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Canon EOS D30 Digital SLR Canon's first digital SLR packs 3 megapixels of CMOS sensor into a speedy, compact body! (Smallest/lightest digital SLR as of August, 2000) Select a topic Reference: Datasheet EOS D30 Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Design 3. Internal Design(!) 4. CMOS versus CCD & what's it all mean? 5. Viewfinder 6. Optics 7. Exposure & Flash 8. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 9. User Interface 10. Camera Modes & Menus 11. Image Storage & Interface 12. Video, Power, Software 13. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<User Interface :(Previous) | (Next): Image Storage & Interface>> Page 10:Camera Modes & Menus Review First Posted: 8/27/2000

Camera Modes and Menus


Night Scene Mode: The first mode in the "Easy Shooting Zone", Night Scene is for taking pictures of people at sunset or at night. The autofocus mode is automatically set to One Shot. Drive mode is set to Single Shot, and metering mode is set to Evaluative. Quality is also automatically set, to the 2160 x 1440 Fine compression level. Since slower shutter speeds will be used, a tripod is recommended to prevent movement from the camera. The built-in flash is available, and the ISO setting is adjustable (a speed of 400 or faster is recommended). If the shutter speed chosen by the camera is longer than about 1/60 second, the flash will pop up automatically. If Night Scene mode is used in daylight, the camera operates the same as in Full Automatic mode.


Sports Mode: This mode uses a faster shutter speed to capture fast-moving subjects. The autofocus mode is automatically set to AI Servo. Drive mode is set to Continuous Shooting, and metering mode is set to Evaluative. Quality is automatically set to the 2160 x 1440 Fine compression level.The onboard flash isn't available in this mode (since it can't cycle fast enough to keep up with the continuous exposure mode), but ISO is adjustable (a setting of 400 or faster is recommended).


Close-Up Mode (Macro Mode): Turning the mode dial to the macro flower symbol sets the camera for capturing smaller subjects such as flowers, small details, etc. The autofocus mode is automatically adjusted to One Shot, the drive mode is set to Single Shot, and the metering mode is set to Evaluative. Image quality setting is again set to 2160 x 1440 Fine. Close-up mode takes advantage of the current lens' minimum focal distance, however, an EOS dedicated macro lens and the Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX are recommended for better close-up photography. (Unlike the macro mode on most consumer digicams, Macro mode on the D30 has no effect on lens focusing range, as that parameter is entirely determined by the lens being used.)


Landscape Mode: Landscape mode combines slower shutter speeds with smaller aperture settings to increase the depth of field when shooting broad vistas and sweeping landscapes. The built-in flash is automatically disabled, even if it's already raised. Because this mode uses slower shutter speeds, a tripod may be needed. Image quality is set to 2160 x 1440 Fine.


Portrait Mode: This mode uses a large aperture setting to decrease the depth of field, which blurs the background to emphasize the subject. ISO is adjustable and the built-in flash may be used. As with the previous modes, image quality is automatically set to 2160 x 1440 Fine.


Full Automatic Mode: The final mode in the Easy Shooting Zone, Full Automatic is indicated on the Mode Dial by a green rectangular outline. In this mode, the camera makes all exposure decisions with the exception of ISO, which is adjustable through the menu system. Image quality is again set to 2160 x 1440 Fine, autofocus mode is set to AI Servo, drive mode is set to Single Shot, and the metering mode is set to Evaluative.


Program AE: This is the first mode in the Creative Zone of the Mode Dial. Program AE works similarly to the Full Automatic exposure mode, but allows more control over the exposure variables. Aperture and shutter speed are automatically selected by the camera, but you can bias the exposure to larger or smaller apertures by turning the Main control dial, which will change the combination of aperture and shutter speed so as to maintain the same exposure value, but with a different choice of aperture/shutter speed. Turning the Quick Control dial in this mode adjusts the exposure compensation setting, to increase or decrease overall exposure.


Shutter Speed Priority AE: This mode allows you to manually set the shutter speed anywhere from 30 to 1/4,000 seconds, while the camera chooses the best corresponding aperture setting. You have control over all other exposure variables, including exposure compensation.


Aperture Priority AE: The opposite of Shutter Speed Priority mode, Aperture Priority AE allows you to set the lens aperture (with available ranges depending on the lens in use), while the camera selects the most appropriate shutter speed. Again, you have control over all other exposure variables, including exposure compensation.


Manual Exposure: This mode provides the same range of exposure control as the other Creative Zone exposure modes (except for exposure compensation), but lets you control both shutter speed and lens aperture independently. The shutter speed range is extended to include a bulb setting, allowing long exposures from one to 999 seconds. A display in the top LCD panel reports whether your settings are under, over, or correctly exposed.


Automatic Depth of Field AE: This is the final mode in the Creative Zone, and is meant for taking pictures of large groups or landscapes. This mode puts the camera in control of both the shutter speed and aperture values, but you can adjust the other exposure variables. (This mode cannot be used if the lens focus mode is set to manual.) When shooting in Automatic Depth of Field AE, the camera sets both the exposure and focus distance to achieve a sharp focus over a wide depth of field. It uses the autofocus system to measure the distance to the subjects covered by each of the three autofocus zones, and then attempts to set the focusing distance and lens aperture so as to render all three subject areas in sharp focus. (Pretty slick!)

Playback Mode: This mode is entered by pressing the Play button on the back panel. Playback mode lets you erase images, protect them, or set them up for printing on DPOF compatible devices. You can also view images in an index display, enlarge images to 3x, view a slide show of all capured images, or rotate an image. The Info. button activates an information display, which reports the exposure settings for the image and graphs the exposure values on a small histogram.

Operating Menu: This menu is available in all of the camera modes, though a few of the capture-related options are only available in the Creative Zone. Pressing the Menu button calls up the Operating menu.

• Quality: Sets the image size and the compression ratio (Creative Zone only). Options are Large/Fine (2160 x 1440), Large/Normal (2160 x 1440), Small/Fine (1440 x 960), Small/Normal (1440 x 960), and RAW (2160 x 1440, with lossless compression).
• Red Eye Reduction: Turns the Red Eye Reduction flash mode on or off (when on, the Red Eye pre-flash fires before every flash exposure).
• Auto Exposure Bracketing: Sets the step size for the Auto Exposure Bracketing mode, to cover a total range of -1/3 to +1/3 EV to -2 to +2 EV (Creative Zone only).
• ISO speed: Selects the cameras's equivalent ISO light sensitivity to values of 100, 200, 400, 800, or 1600.
• Beep: Turns the electronic beep sound on or off.
• Custom White Balance: Allows you to manually establish the white value by referencing a shot of a white card (Creative Zone only). (This mode on the D30 is a little unusual, in that it makes use of a previously-shot image of a white card, allowing you to store several white-point references on the camera's memory card and switch between them. It also allows a white reference to be shared between multiple photographers shooting the same event, simply by putting the same white reference image on each of their memory cards. Very handy!)
• Parameters: Lets you reference any of up to three sets of image-processing parameters loaded into the camera through the accompanying software. These parameters can affect contrast, sharpness, and color saturation adjustments in the same way that the ZoomBrowser software does when processing RAW format images.
• Protect: Protects the currently displayed image against accidental deletion, apart from card formatting.
  
• Rotate: Rotates the currently displayed image 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.
• Print Order: Allows you to set up images for printing on any DPOF compatible device. Print options include setting the number of prints, and whether or not the date and/or file number is printed as well.
• Auto Playback: Automatically plays captured images in sequential order as a slide show.
• Auto Power Off: Sets the amount of time of inactivity before the camera shuts itself off. Time options are one, two, four, eight, 15, or 30 seconds. Alternatively, you can disable the automatic shutoff entirely.
• Review: Determines whether images appear on the LCD monitor immediately after they are taken. Options are On, On (Info), or Off. The On (Info) setting displays the image along with an exposure information readout and histogram.
• Review Time: When the Review function is set to On or On (Info), this setting controls the amount of time that images are displayed in the review, with options of two seconds, four seconds, eight seconds, or Hold (which displays the image until the Set button is pressed, or the shutter button is halfway pressed).
• LCD Brightness: Adjusts the LCD brightness to Standard or Bright.
  
• Date/Time: Sets the camera's internal date and time.
• File Numbering: Extends consecutive file numbering between media cards or resets numbering with each new card.
• Language: Sets the menu language to English, German, French, or Japanese.
• Video System: Selects either NTSC or PAL video timing formats.
• Format CF Card: Reformats the CompactFlash card, which erases all files (even protected ones).
• Custom Functions: Sets a variety of custom camera functions for individual camera users. Functions include:
  • Long Exposure Noise Reduction: Reduces the image noise which occurs in long exposures or bulb shots, but also extends the image processing time. Options are On and Off. Only takes effect for exposure times of one second or greater. (Works really well.)
  • Shutter Button/AE Lock Button: Allows you to determine focus and exposure either separately or together when the shutter button is halfway pressed.
  • Mirror Lock Up: Enables or disables the mirror lockup function, to minimize blurring from camera vibration caused by mirror movement in close-up and telephoto shots. When enabled, the first press of the shutter button locks up the mirror, while the second press actually triggers the shutter.
  • Exposure Level: Sets the adjustment increment for exposure compensation. Options are 1/3 or 1/2 EV increments.
  • AF Assist Light: Turns the autofocus assist light on or off. The AF assist light helps the camera focus in dark shooting situations.
  • Shutter Speed in Aperture Priority Mode with Flash: Sets the shutter speed for Aperture Priority mode to 1/200 seconds or to Automatic adjustment. (Intended for flash photography only.)
  • AEB Sequence: Selects one of two Auto Exposure Bracketing sequence variations. (0/-/+ or -/0/+) Also determines whether the autoexposure bracketing remains enabled for the next exposure or not.
  • Shutter Curtain Sync: Sets the flash to fire with either the first or second shutter curtain.
  • Lens AF Stop Button: Controls the operation of the "AF Stop" button on the lens, if present. (Many lenses do not have this option.) Determines whether the AF stop button disables or enables auto focusing, or whether it serves to lock exposure and start the exposure timer.
  • Auto Reduction Fill Flash: Programs the flash to cut back its power for fill-flash operation under daylight shooting conditions.
  • Menu Button Return Position: Designates whether the menu returns to the last setting changed or to the first menu option when the Menu button is pressed.
  • Set Button Function When Shooting: Programs the Set button to make quick changes while shooting. The Set button can control either image quality or ISO speed, or may be disabled in capture modes.
  • Sensor Cleaning: This function must be turned on when cleaning the imaging element. It locks up the mirror and holds the shutter open so you can access the CMOS sensor with cleaning implements. (IR Editors note: Use extreme caution!)