting photos and videos works similarly. First, scroll to the photo or video you want to delete while browsing the saved media. Then, press down on the circular pad; the same spot marked with a blue trashcan icon. Press right to highlight “Erase,” then the center select button. Your unwanted media should now be deleted.
If you want even more control over how you take your photos, there are three very important camera settings to keep in mind: shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. This section will go over an explanation for what each does, and how to adjust them on the camera itself. To adjust these settings, it helps having the camera set to manual mode. To do this, rotate the mode dial until the white notch aligns with the “M” icon.
Shutter speed refers to the amount of time the camera’s shutter remains open so the image sensor (or film in a film camera) is exposed to light. Adjusting the camera’s shutter speed will affect both the brightness of the image and the camera’s ability to capture movement. Shutter speed is measured in seconds and fractions of a second.
Let’s say that you have set a shutter speed of 1/800 (one eight hundredth of a second). This is a relatively fast shutter speed, so you will be able to capture a fast-moving object with good visual clarity. However, because the shutter is open for such a short amount of time, it will naturally make your photo darker as there is less time for light to reach the image sensor. The opposite principle applies to slow shutter speeds. For instance, if you set your shutter speed for a full second of exposure, you will be able to get much more light into the camera. But with a shutter speed this long, the camera will have a harder time tracking movement, increasing the risk of a blurry image. Making your image too bright with the amount of light you let in is also something to consider.
An image that is too dark because of a lack of light exposure is called “underexposed.” Conversely, an image that is too bright is “overexposed.”
The shutter speed can be changed by adjusting the vertical dial just behind the shutter button. Turning it right will provide faster shutter speeds, while turning left will increase exposure time.
The next important setting is aperture. The camera’s aperture (also referred to as the f-stop) is the degree to which the “eye” of the lens is widened or closed. This widening and closing changes the ratio of the focal length to the diameter of the lens and will therefore affect the depth of field of your image. Also, like shutter speed, it will change the amount of light that can enter the camera.
The aperture is measured numerically, with a higher f-stop indicating a smaller aperture. This camera can have an aperture as small as f/22 and as large as f/4.5. These numbers indicate the fractional size of the opening of the lens compared to the aperture itself. For instance, f/22 would mean that the opening is 1/22 the size of the aperture.
Now that you know how to measure aperture, let’s visualize how it will affect the image. Imagine that you want to take a picture of a row of dominos that stretches out in front of you. For the first picture, you decide to use a very large aperture, like f/4.5. After snapping the picture, you should see that only the first few dominos appear to be in focus. This isn’t because you’ve improperly focused your lens though. Rather, a large aperture will decrease the depth of field and focus what’s at the “forefront” of your image. Now try a very small aperture, like f/22. This time you should be able to see most if not all of the dominos in focus because you have greatly increased the depth of field.
As previously mentioned, adjusting the aperture will also affect how much light can enter the camera. Keep in mind that a smaller aperture means less light. Assuming the shutter speed is the same, a photo taken with an f-stop at f/22 will be darker than one taken at f/4.5. Therefore, to achieve a good balance of light, a smaller aperture will generally require a slower shutter speed to make sure enough light is entering the camera. Conversely, larger apertures generally pair better with faster shutter speeds.
To adjust the aperture, turn the round dial to which the on/off switch is attached. Rotating clockwise will increase the aperture (I.e. move it closer to f/4.5) while turning it counterclockwise will decrease it.
Lastly is the camera’s ISO setting (named after the International Organization for Standardization). In digital cameras, the ISO is a numerical value that indicates the camera’s sensors’ overall sensitivity to light. A higher ISO means more sensitivity, and therefore a higher ability for the camera to capture light. Essentially, adjusting the ISO will help to brighten or darken your images as needed.
On this camera, the ISO defaults to automatic adjustment based on light conditions. However, if you want to set a custom ISO, press up on the circular directional pad. This spot is also marked with “ISO” to make it easily recognizable. This will bring up a sliding scale on either the digital display or viewfinder which can be scrolled through with the left and right buttons on the directional pad. Scroll to your ISO of choice, then press the center select button. This camera’s ISO ranges from 100 to 32000, with a higher number meaning higher sensitivity. The ISO can be switched back to automatic with the same method.
All these different aspects of camera use might seem intimidating at first. However, what’s most important is creating images and videos that you’re happy with. The best way to do that is experiment! Don’t be afraid to try out different combinations of shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and other settings on the camera. This will build up your familiarity with the tools at your disposal and help you find the techniques that work best for your signature artistic style.
