Canon POWERSHOT A630 User manual

CDI-E238-010
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© 2006 CANON INC, PRINTED IN CHINA
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DIGITAL
Photo of PowerShot A640
CDI-E238
A640
A 630
CAMERA
Before Using the Camera
Shooting
Playback/Erasing
Print/Transfer Settings
Viewing Images on a TV set
List of Messages
Appendix
Camera User Guide
This guide explains camera features and procedures in detail.
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PRINt DIRECT

• Plays movies with sound
• Plays back automatically
using the Auto Play function
Editing
• Adds effects to still
images with My Colors
• Records sound memos
for still images
• Edits movies

Conventions Used in this Guide
Icons appearing next to, or below titles indicate the shooting
modes in which the procedure can be used.
_) _.__, [] SCN P Tv Av M
* Unavailableshooting modes are shown grayed out.
See Functions Available in Each Shooting Mode (p. 143).
• In this guide, the Basic Camera User Guide is referred to as the
Basic Guide, and the Advanced Camera User Guide is referred
to as the Advanced Guide.
: his mark denotes issues that may affect the camera's operation.
This mark denotes additional topics that complement the
basic operating procedures.
You can use SD* memory cards, SDHC memory cards and
MulfiMediaCards with this camera. These cards are collectively
called memory cards in this guide.
*SDstands for Secure Digital, a copyright protection system.
Use of genuine Canon accessories is recommended.
This product is designed to achieve excellent perforrnance when
used with genuine Canon accessories. Canon shall not be liable
for any damage to this product and/or accidents such as fire, etc.,
caused by the malfunction of non-genuine Canon accessories
(e.g., a leakage and/or explosion of a battery pack). Please note
that this warranty does not apply to repairs arising out of the
malfunction of non-genuine Canon accessories, although you
may request such repairs on a chargeable basis.

ITable of Contents
Items marked with a -k are lists or charts that summarize camera
functions or procedures.
Please Read ....................................... 5
Safety Precautions .................................. 6
Preventing Malfunctions ............................. 11
Using the LCD Monitor .............................. 12
Information Displayed on the LCD Monitor .............. 13
Using the Viewfinder ............................... 16
Power Saving Function ............................. 17
-k Menus and Settings ................................ 18
*Menu List ........................................ 20
Resetting Settings to Their Default Values ............... 25
Formatting Memory Cards ........................... 26
Changing the Recording Pixets and Compression (Still Images). 27
Using the Digital Zoom/Digital Tele-Converter. ............... 30
Continuous Shooting .................................... 33
Postcard Mode ......................................... 34
Embedding the Date in the Image Data ................ 35
Setting the Display Overlays .............................. 36
bm Movie Shooting ...................................... 37
r43 Shooting Panoramic Images (Stitch Assist) ............... 41
P Program AE ......................................... 43
Tv Setting the Shutter Speed ............................. 43
Av Setting the Aperture .................................. 45
M Manually Setting the Shutter Speed and Aperture .......... 46
Selecting an AF Frame .................................. 47

ShootingHard-to-FocusSubjects(FocusLock,AFLock,
ManualFocus)................................... 49
LockingtheExposureSetting(AELock).................... 52
LockingtheFlashExposureSetting(FELock)............... 54
SwitchingbetweenMeteringModes....................... 55
[] AdjustingtheExposureCompensation.................. 57
AdjustingtheTone(WhiteBalance)....................... 58
ShootinginaMyColorsMode............................ 61
ChangingtheColor..................................... 64
AdjustingtheISOSpeed................................ 69
SwitchingbetweenFlashAdjustmentSettings............... 70
CompensatingtheFlashAdjustment/Flash Output .......... 70
Switching the Timing at which the Flash Fires ............... 71
C Saving Custom Settings .............................. 72
Setting the Auto Rotate Function .......................... 73
Creating an Image Destination (Folder) ..................... 74
Resetting the File Number ............................... 76
O, Magnifying Images .............................. 78
"._ Viewing Images in Sets of Nine (Index Playback) ...... 79
Jumping to Images .............................. 80
Viewing Movies ................................... 81
Editing Movies .................................... 82
Rotating Images in the Display ....................... 84
Adding My Colors Effects ........................... 85
Attaching Sound Memos to Images ................... 87
Automated Playback (Auto Play) ..................... 89
Protecting Images ................................. 89
Erasing All Images ................................ 90
Setting the DPOF Print Settings ...................... 91
Setting the DPOF Transfer Settings ................... 95

Camera.......................................... 98
Whenthepoweristurnedon......................... 99
LCDmonitor...................................... 99
Shooting........................................ 100
ShootingMovies.................................. 104
Playback........................................ 105
Battery......................................... 106
TVmonitoroutput................................. 107
Printingwithadirectprintcompatibleprinter............ 107
BatteryHandling.................................. 112
HandlingtheMemoryCard......................... 114
UsingthePowerKits(SoldSeparately)................ 116
UsingtheLenses(SoldSeparately)................... 120
UsinganExternallyMountedFlash(SoldSeparately)..... 123
CameraCareandMaintenance...................... 125
Specifications.................................... 126

IHandling Precautions
Test Shots
Before you try to photograph important subjects, we highly
recommend that you shoot several trial images to confirm that the
camera is operating and being operated correctly.
Please note that Canon Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates, and its
distributors are not liable for any consequential damages arising
from any malfunction of a camera or accessory, including memory
cards, that results in the failure of an image to be recorded or to be
recorded in a way that is machine readable.
Warning Against Copyright Infringement
Please note that Canon digital cameras are intended for personal
use and should never be used in a manner that infringes upon or
contravenes international or domestic copyright taws and
regulations. Please be advised that in certain cases the copying of
images from performances, exhibitions, or commercial properties
by means of a camera or other device may contravene copyright or
other legal rights even if the image was shot for personal use.
Warranty Limitations
This camera's warranty is only effective in the country of sate. If a
problem arises while the camera is in use abroad, please convey it
back to the country of sate before proceeding with a warranty claim
to a Canon Customer Support Help Desk.
For Canon Customer Support contacts, please see the
customer support list supplied with your camera.

Video Format
Please set the camera's video signal format to the one used in your
region before using it with a TV monitor (p. 97).
Language Setting
Please see the Basic Guide (p. 8) to change the language setting.
• Before using the camera, please ensure that you read the safety
precautions described below and in the "Safety Precautions"
section of the Basic Camera User Guide. Always ensure that the
camera is operated correctly.
• The safety precautions noted on the following pages are intended
to instruct you in the safe and correct operation of the camera and
its accessories to prevent injuries or damage to yourself, other
persons and equipment.
• Equipment refers to the camera, battery, battery charger (sold
separately) and compact power adapter (sold separately).

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• Do not look directly into the sun or at bright light sources
through the camera's viewfinder.
Doing so can damage your eyesight.
• Store this equipment out of the reach of children and
infants. Accidental damage by achild could result in
serious injury.
Wrist strap: Placement of the strap around the child's neck could
result in asphyxiation.
Memory card: It may be swallowed accidentally. If this occurs,
contact a doctor immediately.
• Do not attempt to disassemble or alter any part of the
equipment that is not expressly described in this guide.
• To avoid the risk of high-voltage electrical shock, do not
touch the flash portion of the camera if it has been
damaged.
• Stop operating the equipment immediately if it emits smoke
or noxious fumes.
• Do not allow the equipment to come into contact with, or
become immersed in, water or other liquids. If the exterior
comes into contact with liquids or salt air, wipe it dry with a
soft, absorbent cloth.
Continued use of the equipment may result in fire or electrical
shock, immediately turn the camera power off and remove the
camera batteries or unplug the power code from the power outlet.
Please consult your camera distributor or the closest Canon
Customer Support Help Desk.

• Do not use substances containing alcohol, benzine,
thinners or other flammable substances to clean or
maintain the equipment.
•Do not cut, damage, alter or place heavy items on the power
cord.
•Use only recommended power accessories.
•Remove the power cord on a regular periodic basis and
wipe away the dust and dirt that collects on the plug, the
exterior of the power outlet and the surrounding area.
•Do not handle the power cord if your hands are wet.
Continued use of the equipment may result in fire or electrical
shock.
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•Do not place the batteries near a heat source or expose it to
direct flame or heat.
•The batteries should not be immersed in water or sea water.
•Do not attempt to disassemble, alter or apply heat to the
batteries.
•Avoid dropping or subjecting the batteries to severe
impacts that could damage the casing.
•Use only recommended batteries and accessories.
Use of batteries not expressly recommended for this equipment
may cause explosions or leaks, resulting in fire, injury and damage
to the surroundings. In the event that a battery leaks and the eyes,
mouth, skin or clothing contact these substances, immediately
flush with water and seek medical assistance.
•Disconnect the battery charger and compact power adapter
from both the camera and the power outlet after recharging
or when not in use to avoid fire and other hazards.
•Do not place anything, such as tablecloths, carpets, bedding
or cushions, on top of the battery charger while it is charging.
Continued use over a long period may cause the units to overheat
and distort, resulting in fire.

• When recharging the Canon AA-size NiMH batteries, use
only a specified battery charger.
•The compact power adapter is designed for exclusive use
with this equipment. Do not use it with other products.
There is a risk of overheating and distortion which could result in
fire or electrical shock.
• Before you discard a battery, cover the terminals with tape
or other insulators to prevent direct contact with other
objects.
Contact with the metallic components of other materials in waste
containers may lead to fire or explosions.
•Do not trigger the flash in close proximity to human or
animal eyes. Exposure to the intense light produced by the
flash may damage eyesight.
In particular, remain at least one meter (39 inches) away from
infants when using the flash.
• Keep objects that are sensitive to magnetic fields (such as
credit cards) away from the speaker of the camera.
Such items may lose data or stop working.
• Exercise due caution when screwing on the separately sold
wide converter, tele-converter and conversion lens adapter.
If they loosen, fall off and shatter, the glass shards may cause
injury.

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• Be careful not to bang the camera or subject it to strong
impacts or shocks that could lead to injury or damage the
equipment when wearing or holding it by the strap.
•Do not store the equipment in humid or dusty areas.
•Do not allow metal objects (such as pins or keys) or dirt to
contact the charger terminals or plug.
Such conditions could lead to fire, electrical shock or other
damage.
• Avoid using, placing or storing the equipment in places
subject to strong sunlight or high temperatures, such as the
dashboard or trunk (boot) of a car.
• Do not use the equipment in amanner that exceeds the
rated capacity of the electrical outlet or wiring accessories.
Do not use if the power cord or plug is damaged, or if not
fully plugged into the outlet.
• Do not use in locations with poor ventilation.
The above-mentioned can cause leakage, overheating or
explosion, resulting in fire, burns or other injuries. High
temperatures may also cause deformation of the casing.
• When not using the camera for extended periods of time,
remove the batteries from the camera or battery charger
and store the equipment in a safe place.
If the batteries are left inside the camera, damage caused by
leakage may occur.
•Do not connect compact power adapters or battery
chargers to devices such as electrical transformers for
foreign travel because it may lead to malfunctions,
excessive heat generation, fire, electric shock or injury.
10

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• Do not operate the flash with dirt, dust or other items stuck
to the surface of the flash.
•Be careful not to cover the flash with your fingers or
clothing when shooting.
The flash may be damaged and emit smoke or noise. The resulting
heat build-up could damage the flash.
• Do not touch the surface of the flash after taking several
pictures in rapid succession.
Doing so could result in bums.
•Never place the camera in close proximity to electric motors
or other equipment generating strong electromagnetic
fields.
Exposure to strong magnetic fields may cause malfunctions or
corrupt image data.
•When moving the equipment rapidly from a cold place to a
hot place, you can avoid condensation by placing the
equipment in an airtight, resealable plastic bag and letting it
adjust to temperature changes slowly before removing it
from the bag.
Moving the equipment rapidly from a cold place to a hot place may
cause condensation (water droplets) to form on its external and
internal surfaces.
•Stop using the camera immediately.
Continued use may damage the equipment. Remove the memory
card and batteries or compact power adapter from the camera and
wait until the moisture evaporates completely before resuming use.
11

IBefore Using the Camera - Basic Operations
Press Q.
DISP.
• The display mode changes as follows with each press.
Shooting Mode (itS)
I Standard
No Inf;mation)
Detailed
nforma;en View)
Off
Playback Mode (I-_)
I No Inf_mation
• The shooting information displays for approximately 6 sec.
when a setting is changed, regardless of the selected
display mode.
• The LCD monitor on or off setting is retained even after the
camera power is turned off.
• The LCD monitor does not shut off in the SCN (M, M),
or Dim mode.
• The LCD monitor will not switch to the detailed display while in
magnified display (p. 78), or the index playback mode (p. 79).
Night Display
When shooting in dark conditions, the camera automatically
brightens the LCD monitor to suit the brightness of the subject*,
making it easier to frame the subject.
*The movementsof the subjectwill appearirregularinthe LCDmonitor. The
recordedimagewill notbe affected. The brightness of theimage displayed
in the monitor, andthe brightness of the actualimage recordedwillbe
different.
12

Shooting Information (Shooting Mode)
[[_J Digital Tele-Converter .1 (p. 30)1 [- ] ,t Spot AE Point Frame (p. 55)
Zoom Magnification .I.2 (p. 30) jl _ 9"t AF Frame (p. 47)
__ [],1 Low Battery (p. 112)
ISO Speed (p. 69)
n[::] n [] I_1 [] []
White Balance (p. 58)
[] [] [] [] [] Drive Mode
(p. 33. Basic Guide p. 18)
[] My Colors (p. 61 )
[] Flash Exposure
Compensation/Flash Output (p. 70)
[] [] [] Metering Mode (p. 55)
[] [] [] Compression
[] [] (Still image) (p. 29)
Frame Rate (Movies) (p. 40)
Recording Pixels (pp. 28.40)
Flash (Basic Guide p. 15)
[] Red-Eye Reduction
(Basic Guide p. 16)
[] D [] AutoRotate(p,73)
ORec .1 Movie Recording (p. 37)
Shooting Mode
[] [] (Basic Guide pp. 11 -13)
[] [] (p. 64) [] (p. 41)
[],1 [],1 [],1 [],! (p. 37)
[] [] [] [] (pp. 43 -46)
[] Save Settings (p. 72)
,1 Create Folder (p 74)
Recordable Shots
• Movies: Remaining
Time/Elapsed Time
Aperture Value .1 (pp. 45 -46)
[]._ [] ,1E._s_eCompensa_on(p.57)
[_j,1 Macro (Basic Guide p. 17)
[],1 Manual Focus (p. 51)
AF Lock (p. 50)
[] AE Lock (p. 52)
FE Lock (p. 54)
[] (Red).1 Camera Shake
Warning (p. 14)
"1 Appears even if the LCD monitor is set to Standard display.
*2 PowerShot A640 screen
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13

If the indicator blinks orange and the camera shake waming
icon [] displays, this indicates that a slow shutter speed may
have been selected due to insufficient illumination. Raise the
ISO speed (p. 69) or select a setting other than [] (flash off),
or attach the camera to a tripod or other device.
Playback Information (Playback Mode)
"Standard
t [] WAVE Format Sound (p, 87) ]
Folder Number-File Number
splayed image number
_gDate/Time
(1_ Protection Status(p, 89) ]
e[][] 1
(P,29)1
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• Detailed
m_
Hist_lJ_ram
Shooting Mode
wD_r_mwDmm
[] [] [] (Basic Guide pp. 11 - 13)
[] (p. 41) E'_ (p. 37)
[] [] [] [] (pp. 43 - 46)
[] [] [] [] [] Recording Pixels/
Frame Rate (Movies) (p. 40)
Movie Length (Movies) (p. 37)
Shutter Speed (pp. 43, 46)
[] _,.._
Aperture Value (p. 57)
[] Flash Output (p. 70)
[] [],-, [] Flash Exposure
Compensation (p. 70)
File size (p. 133)
I_ ISO Speed (p. 69)
Aperture Value (pp. 45 - 46)
Metering Mode (p. 55)
•ODO[]m•[]
White Balance (p. 58)
•mMHmel[]mmmm
m'm*
My Colors (p. 61 )
•mMmmmmmmw
My Colors (Playback) (p. 85)
[] Image with the My Colors effect (p, 85)
[] Manual Focus (p. 51)
AF Lock (p. 50)
[] Macro (Basic Guide p. 17)
Recording Pixels (Still Image) (p. 28),
*Appears with images taken in the Color Accent or Color Swap shooting modes,
The following information may also be displayed with some images.
A sound file in a format other than the WAVE format is
[] attached or the file format is not recognized.
JPEG image not conforming to Design rule for Camera File
System Standards (p. 128)
_ RAW image
Unrecogn zed data type
15

• Information for images shot on other cameras may not
display correctly.
•Overexposure Warning
In the following cases, overexposed portions of the image
blink,
- When reviewing an image right after shooting in the LCD
monitor (information view)
- When using the detailed display mode of the Playback mode
Histogram Function
The histogram is a graph that allows you to judge the brightness
of the image. The greater the bias toward the left in the graph, the
darker the image. The greater the bias toward the right, the
brighter the image.
If the image is too dark, adjust the exposure compensation to a
positive value. Similady, adjust the exposure compensation to a
negative value if the image is too bright (p. 57).
SampleHistograms
Dark Image Balanced Image Bright Image
The viewfinder can be used to conserve power by tuming the LCD
monitor off (p. 12) while shooting.
I
I
Viewfinder
t Shows the center of the image
16

This camera is equipped with a power saving function, The power
wilI shut off in the following circumstances. Press the power button
again to restore power.
Powers down approximately 3 minutes after the
last control is accessed on the camera. The LCD
monitor automatically turns off 1 minute* after the
Shooting Mode last control is accessed even if [Auto Power
Down] is set to [Off]. Press any button other than
the power button or change the camera
orientation to turn the LCD monitor back on.
Playback Mode
Connected to a
Printer
*This time can be changed,
Powers down approximately 5 minutes after the
last control is accessed on the camera, r_
6"
c
5"
•The power saving function wilI not activate during an Auto ._
Play or while the camera is connected to a computer, r_
• The power saving function settings can be changed (p. 23). 6"
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17

Menus are used to set the shooting, playback and print settings as
well as such camera settings as the date/time and electronic beep.
The following menus are available.
• FUNC. Menu
•Rec., Play, Print, Set up and My Camera Menus
FUNC. Menu
Sets many of the functions commonly used during shooting.
@ ®
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• This example showsthe FUNC, menu in _) mode,
_Set the mode switch to a (shooting).
®Press the FUNC./SET button.
_Use the @ or @ button to select a menu item.
•Some items may not be selectable in some shooting modes.
Use the 4" or =I, button to select an option for the menu item.
• You can select further options with the MENU button for some
options.
• After selecting an option, you can press the shutter button to
shoot immediately, After shooting, this menu will appear again,
allowing you to adjust the settings easily.
(_)Press the FUNG./SET button.
18