Epson PhotoPC 550 User Guide

User’s Guide

IMPORTANT NOTICE

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY

Epson America makes no representations or warranties, either express or implied, by or with respect to anything in this manual, and shall not be liable for any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose or for any indirect, special, or consequential damages. Some states do not allow the exclusion of incidental or consequential damages, so this exclusion may not apply to you.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Epson America, Inc. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of information contained herein. Nor is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. Further, this publication and features described herein are subject to change without notice.

TRADEMARKS

EPSON and EPSON Stylus are registered trademarks of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION.

PhotoPC, ColorTrue, EPSON SoundAdvice, and EPSON FaxAdvice are trademarks of Epson America, Inc.

Sierra Imaging is a registered trademark and Image Expert and Camio are trademarks of Sierra Imaging, Inc. in the United States and other countries and are used under license.

General notice: Other product names used herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners. EPSON disclaims any and all rights in those marks.

A NOTE CONCERNING RESPONSIBLE USE OF

COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS

Digital cameras and scanners, like photocopiers and conventional cameras, can be misused by improper copying of copyrighted material. While some countries’ laws permit limited copying of copyrighted material in certain circumstances, those circumstances may not be as broad as some people assume. EPSON encourages each user to be responsible and respectful of the copyright laws when using digital cameras and scanners.

C o p y r i g h t © 1 9 9 7 b y E p s o n A m e r i c a , I n c . C P D 4 3 7 0 Torrance, California, USA 10/97

FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT

FOR AMERICAN USERS

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio and television reception. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio and television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

◗ Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna ◗ Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver ◗ Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to

which the receiver is connected

◗ Consult an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

WARNING

The connection of a non-shielded equipment interface cable to this equipment will invalidate the FCC Certification of this device and may cause interference levels that exceed the limits established by the FCC for this equipment. It is the responsibility of the user to obtain and use a shielded equipment interface cable with this device. If this equipment has more than one interface connector, do not leave cables connected to unused interfaces.

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

FOR CANADIAN USERS

This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.

Cet appareil numérique de la Classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Reglement sur le materiel brouilleur du Canada.

A B

Introduction

PhotoPC 550 Features 2

Optional Accessories 2 System Requirements 3 Where To Get Help 3

Software Support 4 Registration 4 Safety Instructions 4

1 Getting Started

Unpacking Your PhotoPC 550 1-1 Identifying Camera Parts 1-2 Using Batteries 1-3

Installing Batteries 1-3

Handling Batteries 1-4 Using the Optional AC Adapter 1-5 Attaching the Hand Strap 1-7

Installing Your PhotoPC 550 Software 1-7

Installing for Windows 95 or

Windows NT 4.0 1-8

Installing for Windows 3.1x or

Windows NT 3.51 1-8

Making Software Installation Diskettes 1-9

2 Taking Pictures

Turning the Camera On and Off 2-2

Saving Power With Auto Shut-off 2-2

Checking the Display Panel 2-2

Checking the Battery 2-3 Checking the Picture Counter 2-3

Setting Image Quality 2-4

Standard (S) 2-4 High (Hi) 2-4

Super High (S-Hi) 2-4 Taking a Picture 2-5 Recording Messages With the Microphone 2-6

iii

Using Macro Mode to Take Close-ups 2-7 Taking Pictures in Low Light Conditions 2-8 Taking Pictures With the Self Timer 2-9 Using a Tripod 2-9 Erasing Pictures 2-10

3 Getting Pictures Into Your Computer

Connecting the Camera 3-2 Getting Images and Sounds With the

Camio Viewer 3-3 Transferring Images Before Placing Them 3-5 Dragging and Dropping a Picture Into a

Document 3-5

Getting Images and Sound With Image Expert 3-6

What To Do if You See an Error Message 3-9

Getting Images Into TWAIN Applications 3-10

What To Do if the Camera

Is Not Responding 3-11

4 Getting Pictures Into Your Documents

Using Drag and Drop From an Album 4-2 Importing Images and Sound Into Documents 4-3 Getting Images With Copy and Paste 4-5 Converting File Formats 4-5

5 Working With Pictures and Sounds in

Albums

Using Albums 5-2 Organizing Pictures in Albums 5-2 Viewing Picture Information 5-3 Printing an Image 5-4 Printing an Album or Selected Images 5-5 Playing Back Sounds 5-6

Replaying a Section of an Audio Clip 5-7

Changing the Volume 5-7 Adding and Modifying Sounds in a

Downloaded Image 5-8

Cutting and Pasting Sounds 5-8

Recording New Sounds 5-9

Deleting Sounds 5-10 Displaying Albums as Slide Shows 5-11 Copying to Diskette 5-12

Viewing the Pictures on Diskette 5-13 Using an Album as a Screen Saver 5-14 Setting an Image as Wallpaper 5-14 Sending Pictures and Sound by E-mail 5-15

6 Editing Images

Viewing and Selecting 6-2 Applying Quick Fix 6-2 Correcting 6-3 Cropping 6-4 Resizing and Changing Resolution 6-5 Rotating 6-6 Flipping 6-7 Applying Special Effects 6-7 Changing the Number of Colors 6-8

7 Managing the Camera From the Computer

Taking Pictures From Your Computer 7-1

Using the Self Timer 7-3 Setting the Shutter Speed 7-4

Adjusting Camera Settings From Your Computer 7-4

8 Using SmartMedia Cards

Installing a Storage Card 8-2 Removing a Storage Card 8-3 Transferring Images and Sound to Your Computer 8-3

Using a PCMCIA Adapter 8-4 Transferring Pictures 8-5

Formatting a Storage Card 8-5

9 Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Cleaning the Camera 9-1 Storing the Camera 9-1 Solving Camera Problems 9-2 Solving Picture Problems 9-5 Solving Sound Problems 9-7

A Specifications

Camera A-1

Physical Dimensions A-1

Safety Specifications A-1

Power A-1

Technical A-1

Environmental A-2

Photographic A-2

Microphone A-3 Optional AC Adapter A-3

Physical Dimensions A-3

Technical A-3

Index

Introduction

our new EPSON PhotoPC™ 550 is a high-quality, easy-to-use digital camera. PhotoPC 550 captures

brilliant pictures in 24-bit color at true VGA resolution

480 pixels). Your PhotoPC 550 comes complete with

(640

a cable, batteries, software, and utilities for downloading, editing, organizing, and printing your pictures. You can even expand the camera’s capacity with optional 3.3V SSFDC (solid state floppy disc card) or SmartMedia storage cards.

Use PhotoPC 550 to add pictures to your documents, flyers, and presentations to increase their visual impact. Create personalized greeting cards. Share pictures with business colleagues or friends over the Internet. Add pictures to your web page.

PhotoPC 550 also has a built-in microphone so you can annotate your pictures with sound or add a voice message, allowing you to send multimedia e-mail.

Introduction

PhotoPC 550 Features

PhotoPC 550 comes with everything you need to capture digital images and includes the following:

480 pixels

◗ Resolutions up to 640 ◗ 24-bit color images in more than 16 million colors ◗ 1MB internal flash memory that holds 24 standard

resolution images

◗ Macro mode (close-up) picture taking

Your camera comes with the PhotoPC 550 software suite, which includes the following applications:



◗ Sierra Imaging

Image Expert™ software for transferring, organizing, editing, and printing your pictures. You can also use it to play back your recorded messages and record new messages for your pictures.

◗ TWAIN driver for downloading your pictures into

TWAIN compliant applications such as Adobe Photoshop



or CorelDraw



◗ Highly light sensitive CCD (charge coupled device)

sensor (no need for flash)

◗ Automatic shut-off to save batteries ◗ Date and time information saved with each picture ◗ Serial cable for transferring pictures to your



Windows

◗ Built-in microphone to record a message for each

picture

™

◗ EPSON’s exclusive ColorTrue

advanced in-camera

processing system for brilliant, vivid pictures

Introduction

Optional Accessories

EPSON offers several options for the PhotoPC 550.

◗ PhotoPC AC adapter (B867038) for use with any

110/120V electrical outlet

◗ PhotoPC NiMH power pack (B818051) ◗ PhotoPC NiMH battery pack (B818061) ◗ 3.3V SSFDC or SmartMedia storage cards for

expanding your camera’s memory

You can contact EPSON Accessories at (800) 873-7766 (U.S. sales only). In Canada, please call (800) 873-7766 for dealer referral. SmartMedia storage cards and adapters are



also available from Simple Technology

at (800) 4-SIMPLE.

System Requirements

Where To Get Help

To transfer pictures and sounds to your computer and edit them, make sure your system meets these minimum requirements:



◗ IBM ◗ Microsoft

-compatible PC with 486/66 or higher processor



Windows 95, Windows 3.1 or later, Windows for Workgroups 3.11 or later, or Windows NT



3.5 or later

◗ Serial port with standard RS-232C interface ◗ At least 16MB RAM (32MB for Windows NT) ◗ Double-speed CD-ROM drive ◗ Hard disk drive with at least 30MB free space ◗ VGA monitor with at least 256-color display

(for higher quality viewing, a 16 million-color display is recommended)

◗ Mouse or other pointing device

If you want to play back or record new messages for your pictures, your system must also have at least a 16-bit sound card, speaker, and microphone.

EPSON provides customer support through the following services:

Electronic support services

Service Access

World Wide Web From the Internet, you can reach EPSON’s

http://www.epson.com

anonymous

. Set your communications

ftp.epson.com

and your e-mail

GO EPSON

with

EPSON Internet FTP Site

EPSON Download Service

EPSON Forum on CompuServe

Home Page at

If you have Internet FTP capability, use your Web browser (or other software for FTP downloading) to log onto the user name address as the password.

You can call the EPSON Download Service at

(800) 442-2007

software to 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity. Modem speed can be up to 28.8 Kbps.

Members of CompuServe can type at the menu prompt to reach the Epson America Forum. For a free introductory CompuServe membership, call (800) 848-8199 and ask for representative #529.

Introduction

Automated telephone services

Service Access

EPSON SoundAdvice

EPSON FaxAdvice

EPSON Referral Service



For pre-recorded answers to commonly asked questions about EPSON products 24 hours a day, seven days a week, call (800) 442-2110.



Access EPSON’s technical information library by calling (800) 442-2110. You must provide a return fax number to use this service.

For the location of your nearest Authorized EPSON Reseller call (800) 442-2110.

EPSON also provides technical support and information on the installation, configuration, and operation of

EPSON

products. Dial (800) 922-8911, (310) 782-2600 (U.S.), or (905) 709-9475 (Canada), 6 A.M. to 6 P.M., Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.

Before you call, please have the following information ready:

◗ Product name

You can purchase manuals, accessories, and parts from

EPSON

Accessories at (800) 873-7766 (U.S. sales only).

In Canada, please call (800) 873-7766 for dealer referral.

Software Support

If you’ve tried Image Expert’s on-screen help and you still have questions, contact Sierra Imaging on the Internet at http://www.sierraimaging.com or call (800) 501-8902 for technical support (for Windows 95 and Windows NT users, make sure you check the Quick Tour first).

Registration

Please take a minute to fill out the registration card for the PhotoPC 550 digital camera and mail it back to us. This enables you to receive special information on accessories, new products, and software upgrades. You’ll get immediate attention if you have a problem with your PhotoPC 550.

◗ Product serial number ◗ Computer configuration ◗ Description of the problem

Introduction

Safety Instructions

Read all of these instructions before using your camera. Also follow all warnings and instructions marked on the camera and batteries.

◗ To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not remove the

camera’s cover or open any of the compartments except as instructed in this User’s Guide.

environment to a warm one. Allow time for the camera and its optional accessories to adjust to temperature changes before using them.

◗ To prevent fire or electric shock, do not insert objects

into any openings in the camera.

◗ To prevent fire or electric shock, do not expose the

camera to rain or moisture and do not use the camera where inflammable or volatile gas is stored.

◗ Do not use the camera outdoors during adverse weather

conditions.

◗ If the camera shows unusual signs such as noise, odor, or

smoke, turn it off immediately. Remove the batteries and/or disconnect the AC adapter, and unplug the AC adapter from the electrical outlet.

◗ To avoid damage to the optics of the camera, do not

expose the lens to direct sunlight for extended periods of time.

◗ Avoid sudden temperature changes, which can cause

moisture to condense on the camera. Keep the camera in a case or bag if you need to move it from a cold

◗ Use only the types of power sources listed in this

User’s Guide.

◗ Do not use a frayed or damaged power cord with the

AC adapter.

◗ If you use an extension cord with the optional AC

adapter, make sure the total ampere rating of the devices plugged into the extension cord does not exceed the cord’s ampere rating. Also, make sure the total ampere rating of all devices plugged into the wall outlet does not exceed the wall outlet’s ampere rating.

◗ Remove batteries and/or unplug the camera and the AC

adapter and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions: if the power cord or plug is damaged; if liquid has entered the camera; if the camera has been dropped or its exterior has been damaged; if the camera or its optional accessories do not operate normally or exhibit a distinct change in performance.

Introduction

◗ Adjust only those controls that are covered by the

operating instructions.

◗ Do not attempt to service the camera yourself. Refer all

servicing to qualified service personnel.

◗ If the liquid crystal solution contained in the display

panel leaks out and gets on your hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and water. If it gets in your eyes, flush them immediately with water.

Introduction

1 Getting Started

his chapter helps you get ready to use your new PhotoPC 550. It covers the following:

◗ Unpacking your PhotoPC 550

camera

hand strap

software

batteries

PhotoPC 550 cable

◗ Identifying camera parts ◗ Using batteries ◗ Using the optional AC adapter ◗ Attaching the hand strap ◗ Installing your PhotoPC 550 software

Unpacking Your PhotoPC 550

Your PhotoPC 550 includes all the parts shown to the left.

Getting Started

1-1

Identifying Camera Parts

m d

EPSON AMERICA, INC.

Documentation Department 20770 Madrona Avenue, Torrance, CA 90503 (310) 782-0770

TITLE

DATE

DRAWN BY

BACK.e REV> 3 Wendi

shutter button

lens cover

macro on/off switch

front view (lens cover is open)

lens

viewfinder

EPSON AMERICA, INC.

Documentation Department 20770 Madrona Avenue, Torrance, CA 90503 (310) 782-0770

timer light

connector cover

TITLE

ONOFF-2.eps

DATE

REV> 20 Septe

DRAWN BY

Wendi Swanlun

viewfinder

microphone

status light

display panel

back view

storage card slot cover

hand strap holder

Getting Started

1-2

image quality button

S-Hi/Hi/S

ERASE

erase button

display panel

top view

voice recording button

timer button

shutter button

VOICE SELF TIMER

Using Batteries

The instructions in the following sections tell you how to install and handle batteries.

Installing Batteries

Before you install the batteries, make sure the camera is turned off (the lens cover is closed, see “Turning the Camera On and Off” on page 2-2). Then follow these steps:

Turn the camera upside down with the back facing you.

Open the battery cover by sliding it in the direction of the arrow, as shown below:

Getting Started

1-3

Insert all three batteries into the compartment,

positioning the + and - ends as shown below:

battery positions

Close the battery cover and slide it to the right until it

snaps into place.

Handling Batteries

When your PhotoPC 550 batteries wear out, you can replace them with any of the following:



◗ Single-use AA alkaline batteries (Energizer

recommended)

◗ Single-use AA lithium batteries (longer life) ◗ Rechargeable AA NiCd batteries ◗ Rechargeable AA NiMH batteries

WARNING To avoid the danger of fire or explosion, do not mix different types of batteries. Do not allow the battery contacts to touch metal objects such as coins or keys, which could short out the battery’s circuits. Read all safety and handling instructions before using batteries.

Note the following when handling batteries:

◗ Use the batteries that came with your camera only in

EPSON digital cameras.

brand

Getting Started

1-4

◗ Do not use manganese batteries.

◗ Replace all three batteries at the same time. ◗ If you use rechargeable NiCd batteries, replace them

with three fully charged batteries. If you find that your batteries run out faster after you recharge them a number of times, make sure you discharge them completely before recharging.

◗ If the rechargeable batteries are charged in a hot

environment, or if they are charged repeatedly without being fully discharged, they will wear out more quickly.

◗ Do not drop, puncture, disassemble, or mutilate

batteries. Do not get them wet or expose them to fire.

◗ When the camera is not used for long periods of time,

remove the batteries and store them at a low temperature in a dry location. Store away from the reach of children.

◗ To avoid fire or electric shock, do not use batteries that

are leaking or damaged in any way.

◗ If battery acid gets in your eyes or on your skin,

immediately rinse the area with water and seek medical treatment. If a battery is swallowed, seek medical treatment immediately.

◗ Dispose of used batteries according to the

manufacturer’s instructions and in compliance with all applicable laws. Contact your local government agency for information about battery recycling and disposal.

◗ Battery life varies depending on the battery type and the

manufacturer.

Using the Optional AC Adapter

To save battery power, you can use the optional AC adapter. This is especially useful when you are transferring pictures and operating the camera from your computer (see Chapter 3).

The AC adapter allows you to connect your PhotoPC 550 to any standard 110/120V electrical outlet. The adapter powers the camera but does not charge the batteries.

The AC adapter (product code B867038) should be available where you bought your PhotoPC 550. You can also order it from EPSON Accessories at (800) 873-7766 (U.S. sales only). In Canada, call (800) 873-7766 for dealer referral.

Getting Started

1-5

WARNING Use only the adapter designed for the PhotoPC 550. Using any other adapter may cause fire, electrical shock, or injury.

Do not alter the plug on the power cable, and do not use the adapter for any other purpose than powering your PhotoPC 550.

To avoid losing any images or settings, make sure the camera has finished processing the images. Turn the camera off before you connect or disconnect the AC adapter. Then follow these steps:

Open the connector cover on the side of the camera.

Plug the adapter cable into the DC port on the camera.

Plug the AC adapter into an electrical outlet.

Getting Started

1-6

Attaching the Hand Strap

To attach the hand strap, loop the strap around the holder on the bottom of the camera as shown below. You may need to use the point of paper clip or similar object to push the strap through the holder.

Installing Your PhotoPC 550 Software

PhotoPC 550 comes with everything you need to transfer your pictures from the camera to your computer, organize and enhance your images, and insert them into documents. You can also record and play back messages for each picture. The included CD-ROM has this software for your Windows PC:

◗ Sierra Imaging Image Expert ◗ PhotoPC 550 TWAIN driver

All programs will be installed in the PhotoPC 550 folder or directory.

NOTE If you don’t have a CD-ROM drive, see page 1-9.

Getting Started

1-7

Installing for Windows 95 or

Installing for Windows 3.1x or

Windows NT 4.0

Follow these steps:

Insert the CD-ROM in your drive. The install program

starts automatically.

If it doesn’t start automatically, double-click

My Computer

icon.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

NOTE for Windows 95 users To view the readme file, see C:\Program Files\Sierra Imaging\ PhotoPC 550\Image Expert\readme.wri. If you did a custom installation, the readme files may be located in a different directory.

To uninstall Image Expert, use the Add/Remove Programs option in the Control Panel.

. Then double-click your CD-ROM

Windows NT 3.51

Follow these steps:

Insert the CD-ROM in your drive.

In the Program Manager, select

menu.

Type

D:\SETUP

. If your CD-ROM drive is not

drive D, substitute the correct letter.

Click OK and follow the instructions on the screen.

NOTE for Windows 95 and Windows NT users After you install your software, you can run the Image Expert Quick Tour to learn more about your camera. See page 3-6 for instructions.

from the File

Run

Getting Started

1-8

Making Software Installation Diskettes

If you don’t have a CD-ROM drive on your computer, you can create Image Expert installation diskettes from the CD-ROM using another computer that has a CD-ROM drive.

Before you start, make sure you have five blank, formatted diskettes for Windows 3.1 or eight for Windows 95 and Windows NT. Then follow these steps:

Use the Windows Explorer (or File Manager) to access

your CD-ROM drive. (You may have to exit the Setup program first.)

Double-click

Depending on which version of Windows you’re using,

select

Windows 95/Windows NT

Then select your diskette drive and click instructions on the screen to create the installation diskettes.

Now you can install the PhotoPC 550 software on your computer.

mkfloppy.exe

Windows 3.1

. Follow the

Getting Started

1-9

Getting Started

1-10

2 Taking Pictures

aking pictures with PhotoPC 550 is similar to using a traditional “point and shoot” camera. This

chapter tells you everything you need to know, including:

◗ Turning the camera on and off ◗ Checking the display panel ◗ Setting image quality ◗ Taking a picture ◗ Recording messages with the microphone ◗ Using macro mode to take close-ups

Greetings from Utah

◗ Taking pictures in low light conditions ◗ Taking pictures with the timer ◗ Using a tripod ◗ Erasing pictures

Taking Pictures

2-1

Turning the Camera On and Off

Before you can take pictures with PhotoPC 550, you need to turn on the camera and check the display panel. It’s important to be aware of the camera’s power-saving features and the status of your batteries.

To turn the camera on, slide the lens cover open.

display panel

OPEN

OFF

The display panel on the top of the camera lights up and the status light on the back of the camera turns green, which indicates the camera is ready to take pictures.

To turn off the camera, slide the lens cover shut. The display panel turns off.

Saving Power With Auto Shut-off

If you wait more than 60 seconds before taking a picture, the camera turns off automatically to save battery power. There are two ways to turn the camera back on:

◗ Close the lens cover and then open it again. ◗ Press the shutter button halfway down.

You can change the auto shut-off time when the camera is connected to your computer (see page 7-4).

Checking the Display Panel

The display panel shows the camera’s current settings, number of pictures remaining, and status of your batteries.

image quality

macro mode

erase

battery status

voice recording

pictures remaining

self timer

Taking Pictures

2-2

Checking the Battery

Before you take pictures, check the battery icon on the control panel. The icon shows how much battery power you have left, in the following stages.

Full battery power (or AC adapter in use)

to Battery power is decreasing

Battery power low (time to buy new batteries)

batteries you use. Low temperatures—especially below 50 °F (10 °C)—drain your batteries faster. See page 1-3 for battery use instructions.

Checking the Picture Counter

The large number in the center of the display panel shows how many additional pictures you can take. This number depends on your image quality settings. If you change this setting, the number will change.

Battery power is almost out

Change batteries

The battery icon flashes when your battery power is completely out. At this point, you can’t take pictures until you replace the batteries or use the AC adapter.

NOTE When the battery power is low, image processing is less reliable.

You should use the battery icon only as a guide to estimate remaining power. Several factors can affect battery life, including the surrounding temperature and the type of

When the camera’s memory is full, the number of pictures remaining is 0. The status light on the back of the camera turns red, and you can’t press the shutter button.

To free up some of the camera’s memory, you can erase the pictures you don’t want to save. See page 2-10 for information on erasing pictures using the See Chapter 3 for instructions on erasing pictures in the camera when it is connected to your computer.

ERASE

Taking Pictures

button.

2-3

Setting Image Quality

PhotoPC 550 has three image quality (resolution) settings: Standard, High, and Super High.

Press the image quality button on top of the camera to cycle from one setting to the other. The image quality icons (shown below) appear on the display panel.

Standard (S)

Produces color images at 320 × 240 pixels, with moderate compression. The image size is smaller and

includes less detail when enlarged. This is ideal for web pages and wallet-size pictures (the picture size is approximately

1.7 × 2.2 inches [43.2 × 55.8 mm]). The camera holds at least 24 pictures in this mode.

High (Hi)

Produces color images at 640 × 480 pixels with standard compression. Your pictures include greater

detail and are snapshot size (approximately 3.3 × 4.4 inches [83.8 × 111.8 mm]). The camera holds at least 12 pictures in this mode.

Super High (S-Hi)

Produces color images at 640 × 480 pixels with low compression. The camera holds at least 6 snapshot

size (approximately 3.3 × 4.4 inches [83.8 × 111.8 mm]) pictures in this mode. With less compression, Super High images are better for pictures that will be enlarged.

NOTE When you turn the camera off and back on or replace the batteries, the image quality setting is the last setting used. When you replace the batteries, the image quality setting defaults to High.

High quality is sufficient for most purposes. Use Super High quality if you plan to enlarge your pictures. High and Super High resolution pictures take longer to process and will drain batteries faster than standard images.

You can switch between the settings and mix pictures of varying quality in the camera. The camera’s capacity for storing images will vary accordingly. Depending on the content of your pictures, your camera may hold more than the numbers shown. As long as the display panel shows a number other than zero, you can continue taking pictures.

Taking Pictures

2-4

Taking a Picture

Follow these steps to take a picture:

Make sure you are at least 23.6 inches (60 cm) away from your subject.

Turn the camera on and wait until the status light turns green.

status light

NOTE Remember that the camera shuts off automatically after 60 seconds. To turn the camera back on, close the lens cover and then open it or press the shutter button halfway down.

Look straight through the viewfinder and center your subject within the cross-hairs.

viewfinder

shutter button

cross-hairs

Hold the shutter button halfway down to lock the focus.

macro crop marks (see page 2-7)

The status light changes from green to orange.

NOTE If you do not lock the focus, your pictures may be blurry.

Taking Pictures

2-5

Press the shutter button the rest of the way down to take

the picture.

Hold the camera still until it beeps and the status light starts flashing red. The flashing red light indicates that the camera has captured the image and is processing it. Processing takes approximately eight seconds.

TIP When you’re taking pictures outdoors, make sure the sun is at your back. In very bright light (at the beach or in snow, for example), your pictures may come out too light. You can use Image Expert or other image editing software to correct most over-exposure problems.

CAUTION If you set the camera down while it is processing a picture, make sure you handle it carefully. The camera may lose your image if you set it down too hard.

When the light stops flashing and turns green , the image is saved and you can take another picture. Saved images remain in memory for at least a year, even when the camera is turned off and the batteries are removed.

Taking Pictures

2-6

Recording Messages With the Microphone

You can use the built-in microphone to annotate a picture with sound or record a voice message. After you take a picture, follow these steps to add sound to it:

Press the

The voice icon appears on the display panel and the status light flashes red.

VOICE

button until you hear the camera beep.

voice recording icon

Hold the camera 4 to 6 inches (10.2 to 15.2 cm) away

and speak into the microphone. You can record a message up to six seconds long. When the recording time is up, the camera beeps twice.

After you record your message, the picture counter decreases by one. The message is “attached” to the last picture taken. Each message uses the same amount of memory as a highresolution picture and is stored as a .wav file.

If you don’t like the message you recorded, you can record a new message by pressing the 550 automatically records over the last message.

NOTE You cannot erase a message only; you can only record over it. If you press the ERASE button, you erase both the image and the attached message.

If your camera is connected to your computer, you must use the computer’s microphone to record messages. See “Connecting the Camera” on page 3-2 and “Recording New Sounds” on page 5-9.

VOICE

button again. PhotoPC

Using Macro Mode to Take Close-ups

You can use the camera’s macro mode to take pictures as close as 3.9 inches (10 cm). The macro range is from 3.9 to

21.7 inches (10 to 55 cm). Follow these steps:

Turn the camera on.

Slide the macro switch so it is above the macro icon.

macro switch

macro icon

Taking Pictures

2-7

The macro icon appears on the display panel.

To turn off macro mode, slide the macro switch to the

left. The macro icon disappears from the display panel.

macro icon

Center the image in the viewfinder and press the shutter

button to capture it.

macro crop marks

actual image area captured

TIP When centering your image in macro mode, be sure to allow space around the image to compensate for any parallax shift (the difference between what you see in the viewfinder and the actual image captured).

Taking Pictures in Low Light Conditions

You can use PhotoPC 550 in most indoor or low light settings. There is no need for a flash because of the camera’s highly light sensitive CCD sensor. A good rule of thumb is if you can read a book in the available light, you can take a picture with PhotoPC 550.

When taking pictures in low light conditions, be sure to hold the camera still until you hear it beep. The shutter speed may be as slow as 1/4 of a second in low light conditions. You also can use a tripod to hold the camera steady. See “Using a Tripod” on page 2-9.

TIP If you take pictures under fluorescent lights, you may need to adjust the color, contrast/brightness, or hue/saturation using Image Expert. See Chapter 7 for instructions.

Taking Pictures

2-8

Taking Pictures With the Self Timer

Setting the timer adds about a 10-second delay between the time you press the shutter button and the time the picture is taken. This allows you to take a picture of yourself.

Press the shutter button. The timer icon on the display panel flashes slowly for about 8 seconds. Then the icon and the status light (on the front of the camera) flash rapidly for about 2 seconds before the shutter is released.

Follow these steps to take a picture with the timer:

Secure the camera on a flat surface or on a tripod. (See the next section for information on attaching the camera to a tripod.)

Turn on the camera and wait until the status light turns green.

Press the appears on the display panel.

SELF TIMER

button. The self timer icon

self timer icon

The camera beeps when the image is captured. The status light continues to flash red as PhotoPC 550 processes the image. When the status light stops flashing and turns green, you can take another picture.

The timer automatically turns off after the image is processed or if you turn the camera off and back on.

Using a Tripod

For portraits or other studio pictures, you can attach your PhotoPC 550 to a tripod. Follow these steps:

Assemble and set up the tripod by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure the tripod is well-balanced on a flat surface.

Taking Pictures

2-9

Find the opening for the tripod screw on the bottom of

erase icon

your camera. Carefully place the camera on the tripod. Screw the camera on until it is firmly in place.

NOTE You cannot erase a message only. You must erase both the message and the picture.

tripod socket

Adjust the tripod to view your subject as desired.

Erasing Pictures

You can erase the last picture taken (along with any accompanying audio message) or you can erase all the pictures in the camera at once.

Taking Pictures

2-10

To erase the last picture taken, down the

ERASE

button for

two seconds until you see the erase icon on the display panel.

TIP Be sure to press the indentation in the center of the ERASE button. You may need to press it with your fingernail instead of your finger.

The icon flashes and the status light on the back of the camera is red while the picture is erased.

To erase all the pictures in the camera, hold down the

ERASE

button and then press the

SELF TIMER

button

until you see the erase icon.

3 Getting Pictures Into Your Computer

hen you’re finished taking pictures, you can connect

images. If you’re using Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0, you can use the Camio from the camera and drop it into your project. Then you can add the pictures to your letters, presentations, or just about anything you create on your computer. This chapter describes the following:

◗ Connecting the camera ◗ Getting images and sound with the Camio Viewer

the camera to your computer and download the

™

Viewer to drag a picture directly

(Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 only)

◗ Getting images and sound with Image Expert ◗ Getting images into TWAIN applications

Getting Pictures Into Your Computer

3-1

Connecting the Camera

Note the following before you start:

◗ If you have the optional AC adapter, you can conserve

battery life by using it when you connect the camera to your computer. See page 1-5 for instructions.

◗ The camera’s auto shut-off feature takes place after

5 minutes of inactivity when the camera is connected to your computer. (If you are using the optional AC adapter, the camera remains on.) To turn the camera back on, close the lens cover and then open it again. (You can change the auto shut-off time period if you want. See page 7-4 for instructions.)

◗ When you connect the camera, make sure your system is

not exposed to sources of electromagnetic interference, such as stereo speakers or the base units of cordless telephones.

Make sure you have the serial cable that came with your camera. Then follow these steps:

Locate a serial port on the back of your computer. You may have two serial ports labeled COM1 and COM2, or the ports may be labeled with icons. If you have two serial ports available, use COM1 (port 1) to connect your camera.

NOTE If you have a 25-pin serial port, you can use a 9- to 25-pin adapter.

Line up the serial connector on the cable with one of the serial ports on your computer, and insert the connector. Then tighten the screws.

Turn off the camera and your computer.

Getting Pictures Into Your Computer

3-2

Open the connector cover on the side of the camera.

connect icon

Insert the other end of the cable into the camera’s serial

port.

Turn on the camera and your computer. The connect

icon appears on the display panel.

Getting Images and Sounds With the Camio Viewer

PhotoPC 550 provides several different ways to transfer your pictures from the camera to your computer. The Camio Viewer, which runs only under Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0, is a quick and easy way to get pictures from the camera. You can transfer all images and sounds to your computer, or just display the pictures in the camera. Then you can drag a picture directly into a presentation or document.

If you haven’t installed your software, do it now, following the instructions on page 1-7.

Getting Pictures Into Your Computer

3-3

First you need to connect the camera to your computer as described in the previous section. Then follow these steps:

Double-click the camera icon on the right end of

your Windows 95 Taskbar.

You see the Camio Viewer Startup Options dialog box:

Click to see the pictures in your camera.

NOTE If you clicked the sound icon instead (available if your system is configured for sound), see page 5-6 for information.

Choose one of the following options:

View images in the Camera

◗

Displays a filmstrip of your pictures. You can then select an image to drag and drop into a document or presentation.

Copy all images from the Camera to the

◗

Computer

Transfers your pictures and sounds to an album (folder) on your hard disk drive. You can then select an image to drag and drop.

Copy all images and delete them from the

◗

Camera

Transfers your pictures and sounds to an album (folder) on your hard disk drive and deletes them from the camera. You can then select an image to drag and drop.

Getting Pictures Into Your Computer

3-4

NOTE Dragging and dropping an image with the Camio Viewer works only with OLE 2.0-compliant applications running under Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0.

Dragging and Dropping a Picture Into a Document

Follow these steps if you chose

Camera

View images in the

You cannot drag and drop sound into your document.

Continue with the steps in one of the following sections,

depending on the option you chose in step 2.

Transferring Images Before Placing Them

Follow these steps if you chose

Click OK to copy your pictures to an album named with

the current date. Or, type a new name for the album and click appear in a strip of thumbnail images, as shown on the previous page.

Follow steps 2 and 3 in the next section to drag and drop

a picture into a document or other project.

. Your pictures are transferred one by one. They

Copy all images

Click OK. Your pictures appear in a strip of thumbnail

images:

indicates audio

Open the application and document where you want to

use the picture.

Getting Pictures Into Your Computer

3-5

Click the picture you want to use. Without releasing the

mouse button, drag the picture to your document. When your pointer is over the location where you want the picture to appear, release the mouse button. The picture is downloaded from the camera, and it appears in your document.

If you want to edit or modify the picture, just doubleclick it to bring up the Image Expert menus and toolbar. For more information about the Camio Viewer, choose

Quick Tour

from the Image Expert Help menu in

Window 95 or Windows NT.

NOTE When you drag and drop with the Camio Viewer, your picture is embedded into your document and also automatically saved to the default Image Expert directory under the current date.

Getting Images and Sound With Image Expert

Image Expert lets you view small thumbnail images of your pictures, and then quickly transfer them to an album (folder) on your hard disk drive.

NOTE Although these instructions and the accompanying illustrations show Image Expert running under Windows 95, you can follow the same steps on a Windows 3.1 or Windows NT system.

Start Image Expert. Under Windows 95, click

and then point to

Expert

Programs, PhotoPC 550, Image

Start

If you’re using Windows 95 and Windows NT, you see a Quick Tour screen like the following:

If you’re using Windows 3.1, skip to step 3.

Getting Pictures Into Your Computer

3-6

Click on any of the topics for an animated

Click to start downloading your pictures.

indicates audio message

demonstration of what you can do with PhotoPC 550 and Image Expert.

To skip the tour and download your pictures and sound, click

Click to see the pictures in your camera.

. You see a window like the following:

Click

View Pictures in the Camera

. You see a window displaying “filmstrips” of your images. (If you see an error message instead, follow the instructions on page 3-9.)

NOTE To open Quick Tour again, select Quick Tour from the Help menu.

Click

Get All

click an individual image to select it. The button changes to

NOTE To select a range of images, hold down the Shift key while you click.

To select several images individually, hold down the Ctrl key while you click on the images.

to transfer all the images. You can also

Get All

Get Selected

Getting Pictures Into Your Computer

3-7

You see a Select Album window like the following:

Type here if you want to rename your album.

Click

to begin transferring your pictures. A

Open

window like the following appears to show you the progress of each image.

download status of current picture

download status of all pictures selected

Click if you want to stop transferring images.

Image Expert will automatically create an album (folder) for your pictures with the current date as its name. You can type your own name for the album if you want, or choose an existing album.

Getting Pictures Into Your Computer

3-8

NOTE If you select only one picture to download, there is only one status bar.

When you’re finished, close the filmstrip window. You

see a message asking if you want to delete all the files in the camera.

If you want to make room for more pictures in your

camera, click

Yes

Follow these steps to make sure your camera is connected correctly:

Your pictures are displayed in an album of thumbnails. You can double-click an image to open it in Image Expert. You can display your images one by one; edit, print, and copy them to diskettes; or place them in your documents and presentations. See the following chapters for instructions.

You can also use the Help menu for more information.

What To Do if You See an Error Message

When you click the button to view images in the camera, you may see a message like the following:

Make sure the camera is turned on and has not shut off

automatically. If it has, turn it off and then back on again by closing and opening the lens cover.

Check the cable and make sure the connections to the

camera and computer are secure.

Make sure your batteries have enough power or your

AC adapter is connected.

Click

again, click

You see the following dialog box:

. If you see the Connection Failed message

Retry

Setup

Getting Pictures Into Your Computer

3-9

Select another port if necessary. In most cases, it is best

to leave the

Port

setting at

because Image Expert

Auto

can detect the camera connection automatically.

If you have a serial device connected to one port and an internal modem on the other, you can try setting the

to COM3 or COM4.

Port

Select a slower speed. Image Expert automatically

chooses the fastest speed that works with your system, but this may actually be too fast for the configuration of your port. If you are using Windows 95 or Windows NT, try lowering the speed to 57600. If you are using Windows 3.1, try lowering the speed to 57600 or 38400. You may need to experiment to choose the best speed for your system.

When you are finished, click OK.

Getting Images Into TWAIN Applications

If you use Photoshop or other TWAIN-compliant applications, you can transfer your pictures directly into your program from the camera. Follow the steps below.

NOTE If your images have audio messages attached to them, you must use Image Expert to download them. TWAIN does not support audio transfer.

Start your application.

From the File menu, choose

TWAIN_32 Source Select Source

NOTE You may need to select TWAIN instead of TWAIN_32 in some applications, especially those in Windows 3.1.

(or

Acquire

Import

, then

Select

TWAIN_32

Getting Pictures Into Your Computer

3-10

Choose

PhotoPC 550

as the TWAIN source.

From the File menu, choose

Acquire

(or

The PhotoPC 550 Twain Driver window appears, with

“thumbnail” images of your pictures, as shown below. (If you do not see the Twain Driver window, it may be in the background. Minimize your application window to see the Twain Driver window. If you see a message that says following section.)

The camera is not responding

TWAIN_32 Acquire

, then

Import

, then

TWAIN_32

, see the

NOTE Some applications import only one picture at a time.

If you want to delete images from your camera, select

the image and then click

If necessary, click

application.

You see the imported picture or pictures in the work area.

Delete

to exit and return to your

Click to transfer your picture(s).

Select the picture you want and click

transfer the picture. Or, click pictures.

Get All

Get Selected

to transfer all the

What To Do if the Camera Is Not Responding

When you try to acquire pictures from the camera, you may see a screen like the following:

Getting Pictures Into Your Computer

3-11

Follow these steps to fix your camera connection:

Make sure the camera is turned on and has not shut off

automatically. If it has, turn it off and then back on again by closing and opening the lens cover.

Check the cable and make sure the connections to the

camera and computer are secure.

Make sure your batteries have enough power, or your

AC adapter is connected.

Click

3-12

Test Connection

continue with step 5.

Select another port if necessary. In most cases, it is best to leave the

If you have a serial device connected to one port and an internal modem on the other, you can try COM3 or COM4.

Select a slower speed. You may need to experiment to choose the best speed.

Click

Test Connection

your pictures, see Chapter 9 for more troubleshooting tips.

Getting Pictures Into Your Computer

Port

setting at

. If you see the same screen,

Auto

again. If you still don’t see

4 Getting Pictures Into Your Documents

hotoPC 550 provides several methods for getting your pictures into presentations, letters, and other

projects. You can drag and drop a picture from an Image Expert album into a document or presentation. You can also import an image into your application, or copy and paste it. This chapter describes the following:

◗ Importing images into documents ◗ Using drag and drop from an album (Windows 95 and

Windows NT 4.0 only)

◗ Getting images with copy and paste ◗ Converting file formats (Windows 95 and

Windows NT 4.0 only)

Getting Pictures Into Your Documents

4-1

NOTE Although most of the instructions and illustrations in this chapter apply to Windows 95, you can follow the same steps on a different version of Windows.

Using Drag and Drop From an Album

Once you have transferred your pictures into albums, you can easily drag and drop them into documents or other projects if you are using Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0. If you want to drag and drop from the Camio Viewer instead of Image Expert, see page 3-5.

NOTE Dragging and dropping an image into a document works only with OLE 2.0-compliant applications, such as later versions of Microsoft Word  or PowerPoint. Depending on how well your application supports OLE 2.0, your images may not look as good when you drag and drop them as when you import them.

You cannot drag and drop sound into your document.

Follow these steps:

Start Image Expert as described in Chapter 3.

Click

View Pictures from an Existing Album

Or, from the Image Expert screen, click the

Open Album

button or select

Open Album

the File menu. You see a dialog box like the following.

from

Getting Pictures Into Your Documents

4-2

Locate the album you want and double-click the album name to open it.

Start your word processor or other application.

Open the document where you want to use the picture.

You should have both the Image Expert album and the document displayed on your screen, as shown:

Release the mouse button. The picture appears in your

project or document.

If you want to edit or modify the picture, just double-click on it to bring up the Image Expert menus and toolbar.

Importing Images and Sound Into Documents

Once your pictures are transferred and saved on your hard drive, you can import them into your applications. You may need to convert your images if your application can’t import JPEG files. See “Converting File Formats” on page 4-5.

NOTE Your picture may display poor image quality after you import it if your computer doesn’t support more than 256 colors. However, in most cases it will print correctly.

Click the image you want.

While holding down the mouse button, drag the image

to the location where you want it in your document.

Follow these steps to import a PhotoPC 550 picture into your document:

Start your application.

Open the document where you want to use the picture.

Getting Pictures Into Your Documents

4-3

Select the point where you want to place your picture.

Select

Picture

from the

menu. (In some

Insert

applications you may need to select a different command, such as

Import Picture

, which is usually in

the File menu.)

An Insert Picture dialog box appears:

Locate and select the image you want to insert. In some

applications you can see a preview of your picture. (If you have sound attached to your image, you may need to import it separately, depending on your application.)

Click OK (or

Insert, Import

, or whatever command your application uses) to insert your picture. The picture appears in your document.

NOTE In some applications, you can add a frame around the picture if you want to move it around on the page or resize it. In other applications, you create a frame first, and then place the picture in it. For instructions, see your application’s online help or documentation.

Getting Pictures Into Your Documents

4-4

Getting Images With Copy and Paste

Type a name for your photo.

Click if you want to choose a different folder.

Click to choose the file type.

Click if you want to create a new folder.

Open the image you want to convert.

You can use this method to place a picture in just about any type of document or project. Follow these steps:

Open your picture in Image Expert.

Click the menu.

Start your word processor or other application.

Open the document where you want to use the picture.

Choose A copy of the picture appears in your document.

Paste

button or select

Copy

(or

Paste Special

from the Edit

Copy

) from the Edit menu.

Converting File Formats

PhotoPC 550 pictures are JPEG files. If your word processor or other application doesn’t support the JPEG format, you can use the Save As feature of Image Expert to convert your files.

Follow these steps:

Start Image Expert.

From the File menu, select dialog box appears:

Type a new file name, if you want.

Save As

. The Save As

Getting Pictures Into Your Documents

4-5

Select the file type from the pull-down menu. You can

choose any of the following formats:

◗ JPEG ◗ Bitmap (BMP) ◗ TIFF ◗ Targa (TGA) ◗ PC Paintbrush (PCX)

Click

Getting Pictures Into Your Documents

4-6

Save

5 Working With Pictures and Sounds in

Albums

ou can use Image Expert albums to organize your pictures and display or print them in various ways. You

can also copy an album to diskette, and use your own pictures as your screen saver or desktop wallpaper. If your computer is configured for sound, you can listen to the messages you recorded with PhotoPC 550 or record new messages. You may even be able to e-mail a picture directly from Image Expert. This chapter covers the following:

◗ Using albums to display and organize pictures and

sounds

◗ Viewing picture information ◗ Printing pictures and albums ◗ Playing back sounds

◗ Adding new sounds to a downloaded image ◗ Displaying albums as slide shows ◗ Copying an album or image to diskette (Windows 95

and Windows NT only)

◗ Setting an album as your screen saver (Windows 95 and

Windows NT 4.0 only)

◗ Setting an image as your desktop wallpaper

(Windows 95 and Windows NT only)

◗ Sending pictures and sound by e-mail (Windows 95

only)

Working With Pictures and Sounds in Albums

5-1

Using Albums

Organizing Pictures in Albums

Image Expert albums provide a convenient way to access and view your pictures.

Click here to change a picture’s name.

Here are some of the things you can do with albums:

◗ Use the Edit menu to rename or delete an album. ◗ Add or remove pictures by moving them to or from

another album.

◗ Add sounds to or remove sounds from existing images. ◗ Change a picture’s name by clicking on it and typing a

new name.

◗ Rearrange an album by selecting

Sort By Date

from the View menu.

Sort By Name

Although Image Expert initially sorts your pictures by date, you can easily drag and drop images between albums to organize them by subject matter or in any way you want.

Follow these steps to copy or move images from one album to another:

Open the album where the pictures are located and the album you want to copy the images to. If you want to create a new album, click the or select

New Album

from the File menu.

If you selected New Album, enter a name in the

Album

new album

box. The new album opens, but is empty.

button

New

existing album

Working With Pictures and Sounds in Albums

5-2

Select the image or images you want to move or copy.

All PhotoPC 550 images are captured as 24-bit JPEG files.

Hold down the images.

To copy images, click inside one of the selected images

and hold down the mouse button.

To move images, click inside one of the selected images, hold down the mouse button, and hold down the key.

While holding down the mouse (and

the image(s) to the other album until it is highlighted.

Let go of the mouse button (and key).

The images are copied or moved to the album. You can sort the pictures and save or rename the new album.

Ctrl

key to select multiple

Shift

key), drag

Shift

Viewing Picture Information

You can display information about any image file and the camera settings that were used to capture it. Follow these steps:

Click the picture to select it or open the image by

double-clicking it.

Click the

from the Image menu. You see information like the following:

Properties

button or select

Properties

Working With Pictures and Sounds in Albums

5-3

Click the

like the following:

Camera Settings

tab to display information

Printing an Image

You can print your picture actual size or enlarged, and add a title or footer to the page. Follow these steps:

Open the image you want to print.

NOTE If you are viewing an image from another application, the camera settings tab may not be available.

Click another image to view its information, or close the

Properties box.

If you want to listen to the sound attached to your image, see “Playing Back Sounds” on page 5-6.

Working With Pictures and Sounds in Albums

5-4

Click the

Setup

Page Setup

from the file menu.

button or choose

The Page Setup dialog box appears:

Click if you want to reposition your picture.

Click to see how your page will look.

Page

Set any of the following options and click OK:

◗ Click

NOTE If you click Fit to Page, your picture loses detail because it is being enlarged.

◗ Type in a title for the top of the page. Click the

◗ Choose what you want to appear at the bottom of

◗ If you want to change the position of your picture

Actual Size

size or click fill the page.

button to change the font properties.

Font

the page from the

on the page, click the values for the margins.

to keep your picture the same

Fit to Page

to stretch your picture to

Page Footer

Margins

list.

tab and enter new

Printing an Album or Selected Images

You can print a contact sheet containing thumbnail images of all the pictures in your album, or you can set the number of pictures printed on each page. You can also add a page title or footer, and print identifying information for each picture. Follow these steps:

Open the album you want to print. Select individual

images if you don’t want to print the whole album.

Click the

Page Setup

dialog box appears:

Page Setup

from the file menu. The album Page Setup

button or choose

like.

Preview

button or choose

◗ Click

Click the

menu to print your picture.

to see what your printout will look

from the File

Click to set font for labels, title, or footer.

Working With Pictures and Sounds in Albums

5-5

Set any of the following options and click OK:

indicates audio message

play or restart

stop

record

edit

pause

Playing Back Sounds

◗ Choose

Print Contact Sheet

Print Images

For a Contact Sheet, Image Expert prints your pictures at thumbnail size and fits as many as possible on the page.

If you choose Print Images, you can set the number of images you want printed on each page.

◗ Select a label for the images. You can select from

combinations of

none

name, date

, and

time

◗ Type in a title for the top of the page. ◗ Choose what you want to appear at the bottom of

the page from the Page Footer list.

◗ If you want to change the position of your picture

on the page, click the

Margins

tab and enter new

values for the margins.

◗ Click

Preview

like.

Click the

menu to print out your album or selected pictures.

to see what your printout will look

button or choose

from the File

, or select

When you open an image that has audio attached to it (indicated by a musical note), the audio clip automatically plays if your system is configured for sound.

You can also select the image with sound and use the Audio menu buttons to listen to it.

Working With Pictures and Sounds in Albums

5-6

Follow these steps to see a sound wave of your audio clip:

Select an image that has an audio clip.

Click the

the Audio menu. The sound wave window opens.

Audio Edit

button , or choose

Edit

from

Changing the Volume

To change the volume of your audio play back, you can access the audio controls of your system by double clicking the sound icon on the right end of your Windows 95 Taskbar. The Volume Control dialog box appears. Use the slide bars to adjust the sound levels.

Click the

Audio menu.

button , or select

Play

from the

Replaying a Section of an Audio Clip

There are two ways to select a part of the audio clip to replay:

◗ Click the bottom of the sound wave at the beginning of

the part you want to hear. When you click the Play button, you hear the audio clip from the arrow to the end of the clip.

◗ Click your mouse and drag the cursor over the section

you want to hear. The selected section is highlighted.

button to hear the highlighted section.

Click the

Play

NOTE The controls available in the Volume Control dialog box depend on your system configuration. For more information on Volume Controls, see your computer documentation.

Working With Pictures and Sounds in Albums

5-7

To change the playback or recording volume, right click the sound icon . The Audio Properties dialog box opens:

Move the sliders left or right to change the volume.

NOTE The Preferred device is set by your system. For more information, see your computer documentation.

If you want to add sound to your downloaded images, see the following sections.

Adding and Modifying Sounds in a Downloaded Image

After you download your image, you can add an audio clip to it. You can also edit, erase, or add to an existing message.

Cutting and Pasting Sounds

Follow these steps:

Select the image that has the sound you want to edit.

Click the the Audio menu. The sound wave window opens.

Audio Edit

button , or choose

Edit

from

You can also access this dialog box by selecting System Properties from the Image Expert Audio menu.

Working With Pictures and Sounds in Albums

5-8

Click your mouse and drag the cursor over the section

you want to cut or copy. The selected section is highlighted.

Recording New Sounds

You can add sounds to an image that doesn’t have it or you can add sounds to an existing audio image. Follow the steps below.

NOTE Your computer must have a microphone and 16-bit sound card to add sounds to a downloaded image.

Select

Select the image that you want to attach the audio to

and paste in the selected audio clip.

NOTE When you paste an audio clip, it replaces the current sound. If you want to add to an existing sound, use the Record Additional option in the Audio Record dialog box.

Cut

from the Edit menu.

Copy

Select the image that you want to add sound to.

Click the

Audio menu to open the Record dialog box:

Record

Working With Pictures and Sounds in Albums

button or select

Record

from the

5-9

Select the option you want:

◗ To add sound to an image that doesn’t have sound

or to replace the current sound, choose

New

◗ To add additional sound to an existing audio clip,

Record Additional

choose

◗ To end your recording, choose

Stop

Record

Deleting Sounds

To delete an audio clip, follow these steps:

Select the image with the sound you want to delete.

Select

Delete

key on your keyboard. The following screen appears:

from the Edit menu or press the Delete

◗ To listen to your new recording, choose ◗ To listen to your original recording, choose

Original

If you like your new recording, click OK. Otherwise,

click

Cancel

Record window.

Working With Pictures and Sounds in Albums

5-10

to delete the new recording and exit the

Play New

Play

Check the

Only delete the audio

box, then click

Yes

Displaying Albums as Slide Shows

When you display an album as a slide show, you can have it play automatically with various transition effects between images. Follow these steps:

Open your album.

Click the

Slide Show

The first image appears on your screen with the slide show controls, as shown:

Slide Show

from the View menu.

button or select

To hear the audio for a selected image, click the

button (this option is not available if the slide

Audio

show is currently running).

If you want to change the appearance of your slide show, click the dialog box appears:

Options

button. The Slide Show Options

Play

view next

Click the images have sound attached to them and your computer is configured for sound, you will also hear the audio portion of the slide show.

Play

stop options

play

button to see the slide show. If your

closeplay audioview previous

Working With Pictures and Sounds in Albums

5-11

Set any of the following options and click

OK:

Copying to Diskette

◗ To stretch your pictures across the whole screen,

Fit to Screen

click

◗ To change the display period for each picture,

change the number in the

Pictures

◗ To play the slide show only once, click

Continuous Repeat

◗ To hide the titles of your pictures, click

Titles

◗ To turn off the fades and dissolves that play

between pictures, click to deselect it.

◗ To turn off the audio portion of the slide show,

click

Click the

box.

to deselect it.

Play Sounds

button to stop the slide show.

Exit

Seconds Between

to deselect it.

Show Transition Effects

to deselect it.

Show

If you are using Windows 95 or Windows NT, you can copy whole albums or individual images with sound to diskettes. You can also include a multimedia player, so your friends and business associates can view your pictures on their computers. This makes your images and albums completely portable. Follow these steps:

Insert a diskette into your diskette drive.

Open the album you want to copy.

If you only want to include some of your images, select

the images you want to add. To select more than one image, hold down the your image.

Ctrl

key while selecting

Shift

Working With Pictures and Sounds in Albums

5-12

Select

Save to Floppy

following dialog box:

from the File menu. You see the

NOTE If your album is too large for one diskette, you can copy it to multiple diskettes. When you copy the files to another computer, the album will be in one piece again. You can also

™

use Zip sure your diskette is not write-protected before you try to copy.

Click OK to copy your files.

disks or other large-format storage media. Make

Make sure your diskette drive appears in the

images to:

If you want to include a slide show player to view the

pictures, make sure checked.

If you want to copy the whole album, click

Images Only

box.

Include Slide Show Player

to deselect it.

Copy

Selected

Viewing the Pictures on Diskette

You can run the slide show from the diskette or install the slide show player on another computer.

◗ To run the slide show, double-click the player. The

pictures appear on your screen with the slide show controls. See page 5-11 for instructions on setting slide show options.

◗ To install the player, double-click the installer icon and

follow the instructions on the screen.

Working With Pictures and Sounds in Albums

5-13

Using an Album as a Screen Saver

Setting an Image as Wallpaper

It’s easy to make your own screen saver with your favorite pictures. This option is available only if you are using Windows 95 or Windows NT. Follow these steps:

Open the album you want to use.

Choose

Set Screen Saver

from the File menu. Image

Expert asks you to confirm your choice.

Click

Yes

Windows will play a slide show of your album whenever your system is idle.

NOTE The screen saver slide show doesn’t include controls. If you want to change the way your pictures are displayed, you have to use the screen saver settings in your Control Panel. See your Windows documentation or help system for more information.

You can use one of your own pictures as the background for your desktop. This option is available only if you are using Windows 95 or Windows NT. Follow these steps:

Open the image you want to use, or select it in an album.

Choose

Set As Wallpaper

from the File menu. The

following dialog box appears.

Click to remove existing wallpaper.

Choose

Center

the screen or

to place your picture in the middle of

to fill the screen with copies of your

Tile

picture.

Working With Pictures and Sounds in Albums

5-14

If you want the image to be stretched across the whole

Click to configure your Internet service for Microsoft Exchange.

screen, click

Click

Wallpaper

You can minimize Image Expert to see your new wallpaper.

Resize to fit screen

. (If you change your mind, click

Yes

Remove

Sending Pictures and Sound by E-mail

If you are using Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0, you can send a picture directly from Image Expert if your e-mail application complies with the MAPI (messaging application programming interface) standard. For example, you can use Inbox or Microsoft Exchange. You need to set up Microsoft Exchange to work with your Internet service.

Before you start, make sure your modem and Internet service are working correctly and your e-mail application is configured. Then follow these steps:

Select or open the image(s) you want to send. Some

e-mail systems may limit the number of images you can send in a single message.

Choose

Profile dialog box on the right.

Choose the profile you want to use.

from the file menu. You see the Choose

Send

NOTE If you can’t e-mail pictures directly from Image Expert, you can always send an e-mail message as you do normally and attach one or more image and sound files.

Click to work with Microsoft Exchange. For more information about setting up Microsoft Exchange, see your Windows documentation or help system.

if your Internet service has not been set up

New

Working With Pictures and Sounds in Albums

5-15

Click OK. Your e-mail application opens, and the

images you selected appear as attachments.

Type the e-mail address where you’re sending the

picture(s). You can also type in a subject heading and message if you want.

When your e-mail is ready, click whatever button your

application uses to send. The picture(s) are mailed, your e-mail application closes, and Image Expert becomes active again.

Working With Pictures and Sounds in Albums

5-16

6 Editing Images

ou can edit your images to enhance their appearance; crop, rotate, and resize them; or create special effects.

This chapter describes the following Image Expert features you can use to modify your images:

◗ Viewing and selecting

original image

image with r ipple effect applied

image with glass blocks effect applied

image with invert effect applied

◗ Applying Quick Fix ◗ Correcting ◗ Cropping ◗ Resizing and changing resolution ◗ Rotating ◗ Flipping ◗ Applying special effects ◗ Changing the number of colors

Editing Images

6-1

Viewing and Selecting

When your image is displayed in an album, you can rotate it or do a quick fix. However, to use any other editing features, you need to open the image by double-clicking it or selecting

Open Image

Before you edit your image, you may want to use the Zoom and selection tools on the left side of your screen.

from the File menu.

Zoom

Select Rectangle

◗ Use one of the three selection tools to isolate a part of

your image before you edit it. Click the tool, then click and drag on your image to select the portion you want to work on.

◗ Click

Select All

to select your entire image or all the

images in an album.

◗ Click

NOTE For more information about any of the editing tools described in this chapter, use the Help menu.

Select None

to deselect your image or images.

Select Ellipse

Select Freehand

Select All

Select None

◗ Click the Zoom tool, and then click anywhere on your

key and

image to enlarge your view. Hold down the

Ctrl

click to zoom out.

Editing Images

6-2

Applying Quick Fix

The easiest way to improve your image is to have Image Expert automatically “correct” it with the Quick Fix command. You can click the Quick Fix tool or select

Quick Fix

If you don’t like the results, simply select from the Edit menu. (If you Quick Fix an image displayed in an album, you can’t undo it.)

from the Image menu.

Undo Quick Fix

Correcting

To fine-tune an image, click the Corrections tool or choose

Corrections

box like the following:

from the Image menu. You see a dialog

Click and drag to adjust the division between the original and edited preview.

Click the tabs at the top of the screen to make these kinds of corrections:

Brightness and Contrast

◗

For adjusting the amount of light in your image and the difference between light and dark areas.

Color

◗

For correcting color casts and adjusting the balance of cyan (blue), magenta (red), and yellow in your picture.

Hue/Saturation

◗

For adjusting colors around the “color wheel,” the strength or purity of color, and the brightness of your image.

Sharpness

◗

For emphasizing or de-emphasizing edges.

Equalization

◗

For increasing detail in dark areas of your image.

Each dialog box “tab” includes sliders for quickly and easily correcting your image. Simply move the slide indicator left or right to make your edit.

Editing Images

6-3

The preview window shows your image with the original view on the left and the corrected image on the right. If you want to adjust the division between the original and edited image, click and drag the triangle below the image. You can also zoom in on your image to see more detail.

to make your changes on the current “tab.”

◗ Click

Apply

Your edited image becomes your new original and the slide indicators move to the center of the range.

to save the changes you made on all the

Corrections tabs and return to the main screen.

Click and drag the mouse over the area you want to save. A dashed border indicates the area you selected.

◗ Click

Cancel

and return to the main screen.

to cancel the changes on the current tab

Cropping

If you want to save only part of your image, use the crop function to cut out the rest of the image. Follow these steps:

Open the image you want to modify.

Click one of the selection tools on the left side of your screen.

Editing Images

6-4

selected area

If you change your mind about which part of the image to crop, simply click anywhere in the image and repeat step 3.

Click the Crop tool or choose menu. The part of the image that was outside the dashed line disappears.

from the Image

Crop

Resizing and Changing Resolution

You can resize your image in two ways: changing the printed size, or changing the image size in pixels. You can also change the resolution or image quality.

Click the tab if you want to change the image size in pixels. You see a dialog box like the following:

Choose

from the Image menu. You see a dialog box

Resize

like the following:

These settings work together: if you change one, the others also change.

NOTE High and Super High images from your PhotoPC 550 have a resolution of 144 pixels per inch.

Uncheck if you want to distort your image.

If you change the size of the image in pixels, the physical size of the image also changes, but not the resolution. Follow these guidelines when you resize:

◗ To enlarge your picture and retain its quality, increase

the image size in pixels until the rectangle in the preview window looks the right size. The file size of your image will increase at the same time.

◗ To make an image smaller, you can simply change its

physical size. The resolution automatically increases.

Editing Images

6-5

Rotating

You can click the Rotate tool to quickly rotate a picture to the right. (If you rotate an image displayed in an album, you can’t undo it.)

A rectangular outline of your image and an arrow appear, as shown:

For more options, select can choose one of the following:

◗ Left (90 degrees counterclockwise) ◗ Right (90 degrees clockwise) ◗ Exact (specify the degree of rotation) ◗ Free (interactive rotation, as described below)

If you want to experiment with rotation, choose follow these steps:

Click on your image and hold down the mouse. Your pointer turns into the rotation tool.

Editing Images

6-6

Rotate

from the Image menu. You

Free

and

Move the pointer to rotate your image.

Release the mouse when your picture is at the angle you want.

Flipping

Click the tabs at the top of the screen to add these effects:

You can reverse your image by selecting from the Image menu. This is useful for printing iron-on transfers. Select down.

Flip Vertical

to turn your image upside

Flip Horizontal

Applying Special Effects

To transform or distort your images in interesting ways, choose

Effects

like the following:

from the Image menu. You see a dialog box

Ripples

◗

For an underwater effect. You can create whirlpool effects or just a slight distortion.

Glass blocks

◗

You can change the number and size of the blocks.

Edges

◗

To soften outlines and decrease the amount of details. You can also blend the image into a light or dark background.

Fisheye

◗

To distort the center of the image, as if looking through a glass ball.

Invert

◗

To create a negative of your image.

Each dialog box “tab” includes sliders for applying the effect. Slide the indicator to the right to increase the distortion. You can combine several filters for even more unusual effects.

Editing Images

6-7

The preview window shows your image with the original view on the left and the distorted image on the right. If you want to adjust the division between the original and filtered image, click and drag the triangle below the image. You can also zoom in on your image to see more detail.

to make your changes on the current “tab.”

◗ Click

Apply

Your distorted image becomes your new original and the slide indicators move to the center of the range.

to save the changes you made on all the Effects

◗ Click

tabs and return to the main workspace.

◗ Click

Cancel

to cancel the changes on the current tab

and return to the main workspace.

Changing the Number of Colors

To convert the color format of your image, select

of Colors

from the Image menu. You can choose from the

following:

(Millions of Colors)

24 Bit

◗

The way your images are originally captured.

(256 Colors)

8 Bit

◗

For low-resolution display systems or certain types of software.

Grayscale

◗

(256 Shades of Gray)

For printing in black and white.

NOTE JPEG files are 24-bit images and cannot be saved as 8 bit.

If you save your image as 8 Bit or Grayscale, you cannot switch back to 24 Bit color.

Unlike the other editing options, changing the number of colors applies to the whole image. You can’t change the number of colors for a selected area only.

Number

Editing Images

6-8

7 Managing the Camera From the

Computer

hen the camera is connected to your computer, you

computer screen to help you frame each shot. You can also set the camera’s clock.

This chapter covers the following:

◗ Taking pictures from your computer ◗ Adjusting camera settings from your computer

can take pictures with a live preview on your

Taking Pictures From Your Computer

When you connect the camera and take pictures from your computer, you see a live preview of each shot before you capture it. You can control all the camera settings from your computer, and even set the shutter speed.

NOTE If you have the optional AC adapter, you can save battery power by using it when you connect the camera to your computer. The AC adapter should be available where you bought your PhotoPC 550, or you can order it from EPSON. See page 1-5 for more information.

Follow these steps to take pictures from your computer:

Connect the camera to your computer as described in

Chapter 3.

Position the camera facing the subject. Using a tripod

will give you the most control when setting up your shots. See page 2-9 for instructions.

Managing the Camera From the Computer

7-1

Turn on both your camera and your computer system.

Start Image Expert as described on page 3-6.

Click the

Controls

Camera Controls

from the Camera menu.

button or choose

You see a dialog box like the following:

NOTE The camera’s auto shut-off feature takes place after 5 minutes of inactivity when the camera is connected to your computer and you are not using the optional AC adapter. To turn the camera back on, close the lens cover and then open it again.

Click t o change the image quality setting.

Managing the Camera From the Computer

7-2

Click to capture the image you see.

Click

Continuous Update

to activate the live preview feature. The image you see is updated every 8 to 10 seconds, depending on your connection speed. You may need to move the camera or your subject until you see the image you want to capture.

The colors in your live preview image may appear pale and washed-out. This will not affect the colors in your actual picture.

NOTE You can also update the preview window by clicking on it.

NOTE When the camera is connected to your computer, you can’t use the shutter or control buttons on the camera. You must operate these features through your computer.

Using the Self Timer

You can use this feature to have your computer take a picture automatically, after a delay period that you can set. This allows you to take self-portraits and other special shots.

The only feature you can control through the camera is macro mode. If you switch to or from macro mode, the mode automatically changes, but you must close and reopen the Camera Controls window to update the window.

When your shot is ready, click

image is captured and processed.

Click

your computer.

NOTE The live preview feature will quickly drain your batteries. Make sure you turn it off as soon as you’re finished or use the optional AC adapter.

when you’re finished taking pictures from

Take Picture

. The

Follow these steps:

Open the Camera Controls dialog box.

Click

Self Timer

Enter a number for the delay period you want to use. You can set up to a 99-second delay.

Click

Start/Stop

picture. The red timer light on the camera remains on for the delay period you entered. Then the light flashes rapidly for 2 seconds and the shutter is released.

The camera beeps and processes your picture.

Managing the Camera From the Computer

. You see the following dialog box:

to start the countdown and take the

7-3

Setting the Shutter Speed

Most of the time, PhotoPC 550 adjusts the shutter speed automatically. However, when you take pictures from your computer, you can adjust the speed manually. This lets you use special lighting effects and even take “stop-action” pictures.

Adjusting Camera Settings From Your Computer

You can use Image Expert to change the following camera settings:

◗ Time

On the Camera Controls window, click the arrow and select the speed you want from the pull-down list.

Click to select a shutter speed.

Managing the Camera From the Computer

7-4

◗ Date ◗ Power down time (Auto Shutoff) ◗ Camera ID ◗ Connection Port ◗ Connection Speed

Follow these steps:

Connect the camera to your computer as described in

Chapter 3.

Turn on your camera and computer.

Start Image Expert as described on page 3-6.

Click the

Setup dialog box:

◗ Enter a new Camera ID if you want to change the

default. This might be useful if you have more than one camera and you want to be able to have its ID recorded in your picture data.

◗ Type the correct time or date in the

and Or, click your camera automatically synchronized to your computer.

Camera Setup

Camera Time

Set Camera to Computer Time

button to display the Camera

Computer Time

boxes if you need to change them.

to have

◗ Enter new values in either of the

boxes if you want to change the camera’s automatic shut-off period.

◗ If you want to adjust your port settings, click the

Camera Connection

dialog box:

◗ Select another port if you want to change your

connection. In most cases, it is best to leave the

setting at

Port

detect the camera connection automatically.

◗ Select a different communication speed. Image

Expert automatically chooses the fastest speed that works with your system. This may actually be too fast for the configuration of your port. You may need to experiment to choose the best speed.

button. You see the Connection

because Image Expert can

Auto

Power Down Time

Managing the Camera From the Computer

7-5

Managing the Camera From the Computer

7-6

8 Using SmartMedia Cards

ou can use 3.3V SSFDC or SmartMedia removable storage cards (2MB and up) to increase the storage

capacity of your PhotoPC 550 camera. They are easy to install and remove, and you can easily download the images to your computer.

NOTE When you install a storage card, the camera stores and displays pictures on the card, rather than in its internal memory.

3.3V SmartMedia removable storage cards and adapters should be available where you bought your PhotoPC 550 camera. You also can purchase them from EPSON Accessories at (800) 873-7766 or Simple Technology at (800) 4-SIMPLE.

This chapter covers the following:

◗ Installing a storage card ◗ Removing a storage card ◗ Getting images from a card to your computer ◗ Formatting a storage card

SmartMedia cards increase the camera’s picture storage capacity as shown in the following table.

Number of pictures (minimum capacity)

Image Quality Internal Memory 2MB Card 4MB Card

Standard 24 73 147 High 12 36 73 Super High 6 18 36

Using SmartMedia Cards

8-1

Installing a Storage Card

storage card icon

Before you start, make sure the camera is turned off. Then follow these steps:

Open the storage card slot cover on the side of the camera.

Insert the card all the way into the storage card slot.

Close the storage card slot cover.

Turn the camera on. The card icon and the number of pictures you can store in the storage card appears on the camera’s display panel.

Using SmartMedia Cards

8-2

NOTE When a storage card is installed, you may notice a delay between the time you press the shutter button and when the camera beeps. To avoid blurring, hold the camera still until it beeps.

CAUTION Never remove the card while the camera is accessing it. Data in the card may be lost or damaged. Avoid using or storing the card in dusty places, in direct sunlight, or in hot or humid places.

Removing a Storage Card

Make sure the camera is turned off. Then open the cover to the storage card slot and gently pull out the storage card.

When you are not using your SmartMedia card, always store it in its case or inside the camera to avoid damaging it.

Transferring Images and Sound to Your Computer

There are two ways you can transfer the pictures and sound on a SmartMedia card to your computer:

◗ Use the serial port on your computer. This is the same

method as transferring pictures stored in the camera’s memory; see “Getting Images and Sound With Image Expert” on page 3-6.

◗ Use a PCMCIA adapter, which allows you to access the

images on SmartMedia cards directly from your computer.

Using SmartMedia Cards

8-3

Using a PCMCIA Adapter

To use the PCMCIA adapter, your computer must have a PCMCIA slot. Refer to the instructions that came with your adapter or follow these steps to use an adapter:

Insert the storage card all the way into the adapter, as

shown below:

Insert the adapter into your computer’s PCMCIA slot.

To remove the storage card from the adapter, press the eject tab at the end of the card.

eject tab

Using SmartMedia Cards

8-4

Transferring Pictures

Once the adapter and card are installed in your computer’s PCMCIA slot, you can transfer pictures by simply copying them to your hard drive. This is the fastest way to get pictures into your computer.

◗ In Windows 95, use My Computer or the Windows

Explorer to drag and drop image files to your hard drive.

◗ In Windows 3.1, use the Windows File Manager to copy

image files to your hard drive.

You can also download the pictures using Image Expert.

Formatting a Storage Card

Most SmartMedia cards are already formatted when you buy them. If you are unable to add images to your SmartMedia card, you may need to format the card. Follow these steps:

Install the storage card in the camera.

NOTE Be sure to press the indentation in the center of the ERASE button. You may need to press it with your fingernail instead of your finger.

If you are unable to format a Simple Technology card, contact the Technical Support Department at (800) 4-SIMPLE.

Hold down the

S-Hi/Hi/S

remaining” number changes.

ERASE

button for 2 seconds or until the “pictures

button and then press the

Using SmartMedia Cards

8-5

Using SmartMedia Cards

8-6

9 Maintenance and Troubleshooting

our PhotoPC 550 camera is easy to take care of, and any problems you may have are easy to solve. This

chapter includes the following sections:

◗ Cleaning the camera ◗ Storing the camera ◗ Solving camera problems ◗ Solving picture problems ◗ Solving sound problems

NOTE Before you perform any maintenance procedures, be sure to read the Safety Instructions in the Introduction.

Cleaning the Camera

◗ Use a clean, dry cloth to wipe the camera free of dust. ◗ Don’t use harsh or abrasive cleaners. Don’t use liquid or

aerosol cleaners.

◗ To clean the lens, first blow off any loose dust or dirt.

Then breathe on the lens and wipe off all moisture with a soft, lint-free cloth or lens cleaning tissue. To avoid scratching the lens, don’t press too hard.

◗ If necessary, clean the battery contacts with a dry cloth.

Storing the Camera

◗ Keep the lens covered (power turned off) and store the

camera in a carrying case or bag when you’re not using it.

Maintenance and Troubleshooting

9-1

◗ Avoid sudden temperature changes, which can cause

moisture to condense on the camera. Keep the camera in a case or bag if you need to move it from a cold environment to a warm one. Allow time for the camera and its optional accessories to adjust to temperature changes before using them.

◗ When the camera is not used for long periods of time,

remove the batteries and store them at a low temperature in a dry location. This prevents camera damage from battery leaks or corrosion.

Do not store the camera in the following locations:

◗ Where it will be exposed to direct sunlight, for example,

on a car dashboard

◗ Near bright sources of light or high humidity

Solving Camera Problems

Before you call for help, check this list of problems and possible solutions:

The camera has no power.

◗ Make sure the lens cover is open all the way. ◗ Make sure the storage card slot cover is closed. ◗ The camera may have shut off automatically. Close and

open the lens cover to turn the power back on.

◗ Check the batteries and make sure they are installed

correctly. If the batteries no longer have a charge, recharge or replace them.

◗ If you are using the AC adapter, make sure it is plugged

into the camera and into a working outlet.

◗ Near heat sources or in a closed car or trunk ◗ In areas of excessive dirt or dust ◗ Where it will be exposed to strong vibrations or

magnetic fields

Maintenance and Troubleshooting

9-2

You can’t take a picture with the camera.

◗ The camera may be full. Check the picture counter on

the display panel. Erase some pictures (see page 2-10), or transfer the pictures to your computer and then erase them (see Chapter 3). Or, install a SmartMedia card to store more pictures (see Chapter 8).

◗ The camera may be connected to your computer. When

it’s connected, you can’t use any of the controls on the camera itself. See Chapter 7 for instructions on taking pictures from your computer.

The “pictures remaining” number on the display panel doesn’t decrease after you take a picture or record a message.

◗ Your camera is operating correctly. The total number of

pictures you can store depends on your pictures’ content and messages’ length. So the number doesn’t always change, especially when you’re using standard image quality.

You get an error message when you try to transfer your pictures to the computer.

◗ Make sure the cable is connected correctly as described

in Chapter 3.

◗ Check the serial port settings in your Image Expert

software. You may need to change the Port and Speed serial connection settings to Auto. On some older computers, you may need to lower the baud rate. Try setting the baud rate to 38,400 or lower.

◗ Make sure the port to which your camera is connected is

properly configured and that the Base I/O port address and the Interrupt Request Number (IRQ) assigned to the port are not in conflict with any other devices.

◗ Check the port setting in your Windows Control panel.

You may need to set your port to a faster speed, lower the FIFO buffer size (advanced serial port configuration), or adjust the speed in your software. See Chapter 7 for more information.

◗ Avoid opening or working with other software

applications while the camera and computer are communicating.

◗ Make sure your camera is turned on and the batteries

have enough power.

You can’t install an album from a diskette to your Windows NT 3.51 system.

◗ Try copying the album to your computer instead.

Maintenance and Troubleshooting

9-3

You are unable to drag and drop pictures into a document.

◗ If you’re using Windows 3.1, this method of getting

pictures into your documents may not be reliable. Try inserting, importing or using copy and paste.



◗ If you are using Excel

or PowerPoint, you may need to

upgrade the version of your software.

◗ If your system has less than 16MB RAM, you may not

be able to use drag and drop. Make sure you don’t run too many applications at the same time. You may need to add memory to your system or use another method of getting pictures into your documents.

The pictures transfer to your computer too slowly.

◗ If your system has less than 16MB RAM, the transfer

speed may be slow. Try using virtual memory. See your computer documentation or help system for more information.

◗ Check the port setting in your Windows Control panel.

You may need to set your port to a faster speed. See your Windows documentation or help system for more information.

You get an error message when you use the Image Expert Save to Floppy feature.

◗ Make sure the diskette you’re using is not write-

protected.

You get a TWAIN error message when you try to transfer images with Adobe Photoshop.

◗ If you’re using Windows 3.1, make sure you select

TWAIN (not TWAIN_32) as your source.

◗ If you’re using Windows NT 4.0, you may need to

upgrade your software to Photoshop 4.0. Earlier versions of Photoshop do not support Windows NT 4.0. Or you may need to upgrade your computer if it is slower than 100 MHz or if you have less than 32MB of RAM.

You are unable to format or use a SmartMedia storage card with your camera.

◗ Make sure you’re using a 3.3V SSFDC or SmartMedia

card. Other cards will not work with PhotoPC 550. If you’re using a Simple Technology card, call the Technical Support Department at (800) 4-SIMPLE.

Maintenance and Troubleshooting

9-4

Your notebook computer can’t access a SmartMedia storage card.

◗ If you’re using an IBM Thinkpad,

the configuration of your PCMCIA port. Change the Global Settings to Auto. For more information, contact the manufacturer of your notebook computer.

you need to adjust

Solving Picture Problems

If you’re not satisfied with some of the pictures you get from the PhotoPC 550, you may need to adjust some of the camera settings. Read the suggestions below.

Your pictures display poor image quality on the screen or when you print them out.

◗ PhotoPC 550 captures images in 24-bit color

(16.7 million colors). Your pictures will not display maximum image quality if your monitor or computer’s video controller doesn’t support this color depth. You may need to upgrade your system to achieve the best possible image quality.

◗ If your pictures look better on the screen than when you

print them out, you may need to upgrade your printer.

EPSON Stylus provide excellent image quality.

◗ If you used drag and drop to insert your pictures, they

may appear grainy. Try importing them into your documents instead.

The colors in your picture don’t look right.

◗ When you take pictures under certain artificial lighting

conditions, the colors may be slightly distorted. You can use your Image Expert software to adjust the colors, as described in Chapter 7.

Your picture is blurry or out of focus.

◗ Make sure your subject is within the camera’s range. You

should be at least 2 feet (61 cm) away for most pictures. You can take a picture as close as 4 inches (10.2 cm) in macro mode.

◗ Make sure you press the shutter button halfway down to

lock the focus and then press down completely to take the picture.

color ink jet printers, for example,

Maintenance and Troubleshooting

9-5

◗ Make sure you hold the camera steady and your subject

isn’t moving.

◗ In low lighting conditions, try using a tripod to hold the

camera steady. See page 2-9 for instructions.

◗ If you want to take a picture of a moving subject, you

can increase the shutter speed while the camera is connected to your computer. For more information, see Chapter 7.

Your picture is too dark (underexposed).

◗ Lighting conditions may be too dark for the camera’s

range.

◗ Use Image Expert to adjust the picture’s brightness and

contrast as described in Chapter 7.

Your picture is too light (overexposed).

◗ If you’re facing a bright light source, you may need to

shoot your picture from a different angle.

◗ Use Image Expert to adjust the picture’s brightness as

described in Chapter 7.

Part of your picture is missing.

◗ Make sure you’re not blocking the lens with your finger,

hand strap, clothing, or other object.

A horizontal or vertical red line appears on your picture.

◗ Red lines are caused by glare. Avoid photographing

shiny surfaces that reflect excessive amounts of light into your lens.

◗ If you’re using the macro mode to take a close-up

picture, be sure to provide adequate lighting for your subject, since the camera’s smallest aperture setting (F8) is automatically selected in this mode.

Maintenance and Troubleshooting

9-6

The wrong date and/or time are displayed on your pictures.

◗ Whenever you change the batteries in your camera you

need to reset the clock. You can set the camera’s clock from your computer. See Chapter 7 for more information.

Your pictures don’t look as good as they used to.

◗ Your camera’s lens may be dirty or dusty. Try cleaning it

by following the instructions on page 9-1.

The area captured in the picture is different from what you saw in the viewfinder.

◗ Make sure you look straight through the viewfinder. ◗ You may get parallax error when using macro mode due

to the offset between the viewfinder and lens. Use the macro frame marks as a guideline to center close-up pictures.

Solving Sound Problems

When you cut and paste in a new sound, your old sound disappeared.

◗ The paste option replaces the current sound; it is not an

“insert” option. See page 5-9 for instructions on adding sound to an existing audio clip.

Maintenance and Troubleshooting

9-7

Maintenance and Troubleshooting

9-8

A Specifications

Camera

Physical Dimensions

Width 4.2 in (106.5 mm)

Height 2.6 in (66.8 mm)

Depth 1.5 in (37.2 mm)

Weight 5.4 oz (153 g), without batteries

Safety Specifications

Conforms to FCC specifications. FCC Declaration of Conformity on file.

Power

Sources 3 AA batteries (single-use alkaline, lithium

or rechargeable NiCd or NiMH)

Optional AC adapter (B867038)

Battery life At least 300 pictures including download

time.

Technical

Product type CCD (charged coupled device)

still frame fixed focus camera

Image size Super high, 640 × 480 pixels

(low compression)

High, 640 × 480 pixels

(standard compression)

Standard, 320 × 240 pixels

Specifications

A-1

DPI 144 pixels per inch

Bit depth 16 million colors, 24-bit

Photographic

Lens f = 6 mm F2.8/8 (equivalent to a 43 mm

lens on a 35 mm camera)

CCD 1/3 inch progressive scan 640 × 480 pixels

Serial interface 2.5 mm mini terminal (to camera)

RS-232C compatible (to computer)

Serial communication

speed

Internal memory 1MB flash memory

Optional expansion

memory

Up to 115Kbps

3.3V SSFDC or SmartMedia cards

Environmental

Temperature Operating: 32 to 104°F (0 to 40°C)

Non-operating: -4 to 140°F (-20 to 60°C)

Humidity Operating: 30 to 90% (non-condensing)

Non-operating: 10 to 90%

(non-condensing)

Range 23.6 inches (60 cm) to infinity (normal

mode)

3.9 to 21.7 inches (10 to 55 cm, macro mode)

Sensitivity Equivalent to ISO 100

Exposure control Program auto exposure

White balance TTL automatic white balance

Shutter Automatic electric iris with mechanical

shutter, 1/4 second to 1/1000 second

Viewfinder Optical, with centering crosshair and edge

border

Focus Fixed focus

Aperture F2.8/8.0

Specifications

A-2

Microphone

Frequency response 200Hz to 2.3Hz at -30DB

400Hz to 1.3Hz at -20DB

Optional AC Adapter

Physical Dimensions

Width 1.97 inches (50 mm)

Height 1.18 inches (30 mm)

1.85 inches (47 mm) including pins

Depth 3.74 inches (95 mm)

Technical

Output DC 7V/2.0A

Input 110 to 120V AC, 50 to 60Hz

Specifications

A-3

Specifications

A-4

Index

AC adapter, 2, 1-5 to 1-6, 2-3, 3-2, A-3 Accessories, 2, 8-1 to 8-5 Acquiring photos, TWAIN programs, 3-10 to 3-11 Adjusting camera settings, 2-4, 7-4 to 7-5 Albums

copying to diskette, 5-12 to 5-13 displaying as slide show, 5-11 to 5-12 dragging pictures from, 4-2 to 4-3 making screen saver, 5-14 organizing pictures, 5-2 to 5-3 printing, 5-4 to 5-6

using, 5-2 Attaching hand strap, 1-7 Audio, see Sound Automatic shut-off, 2-2, 7-2, 7-5

Batteries

accessories, 2 checking, 2-3 handling, 1-4 to 1-5 installing, 1-3 to 1-4

specifications, A-1 Battery icon, 2-3 Bitmap (BMP) files, 4-6 Brightness, correcting images, 6-3 to 6-4

Cable, serial, 3-2 to 3-3 Camera settings, adjusting, 7-4 to 7-5 Camio Viewer, 3-3 to 3-6 Caring for camera, 9-1 to 9-2 CCD (charge coupled device), 2

Index

CD-ROM, installing software, 1-7 to 1-9 Cleaning camera, 9-1 Close-up pictures, 2-7 Color correcting, 6-3 to 6-4 Color depth, 6-8 CompuServe, 3 Computer, connecting camera, 3-2 to 3-3 Contrast, correcting, 6-3 to 6-4 Copying pictures

into documents, 4-5 to diskette, 5-12 to 5-13

Cropping images, 6-4

Deleting sounds, 5-10 Diskettes, copying pictures, 5-12 to 5-13 Display panel, 2-2 Distorting images, 6-7 to 6-8 Documents, getting pictures into, 3-3 to 3-6, 4-1 to 4-5 Download Service, 3 Downloading pictures, 3-3 to 3-9 Drag and drop

with Camio Viewer, 3-5 with Image Expert, 4-2 to 4-3

Edges, softening, 6-7 Editing

images, 6-1 to 6-8

sounds, 5-8 to 5-10 Environmental specifications, A-2 EPSON

Accessories, 2

Electronic support services, 3 to 4

help, 3 to 4

registration, 4

World Wide Web site, 3 Equalization, 6-3 Erasing pictures

using computer, 3-4, 3-8, 3-11

using ERASE button, 2-10 Erasing sounds, 2-7, 5-10 Error messages, 3-9 to 3-10, 3-11, 9-3, 9-4

FaxAdvice service, 4 Features, 2

Index

Epson PhotoPC 550 User Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

Introduction

PhotoPC 550 Features

Optional Accessories

System Requirements

Where To Get Help

Software Support

Registration

Safety Instructions

Unpacking Your PhotoPC 550

Identifying Camera Parts

Using Batteries

Installing Batteries

Handling Batteries

Using the Optional AC Adapter

Attaching the Hand Strap

Installing Your PhotoPC 550 Software

Making Software Installation Diskettes

Turning the Camera On and Off

Saving Power With Auto Shut-off

Checking the Display Panel

Checking the Battery

Checking the Picture Counter

Setting Image Quality

Standard (S)

High (Hi)

Super High (S-Hi)

Taking a Picture

Recording Messages With the Microphone

Using Macro Mode to Take Close-ups

Taking Pictures in Low Light Conditions

Taking Pictures With the Self Timer

Using a Tripod

Erasing Pictures

Connecting the Camera

Getting Images and Sounds With the Camio Viewer

Dragging and Dropping a Picture Into a Document

Transferring Images Before Placing Them

What To Do if You See an Error Message

Getting Images Into TWAIN Applications

What To Do if the Camera Is Not Responding

Using Drag and Drop From an Album

Importing Images and Sound Into Documents

Getting Images With Copy and Paste

Converting File Formats

Using Albums

Organizing Pictures in Albums

Viewing Picture Information

Printing an Image

Printing an Album or Selected Images

Playing Back Sounds

Changing the Volume

Replaying a Section of an Audio Clip

Adding and Modifying Sounds in a Downloaded Image

Cutting and Pasting Sounds

Recording New Sounds

Deleting Sounds

Displaying Albums as Slide Shows

Copying to Diskette

Viewing the Pictures on Diskette

Using an Album as a Screen Saver

Sending Pictures and Sound by E-mail

Viewing and Selecting

Applying Quick Fix

Correcting

Cropping

Resizing and Changing Resolution

Rotating

Flipping

Applying Special Effects

Changing the Number of Colors

Taking Pictures From Your Computer

Using the Self Timer

Setting the Shutter Speed

Adjusting Camera Settings From Your Computer

Installing a Storage Card