style="font-size:15px;"> And the rest …
The remaining external features are shown in Figures 1-12 and 1-13 and described in the following list:
Lens-release button: Press this button, labeled in Figure 1-12, to disengage the lens from the lens mount so that you can remove it from the camera. While pressing the button, rotate the lens toward the shutter-button side of the camera to dismount the lens.
Built-in flash “handles”: On previous editions of this camera, you raised the built-in flash by pressing a Flash button on the side of the camera. If you owned any of those cameras, as I did, you may have searched a good while looking for a similar button on the T8i/850D — an expedition, it turns out, which is all for naught. On this camera, there is no Flash button. The only way to raise the built-in flash is to put your thumb and forefinger on the notches found toward the front of the flash — I labeled one “Built-in flash handle” in Figure 1-12 — and lift the flash up. To close the flash, just press down on the top of the flash unit.
Connection ports: Hidden under two rubber doors labeled “connection-terminal covers” in Figure 1-12 are inputs for connecting the camera to various devices. Open the smaller cover to access the connections for a wired remote control or external microphone. Under the larger door, you find a digital terminal for connecting the camera to your computer via USB and an HDMI-out port that sends the signal from your camera to an HDMI-equipped TV. To use either feature, you need to purchase a cable to make the connection. For USB downloading, check the Canon website for the cables that will do the trick. For HDMI output, you can use any HD cable that has a Type-C connection on one end (the end that goes into the camera).See Chapter 12 for help with displaying images on an HD television. I don’t cover USB-to-computer connections, most often used to transfer photos to a computer, in this book. Chapter 9 explains why and offers you a better alternative. See the appendix for information about connecting to your computer via the camera’s wireless-connection features.FIGURE 1-12: To remove a lens, first press the lens-release button to disengage the lens from the camera’s lens mount.
Depth-of-Field Preview button: Figure 1-13 shows you where to find this button, which you can press to see offers an approximation of the depth of field that will result from your selected aperture setting, or f-stop. Depth of field refers to the distance over which the scene appears to be in focus; Chapter 5 provides details. The button isn’t labeled on the camera and is fairly well hidden; Figure 1-13 shows the camera body without a lens attached so you can see the button a little more clearly.
Red-Eye Reduction/Self-timer Lamp: Figure 1-13 also offers a look at this lamp. When you set your flash to Red-Eye Reduction mode, the lamp emits a brief burst of light prior to the real flash — the idea being that your subjects’ pupils will constrict in response to the light, thus lessening the chances of red-eye. If you use the camera’s self-timer feature, the lamp lights during the countdown period before the shutter is released. See Chapter 2 for more details about Red-Eye Reduction flash mode and the self-timer function.
FIGURE 1-13: I removed the lens from the camera to make it easier to see the Depth-of-Field Preview button.
If you turn the camera over, you find a socket that enables you to mount the camera on a tripod that uses a ¼-inch screw; the chamber that holds the battery; and a port for attaching a Canon power adapter. (The port is inside the battery chamber.) See the camera manual for specifics on running the camera on AC power.
Changing from Guided to Standard Display Mode
By default, your camera is set to Guided Display Mode. In this mode, designed for novices, camera screens are simplified and offer explanations and feedback when you adjust certain settings.
For example, when you press the Menu button, you get a description of the contents of the current menu, as shown on the left in Figure 1-14. And when you rotate the Mode dial to choose an exposure mode, the display describes what that mode is designed to do. The right side of Figure 1-14 shows the screen that appears if you select the Tv (shutter-priority autoexposure) mode, for example.
FIGURE 1-14: In Guided Display mode, the camera offers simplified menus and brief details about the feature you’re currently using.
Additionally, after you exit the screen that describes the exposure mode, the camera displays available picture-taking settings along with input on certain options. If you choose OK from the screen shown on the right in Figure 1-14, for example, you see the screen shown on the left in Figure 1-15, explaining that the main setting associated with the Tv mode is the shutter speed, which determines whether moving objects appear blurry or sharp. As you change that setting, the screen updates to offer input on how your picture will be affected, as shown on the right in Figure 1-15.
Guided mode is fine for users who don’t aspire to master their camera or the ins and outs of photography. But assuming that you bought this book because you don’t fall into that category, Standard mode is a better choice, for several reasons:
Although the Guided screens make understanding some options easier, in many cases, they can be just as baffling as the Standard screens. Take a look at the left screen in Figure 1-15, for example. The illustration indicates that you choose a number at the left end of the scale to blur motion (flowing) and at the other end to freeze motion. But nowhere does it tell you how to change the setting (you can drag your finger along the scale or rotate the Main dial). Nor is there any indication that the setting involved is named shutter speed.
The Guided screens often focus on one particular aspect of a camera setting without explaining how that setting affects other characteristics of your picture. When you change the shutter speed, for example, the camera has to make adjustments to one or two other critical settings, aperture and ISO, in order to properly expose the picture. Those settings, detailed along with shutter speed in Chapter 4, have their own impact on the look of your picture.
Standard mode also saves you some steps as you make certain camera adjustments. For example, you don’t have to bother dismissing the initial menu screen (left side of Figure 1-14) to get to the menu items.
In Guided mode, you can’t use the Quick Control screen (explained later in this chapter) to adjust all the functions that you normally can when shooting in the P, Tv, Av, and M modes.
When you use the Guided mode, you can’t access the My Menu feature, which enables you to create a custom menu that contains the menu options you use most.
