Olympus Camedia E-100 Rapid ShotOlympus unleashes a 1.5 megapixel speed demon: By FAR the fastest digicam we've tested to date!<<Operation & User Interface :(Previous) | (Next): Image Storage & Interface>> Page 9:Camera Modes & MenusReview First Posted: 1/18/2001 |
Camera Modes and Menus
Movie Mode: Accessed by turning the Mode dial to the movie camera symbol, this mode allows the camera to record moving images with or without sound. Recording begins when the shutter button is fully pressed, and ends when the shutter button is pressed again. Aperture and shutter speed are automatically controlled, but the majority of the remaining exposure variables are available.
Scene Program: Noted on the mode dial as "S-Prg," this mode offers four shooting scenarios:
- Portrait: Uses a large aperture setting to decrease the depth of field, keeping the subject in focus and the background blurred.
- Sports: Shoots with fast shutter speeds to freeze action.
- Landscape: Sets the lens aperture to a smaller setting to increase the depth of field, maintaining focus in both the foreground and background.
- Night: Uses a slower shutter speed to allow more ambient light to be recorded in night and twilight scenes.
Manual Mode: Manual exposure mode, marked on the mode dial as "M," places the user in control of both shutter speed and aperture. Available shutter speeds range from 1/10,000 to 16 seconds, and aperture settings range from f/2.8 to f/8.0. All other exposure variables are available to the user, with the exception of exposure compensation and auto bracketing.
Shutter Priority Mode: Indicated by the "S" on the mode dial, Shutter Priority mode allows the user to set the shutter speed (from 1/10,000 to two seconds) using the Up and Down Arrow buttons, while the camera selects the best corresponding lens aperture. All other exposure variables are available.
Aperture Priority Mode: The next setting on the mode dial, marked with an "A," Aperture Priority mode works similarly to Shutter Priority, only the user now has control over the aperture setting (from f/2.8 to f/8 in wide-angle and f/3.5 to f/8 in telephoto setting), while the camera selects the shutter speed. As with Shutter Priority mode, all other exposure settings are available.
Program Mode: Program mode, marked as a "P" on the mode dial, automatically controls both the aperture and shutter speed. The user maintains control over all other exposure settings.
Record Menu: The E-100RS Record settings menu is available in all Record modes, and is accessed by pressing the Menu button. (Not all options are available in Movie mode.) The following Record options are available:
SM/CF: Selects which type of memory card is in use. Options are SmartMedia (SM) or CompactFlash (CF).
- Sequence Speed: Sets the frame rate for sequential shooting. Options are 15, 7.5, 5.0, or 3.0 frames per second.
- Pre-Capture: Activates or deactivates the Pre-Capture mode, which begins recording a series of images as soon as the shutter button is pressed halfway. Images are recorded to a memory buffer until the shutter button is fully depressed. Then, only the last few images are recorded to the memory card. The number of images recorded depends on the number set in the Pre-Capture menu, from one to five images. Pre-Capture options are: Off, On x1, x2, x3, x4, and x5.
- White Balance: Adjusts the white balance setting, depending on the light source. Options are:
- Auto: Automatically sets the white value.
- Pre-Set: Offers a range of light sources, including Daylight, Cloudy, Incandescent, and Fluorescent.
- Manual: Manually determines the white balance by taking a reading from a piece of white paper held in front of the lens.
Flash Exposure Compensation: Controls the flash intensity setting from -2 to +2 exposure equivalents (EV) in one-third-step increments (not available in Movie mode).
- Slow Synchronization: Activates the Slow Synchronization flash mode, with two options: Slow 1 or Slow 2. Slow 1 fires the flash at the beginning of a slow shutter speed, and Slow 2 fires the flash at the end of the shutter. (Also not available with Movie mode.)
- Auto Bracketing (BKT): Auto bracketing captures a series of images at different exposure compensation or white balance levels (or both). Exposure compensation can vary by 1.0, 0.6, or 0.3 EV steps, and can consist of three or five shots. A white balance series can vary by 1.0, 2.0, or 3.0 steps.
- Multi-Metering: Enables the Multi-Metering option, which allows the user to base the exposure on an average of up to eight separate Auto-Exposure Lock (AEL) readings taken of the image.
Image Stabilization: Represented by the shaking hand icon, this function turns the Image Stabilization feature on or off. (Image Stabilization helps reduce blurring due to camera movement.)
- Autofocus Mode: Sets the autofocus mechanism to Normal or Spot. Normal AF bases the focus on the entire image area, while Spot AF determines focus from the center of the image.
- Full-Time AF: Activates the Full-Time Autofocus function, which signals the camera to always maintain focus in the viewfinder. When Full-Time AF is canceled, focus is set only when the shutter button is halfway depressed.
- Super Tele: Turns the 2.7x digital zoom on or off.
Function: Enables the Black & White capture mode, which records images in monochrome.
- Card Setup: Formats the memory card and erases all of the images (even those that are protected).
- Sound: Turns on the sound memo record feature to record four-second sound clips after an image capture. (In Movie mode, this setting controls whether or not sound is recorded with movies.)
Mode Setup: Displays a sub-menu to adjust camera settings:
- All Reset: Resets all Mode Setup options to their factory defaults.
- Sharpness: Adjusts the image sharpness setting to Hard, Normal, or Soft.
- TIFF: Sets the uncompressed TIFF image size. Choices are 1,360 x 1,024-, 1,280 x 960-, 1,024 x 768-, and 640 x 480-pixel resolution. (Unavailable in Movie mode.)
- SQ: Selects the image size and quality settings in Standard Quality (SQ) mode. Choices are 1,280 x 960-, 1,024 x 768-, and 640 x 480-pixel resolution, each with a High or Normal quality setting. (Unavailable in Movie mode.)
- Shutter Sound: Adjusts the shutter sound volume and type. Two sound types are available, both with a Low, Middle, or High volume setting. (Not available in Movie mode.)
- Camera Volume: Adjusts the volume of other camera sounds to Off, Low, or High.
- AF Illuminator: Turns the Autofocus Assist light on or off. (Not available in Movie mode.)
- Record View: Turns on the image preview function, which displays the previously recorded image on the LCD monitor for a few seconds before recording it.
- Sleep: Sets the amount of time before the camera shuts itself off when it is not in use. Settings are Off, 30 seconds, one minute, two minutes, and five minutes.
- File Name: Controls whether the file naming is reset with each new memory card or continued sequentially from card to card.
- Shot Cancel: Cancels storing images on the memory card. (Not available in Movie mode.)
- LCD Brightness: Adjusts the brightness of the LCD monitor and viewfinder.
- Date and Time: Sets the camera's internal date and time.
- M/Ft: Sets the distance scale to meters or feet.
- Rate: Establishes the Movie frame rate as 15 or 30 frames per second.
- ISO: Controls the camera's light sensitivity. Options are Auto, 100, 200, or 400 ISO equivalents.
- Scene Program: Selects the Scene Program mode to use. Options are Portrait, Sports, Landscape, and Night.
- Image Quality/Size: Sets the image quality and size. Options are uncompressed TIFF, SHQ (low compression, 1,360 x 1,024-pixel resolution), HQ (standard compression, 1,360 x 1,024-pixel resolution), and SQ (standard JPEG, 640 x 480-pixel resolution, unless set otherwise in Mode Setup). (In Movie mode, HQ and SQ only are available, where HQ is 640 x 480 pixels and SQ is 320 x 240 pixels.)
Playback Mode: Marked on the Mode dial with the traditional green playback symbol, Playback mode allows the user to review captured images and movies. Files can be set up for printing on Diigital Print Order Function (DPOF) devices, erased, protected, enlarged, viewed as an index, or played back as a slide show. Sound clips can also be recorded to accompany still images. Pressing the Menu button displays the following Playback menu options:
SM/CF: Selects which type of memory card is in use. Options are SmartMedia (SM) or CompacFlash (CF).
- Slide Show: Automatically displays captured still images, one at a time, in a slide show format. (Still images only.)
- Movie Play: Begins the movie playback. (Movie files only.)
- Copy: Copies all images or selected images from the SmartMedia card to CompactFlash or vice versa.
- Sound: Records four-second sound clips to accompany still images.
Volume: Adjusts the volume for image sound clips.
- Card Setup: Formats the memory card and erases all images, including those that are write-protected.
- Mode Setup: Pulls up the same Mode Setup menu as in Record mode, with the addition of the following option:
- All Reset: Controls which camera settings are reset when the power is turned off and back on again. Through the Custom sub-menu, you can control which of a wide variety of camera settings will be retained.
- Sound Volume: Adjust the sound volume for movie playback. (This function can also be accessed via the arrow keys while a movie file is playing.)
- Sleep Delay: Adjust how long the camera will remain operating without any control actuations before turning itself off. Options range include Off (never shut down) or four settings from 30 seconds to five minutes.
- Index Display: Establishes the number of thumbnail images displayed on the screen at one time. Choices are four, nine, or 16
- LCD Brightness: Adjusts the brightness of the LCD monitor and viewfinder.
- Date and Time: Sets the camera's internal date and time.
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