Canon PowerShot A530 Operating and maintenance manual

ENGLISH

Preparation

Shooting

Playback/Erasing

Menus and Settings

Printing

Downloading Images

to a Computer

Basic

Camera User Guide

Please Read This First

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

Photo of PowerShot A540

The following guides are available. Refer to them as necessary

according to the flowchart below.

In this guide, the Basic Camera User Guide is called the Basic Guide,

and the Advanced Camera User Guide is called the Advanced Guide.

Flowchart and Reference Guides

For information on included items

and items sold separately

Preparations

• Installing the batteries 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

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

• PDF manuals available

on the Canon website.

http://web.canon.jp/

Imaging/information-

e.html

In this guide, explanations are given using illustrations for PowerShot A540.

Preparations

Installing the batteries.

1. Slide the memory card slot/battery cover lock in the

direction of the arrow and open the cover.

2. Insert the 2 supplied AA-size alkaline batteries, or

separately sold AA-size NiMH batteries.

Inserting the Memory Card.

1. Insert the memory card until it clicks into place.

2. Close the memory card slot/battery cover.

Preparations

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Battery Handling (p. 102)

Ensure that the memory card is correctly oriented before

inserting it in the camera. It may damage the camera if

inserted incorrectly.

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Handling the Memory Card (p. 104)

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Formatting Memory Cards (p. 30)

Negative end (–)

Positive end (+)

Front

To Remove the Memory Card

Push the memory card with your finger until the memory card clicks

and then release it.

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

These cards are collectively called memory cards in this guide.

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

Preparations

First Time Settings

Setting the Date/Time

1. Press the power button (

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. 13).

Setting the Display Language

1. Set the mode switch to (playback).

2. Hold down the FUNC./SET button and press the MENU

button.

3. Use the , , or button to select a language and

press the FUNC./SET button.

The display language can also be set in the Set up menu (p. 13).

The date/time setting screen will appear when the

camera power is turned on for the first time, or when the

capacity of the lithium date/time battery is depleted.

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Replacing the Date Battery (p. 114)

Press the power button.

The start-up sound will play and the start-up

image will display in the LCD monitor.

• Pressing the power button again turns the

power off.

• 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.

Set the mode switch to (shooting) (

Set the shooting mode dial to

(Auto)

(

)

Aim the camera at the subject.

Focus and shoot.

1. Press the shutter button halfway to

focus.

When the camera focuses, the camera

beeps twice and the indicator lights green.

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.

Shooting

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

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Power Saving Function (p. 21)

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Set up Menu (p. 26)

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: My Camera Menu (p. 28)

ÎSee Basic Shooting Functions (p. 5).

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Indicators (p. 20)

ÎSee the Advanced Guide for the various shooting methods

available.

Power button

Indicators

Shooting

Reviewing an Image Right After Shooting

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

approximately 2 seconds.

You can continue to display images regardless of the review duration

setting with the following procedures.

• Keeping the shutter button pressed after a shot.

• 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.

Basic Shooting Functions

Selecting a Shooting Mode

1. Set the shooting mode dial to the desired mode (

In the and modes, use the or button (

) to select

a shooting mode.

Shooting Modes

ÎSee the Advanced Guide: Review (p. 24)

ÎSee Erasing (p. 11)

AUTO The camera automatically selects settings.

Image

zone

When a shooting mode appropriate for the shooting conditions is selected, the

camera automatically adjusts settings for optimal shooting.

Portrait

Blurs the background

and makes a person

stand out.

Landscape

Optimized for

shooting landscape

scenes which contain

both near and far

subjects.

Creative zone

Image zone

Auto

•[Av] and [Tv] modes only apply

to PowerShot A540.

Night 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.

Image

zone

(Special Scene)

You can shoot with the most appropriate settings for the scene.

Snow

Shoots without a

blue tinge and

without making

people appear dark

against a snowy background.

Foliage

Shoots trees and

leaves - such as

new growth,

autumn leaves or

blossoms - in vivid colors.

Beach

Shoots without

making people

appear dark near

water or sand

where reflected sunlight is strong.

Underwater

(PowerShot A540 only)

Appropriate for shooting

images with Waterproof

Case WP-DC2 (sold

separately). This mode

uses an optimal white

balance setting to

reduce bluish tones and record images with a

natural hue. The exposure is regulated to use

the flash as little as possible.

Kids&Pets

Allows you to

capture subjects

that move around,

such as children

and pets, without missing photo

opportunities.

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.

Indoor

Prevents camera

shake and

maintains the

subject’s true color

when shooting under fluorescent or

tungsten lighting.

Fireworks

Captures fireworks

in the sky sharply

and at optimal

exposure.

Color Accent

Use this option to

have only the color

specified in the LCD

monitor remain and to

transform all others to black and white.

ÎSee the Advanced Guide (p. 60)

Color Swap

Use this option to

transform a color

specified in the LCD

monitor into another.

ÎSee the Advanced Guide (p. 60)

Shooting

Stitch Assist

Allows you to shoot overlapping images that can later be

merged (stitched) to create one panoramic image on a

computer.

Image

zone

Shoots a movie when you press the shutter button.

Apart from [ Standard] mode, you can also select from [ Fast Frame Rate]

(PowerShot A540 only) which is suitable for shooting sports or fast motion,

[ Compact] which is convenient for email attachments, [ Color Accent]

which has only the color specified in the LCD monitor remain and transforms all

others to black and white, and [ Color Swap] which transforms a color

specified in the LCD monitor into another color.

Creative

zone

You can freely select camera settings such as the exposure and

aperture value to suit your shooting purposes.

• The shutter speed is slow in or mode. Always

use a tripod to avoid camera shake.

• In , , , *, , , or mode, the

ISO speed may increase and cause noise in the image

depending on the scene being shot.

*PowerShot A540 only

• To shoot underwater, install the camera in Waterproof Case

WP-DC2 (sold separately).

• We recommend you use Waterproof Case WP-DC2 (sold

separately) for shooting at ski resorts or beaches.

• In mode, shoot with the subject more than 1 m (3.3

ft.) away from the front of the lens.

ÎSee the Advanced Guide (p. 43)

ÎSee the Advanced Guide (p. 39)

ÎSee the Advanced Guide (p. 44 – 47)

Using the Zoom

1. Press the zoom lever toward or .

The zoom can be adjusted from 35 mm – 140 mm (focal length)

in 35mm film equivalent terms.

Using the Flash

1. Press the button to cycle through flash settings.

Red-eye reduction: This feature reduces the effect of light reflecting back from

the eyes and making them appear red. You can set this feature on and off in

the Rec. menu.

Auto with red-eye

reduction

The flash fires automatically and fires the red-

eye reduction lamp each time.

Auto The flash fires automatically.

Flash on with red-

eye reduction

The red-eye reduction lamp and flash always

fire.

Flash on The flash always fires.

Flash off The flash will not fire.

Wide Angle: Zooms

out from the subject.

Telephoto: Zooms in

on the subject.

Each time you press the button, the

flash settings will change.

With the red-eye reduction function on:

With the red-eye reduction function off:

Flash settings cannot be used in some shooting modes.

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