Canon PowerShot A420 User manual

Safety Precautions

Be sure to read, understand and follow the safety precautions below when

using the camera, in order to prevent injury, burns or electrical shock to yourself

and others.

Be sure to also read the safety precautions listed in the

Advanced Camera User Guide.

Warnings

• Do not trigger the flash in close proximity to human or animal eyes.

• Store this equipment out of the reach of children and infants.

• Avoid dropping or subjecting the camera to severe impacts. 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 handle the power cord if your hands are wet.

• Only use batteries recommended in this manual.

• The output terminal for the compact power adaptor is made specifically for

this camera. Do not use it with any other device.

Preparations

Shooting

Playback/Erasing

Menus and Settings

Printing

Downloading Images

to a Computer

CDI-E210-010

Camera User Guide

Please Read This First

This guide explains how to prepare the camera and use its basic features.

ENGLISH

Basic

PRINTED IN CHINA

Flowchart and Reference Guides

The following guides are available. Refer to them as necessary according

to the flowchart below.

This icon appears for functions and notes that apply only to the

PowerShot A430.

This guide uses illustrations of the PowerShot A430.

System Map

Basic Camera User

Guide (This Guide)

• Read this first.

Advanced Camera

User Guide

Direct Print User Guide

Basic Camera User

Guide (This Guide)

Software Starter Guide

ZoomBrowser EX/

ImageBrowser

Software User Guide

For information on included

items and items sold separately

Preparations

• Installing the battery and memory

card

• Setting the date, time and language

Shooting

Playback/Erasing

Menus and Settings

Handling precautions,

references to the various

shooting and playback functions

Printing

• Installing the software

• Downloading images to a

computer

• Using the software

• PDF manuals available on the Canon website.

http://web.canon.jp/Imaging/information-e.html

Preparations

Installing the Battery and Memory Card

1Open memory card slot/battery cover.

2Insert the batteries, and insert the memory card until it clicks

into place, then close the cover.

* SD stands for Secure Digital, a copyright protection system.

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Battery Handling (p. 85)

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Handling the Memory Card (p. 87)

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Formatting Memory Cards (p. 29)

Ensure that the memory card is correctly oriented before inserting it in

the camera. It may damage the camera if inserted incorrectly.

You can use SD* memory cards and MultiMediaCards with this camera.

These cards are collectively called memory cards in this guide.

(–) Negative end

(+) Positive end

Front

Preparations

To Remove the Memory Card

Use your finger to push the memory card in until you hear a click, then

release it.

First Time Settings

Setting the Date/Time

1Press the power button.

The upper indicator blinks green.

To turn the power off, press the power

button once more.

Hold down the DISP. button, and

press the power button to turn on the

mute setting and turn off all operation

sounds except the warnings.

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Using the LCD Monitor (p. 15)

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Power Saving Function (p. 20)

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Set up Menu (p. 25)

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: My Camera Menu (p. 27)

Upper indicator Power butto

Preparations

2Select the item you wish to set

using the

button and

set its value using the

button (

3Confirm that the correct time

is displayed and press the

FUNC./SET button (

The date/time can also be set in the

Set up menu (p. 11).

Setting the Display Language

1Set the mode dial to

(Playback) (

2Hold down the FUNC./SET button (

) and press the MENU

button (

3Use the

button (

) to select a language and

press the FUNC./SET button (

The language can also be set in the Set up menu (p. 11).

Preparations

Shooting

1Set the mode dial to (Auto).

2Aim the camera at the subject.

Be careful not to block the flash with your finger.

3Press the shutter button lightly

(halfway) to focus.

The camera beeps twice and the

upper indicator lights green when the

camera focuses.

4Press the shutter button fully

(all the way) to shoot.

The shutter sound will play (a beep

sound for the PowerShot A420), and

the image will record.

The upper indicator will blink green

while the image is recorded to the

memory card.

The beep will sound one time if the subject is difficult to focus on.

ÎSee Basic Shooting Functions (p. 5)

ÎSee the Advanced Guide to verify the advanced shooting method.

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Movie Shooting (p. 37)

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Indicators (p. 19)

Lightly press

(Pressing halfway)

Upper indicator

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Shooting Hard-to-Focus Subjects (p. 47)

Pressing fully

(Pressing all the way)

Upper indicator

Shooting

Reviewing an Image Right After Shooting

After a shot is taken, the image appears in the LCD monitor for

approximately 2 seconds.

To override this time limit and continue displaying the image, use one of

the following methods:

Keep the shutter button fully depressed after taking the shot.

Press the FUNC./SET or DISP. button while the image is displayed in the

LCD monitor.*

Press the shutter button halfway again to stop displaying it.

* This operation is not available in the Stitch Assist mode (p. 6).

Basic Shooting Functions

Selecting a Shooting Mode

Use the mode dial and menu to select the Shooting modes.

Mode Dial

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Changing the Review Duration (p. 24)

ÎSee Erasing (p. 10)

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Movie Shooting (p. 37)

AUTO

The camera automatically selects

settings.

MANUAL

6 modes are available with this camera.

You can manually adjust the exposure,

white balance, My Colors, shooting

panorama composition images

( , ) and other settings before

shooting.

SPECIAL SCENE

8 scene modes to shoot with the most

appropriate settings for the scene are available

with this camera.

MOVIE

Modes for shooting movies

are available with this

camera.

Shooting

Selecting a Shooting Mode

In the , , and modes, the same procedure is used for

selecting shooting modes. The following explanation uses the

mode as an example.

1Set the mode dial to

(

2Press the FUNC./SET

button (

3Use the

button to

select a shooting mode

(

4Press the FUNC./SET

button (

Mode Items

Manual

Allows you to select settings yourself,

such as the exposure compensation,

white balance or My Colors settings.

Super Macro

Allows you to take magnified shots of

subjects closer than standard Macro

mode (p. 9).

Shooting is possible when the

distance from the front of the lens to

the subject is in the following range:

1 to 5 cm (0.4 to 2.0 in.) (maximum

wide angle)

Color Accent

Allows you to have only the color

specified in the LCD monitor remain

and to transform all others to black

and white.

Color Swap

Allows you to transform a color

specified in the LCD monitor into

another color.

Stitch Assist

Use this mode when taking shots that

you want to combine into a

panorama.

Shooting

mode

ÎSee the Advanced Guide (p. 31)

ÎSee the Advanced Guide (p. 42)

ÎSee the Advanced Guide (p. 43)

ÎSee the Advanced Guide (p. 40)

Shooting

Special Scene Mode Items

By selecting a shooting mode, you can capture scenes with optimal

shooting.

Movie Mode Items

Allows you to shoot a movie just by pressing the shutter button.

The following movie modes are available:

Standard, Compact (for sending movies as e-mail attachments), Color

Accent (for shooting in black and white except for specified colors), and

Color Swap (for changing a specified color into another).

Portrait

Blurs the background and makes a

person stand out.

Night Snapshot

Allows you to take snapshots of

people against twilight or night

backgrounds by reducing the effects

of camera shake even without using

a tripod.

Kids&Pets

Allows you to capture subjects that

move around, such as children and

pets, without missing photo

opportunities.

Indoor

Prevents camera shake and

maintains the subject's true color

when shooting under fluorescent or

tungsten lighting.

Foliage

Shoots trees and leaves - such as

new growth, autumn leaves or

blossoms - in vivid colors.

Snow

Shoots without a blue tinge and

without making people appear dark

against a snowy background.

Beach

Shoots without making people

appear dark near water or sand

where reflected sunlight is strong.

Fireworks

Captures fireworks in the sky sharply

and at an optimal exposure.

zThe shutter speed is slow in (Fireworks) mode. Always use a

tripod to avoid camera shake.

zIn (Indoor), (Kids&Pets) or (Night Snapshot) mode, the ISO

speed may increase and cause noise in the image depending on the

scene being shot.

zIn (Kids&Pets) mode, shoot with the subject at least 1 m (3.3 ft.)

away.

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Movie Shooting (p. 37)

Shooting

Using the Zoom

The zoom can be adjusted to the following in 35 mm film equivalent terms.

PowerShot A430: 39 mm - 156 mm

PowerShot A420: 39 mm - 125 mm

Using the Flash

* Red-Eye Reduction: This feature reduces the effect of light reflecting back from the

eyes and making them appear red.



Distance ranges for shooting with the flash are 47 cm to 3.0 m (1.5 to

10 ft.) (W) and 47 cm to 2.0 m (1.5 to 6.6 ft.) (T).



If the LCD monitor is on when the flash begins charging, the upper

indicator will blink orange, and the LCD monitor will turn off. When

charging is complete, the upper indicator will turn off, and the LCD will

turn on again. The charge time varies depending on conditions of use

such as the remaining battery life.

Telephoto

Zooms in on the subject.

Wide Angle

Zooms out from the subject.

button

Press this button to cycle through flash settings.

(Flash settings cannot be used in some shooting modes.)

Auto

Auto with red-eye reduction*

Flash on with red-eye reduction*

Flash on

Flash off

Slow Synchro

Shooting

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