Canon PowerShot G6 Review: Digital Photography Review

Rear of camera controls (contd.)

Record Mode buttons

Macro Focus

Switches the camera's auto focus system between normal focus range and macro focus range. Available in all exposure modes except Landscape.

Manual Focus

Press the MF button to enter manual focus mode, roll the control dial to change focus position, click the dial to lock the focus. During manual focus the center area of the frame is magnified to help pick the focus point, at the same time a ruler is shown on the right side of the frame with a distance readout.

Auto Exposure Lock (AE-Lock / FE-Lock)

Takes an exposure reading and locks it for the next shot. Only available in P, Tv and Av exposure modes. If you have the flash enabled the camera will fire the flash and take a meter reading against the flash output (known as FE Lock), lock it and use it for the next shot. Note that you can select equivalent exposures (exposure shift) in P, Av and Tv after AE-Lock by rolling the command dial.

Exposure Compensation

Displays the exposure compensation meter on the screen, use the command dial to modify exposure compensation +/-2.0 EV in 0.3 EV steps. Depress the command dial to remove the meter.

White Balance

• Auto
• Sunny
• Cloudy
• Incandescent
• Fluorescent
• Fluorescent High
• Flash
• Manual 1
• Manual 2

SET / AF Frame selection

In record mode pressing this button allows you to move the AF area around the frame to any one of 345 positions (a 23 x 15 grid). Press and hold to reset the AF frame to the center area.

Enter / Leave the Record Menu

Pressing this button in record or play mode enters that mode's settings menu (described in detail on the next pages of this review).

FUNC button

The FUNC button displays an overlaid menu which provides access to several photographic settings. In Auto exposure mode you can only modify the Image Size / Quality, in Scene exposure modes the available settings vary. All settings are available in the creative record exposure modes (P, Tv, Av, M or C). Settings appear in a column down the left side of the display, use the arrow keys to move up and down each option and the roll the command dial or press left / right arrow keys to change. Note that the icons used below to represent each setting are the default for that setting and that the icon will change once a setting change is made.

	Sensitivity	Auto, ISO 50, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400
	Photo Effect	Off, Vivid, Neutral, Low Sharpening, Sepia, B&W, Custom (Contrast, Sharpness, Saturation)
	Bracketing	Exposure: 3 frames: 0/+/- 0.3 to 2.0 EV Focus: 3 frames: +/- 1, 2, 3
	Flash output	+/-2 EV in 0.3 EV steps Three levels in manual flash mode
	Image quality	Super Fine, Fine, Normal
	Image size	3072 x 2304, 2592 x 1944, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, 640 x 480, RAW

Record review mode (during image review after taking a shot)

	SET / Shutter release button Freezes the image review until the shutter release is half-pressed.
	Flash button (save as RAW) Pressing the Flash button during record review provides you with the option to change the current image to RAW format. This means that you can shoot JPEG and if you realize you have a very important shot you can press FUNC and save it as a RAW instead. Very useful, very clever.
	Erase image Erases the image, requires confirmation: Erase / Cancel.
	Record voice annotation Allows you to record a voice annotation which will have the same filename as the recorded image, the review image is overlaid with a record bar, this allows you to record a WAVE file of up to 60 seconds.

Play Mode buttons

	Toggle Thumbnail view Toggles between display of full screen image or 3 x 3 thumbnails on the LCD screen.
	Record / play voice annotation Allows you to record a voice annotation which will have the same filename as the recorded image, the review image is overlaid with a record bar, this allows you to record a WAVE file of up to 60 seconds.
	Setting / Menu confirm Used to confirm changed camera settings or options in the camera menus.
	Enter / Leave the Play Menu Pressing this button in record or play mode enters that mode's settings menu (described in detail on the next pages of this review).
	Display Mode Toggles between three LCD display modes: Image only display, Image and brief frame information, Image and detailed exposure information.
	Erase image Erases the image, requires confirmation: Erase / Cancel.

Note that you can use the command dial or four way controller to browse through images in play mode.