Canon PowerShot SD900 User manual

Camera User Guide
Advanced
Advanced Camera User Guide
Before Using the Camera
Shooting
Playback/Erasing
Print/Transfer Settings
Viewing Images on a TV set
Customizing the Camera
Troubleshooting
List of Messages
This guide explains camera features and procedures in detail.
Appendix
CDI-E260-010 XX06XXX © 2006 CANON INC. PRINTED IN JAPAN
ENGLISH
DIGITAL CAMERA

Main Features
Shooting
z
Automatically adjusts shooting
settings to match particular
conditions (Special Scene mode)
z Avoid the effects of camera shake
or blurry subjects when shooting
by using high ISO speed
z Automatically detects camera
orientation with an Intelligent
Orientation sensor
z Changes image colors to create
special effects (Color Accent,
Color Swap)
Playback
z
Organizes Images by Category
z Plays movies with sound
z Auto plays slideshows
Editing
z
Adds effects to still images with the My
Colors function
z Records sound memos for still images
z Edits movies
Printing
z
Makes printing easy with the Print/Share button
z Also supports non-Canon brand PictBridge compliant
printers
Uses of Recorded Images
z
Effortlessly transfer them to a computer with the Print/Share button
z Freely customize the start-up image or start-up sound using the
My Camera settings

1
Conventions Used in this Guide
Icons appearing below titles indicate the modes in which the
procedure can be used.
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.
This 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
MultiMediaCards with this camera. These cards are collectively called
memory cards in this guide.
Use of genuine Canon accessories is recommended.
This product is designed to achieve excellent performance 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.
See Functions Available in Each Shooting Mode (p. 144).
Continuous Shooting
Shooting Mode
Mode Dial

2
Table of Contents
Items marked with a are lists or charts that summarize camera
functions or procedures.
Please Read. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Preventing Malfunctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Using the LCD Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
LCD Monitor Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Information Displayed on the LCD Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Using the Viewfinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Power Saving Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Setting the World Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Menus and Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Menu List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Resetting Settings to Their Default Values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Formatting Memory Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Changing the Recording Pixels and Compression (Still Images) 30
Shooting in a Special Scene Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Shooting in Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Red-Eye Reduction Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Setting the Slow Synchro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Magnified Close-Up Shooting (Digital Macro) . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Using the Digital Zoom/Digital Tele-Converter . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Continuous Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Postcard Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Embedding the Date in the Image Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Setting the Display Overlay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Movie Shooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Shooting Panoramic Images (Stitch Assist) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Conventions Used in this Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Handling Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Before Using the Camera—Basic Operations . . . . . . . . . . 12
Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

3
Switching between Focusing Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Shooting Hard-to-Focus Subjects (Focus Lock, AF Lock) . . 47
Locking the Exposure Setting (AE Lock). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Locking the Flash Exposure Setting (FE Lock) . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Switching between Metering Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Adjusting the Exposure Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Shooting in Long Shutter Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Adjusting the Tone (White Balance) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Shooting in a My Colors Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Changing Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Adjusting the ISO Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Setting the Auto Rotate Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Checking for Focus Right After Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Creating an Image Destination (Folder) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Resetting the File Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Magnifying Images. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Viewing Images in Sets of Nine (Index Playback) . . . . . . 74
Organizing Images by Category (My Category) . . . . . . . . . . 75
Jumping to Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Viewing Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Editing Movies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Rotating Images in the Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Playback with Transition Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Adding Effects with the My Colors Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Attaching Sound Memos to Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Automated Playback (Slide Shows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Protecting Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Erasing Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Setting the DPOF Print Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Setting the DPOF Transfer Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Playback/Erasing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Print Settings/Transfer Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

4
Changing My Camera Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Registering My Camera Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Camera. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
When the power is turned on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
LCD monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Shooting Movies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Playback. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Battery/Battery Charger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
TV monitor output. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Printing on Direct Print Compatible Printers. . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Battery Handling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Handling the Memory Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Using an AC Adapter Kit (Sold Separately) . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Using an Externally Mounted Flash (Sold Separately). . . . 126
Camera Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Viewing Images on a TV set. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Customizing the Camera (My Camera Settings) . . . . . . . 104
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
List of Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Appendix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
INDEX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Functions Available in Each Shooting Mode . . . . . . . . . . 144

5
Handling 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 laws 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 sale. If a
problem arises while the camera is in use abroad, please convey it
back to the country of sale 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.
Please Read

6
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. 103).
Language Setting
Please see the Basic Guide (p. 9) to change the language setting.
zBefore 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.
zThe 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. Be sure you fully understand them before
reading the rest of the manual.
zEquipment refers to the camera, battery charger or separately
sold compact power adapter.
zBattery refers to the battery pack.
Camera Body Temperature
If your camera is used for prolonged periods, the camera body
may become warm. Please be aware of this and take care when
operating the camera for an extended period.
About the LCD Monitor
The LCD monitor is produced with extremely high-precision
manufacturing techniques. More than 99.99% of the pixels
operate to specification. Less than 0.01% of the pixels may
occasionally misfire or appear as red or black dots. This has no
effect on the recorded image and does not constitute a
malfunction.
Safety Precautions

7
Warnings
Equipment
zDo not look directly at the sun or at other intense light
sources through the viewfinder that could damage your
eyesight.
z
Store this equipment out of the reach of children and infants.
• Wrist strap: Placement of the strap around the child's neck could
result in asphyxiation.
• Memory card: Dangerous if accidentally swallowed. If this
occurs, contact a doctor immediately.
zDo not attempt to disassemble or alter any part of the
equipment that is not expressly described in this guide.
z
To avoid the risk of high-voltage electrical shock, do not
touch the flash portion of the camera if it has been damaged.
zStop operating the equipment immediately if it emits smoke
or noxious fumes.
zDo 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 battery or unplug the power cord from the power outlet.
Please consult your camera distributor or the closest Canon
Customer Support Help Desk.
zDo not use substances containing alcohol, benzine,
thinners or other flammable substances to clean or
maintain the equipment.
z
Do not cut, damage, alter or place heavy items on the power cord.
zUse only recommended power accessories.
zRemove 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.
zDo not handle the power cord if your hands are wet.
Continued use of the equipment may result in fire or electrical
shock.

8
Battery
zDo not place the battery near a heat source or expose it to
direct flame or heat.
zThe battery should not be immersed in water or sea water.
zDo not attempt to disassemble, alter or apply heat to the
battery.
zAvoid dropping or subjecting the battery to severe impacts
that could damage the casing.
zUse only recommended battery and accessories.
Use of battery 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.
zDisconnect the battery charger and compact power adapter
from both the camera and the power outlet after recharging
or when they are not in use to avoid fire and other hazards.
zDo 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.
zUse only the specified battery charger to charge the battery.
zThe battery charger and compact power adapter are
designed for exclusive use with your camera. Do not use it
with other products or batteries.
There is a risk of overheating and distortion which could result in
fire or electrical shock.
zBefore 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.

9
Others
zDo 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.
zKeep 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.
Cautions
Equipment
zBe 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.
zDo not store the equipment in humid or dusty areas.
zDo 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.
zAvoid 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.
zDo not use the equipment in a manner that exceeds the
rated capacity of the electrical outlet or wiring accessories.
Do not use if the power cord or plug are damaged, or if not
fully plugged into the outlet.
zDo 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.
zWhen not using the camera for extended periods of time,
remove the battery from the camera or battery charger and
store the equipment in a safe place.
The battery can run down.

10
Equipment
zDo 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.
Flash
zDo not operate the flash with dirt, dust or other items stuck
to the surface of the flash.
zBe 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.
zDo not touch the surface of the flash after taking several
pictures in rapid succession.
Doing so could result in burns.

11
Preventing Malfunctions
Avoid Strong Magnetic Fields
zNever 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.
Avoid Condensation Related Problems
zWhen 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.
If Condensation Forms Inside the Camera
zStop using the camera immediately.
Continued use may damage the equipment. Remove the memory
card and battery or compact power adapter from the camera and
wait until the moisture evaporates completely before resuming
use.

12
Before Using the Camera—Basic Operations
zThe LCD monitor on or off setting is retained even after the
camera power is turned off.
zThe LCD monitor does not shut off in the or mode.
zThe LCD monitor will not switch to the detailed display
(Information View) in the , or mode.
zThe LCD monitor will not switch to detailed display in
magnified display (p. 73), or index playback mode (p. 74).
Using the LCD Monitor
1Press .
zThe display mode changes as follows with each press.
zThe shooting information displays for approximately 6 sec.
when a setting is changed, regardless of the selected dis-
play mode.
Shooting Mode Playback Mode
( , , or ) ( )
Standard No Information
(No Information)
Detailed Standard
(Information View)
Off Detailed

Before Using the Camera—Basic Operations
13
Using the Clock
You can display the current date and time
for a 5-second* interval using the following
two methods.
* Default setting
Method 1
Hold the FUNC./SET button down while turning on the power.
Method 2
In a shooting/playback mode, hold the FUNC./SET button down.
If you hold the camera horizontally, it displays the time. If you hold
it vertically, the time and date display.
However, if you hold the camera vertically and use method 1 to
display the date and time, the time will be initially displayed in the
same way as when the camera is held horizontally.
zYou can change the display color by pressing the or
button.
zThe clock display will cease when the display interval is over or
when you operate the FUNC./SET,MENU or shutter button or
the mode dial.
zThe clock’s display interval can be changed in the (Set up)
menu (p. 27).
zThe clock cannot be displayed in the index playback mode
(p. 74).

14
LCD Monitor Brightness Settings
The brightness of the LCD monitor can be changed in the following
two ways.
zChanging Settings Using the Set up Menu (p. 26)
zChanging Settings Using the DISP. Button (Quick-bright LCD
Function)
You can set the LCD monitor to the brightest setting regardless of
the option selected in the Set up menu by pressing the DISP
button for more than one second.*
- To restore the previous brightness setting, press the DISP
button for more than one second again.
- The next time you turn on the camera, the LCD monitor will be at
the brightness setting selected in the Set up menu.
* You cannot change the brightness of the LCD monitor with this function if
you have already set it to its highest setting in the Set up menu.
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 movement of the subject shown on the LCD monitor will be jerky, but it
will not affect the recorded images. The brightness of the image displayed
in the monitor, and the brightness of the actual image recorded will be
different.
LCD Monitor Brightness

Before Using the Camera—Basic Operations
15
Shooting Information (Shooting mode)
* Appears even if the LCD monitor is set to Standard display.
Information Displayed on the LCD Monitor
Exposure Compensation (p. 52)
Long Shutter Mode (p. 53)
White Balance (p. 55)
Compression (Still Images) (p. 30)
Recording Pixels (pp. 30, 43)
Low Battery (p. 121)
Shooting Method (p. 37, Basic p. 16)
Shooting Mode (pp. 32, 34, 40, 44, 60,
62, Basic Guide pp. 11 – 13)
Spot Frame
Camera Shake Warning (p. 108)
*

Rec. Movie Recording (p. 40)
* * * * *
Zoom Magnification* (p. 35)
• Stills: Recordable Shots
• Movies: Remaining Time/
Elapsed Time
ISO Speed (p. 65)
Auto Rotate (p. 66)
*
*Macro/Infinity (Basic Guide p. 15)
AE Lock (p. 49)
FE Lock (p. 50)
AF Lock (p. 47)
*
*
*
Flash (Basic Guide p. 14)
AF Frame (p. 46)
Frame Rate (Movie) (p. 43)
My Colors (p. 58)
*
Grid Lines* (p. 39)
Metering Mode (p. 51)
(The shutter speed will also display
when the displays.)
(Red)*
Create Folder (p. 69)
Time Zone (p. 20)
Exposure Shift Bar (Movie) (p. 42)
*
*
3:2 Guide* (p. 39)
Digital Tele-converter (p. 35)
*

16
zIf the indicator blinks orange and the camera shake icon
displays, it indicates there is insufficient illumination and a
slow shutter speed will be selected. Shoot using the
following methods.
- Raise the ISO speed (p. 65).
- Select a setting other than (flash off)
(Basic Guide p. 14).
- Attach the camera to a tripod or other device.
Playback Information (Playback Mode)
Standard
Protection Status (p. 93)
WAVE Format Sound (p. 86)
Folder Number-File Number
Shooting Date/Time
Displayed image number
Total number of images
Movie (p. 78)
Compression (Still Images) (p. 30)
Recording Pixels (Still Images) (p. 30)

Before Using the Camera—Basic Operations
17
Detailed
The following information may also be displayed with some images.
Information for images shot on other cameras may not display
correctly.
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
RAW image
Unrecognized data type
Exposure Compensation (p. 52)
White Balance (p. 55)
ISO Speed (p. 65)
Flash (Basic Guide p. 14)
Histogram
Macro/Infinity (Basic Guide p. 15)
My Colors (Shooting) (p. 58),
Color Accent/Color Swap (p. 60)
Long Shutter Mode (p. 53)
File Size
Shooting Mode (pp. 32, 34, 40, 44, 60,
62, Basic Guide pp. 11 – 13)
Recording Pixels/Frame Rate (Movies)
(p. 43)
Movie Length (Movies) (p. 40)
Recording Pixels (Still Images) (p. 30)
Metering Mode (p. 51)
My Colors (Playback) (p. 84)
Image with the My Colors effect (p. 84)
My Category information (p. 75)
Defined Playback (p. 76)

18
The viewfinder can be used to conserve power by turning the LCD
monitor off (p. 12) while shooting.
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. Similarly, adjust the exposure compensation to a
negative value if the image is too bright (p. 52).
Using the Viewfinder
Sample Histograms
Balanced ImageDark Image Bright Image