Canon PowerShot A550 User manual

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ENGLISH
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~JNerShot A 550
DIGITAL C"AMERA
Basic
[The Components Guide II
[Preparations II
[Shooting II
[Single Playback/Erasing II
[Menus and Settings II
[Printing II
Downloading Images
to aComputer
Camera User Guide
Please Read This First
This gUide explains how to prepare the camera and use its basic features.
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PRINT DIRECT

Flowchart and Reference Guides
Basic Camera User
Guide (This Guide)
Basic Camera User
Guide (This Guide)
•Read this first.
D SystemMap
III
AdvancedCamera User
Guide
III Direct Print UserGuide
Printing
III SoftwareStarterGuide
ZoomBrowser EXI
ImageBrowser
Software User Guide
•PDF manuals available on
the Canon website.
http://web.canon.jp/
Imaginglinfonnation-e.html
is guide, the Basic Camera UserGuide is called the Basic Guide,
the Advanced Camera User Guide is called the Advanced Guide.
following guides are available. Refer to them as necessary
rding to the flowchart below.
andling precautions, references
to the various shooting and
playback
functions
For information on included items
and items sold separately
The Components Guide
T
Preparations
•Installing the batteries and memory card
•Setting the date, time and language
T
Shooting
Playback/Erasing
T
Menus and Settings
You may not be able to achieve the
full performance
of this camera with
the included memory card.

• Front View
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CD
(DMicrophone (Advanced Guide pp. 37,64)
®AF-assist Beam (Advanced Guide p. 21)
®Red-Eye Reduction Lamp (p. 15)
oSelf-Timer Lamp (p. 17)
®Viewfinder Window (Advanced Guide p. 16)
®Flash (p. 14)
CDTerminal Cover
®A/V OUT (Audio/Video output) Terminal (Advanced Guide p. 67)
@OIGITAL Terminal
(p. 27)
@OC
IN (Power input) Terminal (Advanced Guide p. 98)
@Lens
-----1
1

-
-BackView
Attaching the
Wrist Strap
CD LCD Monitor (Advanced Guide p. 12)
@Viewfinder (Advanced Guide
p. 16)
@Speaker
oWrist Strap Mount
®Memory Card Slot /Battery Cover Lock (p. 5)
®Memory Card Slot /Battery Cover (p. 5)
(j) Tripod Socket
The LCD monitor may be covered with athin plastic film for
protection against scratches during shipment. Ifso, remove
the film before using the camera.
21------

• Controls
G) Indicators (p. 4)
@Power Button (p. 9)
@loom Lever (p. 14, Advanced Guide p. 58)
Shooting: m(Wide Angle)/[tJ (Telephoto)
Playback: ~ (Index)/Q (Magnify)
@Shutter Button (p. 10)
®Shooting Mode Dial (pp. 9, 11)
® ~1tV (Print/Share) Button (p. 22)
(j) FUNC./SET (Function/Set) Button (p. 20, Advanced Guide p. 18)
®MENU Button (p. 21, Advanced Guide p. 19)
®DISP. (Display) Button (Advanced Guide p. 12)
@[E] (Playback)/CI (Shooting) Button (p. 7)
® ~ (Macro)/" Button (p. 16)
@ ISO /~ (Jump)/'" Button (Advanced Guide pp. 52, 60)
@ ~ (Flash)/. Button (p. 14)
@ ~ (Continuous)/{9 (Self-timer)/~ (Single Image Erase)/
.. Button (pp. 17, 19, Advanced Guide p. 31)
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Indicators
The camera indicators will light or blink under the following conditions.
-
.. ,
•
•Upper Indicator
Green: Ready
to shoot (camera beeps twice)/when
connected to acomputer
Blinking Green: During camera startup/image recording/reading/
erasing/transferring (when connected to a
computer/printer)
Orange: Ready
to shoot (flash on)
Blinking Orange: Ready
to shoot (camera shake warning),
charging flash
•Lower Indicator
Yellow: Macro mode/AF lock mode
Blinking Yellow: Focusing difficulty (camera beeps once)
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Preparations
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1. Installing the batteries.
1. Slide the memory card slot/battery cover lock (CD) and
open the cover (@).
2. Insert the 2supplied AA-size alkaline batteries, or
separately sold AA-size NiMH batteries.
I
2. Inserting the memory card.
1. Insert the memory card until it clicks into place.
2. Close the memory card slot/battery cover (CD), pressing
down and sliding it until it clicks into place (@).
Front
-------15

..
• To Remove the Memory Card
Push the memory card with your finger until the memory card clicks
and then release
it.
You can use SO memory cards, SOHC memory cards and
MultiMediaCards with this camera. These cards are
collectively called memory cards
in this guide.
611---------

Turning the Power On/Off
• Turning the Camera On/Off in Shooting Mode
1. Press the power button. Power Button
The indicators blink while the
camera turns on.
2. Pressing the power button again
turns the power off.
Indicators
• Turning the Camera On/Off in Playback Mode
1. Press the [EJ/O button.
The indicators blink while the
camera turns on.
2. Press the power button to turn
the power off.
Indicators [E] /0 Button
• Switching between Shooting Mode and Playback
Mode
.. 4~I--_p_re_s_s_th_e_p_ow_e_r_b_ut_to_n_ ........
Playback
Mode
-
------17

..
First Time Settings
• Setting the Date/Time
1. Press the power button (CD).
2. Use the .. or .. button to select an item and the .. or +
button to change its value (@).
3. Confirm that the correct time is displayed and press the
FUNC./SET button (@).
The date and time can also be set in the Set up menu (p. 21).
Ji¥l The date/time setting screen will appear when the camera
CjJ power is turned on for the first time, or when the capacity
of the lithium date battery is depleted.
• Setting the Display Language
1. Press the CEl/Q button.
2. Hold down the FUNC./SET button and press the MENU button.
3. Use the .. ,+,.. or .. button to select alanguage and
press the FUNC./SET button.
The display language can also be set in the Set up menu (p. 21).
81------

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Shooting
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1. Press the power button.
The start-up sound will play and the
start-up image will display on the LCD
monitor.
•Pressing the power button while
pressing and holding the DISP. button
will turn on the mute setting which will
mute all sounds except for warning
sounds. DISP. Button
2.Set the shooting mode dial to
fD>.
3.Aim the camera at the subject.
-----1
9

Indicators
4. Focus and shoot.
1. Press the shutter button halfway
to focus.
When the camera focuses
automatically, the camera beeps
twice and the indicator lights green
(orange when using the flash). Also,
the AF frame appears
in green on
the LCD monitor at the point where the camera is focused.
2. Press the shutter button fully to
shoot.
The shutter sound will play and the
image will record. The indicator will
blink green while the image
is
recorded to the memory card.
• Reviewing an Image Right After Shooting
After ashot is taken, the image appears in the LCD monitor for
approximately 2seconds.
You can continue to display images regardless
of the review duration
setting with the following procedures.
•Keeping the shutter button pressed after ashot.
•Pressing the FUNC./SET or DISP. button while the image is
displayed
in the LCD monitor.
To stop displaying the image, press the shutter button halfway.
~See .the AdvancedGuide:Review (p.21).
~See Erasing(p.19).
10
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Selecting a Shooting Mode
1. Set the shooting mode dial to the desired mode (CD).
In the SeN and -" modes, press the FUNC./SET button (@) and
use
the. or •button to select ashooting mode (@), then press
the FUNC./SET button (@).
Image zone
• Shooting Modes
. ill Kids&Pets
Allows you to
capture subjects
that move
around, such as
children and pets, without missing
photo opportunities.
----------1
11

seN (Special Scene)
You can shoot with the most appropriate settings for the scene.
·~Movie
Shoots amovie when you press the shutter button.
Apart from
Gl (Standard) mode, you can also select from ~ (Fast
Frame Rate) which
is suitable for shooting sports or fast motion,
~ (Compact) which is convenient for email attachments.
[llNight Scene
Allows you to capture human subjects against the
backdrop
of an evening sky or night scene. The
flash is directed at the person and the shutter
speed is slow, so both the person and the
background can be beautifully shot.
Jf? Indoor
Prevents camera shake and maintains the subject's
true color when shooting under fluorescent
or
tungsten lighting.
..
12
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OM
Allows you to select settings yourself, such as the exposure
compensation, white balance, My Colors or ISO speed.
---------1
13

Using the Zoom
1. Press the zoom lever toward [tJ or [!H].
The zoom can be adjusted from 35 -140 mm (focal length) in
35mm film equivalent terms.
Zooms
in on the
subject.
[ill] Wide Angle: Zooms out from the
subject.
Using the Flash
1. Press the ~ button to cycle through flash settings.
Each time you press the ~
button, the flash settings will
change.
fI*
Auto The flash fires automatically.
U* Flash
on The flash always fires.
~
Flash off
The flash will not fire.
*When red-eye reduction is enabled (p. 15), the red-eye reduction lamp lights
when the flash fires.
Red-eye reduction: This feature reduces the effect
of light reflecting back from
the eyes and making them appear red.
14!f--------------

When the LCD monitor is on and flash recharging begins, the
lamp blinks orange and the LCD monitor turns off. When
recharging ends, the orange lamp turns off and the LCD
monitor turns on. The time required for flash recharging will
change depending on usage conditions and remaining
battery power.
• Setting the Red-Eye Reduction Function
You can set whether the camera automatically performs red-eye
reduction when the flash fires.
1. C!J (Rec.) Menu ~ m(Red-Eye) ~ [On]*/[Off].
See Menus and Settings (p. 21).
*Default setting.
• Setting the Slow Synchro Function
The flash timing is adjusted to slow shutter speeds. This reduces the
chance that only the background will appear dark when anight scene
or
an interior shot is taken.
1. C!J (Rec.) Menu ~ [i (Slow Synchro) ~ [On]/[Off].*
See Menus and Settings (p. 21).
---------------------115

-When
[i (Slow Synchro) is set to [On], camera shake may
become afactor. Use
of atripod is recommended.
Shooting Close-ups (Macro)
1. Press the ~ button.
To cancel the macro mode, press the ~ button to turn off the ~
display.
~ Macro
Use this mode to shoot close-ups of flowers or small items.
Image Area at Minimum Focusing Distance from End
of
Lens to Subject:
•Maximum wide angle setting: 60 x45 mm
(2.4 x1.8 in.)
Minimum focusing distance: 5cm (2.0 in.)
•Maximum telephoto setting: 94 x
71 mm (3.7 x2.8 in.)
Minimum focusing distance: 33 cm (1.1 ft.)
16 t---------------------

Using the Self-Timer
*1 Default setting.
lil:"tt1
L-J
*1 Depending on the shooting
mode, mmayalso appear. For
details on how to use
lim, refer
to
p. 31 of the AdvancecrGuide.
•When the shutter button is pressed fully, the self-timer lamp will
blink. When using redeye reduction, the self-timer lamp will blink
and then stay lit for the last 2seconds.
To cancel the self-timer, press ~ button to select Ii) .
• Changing the Delay Time
1. L!J (Rec.) Menu ~~ (Self-timer) ~lI)*1/~/~.
See Menus and Settings (p. 21).
1. Press the ~ button to cycle through self-timer settings.
Each time you press the ~ button,
the self-timer settings will change.
10 sec. delay: The shutter releases 10 sec. after the shutter
lI) button is pressed.
• 2 sec. before the shutter releases, the self-timer sound beeps
quickly and the lamp will speed up.
2sec. delay: The shutter releases 2sec. after the shutter button
~ is pressed.
•The self-timer sound beeps quickly when the shutter button is
pressed and the shutter will release 2sec. later.
Custom Timer: You can change the delay time (0-10*2, 15, 20, 30
sec.)
and number of shots (1-10*3) (p. 18).
~ •When adelay time ofover 2seconds is set for the [Delay] option,
the self-timer sound beeps quickly 2seconds before the shutter
releases. If multiple shots have been specified for the [Shots]
option, the sound will play for the first shot only.
*2 Default setting.
*3 Default setting is 3shots. I
-----------17

This setting cannot be set in some shooting modes.
• Changing the Delay Time and Number of Shots
(~)
1. C!J (Rec.) Menu ~~'(Self-timer) ~~.
See Menus and Settings (p. 21).
2. Press the FUNC./SET button.
3. Use the .. or. button to select [Delay] or [Shots] and the.
or .. button to change the setting and press the FUNC.lSET
button.
4. Press the MENU button.
If the [Shots] option is set to 2or more shots, the following
occurs.
-The exposure and white balance are locked at the settings
selected for the first shot.
-Ifthe flash is used, the interval between shots lengthens
because the flash must charge.
-The interval between shots may lengthen when the built-in
memory
of the camera fills.
-Shooting will automatically cease
if the memory card
becomes full.
18
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