Canon Digital Rebel Xti Firmware 1.1.1

CNI 0

Flash exp compWB SHIFT/BKT Custom WB

Color space

► sRGB

Picture Style

Adobe RGB

Dust Delete Data

Standard

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Portrait

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Landscape

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Neutral

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Faithful

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The Digital Rebel XT is smart enough to use picture styles on its own. When using one of the Basic Zone modes, the camera selects the Standard picture style automatically, except if you select the Portrait or Landscape modes. The Portrait and Landscape picture styles will be used (respectively) instead.

Defining Picture Styles

Canon makes interpreting current picture style settings and applying changes very easy. The current settings are shown as numeric values on the menu screen shown in Figure 3.12. Some camera vendors use word descriptions, like Sharp, Extra Sharp or Vivid, More Vivid that are difficult to relate to. The XT's settings, on the other hand, are values on uniform scales, with seven steps (from 1 to 7) for sharpness, and plus/minus four steps clustered around a zero (no change) value for contrast and saturation (so you can change from low contrast/low saturation, -4, to high contrast/high saturation, +4), as well as color tone (-4/reddish to +4/yellowish). The individual icons represent (left to right) Sharpness, Contrast, Saturation, and Color Tone. To change one of the existing picture styles, or to define your own, just follow these steps:

1. Access the Picture Style menu and use the Main Dial to scroll to the style you'd like to adjust.

2. Press the Jump button. The Main Dial can scroll among the four parameters, plus Default at the bottom of the screen, which restores the values to the preset numbers.

3. Press Set to change the values of one of the four parameters. If you're redefining one of the default presets, the menu screen will look like Figure 3.13, which represents the Landscape picture style.

4. Use the Main Dial to move the blue triangle to the value you want to use. Note that the previous value remains on the scale, represented by a gray triangle. This makes it easy to return to the original setting if you want.

5. Press the Set button to lock in that value, and then press the Menu button three times to back out of the menu system.

Any picture style that has been changed from its defaults will be shown in the Picture Style menu with blue highlighting the altered parameter. You don't need to worry about changing a picture style and then forgetting that you've modified it. A quick glance at the Picture Style menu will show you which styles and parameters have been changed. Figure 3.14 shows changes being made to a user-definable picture style.

Making changes in the Monochrome picture style is slightly different, as the Saturation and Color Tone parameters are replaced with Filter Effect and Toning Effect options. (Keep in mind that once you've taken a photo using a

Monochrome picture style, you can't convert the image back to full color.) You can choose from Yellow, Orange, Red, Green filters, or None, and specify Sepia, Blue, Purple or Green toning, or None. You can still set the Sharpness and Contrast parameters that are available with the other picture styles. Figure 3.15 shows filter effects being applied to the Monochrome picture style.

Figure 3.13 Each parameter can be changed separately.

Figure 3.14 Set your own parameters for a user-definable style.

FILTERS VS. TONING

Although some of the color choices overlap, you'll get very different looks when choosing between Filter Effects and Toning Effects. Filter Effects add no color to the monochrome image. Instead, they reproduce the look of black-and-white film that has been shot through a color filter. That is, Yellow will make the sky darker and the clouds will stand out more, while Orange makes the sky even darker and sunsets more full of detail. The Red filter produces the darkest sky of all and darkens green objects, such as leaves. Human skin may appear lighter than normal. The Green filter has the opposite effect on leaves, making them appear lighter in tone. Figure 3.16 shows the same scene shot with no filter, then yellow, green, and red filters.

The Sepia, Blue, Purple, and Green toning effects, on the other hand, all add a color cast to your monochrome image. Use these when you want an old-time look or a special effect, without bothering to recolor your shots in an image editor.

Figure 3.15 Select from among four color filters in the Monochrome picture style.

Figure 3.16 No filter (upper left); yellow filter (upper right); green filter (lower left); and red filter (lower right).

Dust Delete Data

This menu choice lets you 'take a picture' of any dust or other particles that may be adhering to your sensor. The Rebel XTi will then append information about the location of this dust to your photos, so that Digital Photo Professional can use this reference information to identify dust in your images and remove it automatically. You should capture a Dust Delete Data photo from time to time as your final line of defense against sensor dust.

To use this feature, select Dust Delete Data to produce the screen shown in Figure 3.17. Select OK and press the Set button. The camera will first perform a self-cleaning operation by applying ultrasonic vibration to the low-pass filter that resides on top of the sensor. Then, a screen will appear asking you to press the shutter button. Point the XTi at a solid white card with the lens set on manual focus and rotate the focus ring to infinity. When you press the shutter release, the camera takes a photo of the card using aperture priority and f/22 (which provides enough depth-of-field (actually, in this case depth-of-focus) to image the dust sharply. The 'picture' is not saved to your Compact Flash card but, rather, is stored in a special memory area in the camera. Finally, a 'Data obtained' screen appears.

The Delete Dust Data information is retained in the camera until you update it by taking a new 'picture.' The XTi adds the information to each image file automatically.

Figure 3.17 Capturing dust delete data.

Dust Delete Data

Obtaining the data for erasing dust with software. Refer to Instruction Manual. Updated: 09/02/07 10:24

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Playback Menu Options

The blue-coded Playback menu (see Figure 3.18) is where you select options related to the display, review, and printing of the photos you've taken. The choices you'll find include:

■ Print Order

■ Transfer Order

■ Review Time

■ Histogram

Figure 3.18 The Playback menu offers options for display, review, and printing.

[Protect Rotate Print order Transfer order Auto play Review time Histogram

2 sec. RGB

Protect

If you want to prevent an image from being accidentally erased (either with the Erase button, or by using the Erase All feature), you can mark that image for protection. To protect one or more images, press the Menu button and choose Protect from the Playback menu. Then use the left/right cross keys or Main Dial to view the image to be protected. Press the Set button to apply the protection. A key icon will appear in the full information display. To remove protection, repeat the process. You can scroll among the other images on your memory card and pro-tect/unprotect them in the same way. Image protection will not save your images from removal when the card is reformatted. I repeat: if you format your memory card, all images, including those that have been 'protected' will be removed.

Rotate

While you can set the Digital Rebel XTi to automatically rotate images taken in a vertical orientation using the Auto Rotate option in the Set-Up menu, if you choose not to activate that feature, you can still manually rotate an image during playback using this menu selection. Select Rotate from the Playback menu, use the left/right cross keys or Main Dial to page through the available images on your memory card until the one you want to rotate appears, and then press Set. The image will appear on the screen rotated 90 degrees, as shown in Figure 3.19. Press Set again, and the image will be rotated 270 degrees.

Figure 3.19 Vertically oriented shots can be rotated on the LCD using the Rotate command in the Playback menu.

Print Order

The Digital Rebel XTi supports the DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) that is now almost universally used by digital cameras to specify which images on your memory card should be printed, and the number of prints desired of each image. This information is recorded on the memory card, and can be interpreted by a compatible printer when the camera is linked to the printer using the USB cable, or when the memory card is inserted into a card reader slot on the printer itself. Photo labs are also equipped to read this data and make prints when you supply your memory card to them.

Transfer Order

You can specify which images are to be transferred to your personal computer when the Digital Rebel XTi is linked to the computer with the USB cable. Individual images are 'marked' using a review and selection system similar to the one used to specify print orders. You'll find more about creating a transfer order in Chapter 8.

Auto Play

Auto Play is a convenient way to review images one after another, without the need to manually switch between them. To activate, just choose Auto Play from the Playback menu. During playback, you can press the Set button to pause the 'slide show' (in case you want to examine an image more closely), or the Disp. button to change the amount of information displayed on the screen with each image. For example, you might want to review a set of images and their histograms to judge the exposure of the group of pictures. Press the Menu button to stop Auto Play.

Review Time

You can adjust the amount of time an image is displayed for review on the LCD after each shot is taken. You can elect to disable this review entirely, or choose display times of 2, 4, or 8 seconds. You can also set an indefinite display, which will keep your image on the screen until you use one of the other controls, such as the shutter button or Main Dial. Turning the review display off or choosing a brief duration can help preserve battery power. However, the Digital Rebel XTi will always override the review display when the shutter button is partially or fully depressed, so you'll never miss a shot because a previous image was on the screen. Choose Review Time from the Playback menu, and select Off, 2 sec., 4 sec., 8 sec., or Hold, as shown in Figure 3.20. If you want to retain an image on the screen for a longer period, but you don't want to use Hold as your default, press the Erase button under the LCD monitor. The image will display until you choose Cancel, Erase, or All from the menu that pops up at the bottom of the screen.

Protect Rotate Print order Transfer order Auto play Review lime Histogram

Histogram

The XTi can show either a Brightness histogram or set of three separate Red, Green, and Blue histograms in the full information display during picture review. Brightness histograms give you information about the overall tonal values present in the image. The RGB histograms can show more advanced users valuable data about specific channels that might be 'clipped' (details are lost in the shadows or highlights). Select Histogram from the Playback menu and choose Brightness or RGB. You can read more about using histograms in Chapter 4.

Set-Up Menu Options

The orange-yellow-coded Set-Up 1 and Set-Up 2 menus (see Figures 3.21 and 3.22) are where you make adjustments on how your camera behaves during your shooting session, as differentiated from the Shooting menus, which adjust how the pictures are actually taken. Your choices include:

■ Auto rotate

■ LCD brightness

Figure 3.20 Adjust the time an image is displayed on the LCD for review after a picture is taken.

Figure 3.21 Set-Up 1 menu.

Figure 3.22 Set-Up 2 menu.

Auto power off 2 min. Auto rotate Off LCD brightness LCD auto off Enable Date/Time 02/01/2008 00:23

File numbering Continuous Format

Figure 3.22 Set-Up 2 menu.

Language English

Video system NTSC

Custom Functions (C. Fn)

Clear settings Sensor cleaning: Auto

Sensor cleaning: Manual Firmware Ver. 1.0.4

■ File numbering

■ Language

■ Video system

■ Custom Functions

■ Clear settings

■ Sensor cleaning: Auto

■ Sensor cleaning: Manual

■ Firmware version

Auto Power Off

This setting enables you to determine how long the Digital Rebel XTi remains active before shutting itself off. You can select 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, or 30 minutes, or Off, which leaves the camera turned on indefinitely. However, even if the camera has shut itself off, if the power switch remains in the On position, you can bring the camera back to life by pressing the shutter button.

Figure 3.23 Auto Power Off.

SAVING POWER WITH THE Digital Rebel XTi

There are five settings and several techniques you can use to help you stretch the longevity of your XTi's battery. The first setting is the Review Time option described earlier under the Playback menu. The LCD uses a lot of juice, so reducing the amount of time it is used (either for automatic review or for manually playing back your images) can boost the effectiveness of your battery. Auto Power Off turns off most functions (metering and autofocus shut off by themselves about six seconds after you release the shutter button or take a picture) based on the delay you specify. The third setting is the LCD Brightness adjustment described later in this chapter. If you're willing to shade the LCD with your hand, you can often get away with lower brightness settings outdoors, which will further increase the useful life of your battery. The fourth setting is Custom Function 11 (described later in this section), which determines whether or not camera settings are shown on the LCD when the XTi is powered on. The fifth setting is the LCD auto off option, also described in this section, which enables/disables shutting off the LCD when the Display-off sensor detects that you've brought the XTi viewfinder to your eye.

The techniques? Use the internal flash as little as possible; no flash at all or fill flash use less power than a full blast. Turn off image stabilization if your lens has that feature and you feel you don't need it. When transferring pictures from your XTi to your computer, use a card reader instead of the USB cable. Linking your camera to your computer and transferring images using the cable takes longer and uses a lot more power.

Auto Rotate

You can turn this feature On or Off. When activated, the Digital Rebel XTi rotates pictures taken in vertical orientation on the LCD screen so you don't have to turn the camera to view them comfortably. However, this orientation also means that the longest dimension of the image is shown using the shortest dimension of the LCD, so the picture is reduced in size.

LCD Brightness

Choose this menu option and a thumbnail image with a grayscale strip appears on the LCD, as shown in Figure 3.24. Use the left/right cross keys or the Main Dial to adjust the brightness to a comfortable viewing level. Brighter settings use more battery power, but they can allow you to view an image on the LCD outdoors in bright sunlight. When you have the brightness you want, press the Set button to lock it in and return to the menu.

Figure 3.24 Adjust LCD

brightness for easier viewing under varying ambient lighting conditions.

Figure 3.24 Adjust LCD

brightness for easier viewing under varying ambient lighting conditions.

LCD Auto Off

When this setting is set to Enable, the LCD will turn off when you bring the viewfinder to your eye. Choose Disable, and the LCD will remain illuminated (although this uses more power). Although the Display-off sensor works well, some people find it annoying to have the LCD blank out when something other than their eye passes near the sensor, so they choose to disable this feature.

Date/Time

Use this option to set the date and time, which will be embedded in the image file along with exposure information and other data.

File Numbering

The Digital Rebel XTi will automatically apply a file number to each picture you take, using consecutive numbering for all your photos over a long period of time, spanning many different memory cards, starting over from scratch when you insert a new card, or when you manually reset the numbers. Numbers are applied from 0001 to 9999, at which time the camera creates a new folder on the card (100, 101, 102, and so forth), so you can have 0001 to 9999 in folder 100, and then numbering will start over in folder 101.

The camera keeps track of the last number used in its internal memory. That can lead to a few quirks you should be aware of. For example, if you insert a memory card that had been used with a different camera, the XTi may start numbering with the next number after the highest number used by the previous camera. (I once had a brand new XTi start numbering files in the 8000 range.) I'll explain how this can happen next.

On the surface, the numbering system seems simple enough: in the menu, you can choose Continuous, Automatic Reset, or Manual Reset. Here is how each works:

■ Continuous. If you're using a blank/reformatted memory card, the XTi will apply a number that is one greater than the number stored in the camera's internal memory. If the card is not blank and contains images, then the next number will be one greater than the highest number on the card or in internal memory. Here are some examples.

■ You've taken 4235 shots with the camera, and you insert a blank/reformatted memory card. The next number assigned will be 4236, based on the value stored in internal memory.

■ You've taken 4235 shots with the camera, and you insert a memory card with a picture numbered 2728. The next picture will be numbered 4236.

■ You've taken 4235 shots with the camera, and you insert a memory card with a picture numbered 8281. The next picture will be numbered 8282, and that value will be stored in the camera's menu as the 'high' shot number (and will be applied when you next insert a blank card).

■ Automatic Reset. If you're using a blank/reformatted memory card, the next photo taken will be numbered 0001. If you use a card that is not blank, the next number will be one greater than the highest number found on the memory card. Each time you insert a memory card, the next number will either be 0001 or one higher than the highest already on the card.

■ Manual Reset. The XTi creates a new folder numbered one higher than the last folder created, and restarts the file numbers at 0001. Then, the camera uses the numbering scheme that was previously set, either Continuous or Automatic Reset, each time you subsequently insert a blank or non-blank memory card.

The Rebel XTi assigns a .JPG extension to JPEG files, and .CR2 extension for RAW files. File names for both types begin with IMG_.

Format

Use this item to erase everything on your memory card and set up a fresh file system ready for use. When you select Format, you'll see a display like Figure 3.25, showing the capacity of the card, how much of that space is currently in use, and two choices at the bottom of the screen to Cancel or OK (proceed with the format). A blue-green bar appears on the screen to show the progress of the formatting step.

Figure 3.25 Reformatting your memory card removes all the data on it and prepares it for use.

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