Manual record menu (P, Tv, Av, M modes)

Pressing the MENU button while in one of the manual record modes displays the record menu over the live preview. The menu layout will be easily recognizable to Powershot S series users with the same tabbed layout.

Here we're covering all options in the manual record menu because all other record menus are simply subsets of this (for example you can't select ISO or RAW mode in AUTO record, otherwise the menus are the same).

Select one of four image resolutions:

• Large (2272 x 1704)
• Medium1 (1600 x 1200)
• Medium2 (1024 x 768)
• Small (640 x 480)

Note: Previously the G1 only supported three image sizes, the G2 now has M1 & M2.

Chooses one of three JPEG compression ratios:

• Super-fine (5 bpp, 4:1)
• Fine (3 bpp, 8:1)
• Normal (2 bpp, 12:1)

The G2 displays approx. remaining frames in the bottom corner of the menu.

Selects either JPEG or RAW file format. In RAW format the image is stored as raw data directly from the CCD without any in-camera processing (no sharpening, level correction, colour correction or white balance applied). The files are named .CRW and compressed using a lossless compression (similar to Zip). A RAW file is approximately 3 MB.

You need to use the supplied TWAIN driver or RAW file converter to read RAW files.

Select one of five ISO settings:

• Auto (50 - 100)
• 50
• 100
• 200
 • 400

Choose digital zoom setting:

• On
• Off

Digital zoom on the G2 operates as a 'past telephoto' feature and has up to four additional 'zoom positions'.

Choose single or continuous autofocus. Continuous autofocus causes the cameras focus system to continually recalculate the focus and correct it if necessary, it's useful as it reduces the AF delay at shutter release..

Select metering mode:

• Evaluative
• Center-weighted average

Note that spot metering doesn't appear on this menu as it has a dedicated button on the back of the camera.

Select spot metering option:

• Center (of frame)
• AF point

Allows you to choose between spot metering the center of the frame or using the selected AF point (left, center or right) to also use for metering.

Select continuous shooting mode:

• Normal (1.5 fps, max 9 images)
• High-Speed (2.5 fps, max 5 images)

Display a review image for 2 or 10 seconds or not at all. With Review disabled the G2 feels much more responsive as the live view returns immediately. This is really a matter of personal choice and the scene circumstances.

Controls whether the running number used to name files (either IMG_xxxx or CRW_xxxx) is reset every time the CF card is changed or if a running number is continued until it reaches 9999 and then returned to 0000.

Display a review image for 2 or 10 seconds or not at all. With Review disabled the G2 feels much more responsive as the live view returns immediately. This is really a matter of personal choice and the scene circumstances.

Contrast, Sharpness and Saturation

These three settings allow you to adjust the cameras internal image processing algorithms by one level positive or negative. This allows for more or less image contrast, more or less sharpening and more or less colour saturation. I wish there was some on screen indication that you had these values set from anything but their defaults. It was far too easy to change these settings for one or two shots and forget you had them set for the rest of the session.