Hp 945 User Manual

Photosmart

945

Digital Camera

with

HP Instant

user's manual

User's Manual

Trademark and Copyright Information

The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice. Hewlett-Packard shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.

Microsoft® and Windows® are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Apple®, Macintosh®, and Mac® are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.

MultiMediaCard SD logo is a trademark.

is a trademark of Infineon Technologies AG.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1:

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Camera Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Attaching the Lens Cap Tether . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Attaching the Neck Strap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Installing the Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Installing the Memory Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Turning on Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Understanding the Status Screen . . . . . . . . 18

Choosing the Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Setting the Date and Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Adjusting the Diopter Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Installing the Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Macintosh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips . . .23

Using the Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Using the Focus Brackets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Using Focus Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Taking Still Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Recording Audio with Still Pictures . . . . . . . . . . 28

Recording Video Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Using Zoom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Optical Zoom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Digital Zoom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Using the Pop-up Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Using Self-Timer Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Using Burst Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Using the Focus Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Focus Search Priority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Hints on Using Manual Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Setting the Exposure Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

2-second release priority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Noise Reduction for Long Exposures . . . . . . . . .39

Using the Capture Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Help for the Menu Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

EV Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

White Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Manual White Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

AE Metering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

ISO Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Digital Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Compression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Saturation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Sharpness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Chapter 3:

Reviewing Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Using Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Total Images Summary Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Orientation Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Selecting Images for Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Using the Playback Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Play/Record Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Record Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Magnify . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Image Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

HP Photosmart 945 User’s Manual

Chapter 4:

Using HP Instant Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Setting Up the Share Menu on the Camera . . . . . . . . 70

Using the Share Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Selecting Images for

HP Instant Share Destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

How HP Instant Share E-mails Images . . . . . . . . 75

Chapter 5: Unloading, Printing, and Displaying Images . .77

Unloading Images to a Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Printing Images Directly from the Camera . . . . . . . . . 79

Displaying Images on a TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Chapter 6:

Using the Setup Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Camera Sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Eye Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Focus Assist Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

LCD Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Instant Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Auto Power Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Date & Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

USB Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

TV Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Remembered Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Reset Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Chapter 7:

Troubleshooting and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

Resetting the Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Problems and Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Error Messages on the Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Error Messages on the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Camera Self-diagnostic Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Getting Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

HP Accessibility Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

HP Photosmart Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

Support Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

Phone Support in the United States . . . . . . . . . .116

Phone Support in Europe, the

Middle East, and Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117

Other Phone Support Worldwide . . . . . . . . . . .119

Appendix A: Batteries and

Camera Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Managing Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121

Battery Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

Extending Battery Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123

Rechargeable Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124

Sleep Time-out for Power Conservation . . . . . .125

Purchasing Camera Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126

Appendix B:

Camera Dock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Getting Started with the Dock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129

Dock Lights and Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

Unloading Images to a Computer Using the Dock . .132

Printing Images Using the Dock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133

Displaying Images on a TV Using the Dock . . . . . . .134

Appendix C:

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Memory Card Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141

HP Photosmart 945 User’s Manual

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Congratulations on your purchase of this digital camera! This camera has many features to enhance your picture-taking experience, including HP Instant ShareTM, direct printing capability, manual and automatic controls, on-camera Help, and an optional camera dock.

With HP Instant Share, you can easily select images in your camera to be automatically sent to your favorite destinations (such as e-mail addresses and online albums) the next time you connect the camera to your computer. Your friends and family can easily receive and view your pictures in e-mail without being burdened by large file attachments. And with the direct printing capability, you can easily select images in your camera to be automatically printed the next time you connect the camera to your computer or directly to any HP Photosmart printer or other select HP printers without ever connecting to your computer.

To further enhance your experience, you may purchase an HP Photosmart 8881 camera dock. The camera dock allows you to easily download images to a computer, send images to a printer or television, and recharge the camera batteries. It also provides a convenient home for your camera.

NOTE A dock insert is included in your

camera box. Please do not discard it, because it enables your camera to use the optional HP 8881 camera dock. See page 129 for instructions on how to use the camera dock.

Chapter 1: Getting Started 9

Camera Parts

NOTE Refer to the pages in parentheses after the part names

for more information about those parts.

# Name Description

Flash button

(page 32)

Timer/Burst

button (pages 34, 35)

Focus button

(page 36)

10 HP Photosmart 945 User’s Manual

Allows you to select the different flash settings (this button only works when the flash assembly is up).

Allows you to select between

SELF-TIMER, SELF-TIMER - 2 SHOTS, and BURST mode.

Allows you to select between

MACRO, INFINITY, and MANUAL focus

settings.

NORMAL,

# Name Description

4 Zoom lever with

Zoom Out

Zooms out the lens to the wide angle position, and in to the telephoto position.

and Zoom In (page 30)

5Power/Memory

light (page 17)

6Memory card

door (page 17)

Controller

with and

z Solid green—camera is on. z Solid amber—camera is writing to the

memory card.

z Blinking green—camera is off and is

charging the batteries.

z Blinking red—batteries depleted and

camera is shutting down.

z Off—camera is off.

Allows you access to insert or remove the memory card.

Allows you to move through menus and images on the Image Display.

buttons

8 OK button

(pages 40, 61)

Allows you to display the Capture and Playback menus and to select menu options on the Image Display.

ON/OFF

Turns the camera power on and off.

switch (page 17)

Share button

HP Instant

Turns the Share menu on and off on the Image Display.

(page 69)

Print button

Allows you to select images for printing.

(page 60)

Playback

button (page 57)

Turns Playback on and off on the Image Display.

Chapter 1: Getting Started 11

# Name Description

Live View

button (page 23)

14 Image Display

(page 23)

15 Eye Start sensor

(pages 23, 84)

16 Viewfinder with

microdisplay (page 23)

17 Diopter control

(page 19)

Turns Live View on and off on the Image Display.

Allows you to frame pictures and video clips using Live View and review them afterward in Playback, and to view all the menus.

Turns on the microdisplay in the viewfinder when it detects that you are looking into the viewfinder.

Allows you to frame the subject of your picture or video clip.

Adjusts the focus in the microdisplay. (It does NOT affect the focus of the image or video clip that you capture).

12 HP Photosmart 945 User’s Manual

OFF

AUTO

# Name Description 1 Shutter button

(pages 27, 28,

Takes a picture and records audio, or starts and stops recording a video clip

29)

2 Mode selector

(pages 29, 38)

Allows you to select between video mode and a number of different exposure modes for still pictures

3 Neck strap

mount (page 16)

Allows you to attach a neck strap (a

mount is on each side of the camera) 4 Speaker Plays camera sounds and audio clips 5

Pop-up flash release (page 32)

6 Pop-up flash

assembly

Pops up the flash assembly. The flash will be set to

FLASH OFF until you pop up

the flash Provides additional light to improve

picture-taking

(page 32)

Chapter 1: Getting Started 13

# Name Description 1Microphone

(page 28)

2 Self-Timer/

Focus Assist

light (pages 34, 85)

3 USB connector

(pages 77, 79)

4 TV connector

(page 81)

5Power adapter

connector (page 126)

6 Tripod mount Allows you to mount the camera to a tripod

Records audio clips

z Blinking red—Self-Timer is activated z Solid red—on for short periods in low light

conditions to improve auto focus

Allows you to connect a USB cable from the camera to a USB-enabled computer or printer

Allows you to connect an optional Audio/ Video cable from the camera to a television

Allows you to connect an optional HP AC power adapter to the camera to either operate the camera without batteries, or recharge the batteries in the camera

14 HP Photosmart 945 User’s Manual

# Name Description 7 Camera dock

connector (page 126)

8 Battery door

(page 16)

Allows you to connect the camera to the optional HP 8881 camera dock

Allows access to insert and remove the batteries

Setup

Attaching the Lens Cap Tether

1 With the front of the camera facing

you, insert the small loop of the lens cap tether through the neck strap mount on the right side of the camera.

2 Insert the long loop of the tether

through the small loop and pull to tighten the knot.

3 Insert the long loop of the tether

through the lens cap tether mount.

4 Pull the long loop over the sides of

the lens cap and then under the lens cap, as shown. Pull to tighten the knot.

Chapter 1: Getting Started 15

Attaching the Neck Strap

Insert one end of the neck strap through a neck strap mount. Then thread the neck strap through the plastic tab to secure it.

Repeat to attach the other end of the neck strap to the other neck strap mount.

Installing the Batteries

1 With the front of the camera facing

you, open the battery door on the bottom of the camera by sliding the latch to the “unlock” ( ) position and pulling the door toward you.

2 Insert the batteries as indicated

inside the door.

3 Close the battery door by pushing the

door toward the back of the camera and sliding the latch to the “lock” ( ) position.

NOTE Digital cameras use batteries at a

much faster rate than film cameras. Battery life in digital cameras can be measured in minutes and hours of use rather than the years more typical of film cameras. Battery life may vary dramatically from one user to another, depending on what modes the camera is being used in most frequently. Battery life will also vary dramatically depending upon the type of batteries installed in the camera. For hints on optimizing battery performance, see

Managing Batteries on page 121.

16 HP Photosmart 945 User’s Manual

NOTE If you have rechargeable batteries, you can use the

optional HP Photosmart 8881 camera dock or the optional HP AC power adapter to recharge the batteries while they are in the camera. For more information about these optional accessories, see Purchasing Camera

Accessories on page 126.

Installing the Memory Card

1 With the camera turned off and

the back of the camera facing you, open the memory card door by sliding the door to the right.

2 Insert the memory card, making

sure that it clicks into place.

3 Close the memory card door.

To remove the memory card, turn the camera off and open the memory card door, then push the memory card in and it will spring outward from the slot.

Turning on Power

Turn the camera on by sliding the

ON/OFF switch to the right and

then releasing it.

The lens extends, the Image Display turns on, and the Power/Memory light turns on solid green.

NOTE If the Power/Memory light is blinking red, the batteries

are very low, and the camera will shut down soon. Replace or recharge the batteries, or use the optional HP AC adapter to power the camera.

Chapter 1: Getting Started 17

Understanding the Status Screen

When you turn on the camera, the HP logo screen and then the status screen appear briefly on the Image Display.

The main part of the status screen shows the number of pictures remaining, battery level, and the current settings for Flash, Resolution, and Compression. Any non-default

Capture menu settings are shown as

icons across the top of the status screen (default settings for Capture menu items do not have icons).

The status screen also appears for a few seconds any time you press the Flash button, Timer/Burst button, Focus button, or open/close the pop-up flash assembly.

Choosing the Language

The first time you turn the camera on, the following screen appears and prompts you to choose a language.

1 Scroll to the language that you

want by using the buttons on the Controller .

2 Press the OK button to select the

highlighted language.

NOTE If you need to go back and

change the language later, you can do this in the Setup menu. See Chapter 6: Using the Setup Menu on page 83.

18 HP Photosmart 945 User’s Manual

Setting the Date and Time

The camera has a clock that records the date and time at which you take each picture. This information does not appear in the image itself, but is recorded in the image properties, which you can see when viewing the image in the Image Info screen (page 67), in the Playback menu screen (page 61), or on your computer. The first time you turn the camera on, the following screen appears after you choose the language.

1 Adjust the value of the highlighted

selection using the buttons.

2 Press the buttons to move to the

other selections.

3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 until the

correct date, time, and date/time format are set.

NOTE mm=month, dd=day, and yyyy=year

4 Press the OK button when the proper values are entered.

The Image Display then turns off.

NOTE If you need to go back and change this setting later,

you can do this in the Setup menu. See Chapter 6: Using

the Setup Menu on page 83.

Adjusting the Diopter Control

The rubber eye piece on the viewfinder is a diopter control that allows you to adjust the focus in the microdisplay. Put your eye up to the viewfinder, and then turn the diopter control until the information overlays (such as the number of pictures remaining, Compression setting, and Resolution setting) are in focus on the microdisplay. The diopter control has NO effect on the actual picture you take or video clip you record.

Chapter 1: Getting Started 19

Installing the Software

NOTE A copy of this User’s Manual (in several different

languages) is located on the HP Photo & Imaging software CD. Look in the \docs\Readme file on the CD to see where the manual is located.

The camera software allows you to unload images from the camera, view them, print them, and e-mail them. It also allows you to configure the Share menu on the camera.

Windows

NOTE For the HP Instant Share component of the HP Photo &

Imaging software to function properly on your Windows computer, you must have installed at least Internet Explorer

5.01 on Windows 2000 or XP, or Internet Explorer 5.01 Service Pack 2 on Windows 98, 98 SE, or Me.

1 Close all programs and temporarily disable any virus

protection software running on your computer.

2 Insert the HP Photo & Imaging software CD into the CD

drive of your computer. The installation window should automatically appear.

NOTE If the installation window does not appear, click Start,

click Run, type X:\Setup.exe, where X CD drive, then click OK.

3 Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software.

Your Windows CD may also include bonus software from other manufacturers. To install any bonus software:

1 Click Start, click Run, type X:\Bonus\Setup.exe,where X is

the letter of your CD drive, then click OK.

2 Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software.

is the letter of your

20 HP Photosmart 945 User’s Manual

Macintosh

1 Close all programs and temporarily disable any virus

protection software running on your computer.

2 Insert the HP Photo & Imaging software CD into the CD

drive of your computer.

3 Double-click the CD icon on the computer desktop. 4 Double-click the installer icon, and then follow the on-screen

instructions to install the software.

NOTE Before you can unload images from the camera to a

Macintosh computer, you must first change the USB

Configuration setting to Disk Drive in the Setup menu on

the camera. See Chapter 6: Using the Setup Menu on page 83, and then see USB Configuration on page 88.

Your Macintosh CD may also include bonus software from other manufacturers. To install any bonus software:

1 Double-click the Bonus folder icon. 2 Double-click the installer icon for the bonus software. 3 Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software.

Chapter 1: Getting Started 21

22 HP Photosmart 945 User’s Manual

Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips

Using the Displays

Your camera has two displays - the Microdisplay and the

Image Display. Whichever display is currently on will be called

the “active display” throughout this manual:

Microdisplay (viewfinder) Image Display

Allows you to frame pictures and video clips using Live View, and to view the Capture and

Setup menus.

Activate Live View by looking through the viewfinder. The Eye Start sensor below the viewfinder detects your eye and automatically turns on the microdisplay. Use the diopter control to adjust the focus in the microdisplay (see page 19).

Allows you to frame pictures and video clips using Live View, review images and video clips in

Playback, and to view all the

menus.

Activate Live View by pressing the Live View button.

NOTE Using the Image Display consumes a lot of battery

power. To preserve batteries, use the microdisplay instead.

NOTE If the microdisplay does not turn on automatically when

you look through the viewfinder, you may need to change the Eye Start setting in the Setup menu. See Eye Start on page 84.

Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips 23

The following table describes the information that is displayed in the Live View screen of the active display when the camera settings are at their default values. If you change other camera settings, icons for those settings will also be displayed.

1 2

6 7

# Icon Description 1 12

3 5 MP Resolution setting (default is 5 MP). 4 A shaking hand icon will appear when you press the

5 1/2

Remaining pictures count or remaining video clip

recording time (actual numbers depend on how much

1:18

space remains on the memory card).

Compression setting (default is , or Better).

Shutter button half-way down while taking a still

picture if the camera detects that the picture is likely to be blurry due to the long exposure that will be required. Therefore, you may want to use the flash (see

Using the Pop-up Flash on page 32) or a tripod.

The shutter speed and F-number. This appears when

F12.4

you press the Shutter button half-way down while taking a still picture.

z Battery level when using batteries (see Battery Gauge

on page 122).

z AC power when using the optional HP AC adapter or

Camera Dock.

24 HP Photosmart 945 User’s Manual

# Icon Description

8 Focus brackets (see the next section below).

z FLASH OFF when the pop-up flash assembly is down.

z AUTO FLASH (default flash setting when the pop-up

flash assembly is up).

Using the Focus Brackets

The two brackets in the middle of the active display screen show the focus region for the picture you are taking or the video clip you are recording. When you press the Shutter button halfway down, the camera uses this region to measure and then lock the focus.

NOTE In low light conditions, the red focus assist light on the

front of the camera (see page 14) may turn on briefly to help the camera focus. If you are in a situation where you do not want the focus assist light to turn on, you can turn it off in the Setup menu (see Focus Assist Light on page 85).

The focus brackets turn green when the region in the brackets is in focus and the camera can lock the focus, but turn red when the camera is unable to focus.

z If the focus brackets turn red, release the Shutter button, re-

frame the subject for your picture or video clip, and then press the Shutter button halfway down again. If the focus brackets continue to turn red after several tries, there may not be enough contrast in the focus region. Try using a technique called Focus Lock to focus on an object about the same distance away but in a higher-contrast region, then point the camera at the object you were originally trying to photograph (see Using Focus Lock on page 26).

Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips 25

z If the focus brackets turn red and the MACRO icon blinks

on the active display, one of the following is true:

• The camera is set to the

NORMAL focus range but detects

the focus is closer than the normal range.

• The camera is set to the

MACRO (close-up) focus range

but detects the focus is farther away than the macro range. In this case, the camera will not take a picture if it cannot find focus.

NOTE No focus brackets appear if the camera is set to

MANUAL FOCUS (see Using the Focus Settings on

page 36).

Using Focus Lock

Focus Lock allows you to focus on a subject that is not in the

center of the picture, or to capture action shots more quickly by pre-focusing in the area where the action will occur. You can also use Focus Lock to help achieve focus in low light or low contrast situations.

1 Frame the subject for your picture within the focus brackets. 2 Press the Shutter button halfway down to lock the focus and

exposure.

3 Continue to hold the Shutter button halfway down while you

re-frame or adjust your subject for proper positioning.

4 Press the Shutter button all the way down to take the picture.

26 HP Photosmart 945 User’s Manual

Taking Still Pictures

AUTO

You can take a picture almost any time the camera is on, regardless of what is being shown on the active display.

1 Rotate the Mode selector to

or another of the exposure modes (see Setting the Exposure Mode on

page 38).

2 Pop up the flash assembly (see

page 32).

3 Frame the subject for your picture

in the active display.

4 Hold the camera steady (especially if using zoom) and press

the Shutter button halfway down. The camera measures and then locks the focus and exposure (the focus brackets will turn green if the camera is able to focus, see page 25). If an icon of a shaking hand ( ) appears in the active display, you may want to either use the pop-up flash or set the camera on a tripod or stable surface, otherwise the picture might be blurry.

5 Press the Shutter button all the way down to take the picture.

You will hear a shutter click when the camera takes the picture.

After a picture is taken, the image appears for several seconds in the active display. This is called Instant Review. You can delete the image during Instant Review by pressing the OK button. If you prefer, you can turn off Instant Review in the

Setup menu (see Instant Review on page 86).

AUTO

To review the pictures you have taken, press the Playback button (see Using Playback on page 57).

Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips 27

NOTE If you release the Shutter button only halfway after

taking a picture, the focus and exposure measurements from the previous picture are retained. You can then press the Shutter button all the way down again and take another picture with the same focus and exposure as the previous picture. You can continue to do this to capture a sequence of pictures using the same focus and exposure. This is helpful when rapidly taking pictures and for capturing images for panoramic stitching.

Recording Audio with Still Pictures

There are two ways to attach an audio clip to a still picture:

• Record the audio while you are taking the picture

(explained in this section).

• Add an audio annotation to the picture later (or re-

record the audio that was captured when the picture was taken). For details on how to do this, see Play/Record

Audio on page 64.

NOTE The method described in this section is not available in

Self-Timer or Burst modes.

1 Press the Shutter button all the way down to take the picture. 2 Continue to hold the Shutter button down to record the

audio clip. A microphone icon ( ) and audio counter appear on the active display during recording.

3 To stop recording, release the Shutter button, otherwise the

audio will continue recording for up to 60 seconds or until the memory card fills up, whichever comes first.

To play back, delete, or record new audio clips, use the Record

Audio section in the Playback menu (see Using the Playback Menu on page 61).

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Recording Video Clips

AUTO

1 Rotate the Mode selector to

Video mode.

2 Frame the subject for your video in

the active display.

3 Press the Shutter button halfway

down to measure and lock focus (exposure is continually measured and adjusted during recording).

4 To start recording, press the Shutter button all the way down

and release it. A counter and REC appear in the active display.

5 To stop recording, press the Shutter button all the way down

again. Otherwise, the camera will automatically stop recording when the maximum video clip length of approximately 1 minute is reached, or the memory card is full, whichever comes first (note that maximum clip length can vary depending on scene content).

After recording has stopped, the first frame of the video clip and

PROCESSING... appear on the active display. While it is

processing, you can delete the video clip by pressing the OK button. You can use Playback to review the video clips you have taken. See Play on page 64.

NOTE If you use the zoom, motor noise from optical zooming

will be recorded in the audio portion of a video clip. Thus, for best audio quality, do not use the zoom while recording video.

AUTO

Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips 29

Using Zoom

NOTE The more you zoom in on the subject of your picture,

the more that even small movements of the camera are magnified (this is called “camera shake”). So, especially at full telephoto zoom (8x), you really need to hold the camera steady in order to take a picture that is not blurry.

If an icon of a shaking hand ( ) appears in the active display, you may want to set the camera on a tripod or stable surface, otherwise the picture will likely be blurry.

Optical Zoom

Optical zoom works like the zoom on a traditional film camera, with physical lens elements moving inside the camera to make the subject of your picture appear closer.

Press Zoom Out and Zoom In on the Zoom lever to move the lens between wide angle (1x) and telephoto (8x) positions.

Whenever the zoom lever is pressed, a zoom meter appears at the bottom of the active display. A white bar in the middle of the zoom meter separates optical and digital zoom. This zoom meter is not shown when video clips are being recorded.

NOTE If the camera is set to

MACRO focus, you can only zoom

to 3.5x. The zoom meter will consequently look different in Macro mode, with a wider white bar in the middle of the meter.

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