Canon EOS 77D For Dummies. King Julie Adair

picture file. You can view metadata in some playback display modes (see Chapter 9) and in certain photo programs, including Canon Digital Photo Professional (see Chapter 10).

      8. Adjust the viewfinder to your eyesight.

      This step is critical; if you don’t set the viewfinder to your eyesight, subjects that appear out of focus in the viewfinder might actually be in focus, and vice versa. If you wear glasses while shooting, adjust the viewfinder with your glasses on.

You control viewfinder focus through the dial labeled in Figure 1-5. (In official lingo, it’s called the diopter adjustment dial.) After taking off the lens cap, follow these steps:

      1. Look through the viewfinder, press the shutter button halfway, and then release it.

      In dim lighting, the built-in flash may pop up; ignore it for now and concentrate on the lines that appear in the center of the frame and the row of data displayed at the bottom of the frame.

      2. Rotate the adjustment dial until the viewfinder markings and data appear sharpest.

      Ignore the scene you see through the lens; that won’t change because you’re not actually focusing the camera. If the markings turn off before you finish making your adjustments, give the shutter button another quick half-press and release to redisplay them.

      Can’t get the display sharp enough? You may need an adapter that enables further adjustment of the viewfinder. Look for an E-series dioptric adjustment lens adapter.

      3. If necessary, close the flash unit.

      9. Select an exposure mode by pressing and holding the lock-release button and rotating the Mode dial (refer to Figure 1-4).

      The exposure mode determines how much control you have over various camera settings, as well as whether any special effects are applied. Chapter 2 explains the various exposure modes. For easiest operation, set the dial to Scene Intelligent Auto, as shown Figure 1-4. Be aware, though, that some camera features are available only in the four advanced shooting modes: P, Tv, Av, and M. The lock-release button is a handy feature that keeps you from accidentally turning the Mode dial when you aren’t intending to.

      FIGURE 1-1: Align the mounting index on the lens with the one on the camera body.

      FIGURE 1-2: Insert the memory card with the label facing the back of the camera.

      FIGURE 1-3: Here are just two possible monitor positions.

      FIGURE 1-4: Rotate the switch to On to shoot photographs; move the switch one step further to set the camera to Movie mode.

       FIGURE 1-5: Use this dial to adjust the viewfinder focus to your eyesight.

      That’s all there is to it – the camera is now ready to go. The rest of this chapter familiarizes you with other major camera features and explains such basics as how to navigate menus, use the touch screen, and view and adjust camera settings.

       One more thing before you go: The official name for Canon’s fully automatic exposure mode is Scene Intelligent Auto because, in this mode, the camera’s brain analyzes the light and color information it picks up through the lens, consults an internal database to help it determine what type of scene you’re shooting, and then adjusts picture settings as it deems necessary. In other words, Scene Intelligent Auto mode is intelligent enough to set up the camera to best capture the scene.

      Exploring External Camera Features

      Scattered across your camera’s exterior are numerous features that you use to change picture-taking settings, review your photos, and perform various other operations. Later chapters explain how and when to use these tools; the following sections provide just a basic “What’s this thing do?” introduction to them. (Don’t worry about memorizing the button names; throughout the book, figures and margin symbols tell you exactly which button or switch to use.)

Topside controls

Your virtual tour begins on the top of the camera, shown in Figure 1-6.

       FIGURE 1-6: Here’s a guide to controls found on top of the camera.

      Here are the items of note:

      ❯❯ On/Off/Movie mode switch: As outlined in the preceding section, setting the switch to the movie-camera icon turns on the camera and sets it to Movie mode. Set the switch to On for still photography.

      Even when the switch is in the On position, the camera automatically goes to sleep after a period of inactivity to save battery power. To wake the camera up, press the shutter button halfway and release it. See the section “Setup Menu 2” for help adjusting the timing of the automatic shutoff.

      ❯❯ Mode dial with lock-release button: Press and hold the lock-release button in the center of the Mode dial, and then rotate the dial to select an exposure mode, which determines whether the camera operates in fully automatic, semi-automatic, or manual exposure mode when you take still pictures.

      ❯❯ Viewfinder adjustment dial: Use this dial to adjust the viewfinder focus to your eyesight, as outlined in the preceding section.

      ❯❯ Main dial: As its name implies, this dial is central to many camera functions, from scrolling through menus to changing certain shooting and playback settings.

       On some camera screens, you see a symbol that resembles the top half of a dial that has notches around the edge. That’s designed to remind you that you use the Main dial to adjust the setting.

      ❯❯ Red-Eye Reduction/Self-Timer Lamp: When you set your flash to Red-Eye Reduction mode, this little lamp emits a brief burst of light prior to the real flash – the idea being that your subjects’ pupils will constrict in response to the light, thus lessening the chances of red-eye. If you use the camera’s self-timer feature, the lamp lights during the countdown period before the shutter is released. See Chapter 2 for more details about Red-Eye Reduction flash mode and the self-timer function.

      ❯❯ AF Area Selection button: Press this button to access the AF Area Selection setting, which is related to autofocusing (see Chapter 5).

      ❯❯ ISO button: True to its name, this button displays a screen where you can adjust the ISO setting, which determines how sensitive the camera is to light. Chapter 4 details this critical setting.

      ❯❯ LCD panel illumination button: This button illuminates the top LCD panel with an amber backlight.

      ❯❯