Canon Powershot A2600 User Guide

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Cover 
Preliminary Notes  
and Legal Information
Contents: Basic 
Operations
Advanced Guide
Camera Basics
Smart Auto 
Mode
Other Shooting 
Modes
Playback Mode
Setting Menu
Accessories
Appendix
Index
Basic Guide
P Mode
Special Modes for Other Purposes
Still Images
Using the Face Self-Timer
The camera will shoot about two seconds after detecting that the face of\
 
another person (such as the photographer) has entered the shooting are\
a 
(=
  59). This is useful when including yourself in group photos or similar 
shots.
1 Choose [].
zzFollow	step	1	in	“Specific	Scenes”	(=  46) and choose [].
2 Compose the shot and press 
the shutter button halfway.
zzMake sure a green frame is displayed 
around the face you focus on and white 
frames around other faces.
3 Press the shutter button all the 
way down.
XXThe camera now enters shooting standby 
mode, and [Look straight at camera to 
start count down] is displayed.
XXThe lamp blinks and the self-timer sound 
is played.
4 Join the subjects in the 
shooting area and look at the 
camera.
XXAfter the camera detects a new face, the 
lamp blinking and self-timer sound will 
speed
	up.	(When	the	flash	fires,	the	lamp	will remain lit.) About two seconds later, 
the camera will shoot.
zzTo cancel shooting after you have 
triggered the self-timer, press the 
 button.
•	 Even if your face is not detected after you join the others in the shoot\
ing area, 
the camera will shoot about 15 seconds later.
•	 To change the number of shots, press the < p> button, press the  
buttons to choose the number of shots, and then press the < m> button. [Blink 
Detection] (=
  44)	is	only	available	for	the	final	shot.
  
						

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Cover 
Preliminary Notes  
and Legal Information
Contents: Basic 
Operations
Advanced Guide
Camera Basics
Smart Auto 
Mode
Other Shooting 
Modes
Playback Mode
Setting Menu
Accessories
Appendix
Index
Basic Guide
P Mode
Still Images
Shooting Long Exposures (Long Shutter)
Specify a shutter speed of 1 – 15 seconds to shoot long exposures. In\
 this 
case, mount the camera on a tripod or take other measures to prevent 
camera shake.
1 Choose [N].
zzFollow	step	1	in	“Specific	Scenes”	(=  46) and choose [N].
2 Choose the shutter speed.
zzPress the  button, choose [)] in the 
menu, and choose the desired shutter 
speed (=
  30).
3 Check the exposure.
zzPress the shutter button halfway to view 
the exposure for your selected shutter 
speed.
4 Shoot.
•	 On-screen image brightness in step 3, when you pressed the 
shutter button halfway, may not match the brightness of your shots.
•	 With shutter speeds of 1.3 seconds or slower, there will be a delay 
before you can shoot again, as the camera processes images to 
reduce noise.
•	 If	the	flash	fires,	your	shot	may	be	overexposed.	In	this	case,	set	the	flash	to	[!] and shoot again ( =  62).
  
						

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8
Cover 
Preliminary Notes  
and Legal Information
Contents: Basic 
Operations
Advanced Guide
Camera Basics
Smart Auto 
Mode
Other Shooting 
Modes
Playback Mode
Setting Menu
Accessories
Appendix
Index
Basic Guide
P Mode
P Mode
More discerning shots, in your preferred shooting style
•	 Instructions in this chapter apply to the camera when set to < G> mode.
•	 :  Program AE; AE: Auto  Exposure
•	 Before using a function introduced in this chapter in modes other than 
, make sure the function is available in that mode ( =
  111 – 11 5 ).4
4
Shooting in Program AE 
( Mode) .............................. 54
Image Brightness  (Exposure Compensation)
 ..... 54
Color and Continuous  Shooting
 .................................. 57Shooting Range and 
Focusing
 .................................. 58
Flash
 .......................................... 62
Using Eco Mode
 ....................... 63
Other Settings
 .......................... 64
  
						

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Cover 
Preliminary Notes  
and Legal Information
Contents: Basic 
Operations
Advanced Guide
Camera Basics
Smart Auto 
Mode
Other Shooting 
Modes
Playback Mode
Setting Menu
Accessories
Appendix
Index
Basic Guide
P Mode
Still ImagesMovies
Shooting in Program AE ( Mode)
You can customize many function settings to suit your preferred shooting \
style.
1 Enter  mode.
zzFollow	step	1	in	“Specific	Scenes”	(=  46) and choose [G].
2 Customize the settings as 
desired (=  54 – 66), and 
then shoot.
•	 If adequate exposure cannot be obtained when you press the shutter butto\
n 
halfway, shutter speeds and aperture values are displayed in orange. In this 
case, try adjusting the ISO speed (=
  56)	or	activating	the	flash	(if	subjects	are dark, =  62), which may enable adequate exposure.
•	 Movies can be recorded in < G> mode as well, by pressing the movie button. 
However, some  and  settings may be automatically 
adjusted for movie recording.
•	 For details on the shooting range in < G> mode, see “Shooting Range” 
(=
  11 9 ).
Image Brightness (Exposure 
Compensation)
Still ImagesMovies
Adjusting Image Brightness  
(Exposure Compensation)
The standard exposure set by the camera can be adjusted in 1/3-stop 
increments, in a range of –2 to +2.
zzPress the  button and choose [#] 
in the menu. As you watch the screen, 
press the  buttons to adjust 
brightness ( =
  30).
XXThe	correction	level	you	specified	is	now	displayed.
zzWhen shooting movies, shoot with the 
exposure compensation bar displayed.
zzWhen shooting still images, press the 
 button to display the set exposure 
compensation amount, and then shoot.
•	You can also shoot still images with exposure compensation bar displayed.\
•	 While recording a movie, [ &] is displayed, and the exposure is locked.
  
						

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Cover 
Preliminary Notes  
and Legal Information
Contents: Basic 
Operations
Advanced Guide
Camera Basics
Smart Auto 
Mode
Other Shooting 
Modes
Playback Mode
Setting Menu
Accessories
Appendix
Index
Basic Guide
P Mode
Still ImagesMovies
Locking Image Brightness/Exposure  
(AE Lock)
Before shooting, you can lock the exposure, or you can specify focus and\
 
exposure separately.
1	 Deactivate	the	flash	(=  41).
2 Lock the exposure.
zzAim the camera at the subject to shoot 
with the exposure locked. With the 
shutter button pressed halfway, press the 
 button.
XX[&] is displayed, and the exposure is 
locked.
zzTo unlock AE, release the shutter button 
and press the  button again. In this 
case, [&] is no longer displayed.
3 Compose the shot and shoot.
•	 AE: Auto  Exposure
Still Images
Changing the Metering Method
Adjust the metering method (how brightness is measured) to suit shooti\
ng 
conditions as follows.
zzPress the  button, choose [] in 
the menu, and choose the desired option 
(=
  30).
XXThe	option	you	configured	is	now	displayed.
Evaluative For typical shooting conditions, including backlit shots. 
Automatically adjusts exposure to match the shooting conditions.
Center 
Weighted Avg.Determines the average brightness of light across the entire 
image area, calculated by treating brightness in the central area 
as more important.
Spot
Metering restricted to within the [] (Spot AE Point frame), 
displayed in the center of the screen.
   
						

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Cover 
Preliminary Notes  
and Legal Information
Contents: Basic 
Operations
Advanced Guide
Camera Basics
Smart Auto 
Mode
Other Shooting 
Modes
Playback Mode
Setting Menu
Accessories
Appendix
Index
Basic Guide
P Mode
Still Images
Correcting Image Brightness (i-Contrast)
Before shooting, excessively bright or dark image areas (such as faces \
or 
backgrounds) can be detected and automatically adjusted to the optimal \
brightness.
	Insufficient	overall	image	contrast	can	also	be	automatically	corrected before shooting to make subjects stand out better.
zzPress the  button, choose 
[i-Contrast] on the [4] tab, and then 
choose [Auto] (=
  31).
XXOnce the setting is complete, [@] is 
displayed.
•	 Under some shooting conditions, correction may be inaccurate or 
may cause images to appear grainy.
•	 You can also correct existing images ( =  78).
Still Images
Changing the ISO Speed
zzPress the  button, choose [] in 
the menu, and choose the desired option 
(=
  30).
XXThe	option	you	configured	is	now	displayed.
Automatically adjusts the ISO speed to suit the shooting mode and 
conditions.
 Low
High For shooting outdoors in fair weather. For shooting in cloudy conditions, or at twilight.
For shooting night scenes, or in dark rooms.
•	
To view the automatically set ISO speed when the camera is set to [], press 
the shutter button halfway.
•	 Although choosing a lower ISO speed may reduce image graininess, there 
may be a greater risk of subject blurriness in some shooting conditions.\
•	 Choosing a higher ISO speed will increase shutter speed, which may reduc\
e 
subject
	blurriness	and	increase	the	flash	range.	However,	shots	may	look	grainy.
  
						

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Cover 
Preliminary Notes  
and Legal Information
Contents: Basic 
Operations
Advanced Guide
Camera Basics
Smart Auto 
Mode
Other Shooting 
Modes
Playback Mode
Setting Menu
Accessories
Appendix
Index
Basic Guide
P Mode
Color and Continuous Shooting
Still ImagesMovies
Adjusting White Balance
By adjusting white balance (WB), you can make image colors look more 
natural for the scene you are shooting.
zzPress the  button, choose [] in 
the menu, and choose the desired option 
(=
  30).
XXThe	option	you	configured	is	now	displayed.
Auto Automatically sets the optimal white balance for the shooting 
conditions.
Day Light For shooting outdoors in fair weather.
Cloudy For shooting in cloudy conditions, in the shade, or at twilight.
TungstenFor shooting under ordinary incandescent (tungsten) lighting 
and	similarly	colored	fluorescent	lighting.
FluorescentFor shooting under warm-white (or similarly colored) or cool-
white	fluorescent	lighting.
Fluorescent HFor	shooting	under	daylight	fluorescent	and	similarly	colored	fluorescent	lighting.
Custom
For manually setting a custom white balance ( =  57).
Still ImagesMovies
Custom White BalanceFor image colors that look natural under the light in your shot, adjust \
white 
balance to suit the light source where you are shooting. Set the white 
balance under the same light source that will illuminate your shot.
zzFollow the steps in “Adjusting White 
Balance” (=  57) to choose [].
zzAim the camera at a plain white subject, 
so that the entire screen is white. Press 
the  button.
XXThe tint of the screen changes once the 
white balance data has been recorded.
•	Colors may look unnatural if you change camera settings after 
recording white balance data.
  
						

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Cover 
Preliminary Notes  
and Legal Information
Contents: Basic 
Operations
Advanced Guide
Camera Basics
Smart Auto 
Mode
Other Shooting 
Modes
Playback Mode
Setting Menu
Accessories
Appendix
Index
Basic Guide
P Mode
Still Images
Continuous Shooting
Hold the shutter button all the way down to shoot continuously.
For details on the continuous shooting speed, see “Continuous Shootin\
g 
Speed” (=
  11 9 ).
1	 Configure	the	setting.
zzPress the  button, choose [] in 
the menu, and then choose [ W] 
(=
  30).
XXOnce the setting is complete, [W] is 
displayed.
2 Shoot.
XXHold the shutter button all the way down 
to shoot continuously.
•	 Cannot be used with the self-timer ( =  39) or [Blink Detection] 
(=  44).
•	 During continuous shooting, focus and exposure are locked at the 
position/level determined when you pressed the shutter button 
halfway.
•	 Shooting may stop momentarily or continuous shooting may slow 
down depending on shooting conditions, camera settings, and the 
zoom position.
•	 As more shots are taken, shooting may slow down.
•	 Shooting
	may	slow	down	if	the	flash	fires.
•	 Continuous shooting is faster in [] mode (=  46).
Shooting Range and Focusing
Still ImagesMovies
Shooting Close-ups (Macro)
To restrict the focus to subjects at close range, set the camera to [e]. For 
details on the focusing range, see “Shooting Range” ( =  11 9).
zzPress the  button, choose [] in 
the menu, and then choose the [ e] 
option (=
  30).
XXOnce the setting is complete, [e] is 
displayed.
•	 If	the	flash	fires,	vignetting	may	occur.
•	 In the yellow bar display area below the zoom bar, [e] will turn gray 
and the camera will not focus.
•	 To prevent camera shake, try mounting the camera on a tripod and shooting\
 
with the camera set to [[] (=  40).
  
						

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Cover 
Preliminary Notes  
and Legal Information
Contents: Basic 
Operations
Advanced Guide
Camera Basics
Smart Auto 
Mode
Other Shooting 
Modes
Playback Mode
Setting Menu
Accessories
Appendix
Index
Basic Guide
P Mode
Still ImagesMovies
Shooting Distant Subjects (Infinity)
To restrict the focus to distant subjects, set the camera to [u]. For details 
on the focusing range, see “Shooting Range” ( =  11 9).
zzPress the  button, choose [] 
in the menu, and then choose the [ u] 
option (=
  30).
XXOnce the setting is complete, [u] is 
displayed.
Still ImagesMovies
Changing the AF Frame Mode
Change the AF (auto focus) frame mode to suit the shooting conditions as 
follows.
zzPress the  button, choose [AF 
Frame] on the [4] tab, and then choose 
the desired option ( =
  31).
Still ImagesMovies
Face AiAF
•	Detects people’s faces, and then sets the focus, exposure (evaluative 
metering only), and white balance ([] only).
•	 After you aim the camera at the subject, a white frame is displayed 
around the person’s face determined by the camera to be the main 
subject, and up to two gray frames are displayed around other detected 
faces.
•	 When the camera detects movement, frames will follow moving subjects, 
within a certain range.
•	 After you press the shutter button halfway, up to nine green frames are 
displayed around faces in focus.
•	If faces are not detected, or when only gray frames are displayed 
(without a white frame), up to nine green frames are displayed in the \
areas in focus when you press the shutter button halfway.
•	 If faces are not detected when Servo AF (=
  61) is set to [On], the 
AF frame is displayed in the center of the screen when you press 
the shutter button halfway.
•	 Examples of faces that cannot be detected:
-
 Subjects that are distant or extremely close
- Subjects that are dark or light
- Faces	in	profile,	at	an	angle,	or	partly	hidden
•	 The camera may misinterpret non-human subjects as faces.
•	 No AF frames are displayed if the camera cannot focus when you 
press the shutter button halfway.
  
						

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Cover 
Preliminary Notes  
and Legal Information
Contents: Basic 
Operations
Advanced Guide
Camera Basics
Smart Auto 
Mode
Other Shooting 
Modes
Playback Mode
Setting Menu
Accessories
Appendix
Index
Basic Guide
P Mode
Still Images
Choosing Subjects to Focus On (Tracking AF)Shoot after choosing a subject to focus on as follows.
1 Choose [Tracking AF].
zzFollow the steps in “Changing the AF 
Frame Mode” (=  59) to choose 
[Tracking AF].
XX[] is displayed in the center of the 
screen.
2 Choose a subject to focus on.
zzAim the camera so that [] is on the 
desired subject.
zzPress the shutter button halfway. [] 
changes to a blue [], which follows the 
subject as the camera continues to adjust the 
focus and exposure (Servo AF) (
=  61).
XXIf no subject is detected, [] is 
displayed.
3 Shoot.
zzPress the shutter button all the way down 
to shoot.
•	 [Servo AF]  (=  61) is set to [On] and cannot be changed.
•	 Tracking may not be possible when subjects are too small or move 
too rapidly, or when subject color or brightness matches that of the 
background too closely.
•	 [AF-Point Zoom] on the [4] tab is not available.
•	 [e] and [u] are not available.
Still ImagesMovies
CenterOne AF frame is displayed in the center. Effective for reliable focusing.
•	A yellow AF frame is displayed with [] if the camera cannot focus 
when you press the shutter button halfway. Note that AF-point 
zooming ( =
  65) is not possible.
•	To compose shots so that subjects are positioned at the edge or in a corn\
er, 
first	aim	the	camera	to	capture	the	subject	in	an	AF	frame,	and	then	hold	the shutter button halfway down. As you continue to hold the shutter button 
halfway, recompose the shot as desired, and then press the shutter button all 
the way down (Focus Lock).