Rear of camera controls

On the rear of the S40 there's a large empty area for the palm of your hand, above this is the multi-controller, a new combined 4-way cursor control and SET button (which I personally DID NOT like) and the 'shooting priority' play mode which you enter by sliding the play lever to the right (lens cover open or not).

Record Mode

Flash Mode

Toggles through the flash modes: Auto Flash, Redeye reduction Auto, Redeye Reduction Fill-in, Fill-in, Forced Off. (The availability of different flash modes varies with the selected exposure mode). Flash mode is displayed on the rear LCD.
Macro Focus

Switches the cameras autofocus system between normal focus range (70 cm +) and macro focus range (10/30 cm - 80 cm).
Enter play mode ('shooting priority' type)

Pushing this lever to the right enters play mode. You can leave play mode by either pressing the lever again or by half-pressing the shutter release.
SET / AF Frame selection

In record mode pressing this button displays three AF area frames on the screen [ ] [ ] [ ], use the left and right direction buttons to select the frame to use for auto focus. In menus / settings displays this button also doubles as setting confirmation. This control is particularly difficult to master, it requires a 'punch' of the multi-controller.. I would have preferred a separate SET button.
Multifunction Button

This button scrolls between four different camera settings:

Exposure compensation: +/-2 EV in 0.3 EV steps
White balance: Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Fluorescent High, Flash, Manual Preset
Bracketing: 3 frames: 0/+/- 0.3, 0.7, 1.0, 1.3, 1.7 or 2.0 EV
Flash output compensation: +/-2 EV in 0.3 EV steps
MF Manual Focus

Hold this button and press and use the up and down arrow keys to focus. There is an automatically scaling ruler readout of distance (in metres and feet) as well as a center-of-frame magnified 'loupe' which helps ensure focusing while leaving the rest of the frame visible. There are over 60 manual focus positions.
Metering

Select a metering mode: Evaluative, Center-weighted Average, Spot
DISPLAY Display Mode

Toggles between three LCD display modes: Image only display, Image and brief frame information, Image and detailed exposure information with histogram.
MENU 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).

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

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:
SET / Shutter release button

Freezes the image review until the shutter release is half-pressed.

Play Mode

Toggle Thumbnail view

Toggles between display of full screen image or 3 x 3 thumbnails on the LCD screen.
JUMP Jump

Enters a special mode which allows you to jump through playback images by 10 frames forward or backward.
Leave play mode

Return to shooting mode, a shortcut for this is a half-press of the shutter release.
Erase image

Erases the image, requires confirmation: Erase / Cancel.

Record voice annotation

Allows you to record a voice annotation will have the same filename as the image, the review image is overlaid with a record bar, this allows you to record a WAVE file of up to 60 seconds:
DISPLAY Display Mode

Toggles between three LCD display modes: Image only display, Image and brief frame information, Image and detailed exposure information.
Setting / Menu confirm

Used to confirm changed camera settings or options in the camera menus.
MENU 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).