Canon EOS 600D User manual

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Canon
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Advanced Shooting
This chapter builds on Chapter 3 and introduces more
ways to shoot creatively.
®_The first half of this chapter explains how to use the <Tv >,
<Av>, <M>, and <AoDFP> modes on the Mode Dial.
_ All the functions explained in Chapter 3 can also be used in
the <Tv>, <Av>, and <M> modes.
_ To see which functions can be used in each shooting mode,
see page 268.
_ The # mark shown on the right of the page title indicates
that the function is available only in Creative Zone modes
(p.22).
P'_ About the Main Dial Pointer
The pointer icon </,_> displayed
together with the shutter speed, aperture
setting, or exposure compensation
amount indicates that you can turn the
<_ > dial to adjust the respective
setting.

Tv" Action Shots
You can either freeze the action or create motion blur with the <Tv>
(Shutter-priority AE) mode on the Mode Dial.
*<Tv > stands for Timevalue.
Blurred motion Frozen action
(Slow shutter speed: 1/30 sec.) (Fast shutter speed: 1/2000 sec.)
Set the Mode Dial to <Tv>.
Set the desired shutter speed.
_ See "Shooting Tips" for advice on
setting the shutter speed.
_ Turning the <_> dial to the right
sets a faster shutter speed, and
turning it to the left sets a slower one.
Take the picture.
_ When you focus and press the
shutter button completely, the picture
will be taken at the selected shutter
speed.
[] Shutter speed Display
Th e LCD monitor disPlays the shutter speed as a fraction. However, the
viewfinder displays only the denominator. Also, !t0!'5" indicates 0.5 sec. and
!f15'"! is 15 sec.
94

Tv: Action Shots
_.'-Shooting Tips
®_To freeze the action or moving subject.
Use a fast shutter speed such as 1/4000 sec. to 1/500 sec.
_To blur a running child or animal giving the impression of fast
movement.
Use a medium shutter speed such as 1/250 sec. to 1/30 sec. Follow
the moving subject through the viewfinder and press the shutter
button to take the picture. If you use a telephoto lens, hold it steady
to prevent camera shake.
_ How to blur a flowing river or water fountain.
Use a slow shutter speed of 1/30 sec. or slower. Use a tripod to
prevent hand-held camera shake.
®_Set the aperture so that the shutter speed display does not
blink.
If you press the shutter button halfway and change
the shutter speed while the aperture is displayed,
the aperture display will also change to maintain the
same exposure (amount of light reaching the image
sensor). If you exceed the adjustable aperture
range, the aperture display will blink to indicate that
the standard exposure cannot be obtained.
If the exposure will be too dark, the maximum aperture (smallest
number) will blink. If this happens, turn the <_> dial to the left to
set a slower shutter speed or increase the ISO speed.
If the exposure will be too bright, the minimum aperture (highest
number) will blink. If this happens, turn the <_ > dial to the right to
set a faster shutter speed or decrease the ISO speed.
Using the Built'in Flash
To obtain a correct flash exposure, the flash output will be set
automatically (autoflash exposure) to match the automatically-set
aperture. The flash sync speed can be set from 1/200 sec. to 30 sec.
95

Av" Changing the Depth of Field _J_
To blur the background or to make everything near and far look sharp,
set the Mode Dial to <Av> (Aperture-priority AE) to adjust the depth of
field (range of acceptable focus).
*<Av >standsforAperturevaluewhichisthesizeofthediaphragmholeinsidethetens.
Blurred background Sharp foreground and background
(With a low aperture f/number: f/5.6) (With a high aperture f/number: f/32)
tSet the Mode Dial to <Av>.
Set the desired aperture.
_ The higher the f/number, the wider
the depth of field where sharper focus
is obtained in both the foreground
and background.
_ Turning the <_> dial to the dght wifl
set a higher f/number (smafler
aperture opening), and turning it to
the left wifl set a lower f/number
(larger aperture opening).
Take the picture.
_ Focus and press the shutter button
completely. The picture will be taken
with the selected aperture.
[] APertureDisp!ay
The higher theflnumber, thesmal!er theaperture opening veil!be,The
aperturesdisPlaYedwill differ dependingon the!ens. Ifn0 !ensis attachedte
the camera, !'00!!wi!l be displayedfor the aperture,
96

Av : Changing the Depth of Field
shooti.gTip
®_When using an aperture with a high f/number, note that camera
shake can occur in low light scenes.
A higher aperture f/number will make the shutter speed slower.
Under low light, the shutter speed can be as long as 30 sec. In such
cases, increase the ISO speed and hold the camera steady or use a
tripod.
_ The depth of field depends not only on the aperture, but also on
the lens and on the subject distance.
Since wide-angle lenses have awide depth of field (range of
acceptable focus in front of and behind the point of focus), you need
not set a high aperture f/number to obtain a sharp picture from the
foreground to the background. On the other hand, a telephoto lens
has a narrow depth of field.
And the closer the subject, the narrower the depth of field. A farther
subject will have a wider depth of field.
®_Set the aperture so that the shutter speed display does not
blink.
If you press the shutter button halfway and change
the aperture while the shutter speed is displayed,
the shutter speed display will also change to
maintain the same exposure (amount of light
reaching the image sensor). If you exceed the
adjustable shutter speed range, the shutter speed
display will blink to indicate that the standard
exposure cannot be obtained.
If the picture will be too dark, the "30'' (30 sec.) shutter speed
display will blink. Ifthis happens, turn the <_ > dial to the left to set
a lower aperture f/number or increase the ISO speed.
If the picture will be too bright, the "4000" (1/4000 sec.) shutter
speed display will blink. If this happens, turn the <_> dial to the
right to set a higher aperture f/number or decrease the ISO speed.
97

AV : Changing the Depth of Field
Using the Built'in Flash
To obtain a correct flash exposure, the flash output will be set
automatically to match the set aperture (autoflash exposure). The
shutter speed wiii be set automatically between 1/200 sec. - 30 sec. to
suit the scene's brightness.
in low light, the main subject is exposed with the automatic flash, and
the background is exposed with a slow shutter speed set automatically.
Both the subject and background look properly exposed (automatic
slow-speed flash sync), if you are handholding the camera, keep it
steady to prevent camera shake. Using a tripod is recommended.
If you do not want a slow shutter speed to be used, set [3: Flash sync.
speed in Av mode] to [1:1/200-1/60 sec. auto] or [2:11200 sec.
(fixed)] in [_ Custom Functions (C.Fn)] (p.252).
Depth of Field Preview#
The aperture opening (diaphragm) changes only at the moment when
the picture is taken. Otherwise, the aperture remains fully open.
Therefore, when you look at the scene through the viewfinder or LCD
monitor, the depth of field will look narrow.
When you press the depth-of-field
preview button, you can see the actual
depth of field before you shoot.
[] While 10#king at the Live View image (p.i24)and holding down the dePth{0f-
field preview button_ you can change the ape[rule and see how th edepth of
field changes:
98

M" Manual Exposure
You can set both the shutter speed and aperture manually as desired.
While referring to the exposure level indicator in the viewfinder, you can
set the exposure as desired. This method is called manual exposure.
* <M> stands for Manual.
Standard exposure index ,7;
Exposure level mark
Set the Mode Dial to <M>.
Set the shutter speed and
aperture.
_ To set the shutter speed, turn the
<_> dial.
_ To set the aperture, hold down the
< Avl_> button and turn the <_> dial.
Focus the subject.
_4 Press the shutter button halfway.
_y,,The exposure setting will be
displayed in the viewfinder.
_ The exposure level mark <|> indicates
how far the current exposure level is
from the standard exposure level.
_,_ Set the exposure and take the
picture.
®_Setthe shutter speed and aperture as
desired.
®_Ifthe exposure set exceeds +2 stopsfrom
the standard exposure, the end of the
exposure level indicator will display <4>
or <_> in the viewfinder. (On the LCD
monitor, if the exposure level exceeds +3
stops, the <1> icon will blink at where
<-3> or <+3> is displayed.)
If [t_= Auto ughti"g opt!mizer] (Pli09)is set to anY _etting Other than
[Disable], the image may still look bright even if a darker exposure has been set.
99

M: Manual Exposure
_Using the Built'in Flash
To obtain a correct flash exposure, the flash output wiii be set
automatically (autoflash exposure) to match the manually-set aperture.
The flash sync speed can be set from 1/200 sec. to 30 sec. and bulb.
BULB: Bulb Exposures
A bulb exposure keeps the shutter open
for as long as you hold down the shutter
button, it can be used to photograph
fireworks, etc.
in step 2 on the preceding page, turn the
<_ > dial to the left to set <BULB>.
The elapsed exposure time will be
displayed on the LCD monitor.
[]
100
During the bulb exposure, do not point the lens toward the sun. The
sun's heat can damage the camera's internal components.
Since bulb exposures produce more noise than usual, the image might
look a little grainy.
_ You can reduce the noise due to lon£ exposures by setting [4: Long exp.
noise reduction] to [1: Auto] or [2: On] in the [_ Custom Functions
(C.Fn)] (p,253).
For bulb exposures, using a tripod and Remote Switch [sold separately,
p.262) is recommended.
You can also use a remote controller (sold separately, p.261) for bulb
exposures. When you press the remote controller's transmit button, the
bulb exposure wil! start immediately or 2 sec. later. Press the button
again to stop the bulb exposure.

A-DEP:Automatic Depth=of=Field AE
Objects in the foreground and background will be in focus automatically.
All the AF points will function to detect the subject, and the aperture
required to attain the necessary depth of field wiii be set automatically.
* <A-DE[}>standsfor Auto-Depth of field.This mode sets tile depth of field
automatically.
Set the Mode Dial to <A-DEP>.
Focus the subject.
® Aim the AF points over the subjects
and press the shutter button halfway
((_4).
® All the subjects covered by the AF
points flashing in red will be in focus.
® if focus is not achieved, the picture
cannot be taken.
,_ Take the picture.
®The aperture display in the viewfinder blinks.
The exposure is correct, but the desired depth of field cannot be
obtained. Either use a wide-angle lens or move farther away from
the subjects.
®The shutter speed display in the viewfinder blinks.
If the "30"" shutter speed blinks, it means that the subject is too dark.
Increase the ISO speed. If the "4000" shutter speed blinks, it means
that the subject is too bright. Decrease the ISO speed.
® A slow shutter speed has been set.
Use a tripod to steady the camera.
® I want to use flash.
Flash can be used, however, the result will be the same as using the
<P> mode with flash. The desired depth of field will not be obtained.
101

C_=IChanging the Metering Mode _
Four methods (metering modes) to measure the subject's brightness
are provided. Normally, evaluative metering is recommended.
In Basic Zone modes, evaluative metering is set automatically.
_'_ Select [Metering mode].
_ Under the [t_:] tab, select [Metering
mode], then press <_-_>.
Set the metering mode.
_ Select the desired metering mode,
then press <_-_>.
C_3Evaluative metering
This is an all-around metering mode suited for
portraits and even backlit subjects. The camera
sets the exposure automatically to suit the scene.
[3 [3
D
i_!iliilili_iiii_iiiiiiii'ii
i _i_iii_,, _iiii_! !_
_] Partial metering
Effective when the background is much brighter
than the subject due to backlighting, etc. The gray
area in the left figure is where the brightness is
metered to obtain the standard exposure.
F,3 Spot metering
This isfor metering a specific part of the subject or
scene. The gray area in the left figure is where the
brightness is metered to obtain the standard
exposure. This metering mode is for advanced users.
['q Center-weighted average metering
The brightness is metered at the center and
then averaged for the entire scene. This
metering mode is for advanced users.
[] With E_: the exposure Setting will be locked when YOUPress the shutter
butto n hal_ay and focus is achieve d. With [:oq E,3, and E-I; the exposure
setting is set at the moment of exposure. (The exposure setting is not locked
when you press the shutter button halfway.)
102

Setting Exposure Compensation _
Av[] Setting Exposure Compensation
Set exposure compensation if the exposure (without flash) does not come out
as desired. This feature can be used in Creative Zone modes (except <M>).
You can set the exposure compensation up to +5 stops in 1/3-stop increments.
increasedexposureforabrighterimage
Making it brighter:
Hold down the <Avl_> button and
turn the <_> dial to the right.
(Increased exposure)
Making it darker:
Hold down the <Avl_> button and
turn the <_> dial to the left.
(Decreased exposure)
Decreasedexposureforadarkerimage
ty,,As shown in the figure, the exposure
level is displayed on the LCD monitor
and in the viewfinder.
®_After taking the picture, cancel the
exposure compensation by setting
it back to 0.
Dark exposure Increased exposure for a brighter image
_ The exposure Compensation amount displayed in the Viewfinder goes Up
to on!y +2 stops_ If the exposure compensatien amount exceeds +2
stopsl the end of the exposure !evel indicator will display <_> or <_>.
®_The exposure compensation can a!so be set w!th [t_ =E×po. c0mP./
AEB] (p,105), !f you wi!l set exposure compensation exceeding +2 stops ,
you shou!d use ItS! E×po. cornpJAEB] toset !L
103

Setting Exposure Compensation*
Flash Exposure Compensation
Set flash exposure compensation ifthe flash exposure of the subject
does not come out as desired. You can set the flash exposure
compensation up to _+2stops in 1/3-stop increments.
_'_ Press the <l_> button. (4_10)
_y,,The Quick Control screen will appear
(p.41).
Select [_].
® Press the <_;, > key to select [_*].
_y,,[Flash exposure comp.] wiii be
displayed at the bottom.
Set the flash exposure
compensation amount.
@ To make the flash exposure brighter,
turn the <_> dial to the right.
To make it darker, turn the <_> dial
to the left. (Decreased exposure)
b When you press the shutter button
halfway, the <_> icon wiii appear in
the viewfinder.
® After taking the picture, cancel the
flash exposure compensation by
setting it back to O.
If [t_; Auto Lighting optimizer] (p i09)is Seita any seiting other than
[Disable], the imago may look bright even if adecreased exposure
compensationor decreasedflash exposure compensation has been set,
You Can also Set flash exposure Compensation with [Built-in flash func.
setting] in [t_=!Flash contro!] (p_!8!)_
1O4

Auto Exposure Bracketing _
This feature takes exposure compensation astep further by varying the
exposure automatically (up to _+2stops in 1/3-stop increments) with
three shots as shown below. You can then choose the best exposure.
This is called AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing).
Standard exposure
AEB amount
Darker exposure
(Decreased exposure) Brighter exposure (Increased exposure)
Select [E×po. comp./AEB].
® Under the [t_ =]tab, select [Expo.
comp./AEB], then press <_-_>.
_i_' Set the AEB amount.
® Turn the <_> dial to set the AEB
amount.
® Press the <41_> key to set the
exposure compensation amount. If
AEB is combined with exposure
compensation, AEB will be applied
centering on the exposure
compensation amount.
® Press <_-_> to set it.
® When you press the <MENU> button
to exit the menu, the AEB level will be
displayed on the LCD monitor.
_:_ Take the picture.
® Focus and press the shutter button
completely. The three bracketed
shots will be taken in this sequence:
Standard exposure, decreased
exposure, and increased exposure.
105

Auto Exposure Bracketing*
Canceling AEB
® Follow steps 1 and 2 to turn off the AEB amount display.
® The AEB setting will also be canceled automatically if the power
switch is set to <OFF>, flash recycling is completed, etc.
_;_ Shooting Tips
®Using AEB with continuous shooting:
If <D__4J>continuous shooting (p.88) has been set and you press the
shutter button completely, the three bracketed shots will be taken
continuously in this sequence: Standard exposure, decreased
exposure, and increased exposure.
® Using AEB with <1-'1> single shooting.
Press the shutter button three times to take the three bracketed
shots. The three bracketed shots will be exposed in the following
sequence: Standard exposure, decreased exposure, and increased
exposure.
® Using AEB with the self-timer or remote control (sold
separately).
With the self-timer or remote control (<i®> or <_2>), you can take
three continuous shots after a 10-sec. or 2-sec. delay. With <_c>
(p.89) set, the number of continuous shots will be three times the
number set.
@+# Neither flaSh nOr Bulb eXposures can be used with AEB.
¢, If It1' Auto Lighting Optimizer] (p.109) is set to any setting other than
[Disable], the AEB!s effect might be minimal
106

=X= Locking the E×posure _
You can lock the exposure when the area of focus isto be different from
the exposure metering area or when you want to take multiple shots at
the same exposure setting. Press the <=X-> button to lock the exposure,
then recompose and take the shot. This is called AE lock. It is effective
for backlit subjects.
AE Lock Effects
Focus the subject.
_4 Press the shutter button halfway.
_y,,The exposure setting will be
displayed.
Press the <%> button. (_4)
_y,,The <%> icon lights in the viewfinder
to indicate that the exposure setting is
locked (AE lock).
_ Each time you press the <%> button,
it locks the current autoexposure
setting.
3Recompose and take the picture.
_ If you want to maintain the AE lock
while taking more shots, hold down
the <% > button and press the shutter
button to take another shot.
A_
Co3C=3E] AE lockis applied atthe center AF point.
Whenthelens'focusmodeswitchissetto<MF>,AElockisappliedatthecenterAFpoint.
107

=)(- Locking the Flash E×posure _
if the subject is on the side of the frame and you use flash, the subject
may turn out to be too bright or dark depending on the background, etc.
This is when you should use FE lock. After setting the proper flash
exposure for the subject, you can recompose (put the subject toward
the side) and shoot. This feature can also be used with a Canon EX-
series Speedlite.
* FEstandsfor Flash Exposure.
1
Spot metering circle
Press the <_>button.
s+ The built-in flash will rise.
_ Press the shutter button halfway and
look in the viewfinder to check that
the <_> icon is lit.
Focus the subject.
Press the <%>button. (_16)
_ Aim the spot-metering circle over the
subject, then press the <_> button.
_y,,The flash will fire a preflash and the
required flash output is calculated
and retained in memory.
_y,,in the viewfinder, "FEL" is displayed
for a moment and <_*> will light.
_ Eachtime you pressthe<*> button, a
preflashisfiredandtherequiredflashoutput
is calculatedandretained in memory.
Take the picture.
_, Compose the shot and press the
shutter button completely.
b The flash is fired when the picture is
taken.
_1 if the SUbjeCt istoo far away and beyoud the effective range of the flash, the
<_> iCOn w!l! b!ink_ Get Closer to the subject and repeat steps 2 to 4:
108

CorrectingtheBrightnessandContrastAutomatically_ _
If the image comes out dark or the contrast is low, the brightness and
contrast can be corrected automatically. This feature is called Auto
Lighting Optimizer. The default setting is [Standard]. With JPEG images,
the correction is done when the image is captured. For RAW images, it can
be corrected with Digital Photo Professional (provided software, p.302).
2
,3
Select [Auto Lighting Optimizer].
_ Under the [_:] tab, select [Auto
Lighting Optimizer], then press
<8 > ,
Select the setting.
®_Select the desired setting, then press
<8 > ,
Take the picture.
®_The image will be recorded with the
brightness and contrast corrected if
necessary.
Without correction With correction
Under [_'" Custom Functions (C.Fn)], if [6: Highlight tone priority] is
set to [1: Enable], the Auto Lighting Optimizer will be set automatically to
[Disable] and you cannot change this setting.
Depending on the shooting conditions, noise might increase.
if a setting other than [Disable] is set and you use exposure
compensation, flash exposure compensation, or manual exposure to
darken the exposure, the image might still come out bright. If you want a
darker exposure, set [Auto Lighting OpUmizer] to [Disable] first.
In Basic Zone modes. [Standard] is set automatically.
109

Correcting the image's Dark Corners _
Due to the lens characteristics, the four corners of the picture might look
darker. This phenomenon is called lens light faIFoff or drop in peripheral
illumination and can be corrected automatically. The default setting is
[Enable]. With JPEG images, the correction is done when the image is
captured. For RAW images, it can be corrected with Digital Photo
Professional (provided software, p.302).
il Select [Peripheral illumin.
correct.].
_ Under the [_l'] tab, select
[Peripheral illumin, correct.], then
press <_-_>.
Select the setting.
_ On the screen, check that
[Correction data available] is
displayed for the attached lens.
_if [Correction data not available] is
displayed, see "About the Lens
Correction Data" on the next page.
_ Select [Enable], then press <_-_>.
Take the picture.
_ The image will be recorded with the
corrected peripheral illumination.
Correction disabled Correction enabled
110

Correcting the Image's Dark Corners
About the Lens Correction Data
The camera already contains lens peripheral illumination correction
data for approx. 25 lenses. In step 2, if you select [Enable], the
peripheral light correction will be applied automatically for any lens
whose correction data has been registered in the camera.
With EOS Utility (provided software, p.302), you can check which
lenses have their correction data registered in the camera. You can also
register the correction data for unregistered lenses. For details, see the
Software Instruction Manual (CD-ROM) for EOS Utility (p.304).
UFor JPEG images already captured, lens peripheral illuminatior
correction cannot be applied.
Depending on shooting conditions noise might appear on the image
periphery.
When using a non-Canon lens, setting the correction to [Disable] is
recommended, even if [Correction data available] is displayed.
_] ® Lens peripheral light correction is also applied when an Extender is
attached,
If the correction data for the attached lens has not been registered to the
camera, the result will be the same as when the correction is set to
[Disable].
The correction amount applied will be slightly lower than the maximum
correction amount settable with Digital Photo Professional [provided
software).
If the lens does not have distance information, the correction amount will
be lower.
The higher the ISO speed, the lower the correction amount will be.
111