Rear of camera controls

Just like the EOS 10D the EOS 300D has a column of buttons down the left side of the LCD monitor, all of these associated with the monitor or actions carried out on it. On the right side of the LCD monitor is the exposure compensation button, backlight button and four way controller (which provides white balance and ISO control in shooting mode).

Shooting mode

Button Operation
 
Enter / Leave the Menu

The camera menu is described on the following pages of this review.
Information

Displays a page on the LCD monitor summarizing the current camera settings.
Play

Displays the last image shot (the last image on the card). The EOS 300D 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 (example half-pressing the shutter release) are accessed.

Erase (record review)

During record review press the Erase button to display an "Erase [Cancel] [OK]" option, selecting OK removes the image from the CF card before it is finalized.
Exposure compensation / Aperture

Hold this button and turn the main dial to change exposure compensation (+/- 2.0 EV in 0.3 EV steps). In manual exposure mode hold this button to change aperture.
Backlight

Press this button to activate the LCD panel backlight, the light stays on for five seconds.
ISO sensitivity

Press once then roll the main dial to change ISO sensitivity:
 • 100
 • 200
 • 400
 • 800
 • 1600
White Balance

Press once then roll the main dial to change White Balance:
 • Auto
 • Daylight
 • Shade
 • Cloudy
 • Tungsten
 • Fluorescent
 • Flash
 • Custom
Four way controller

Navigate menu options / pop-up options.

Play mode

Button Operation
 
Enter / Leave the Menu

The camera menu is described on the following pages of this review.
Information

Switches between two different play display modes:
 • Single image view with folder, file number, exposure and frame count
 • Thumbnail image with exposure information, histogram and blinking highlights
Jump mode

Enters jump mode which allows you to skip through images by 9 frames forward or backward (in single view or thumbnail index mode).
Play

Leaves play mode. You can also leave play mode by simply half-pressing the shutter release button.

Erase

Press the Erase button to display an "Erase [Cancel] [Erase] [All...] " option, the All option allows you to remove all the images on the CF card except those which have been protected.
Four way controller

Press to left or right to browse through images on the compact flash card. Also used to navigate menu options / pop-up options.

Under your thumb

On the right top corner of the camera "under your thumb" are two buttons. Firstly is AE / FE lock button (press to set), in play mode this is used to reduce magnification or enter thumbnail index view. Secondly is the AF point selection button, press and then roll the main dial to change AF point. In play mode the second button is used to magnify the displayed image.

Shooting mode

Button Operation
 
AE / FE Lock

Press to trigger automatic exposure and lock the exposure for the next shot. Hold the button during shutter release to lock the exposure for more than one shot.
AF point button

Press to change the active AF points, either a single AF point of the seven or auto AF point selection. Press the button once and then turn the main dial.

Play mode

Button Operation
 
Thumbnail index / reduce magnification

If in single view play mode pressing this button will switch to a 3 x 3 thumbnail index. If already magnified it will step back in magnification levels once.

Magnify

Press to magnify the current image, there fifteen steps up to a maximum magnification of 10x. Use the four way controller to scroll around the image. Note that it is possible to browse while magnified by turning the main dial.

Lens mount controls

On the side of the lens mount are the final set of camera controls. First is the flash open button, a press of this (assuming the exposure mode allows flash) will pop-up the onboard flash (this is electronic).

Below the lens release button is the depth of field preview button (positioned just right for a tap from your thumb when supporting the lens), press this and the lens stops down to the indicated aperture to give a preview of the depth of field through the viewfinder.