Exploring and Setting Up 1 the Rebel · 2020-03-01 · modes such as Full Auto, Portrait, Landscape, and so on, the ﬂash ﬁres automatically. In Creative Zone shooting modes such

11C H A P T E RExploring andSetting Upthe RebelXSi/450D

Professional photographers know that an importantfirst step in photography is learning the camera so

thoroughly that they can operate the camera without hesitat-ing or hunting for controls. By knowing the camera and lenscontrols well, you can make adjustments instinctively andconfidently without missing a shot.

The simple design of the Rebel XSi/450D makes mastering itboth easy and fun; yet despite the simplicity, the camera offersfull-function features for exceptional creative control. Internally,Canon’s 12.2-megapixel CMOS (complementary metal-oxidesemiconductor) sensor, DIGIC III Image Processor, and 14-bitanalog-to-digital conversion deliver dependably vivid, crispimages, especially at the highest image-quality settings.

Anatomy of the RebelXSi/450DMany of the Rebel XSi/450D’s controls are within a finger’sreach for quick adjustment as you’re shooting. Less frequentlyused functions are accessible only via the menus. The follow-ing sections help you to explore and master the XSi/450Dcontrols.

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

In This Chapter

Anatomy of the RebelXSi/450D

Setting up the RebelXSi/450D

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

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COPYRIG

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ATERIAL

Front camera controlsThe front of the camera is a view photogra-phers seldom see. But there are controls andconnections on the front of the camera thatyou’ll use often, such as the Lens release but-ton and the Depth of field preview button. Ifyou use EF-S lenses, you should note thelocation of the white EF-S lens mount indexmark. This is the mark you use to line up thelens when you mount it on the camera.

The front camera controls, from left to right,include the following:

✦ Shutter button. This button setsfocus, initiates metering and expo-sure calculation, and fires the shut-ter to make an exposure. To set thefocus for the image, press theShutter button halfway. To makethe picture, press the Shutter but-ton completely.

4 Part I ✦ Using the Rebel XSi/450D

Shutter button

Red-eye reduction/Self-timer lamp

EF lens mount index

EF-S lens mount index

Flash pop-up buttonBuilt-in flash

Grip/battery compartment Lens mount

Mirror

Contacts

Depth of fieldpreview button

Lens release button

1.1 Rebel XSi/450D front camera controls

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✦ Red-eye reduction/Self-timerlamp. This red lamp flashes tocount down the seconds to shutterrelease when the camera is set toone of the Self-timer modes.

✦ EF and EF-S lens mount indexmarkers. Use these markers onthe lens mount to line up the lenswhen you mount it on the camera.Use the EF lens mount index for allEF lenses that have a red markeron the lens, and the EF-S lensmount index for EF-S lenses thathave a white marker on the lens.

✦ Built-in flash and Flash pop-upbutton. The flash provides illumina-tion either as the main light sourceor as a fill flash. In Basic Zonemodes such as Full Auto, Portrait,Landscape, and so on, the flashfires automatically. In Creative Zoneshooting modes such as P, Tv, Av,and so on, pressing the Flash pop-up button raises the flash for use.

✦ Depth of field preview button.Press this button to stop down, oradjust, the lens diaphragm to thecurrent aperture to preview thedepth of field in the viewfinder.The larger the area of darkness inthe viewfinder, the more extensivethe depth of field will be. At thelens’s maximum aperture, theDepth of field preview button can-not be depressed because thediaphragm is fully open. The aper-ture cannot be changed as long asthe Depth of field preview buttonis depressed. You can also previewdepth of field when using the LiveView function.

✦ Lens release button. Press andhold this button to disengage thelens from the lens mount by turningthe lens to the right to remove it.

Top camera controlsControls on the top of the camera enableyou to use your thumb and index finger on your right hand to control commonadjustments quickly. Here is a look at thetop camera controls:

✦ Mode dial. This dial enables you toswitch among shooting modes bylining up the mode you want withthe white mark beside the dial.

✦ ISO speed button. Press this but-ton to set the sensor’s ISO setting,which determines the sensor’s sen-sitivity to light. In Creative Zonemodes such as P (Program AE[Auto Exposure]), Tv (Shutter-priority), Av (Aperture-priority), and M (Manual), you can selectAuto where the camera automati-cally sets the ISO from 100 to 800,or you can set it from 100 to 1600.In Basic Zone modes such as FullAuto, Portrait, and Landscape, thecamera automatically sets the ISObetween 100 and 800. Before youcan display the ISO settings screen,the LCD shooting information dis-play must be on. If the display isoff, press the Display button to turnit on.

Chapter 1 ✦ Exploring and Setting Up the Rebel XSi/450D 5

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✦ Main dial. This dial selects a vari-ety of settings and options. Turnthe Main dial to manually select anAF (autofocus) point after pressingthe AF-point selection/Magnify but-ton, and to set the aperture in Avmode, the shutter speed in Tv andManual modes, and to shift theexposure program in P mode.Additionally, you can use the Maindial to scroll among Menu tabs.

✦ Shutter button. Pressing theShutter button halfway sets thepoint of sharpest focus at theselected AF point in manual AF-point selection mode, and it simul-taneously sets the exposure basedon the ISO and selected shootingmode. Pressing the Shutter com-pletely makes the exposure. In anymode except Direct Printing, youcan also half-press the Shutter but-ton and dismiss camera menusand image playback.


Shutter button

Main dial

ISO speed button

Power switch

Mode dial

1.2 Rebel XSi/450D top camera controls

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Rear camera controlsThe rear camera controls are handy for mak-ing quick adjustments while you’re shooting.In particular, you’ll likely use the WB (whitebalance), Menu, Playback, and AF-pointselection/Magnify (Autofocus) buttons often.

Your ability to use some of the rear cameracontrols depends on the shooting modeyou’re using. In automatic modes such asPortrait, Landscape, and Sports, pressing theAV, WB, and Drive mode selection buttonshas no effect because these functions are setautomatically by the camera. But in theCreative Zone modes such as P, Tv, Av, M,and A-DEP, these buttons function asdescribed next.

If you press the WB (WhiteBalance), AF (AutoFocus), orother buttons on the cameraand nothing happens, check theMode dial first to see if you’reusing an automatic mode suchas Full Auto, Portrait, Landscape,and so on. If you want to usethese buttons to make changes,then switch to P, Tv, Av, M, or A-DEP mode.

✦ Menu button. Press the Menubutton to display camera menus.To move among Menu tabs, turnthe Main dial or press the left orright cross key on the back of thecamera.

✦ Disp. (Display) button. Press thisbutton to turn off the LCD display.If you’re using the camera menus,you can press this button to dis-play the current camera settings,available space on the SD/SDHCcard, and other camera settings.Then press the button again toreturn to the menu. Or if you are insingle-image playback, pressingthis button cycles through the vari-ous playback display modes toshow shooting information and

one or more histograms with animage preview. You can also usethis button when you’re printingdirectly from the SD/SDHC card tochange the image between hori-zontal and vertical orientations.

The LCD display is on by defaultwhen you turn the camera on. Butyou can set Custom Function(C.Fn) 12 to change the power sta-tus when you turn on the camera.

See Chapter 5 for details onusing Custom Functions.

✦ Av button. Press and hold this but-ton and turn the Main dial to setexposure compensation in P, Tv, Av,and A-DEP. In Manual mode, pressand hold this button and turn theMain dial to set the aperture.

✦ Print share/WB (White Balance)button. Pressing the Printshare/WB button enables you totransfer all or selected images fromthe SD/SDHC card to your com-puter. Press this button when youwant to print images on theSD/SDHC card directly to a com-patible printer. When you’re shoot-ing, pressing the button enablesyou to set a white balance thatmatches the light in the scene foraccurate, natural-looking colors.

✦ Playback button. Press this but-ton to display the last capturedimage on the LCD. The default single-image Playback displayincludes a ribbon of shooting infor-mation at the top. Pressing theIndex/Reduce button on the top-right back of the camera duringplayback displays a grid of imagesyou can scroll through using theMain dial. Press the AF point selection/Magnify button one ormore times to return to single-image display.

Tip

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Menu button

Display off sensor

Viewfinder

Dioptric adjustment

Focal plane mark

Display button (camerasetting/display on/off)

Aperture/Exposure compensation button

AE Lock/FE Lock/Index/Reduce button

AF-point selection/Magnify button

Playback button

Drive mode selection button

Picture style button

Erase button

Set button

AF (Autofocus) modeselection button

Metering modeselection button

Print share/WB(White Balance) button

LCD display

1.3 Rebel XSi/450D rear camera controls

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✦ Erase button. Press this button todelete the current image duringimage playback.

Within the circle at the back right of theRebel XSi/450D are four buttons, collectivelyreferred to as cross keys. The cross key func-tions change depending on whether you’replaying back images, navigating cameramenus, or changing exposure settings.

For example, when you play back images,the left and right cross keys move backwardand forward through the images stored onthe SD/SDHC card; and when you navigatethrough menu options, the cross keys moveto the option you want.

✦ Drive mode selection. Press theleft cross key to set the RebelXSi/450D to shoot one picture at atime, or to shoot continuously at3.5 frames per second (fps). Themaximum burst during continuousshooting is approximately 53Large/Fine JPEG frames, six RAWframes, or four RAW +Large/FineJPEG frames. You can also use thisbutton to select one of the Self-timer/remote control modes.During image playback, press thisbutton to move to a previousimage.

✦ Picture Style. Press the downcross key to display the PictureStyle screen where you can choosea style or “look” that varies theimage contrast, color rendition, sat-uration, and sharpness. You canchoose the Standard, Portrait,Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, orMonochrome Picture style and customize up to three UserDefined Picture Styles.

✦ AF (Autofocus) mode. Press theright cross key (labeled as AF) tochoose among three autofocus

modes: One-shot for still subjects,AI Focus for subjects that may startto move or move unpredictablysuch as kids and wildlife, or AIServo, which tracks focus of mov-ing subjects. During image play-back, press this button to move tothe next image.

✦ Metering mode selection. Pressthe up cross key to choose ametering mode that determineshow much of the scene that thecamera uses to meter subjectbrightness. The default Evaluativemetering system takes into accountthe entire scene and is accurate foreven backlit subjects. Spot meter-ing uses the center four percent ofthe viewfinder, indicated by the cir-cle etched in the viewfinder, tomeasure subject brightness. Partialmetering weights the metering atthe center of the viewfinder, andCenter-weighted Average weightsmetering throughout the scene butgives more weight to the center.

✦ Set button. Press this button toconfirm changes you make on thecamera menus, and to display sub-menus. You can also customizethis button using C.Fn-11 for usewhile you’re shooting.

At the top-right corner of the Rebel XSi/450Dare two buttons that you’ll use often toselect AF points manually and to check focusas you enlarge images during playback.

✦ AE Lock/FE Lock/Index/Reducebutton. Press this button to setAuto Exposure (AE) Lock or FlashExposure (FE) Lock when thebuilt-in flash is raised, to displaymultiple images as an index duringimage playback, or to reduce thesize of an enlarged image duringimage playback.


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✦ AF-point selection/Magnify but-ton. Press this button to activatethe AF points in the viewfinder toselect an AF point manually or toselect automatic AF-point selection.Press and hold the button and turnthe Main dial to select one AFpoint or all AF points. Duringimage playback, you can press thisbutton to enlarge the displayedimage to check focus.

Camera terminalsOn the side of the XSi/450D are a set of ter-minals under a cover and embossed withicons that identify the terminals, whichinclude:

✦ Video Out terminal. The VideoOut terminal enables you to con-nect the camera to a television setusing the video cable supplied inthe camera box.

✦ Remote control terminal. Use theRemote control terminal to con-nect the optional Remote SwitchRS-60E3 to the camera. With thisswitch, you can control the Shutterbutton from up to 2 feet away.

✦ Digital terminal. The Digital ter-minal, together with a USB cableprovided in the box, can be usedto connect the camera to a com-puter to download images, toshoot with the camera connectedto the computer, or to connect to acompatible printer to print imagesfrom the SD/SDHC card.

The LCD With the XSi/450D, the 3-inch LCD not onlydisplays captured images, camera settings,and menus, but it also provides a continu-ous view of the scene during Live Viewshooting. The LCD displays approximately100 percent coverage of the scene.


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ISO0

BatteryCheck

Picturestyle

Drive mode

Metering mode

Shootingmode

Shutter speed

Exposure level also showsExposure compensationamount and AEB level)

Aperture

ISO sensitivity setting

White balance setting

Autofocus mode

Shots remaining,shots remaining duringWB-BKT, Self-timer countdown, Bulb exposure timeImage recording

quality

1.4 Rebel XSi/450D LCD display

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Viewfinder displayOn the Rebel XSi/450D, the optical, highmagnification viewfinder displays approxi-mately 95 percent of the scene that the sen-sor captures. In addition, the viewfinderdisplays the AF points, a four-percent Spotmetering circle that is etched into the centerof the viewfinder, as well as information atthe bottom that displays the shutter speedand aperture settings, the Exposure Levelmeter, space remaining on the card, the

current image number, a focus confirmationlight, and other settings depending on thefunctions in use.

AF points are etched in the focusing screen.When you manually select AF points bypressing the AF-point selection/Magnify but-ton, the AF points are highlighted as yourotate the Main dial. If the camera automat-ically selects an AF point, the selected pointdisplays in red on the focusing screen whenyou press the Shutter button halfway down.


WBB/WISO

Aperture

AE Lock/AEB in-progress Focus

confirmationlight

< >

< >

< >

< >

Maximum burst

ISO speedMonochrome shooting

Exposure level indicatorExposure compensation amountAEB rangeRed-eye reduction lamp-onindicator

Spot metering circle

Focusing screen

AF-point display indicator

AF points

White balancecorrection

Flash-readyImproper FE lockwarning

High-speed sync(FP flash)FE Lock/FEB in-progress

Flash exposurecompensation

< >

< >

Shutter speedFE (FE) LockBusy (buSY)Built-in flash recycling ( buSY)Card full warning (FuLL)Card error warning (Err)No card warning (Card)

H

WB< >

1.5 Rebel XSi/450D viewfinder display

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To ensure that the viewfinder image andfocusing screen elements are adjusted foryour vision, you can adjust the diopter set-ting from –3 to +1 dpt. Simply turn thediopter switch — located to the right of theviewfinder eyecup — up or down until theimage in the viewfinder is sharp. If you weareyeglasses during shooting, be sure to wearthem as you set the dioptric adjustment. Toset the dioptric adjustment, focus the lensby pressing the Shutter button halfway, andthen turn the knob until the image in theviewfinder is sharp.

Lens controlsAll Canon lenses provide both automaticand manual focusing functionality via theAF/MF (Autofocus/Manual Focus) switch onthe side of the lens. If you choose MF, theXSi/450D provides focus assist, shown inthe viewfinder, to confirm sharp focus.When sharp focus is achieved, the Focusconfirmation light in the viewfinder burnssteadily and the camera emits a focus con-firmation beep if the beep is turned on.

Depending on the lens, additional controlsmay include the following:


Focusing ring

Zoom setting

Zoom ring

Distance scaleFilter mounting thread

Focus mode switch

Image stabilizer switch

1.6 Lens controls

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✦ Focusing distance range selec-tion switch. This switch deter-mines and limits the range that thelens uses when seeking focus tospeed up autofocusing. The focus-ing distance range options vary bylens.

✦ Image stabilizer switch. Thisswitch turns optical image stabi-lization on or off. Optical ImageStabilization (IS) corrects vibrationsat any angle when handholdingthe camera and lens. IS lenses typi-cally allow sharp handheld imagesup to two or more f-stops over thelens’s maximum aperture.

✦ Stabilizer mode switch. Offeredon some telephoto lenses, thisswitch has two modes: one modefor standard shooting and onemode for vibration correction whenpanning at right angles to the cam-era’s panning movement.

✦ Focusing ring and zoom ring.The focusing ring can be used atany time regardless of focusingmode. On zoom lenses, the zoomring zooms the lens in or out tothe focal lengths marked on thering.

✦ Distance scale and infinity com-pensation mark. This shows thelens’s minimum focusing distanceto infinity. The infinity compensationmark compensates for shifting theinfinity focus point resulting fromchanges in temperature. You canset the distance scale slightly pastthe infinity mark to compensate.

Setting Up the RebelXSi/450DSetting up the Rebel XSi/450D is the firststep in getting pictures from the camera thatyou’ll treasure for years to come. Althoughthis chapter offers important pointers onsetting up your camera, ultimately the bestway to get great pictures from the RebelXSi/450D is to use the settings and evaluatethe images. Unlike paying for film andprints, the pictures that you take with theRebel XSi/450D are at no additional charge,so to speak. This gives you the freedom toexplore different camera settings until youget pictures with a combination of color, sat-uration, and contrast that creates greatprints.


If You Need to Start Over

If you’re new to digital SLR cameras, you may avoid changing camera settings for fearthat it will “mess up” the pictures you’re getting, or that you’ll forget how to reset thecamera if you don’t like the changes you’ve made. Canon provides a reset option,which means that you can revert to the original camera settings to have a fresh startat any time.

To reset the camera to the default settings, just press the Menu button, press the rightcross key to select the Set-up 3 (yellow) menu, and then press the down cross key toselect Clear settings. Press the Set button. On the Clear settings screen, press the upor down cross key to select Clear all camera settings, and then press the Set button.Press the right cross key to select OK, and then press the Set button.

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You may have already completed some ofthe setup tasks. If you have, then you canskim through the chapter and look for tipsthat you may have missed in your initialsetup.

Formatting an SD/SDHCcardThe Rebel XSi/450D accepts SD and SDHC,or Secure Digital High Capacity, mediacards.

Not all media cards are created equal, andthe type and speed of media that you useaffects the Rebel XSi/450D’s responsetimes, including the ability to write imagesto the media card and to continue shootingquickly, the speed at which images displayon the LCD, and how quickly you can zoomimages on the LCD.

The type of file format that you choose alsoaffects the speed of certain tasks. For exam-ple, when writing images to the media card,JPEG image files write to the card faster thanRAW or RAW + Large JPEG files. JPEG andRAW file formats are discussed in detail laterin this chapter.

For performance results of vari-ous media cards, visit RobGalbraith’s Web site atwww.robgalbraith.com.

As you take pictures, the LCD on the RebelXSi/450D shows the approximate numberof images that remain on the media card.The number is approximate because eachimage varies slightly, depending on the ISOsetting, the file format and resolution, thePicture Style chosen on the camera, and the

image itself (different images compress differently).

You insert the card into the card slot on thecamera, with the front of the card facing theback of the camera. When you buy a newcard, always format it in the camera andnever on your computer. However, be surethat you off-load all images to the computerbefore you format the card because format-ting erases images. Formatting a media cardin the camera also sets the data structure onthe card for the Rebel XSi/450D.

To format a card in the camera be sure thatyou’ve downloaded all images to your com-puter first, and then follow these steps:

1. Press the Menu button, andthen turn the Main dial to selectthe Setup 1 (yellow) menu.

2. Press the down cross key toselect Format, and then pressthe Set button. The Format screenappears asking you to confirm thatyou want to format the card andlose all images on the card.

3. Press the right cross key toselect OK.

4. Press the Set button. The cameraformats the card, and then displaysthe Setup 1 (yellow) menu. Lightlypress the Shutter button to returnto shooting.

It is generally a good idea to format mediacards every few weeks to keep them clean.If you’ve used a media card in another cam-era, be sure to format it in the XSi/450D toensure that proper data structure is set, andto clean up the card.

Tip


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It is possible to take pictureswhen no memory card is in thecamera, which is useful whenyou’re capturing Dust DeleteData. Otherwise, this option cancause you to lose images whenyou mistakenly think that anSD/SDHC card is in the camera.You can turn off the option toshoot without a card. Just pressthe Menu button, turn the Maindial to select the Shooting 1(red) menu, and then press thedown cross key to select Shootw/o card. Press the Set button,press the down cross key toselect Off, and press the Set but-ton again.

Setting the date and timeSetting the date and time on the RebelXSi/450D ensures that the data that travelswith each image file has the correct dateand time stamp. This data is stored with theimage metadata. Metadata is a collection ofall the information about an image, includ-ing the filename, date created, size, resolu-tion, color mode, camera make and model,exposure time, ISO, f-stop, shutter speed,lens data, and white balance setting. EXIF,used interchangeably with the term meta-data, is a particular form of metadata.

It is very helpful to have the date and timeinformation for the image when you want toorganize your image collection. In fact, the

XSi/450D’s Direct Image Transfer functionstores images in dated folders when youdownload them to your computer’s harddrive.

To set the date and time on your XSi/450D,follow these steps:

1. Press the Menu button, andthen turn the Main dial to selectthe Setup 2 (yellow) menu tab.

2. Press the down cross key toselect Date/Time, and thenpress the Set button. TheDate/Time screen appears.

3. Press the Set button. The monthfield is activated.

4. Press the up or down cross keyto change the Month field, andthen press the Set button.

5. Press the right cross key tomove to the Day field.

6. Repeat Steps 3 through 5 tochange the remaining fields.

7. When all options are set, pressthe Set button. The Setup 2 menuappears. Lightly press the Shutterbutton to return to shooting.

You may want to reset the date and time to adjust for daylight saving time and whenyou change time zones whentraveling.

Note

Note


Avoid Losing Images

When the camera’s red access light — located on the back of the camera — is blinking,it means that the camera is recording or erasing image data. When the access light isblinking, do not open the SD/SDHC card slot cover, do not attempt to remove theSD/SDHC card, and do not remove the camera battery. Any of these actions can resultin a loss of images and damage to the media card and camera. There is an audiblewarning to let you know that images are being written to the card, but make it a habitto watch for the access light anyway and don’t open the media card slot cover or turnoff the camera.

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Choosing the file formatand qualityThe file format and quality level that you useto take your pictures are two of the mostimportant decisions that you make. Thesesettings determine not only the number ofimages that you can store on the mediacard, but also the sizes at which you canlater enlarge and print images from theRebel XSi/450D. Table 1.1 explains theoptions that you can choose from.

With the high-quality images that theXSi/450D delivers, you can make beautifulenlargements from these images. Even ifyou don’t foresee printing images any larger

than 4 × 5 inches, you may get a once-in-a-lifetime shot and want to print it as large aspossible. For this reason, and to take advan-tage of the XSi/450D’s fine image detail andhigh resolution, it pays to shoot at the high-est quality setting for all your shooting.

The JPEG quality options on the XSi/450Dare shown with two icons that indicate thecompression level of the files and therecording size. A solid quarter circle iconindicates a low compression level. A jaggedquarter circle icon indicates a higher com-pression level. High compression levelsreduce the file size more than low compres-sion levels so that you can store moreimages on the SD/SDHC card. File formatsand compression are discussed next.


Table 1.1Rebel XSi/450D File Quality and Size

Approximate File Sizes Image Quality in Megabytes (MB) Image Size in Pixels

L (Large) JPEG (Solid quarter circle icon) 4.3MB 4272 × 2848

L (Large) JPEG (Jagged quarter circle icon) 2.2MB 4272 × 2848

M (Medium) JPEG (Solid 2.5MB 3088 × 2056quarter circle icon)

M (Medium) JPEG (Jagged quarter circle icon) 1.3MB 3088 × 2056

S (Small) JPEG (Solid quarter circle icon) 1.6MB 2256 × 1504

S (Small) JPEG (Jagged quarter circle icon) 0.8MB 2256 × 1504

RAW 15.3MB 4272 × 2848

RAW + L (Large) (Solid quarter circle icon) 15.3 + 4.3 = 19.6MB

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JPEG formatJPEG, which stands for Joint PhotographicExperts Group, is a popular file format thatenjoys not only smaller file sizes than theRAW format, but also offers the advantageof being able to display your images straightfrom the camera on any computer, on theWeb, and in e-mail messages. To achievethe small file size, JPEG discards some datafrom the image — usually data that youwould not easily see anyway. This character-istic gains JPEG its lossy moniker because it“loses” image data during compression.There are different levels of JPEG compres-sion. High compression levels discard moreimage data than low ratios. The higher thecompression level, the smaller the file andthe more images that you can put on themedia card.

If you edit JPEG images in anediting program, image datacontinues to be discarded eachtime you save the file. I recom-mend downloading JPEG files tothe computer, and then savingthem as TIFF (Tagged Image FileFormat) or PSD (Photoshop’s fileformat) files. TIFF is a losslessfile format that does not discardimage data. PSD, available inAdobe’s Photoshop image-edit-ing program, is also a losslessfile format.

As the compression ratio increases, more ofthe original image data is discarded, and theimage quality degrades. Compression alsointroduces defects, referred to as artifacts,that can create a blocky, jagged look, blur-ring, and diminished color fidelity in theimage. At low compression ratios, artifactsare minimal, but as the ratio increases, theybecome more noticeable and objectionable.You’ll see the effects of high compressionratios when you enlarge the image to 100percent in an image-editing program on thecomputer.

To get the highest-quality images, use thelowest compression and the highest qualitysettings. If space on the card is tight, then usethe next lower setting. If you use lower qual-ity settings and high compression, bewarethat the image quality diminishes accord-ingly. Also, when you shoot JPEG images, thecamera’s internal software processes, oredits, the images before storing them on themedia card. This image pre-processing is anadvantage, especially if you routinely printimages directly from the SD/SDHC card. Andbecause the XSi/450D offers a variety ofPicture Styles that change the way that imagecontrast, saturation, sharpness, and color arerendered, you can get very nice prints withno editing on the computer.

Picture Styles are detailed inChapter 3.

RAW format RAW files store image data directly from thecamera’s sensor to the media card with aminimum of in-camera processing. UnlikeJPEG images, which you can view in anyimage-editing program, you must view andconvert RAW files using Canon’s DigitalPhoto Professional program or another pro-gram such as Adobe Lightroom or AdobeCamera Raw.

You may wonder why you’d choose RAWshooting. RAW files offer the ultimate flexi-bility and control over the image becauseyou can change key camera settings afteryou take the picture. For example, if you didn’t set the correct white balance or expo-sure, you can change it in a RAW conversionprogram on the computer. You can alsoadjust the exposure, contrast, and saturation— in effect, you have a second chance to cor-rect underexposed or overexposed images,and to correct the color balance, contrast,and saturation after you take the picture. Theonly camera settings that the Rebel

Tip


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XSi/450D applies to RAW files are aperture,ISO, and shutter speed. Other settings suchas White Balance, Picture Style, and so onare “noted,” but not applied to the file. As aresult, you have control over how imagedata is rendered during image conversion.The RAW conversion process takes only afew additional minutes, and then you cansave the image in a lossless file format.

RAW files are denoted with a .CR2 filenameextension. After converting the RAW data,you save the image in a standard file formatsuch as TIFF or JPEG and work with it as youdo with other image files.

On the XSi/450D, you can choose to shooteither RAW images or RAW+JPEG, whichrecords the RAW file and Large JPEG image.The RAW+JPEG option is handy when youwant the advantages of having the flexibilitythat you get with a RAW file, and you alsowant a JPEG image to quickly post on a Website or to send in an e-mail.

Because RAW is a lossless format (no loss ofimage data), image quality is not degradedby compression. However, you can storefewer RAW images than JPEG images on themedia card.

With this overview of the differencesbetween image quality settings and file for-mat, you’re in a better position to choose thesetting that best suits your needs. The imagequality settings depend on the shootingmode you choose.

In Basic Zone shooting modes such asPortrait, Landscape, and so on, the cameraautomatically sets the file format to JPEG,but you can set image size and compressionlevel. In Basic Zone modes, you can’t selectthe RAW format.

In Creative Zone modes — P, Tv, Av, M, and A-DEP — you can select any of the JPEGoptions as well as RAW or RAW+JPEG.

To set the image quality in both Basic andCreative Zone modes, follow these steps:

1. Turn the Mode dial to a BasicZone mode. Basic Zone modes areindicated by icons such as a per-son’s head for Portrait mode,mountains for Landscape mode,and so on.

2. Press the Menu button, andthen turn the Main dial to selectthe Shooting 1 (red) menu, ifnecessary.

3. Press the down cross key toselect Quality if it isn’t alreadyselected.

4. Press the Set button. The Qualityscreen appears with the currentlyselected quality setting displayedalong with the image dimensionsin pixels.

5. Press the down cross key toselect the size and quality thatyou want. In Basic Zone modes,you can choose only JPEG optionsat different levels of compression.A solid quarter circle icon indicatesa low compression level. A jaggedquarter circle icon indicates ahigher compression level.

6. Press the Set button.

7. Turn the Mode dial to a CreativeZone mode.

8. Repeat steps 2 through 6 to setthe quality for Creative Zonemodes. In these modes, you canalso choose RAW or RAW+JPEG file formats.


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Changing file numberingWith the Rebel XSi/450D, you can set thecamera to number images using one ofthree options: Continuous, Auto reset, andManual reset. These options allow you tonumber your images sequentially, to restartnumbering each time you change the mediacard, or to choose to manually reset num-bering. Here is how the options work:

✦ Continuous file numbering. Thisis the default option for file num-bering on the XSi/450D where thecamera stores the last highestimage number internally to con-tinue a sequential numbering sys-tem. Images are numberedsequentially with a unique, four-digit number from 0001 to 9999.The camera automatically creates afolder on the SD/SDHC cardnamed 101. It stores images in thefolder until you shoot image num-ber 9999. At that point, the cameracreates a new folder named 102,and images you shoot restart withnumber 0001.

This works great until you insert anSD/SDHC card that has images onit. When you take another picture,the new image file number contin-ues from the highest numberedimage that’s already stored on thecard if it is higher than the highestimage number stored in the cam-era’s memory. In other words, thecamera uses the highest numberwhether that high number isstored in internal memory or isstored on the card. If you want tocontinue continuous numbering,insert only formatted/emptySD/SDHC cards into the camera.

With unique filenames, managingand organizing images on the com-puter are easy, because up toimage number 9999, you don’thave to worry about having imageswith the filename on your computer.

✦ Auto reset. With this option, filenumbering restarts at 0001 eachtime you insert a different SD/SDHC card. If the SD/SDHC cardhas images stored on it, then num-bering continues from the highestimage number stored on the card.So if you want the images toalways begin at 0001 on eachSD/SDHC card, then be sure toinsert freshly formatted SD/SDHCcards each time you replace thecard. If you like to organize imagesby media card, this is a usefuloption. However, if you use thisoption, be aware that multipleimages that you store on the com-puter will have the same numberor filename. This means that youshould create separate folders onthe computer and follow scrupu-lous folder organization to avoidfilename conflicts and potentialoverwriting of images that have the same filename.

✦ Manual reset. With this option,the camera creates a new folderon the SD/SDHC card, and imagesare saved to the new folder start-ing at 0001. After Manual reset, filenumbering returns to Continuousor Auto reset, based on what youused previously. The Manual resetoption is handy if you want thecamera to create separate foldersfor images that you take over aspan of several days.


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On the XSi/450D, up to 999 folders can becreated with up to 9,999 images stored ineach folder. If you reach these capacities, amessage appears telling you to change theSD/SDHC card even if there is room remain-ing on the card. Until you change theSD/SDHC card, you can’t continue shooting.

To change the file-numbering method on theXSi/450D, follow these steps:

1. Press the Menu button, andthen turn the Main dial to selectthe Setup 1 (yellow) menu.

2. Press the down cross key toselect File numbering, and thenpress the Set button. Three file-numbering options, Continuous,Auto reset, and Manual reset,appear with the current settinghighlighted.

3. Press the down cross key toselect the file-numbering optionyou want, and then press theSet button. The option you chooseremains in effect until you changeit, with the exception of Manualreset as noted previously.


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Exploring and Setting Up 1 the Rebel · 2020-03-01 · modes such as Full Auto, Portrait, Landscape, and so on, the ﬂash ﬁres automatically. In Creative Zone shooting modes such

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