Rear of camera controls

The main differences to the rear control layout compared to the EOS 350D are a re-arrangement of the buttons on the left with the INFO button now renamed DISP, the Direct Print button moved to the same position as on the EOS 30D and the Picture Style icon placed below the SET button (which can in fact have its shooting mode function customized).

On-screen settings adjustment

All of the camera's hard buttons activate an adjustment screen (on the LCD) where a setting change can be made using the cursor buttons or main dial. Canon has solved the setting change issue we noted in our EOS 350D review (where you had to press SET each time) and all changes apply as soon as they are made (you can half-press the shutter release to return to shooting mode). The style of on-screen adjustment screens has also changed, they are no longer simply menu shortcuts. Examples of two such screens can be seen below, click on the [clip] link in the table below to see that settings specific screen.

Shooting mode

Button	Operation
	Display [clip] Pressing the DISP button shows or hides the camera setting screen (which is shown by default), you can define whether the status of the screen (on or off) is remembered at power off via custom function 11.
	Camera Menu (Enter / Leave) The camera menu is described on the following pages of this review.
	Play Displays the last image shot (the last image on the card). The EOS 400D is a "shooting priority" camera, that means that no matter what is displayed on the rear LCD this will be cancelled if any of the cameras photographic functions are accessed (for example half-pressing the shutter release).
	Erase (record review) During record review press the Erase button to display an"[Cancel] [Erase]" option, selecting OK removes the image from the CF card before it is finalized.
	Exposure compensation [clip] / Aperture Hold this button and turn the main dial to change exposure compensation in the range -2.0 EV to +2.0 EV, steps of either 1/3 or 1/2 stop, custom function 6. In manual exposure mode hold this button while turning the main dial to change the aperture.
	Drive mode [clip] Press once then turn the main dial (or use cursor buttons) to change drive mode.  • Single  • Continuous (3 fps)  • Self-timer / Remote control
	ISO sensitivity [clip] Press once then turn the main dial (or use cursor buttons) to change ISO sensitivity.  • 100  • 200  • 400  • 800  • 1600
	Metering mode [clip] Press once then turn the main dial (or use cursor buttons) to change metering mode.  • Evaluative  • Partial (9% at center)  • Center-weighted average
	Picture Style [clip] / SET By default the SET button is used to select Picture Style (list below). You can customize the function of this button via custom function 1 to: Picture Style, Quality, Flash exp comp, Playback, AF frame select (using cursor buttons). This button is also used to confirm selections in menus or other on-screen displays.  • Standard  • Portrait  • Landscape  • Neutral  • Faithful  • Monochrome  • User def. 1  • User def. 2  • User def. 3
	AF mode [clip] Press once then turn the main dial (or use cursor buttons) to change Auto Focus mode.  • One shot  • AI Focus  • AI Servo
	White Balance [clip] Press once then turn the main dial (or use cursor buttons) to change white balance.  • Auto  • Daylight  • Shade  • Cloudy  • Tungsten  • Fluorescent  • Flash  • Custom

Play mode

Button	Operation
	Direct Print / PictBridge If the camera is connected to a PictBridge printer or PTP connection to a computer pressing this button initiates printing / image transfer.
	Display Toggles between three different play display modes: • Single image view with no overlay • Single image view with folder, file number, exposure and frame count • Thumbnail image with exposure information, histogram and blinking highlights
	Camera Menu (Enter / Leave) The camera menu is described on the following pages of this review.
	Jump mode Enters jump mode which allows you to skip through images 10 at a time, 100 at a time or by shot date. In thumbnail index pressing this button allows you to browse by a page of 9 images at a time.
	Play Return to shooting mode, the same can be achieved by simply half-pressing the shutter release button.
	Erase Press the Erase button to display an "[Cancel] [Erase] [All] " option. All option allows you to remove all the images on the CF card except those which have been protected.
	Cursor buttons Press the left or right buttons to browse through images, also be used to navigate menu options.
	Main dial Turn the dial left or right to browse through images, the dial can also be used to navigate menu options.

Front of camera controls

On the front right side of the camera are the final set of camera controls. First is the flash open button, a press of this will electronically release the flash unit. Below the lens release button is the depth of field preview button, hold this and the lens stops down to the indicated aperture to give a preview of the depth of field through the viewfinder.