Macro mode I have had several Canon Powershot cameras and the macro mode setting has always been intuitive - until now. On this camera, I can't find out how to get into it. My SX100IS, all you had to do was push the right arrow and you could switch to macro. Worse yet, with this camera's manual - the instructions on switching to macro are not helpful. The manual says to press the left arrow, but nothing pops up sometimes. Other times I can get a 4-option menu to pop up but the option on the left is 'select subject' and it's greyed out. If I enable tracking then the 'select subject' is enabled and the camera will decide to go in and out of macro mode (switching back and forth between macro and auto). BUT I can't get it to stay in macro mode. I don't want the camera to decide for me. Can someone help? Macro mode I have had several Canon Powershot cameras and the macro mode setting has always been intuitive - until now. On this camera, I can't find out how to get into it. My SX100IS, all you... » Read More Macro mode I have had several Canon Powershot cameras and the macro mode setting has always been intuitive - until now. On this camera, I can't find out how to get into it. My SX100IS, all you had to do was push the right arrow and you could switch to macro. Worse yet, with this camera's manual - the instructions on switching to macro are not helpful. The manual says to press the left arrow, but nothing pops up sometimes. Other times I can get a 4-option menu to pop up but the option on the left is 'select subject' and it's greyed out. If I enable tracking then the 'select subject' is enabled and the camera will decide to go in and out of macro mode (switching back and forth between macro and auto). BUT I can't get it to stay in macro mode. I don't want the camera to decide for me. Can someone help? « Show Less
1193099
If you don't want the camera to decide things for you then you have to avoid some of the automatic and scene modes. In P, Tv, Av, and M modes you will have the option of selecting macro. In Auto mode the camera decides for you. That's what auto means - you lose many of the options.
1193100
I think I can answer my own question. You have to go into manual mode and then push the left arrow and it brings up the macro option. I'm not sure why they moved it from the auto to the manual mode - and also not sure why they don't tell you to go into the manual mode in the manual. :P
1893354
Hello Amy. I see that you've not gotten a reply yet for a few days. I own the Canon SX130is camera that is nearly identical to that of the next version, the SX150is. I even owned the previous model of mine now, SX120is. THe only reason for the upgrade was to get HD video and stereo sound. Other than that, I loved that camera too. I've not studied the others you are deciding on but just looked them over. THere's not a "night & day" major difference between them. Differences of 2x zoom power is not major IMHO. Frames per second in burst mode shooting is. Size may be a factor too. But I can tell you why I like my camera. A manual flip up flash allows unmistakeable control over the flash and keeps the camera from waisting power charging for a flash that you didn't need for that shot. The option of complete manual settings is a must. And the advantage of using AA batteries gives you limitless flexibility of power. Don't let the negative reviews tell you that you cannot take lots of photos with this camera. If you get some high capacity rechargable batteries and enough for an extra set, you'll be good. Several here have recommended Sanyo Eneloop brand cells. That they come precharged and hold that charge for extended periods of storage time. A friend of mine used them and swears by them. I use Ansmann 2850 mAh batteries (which are higher capacity) and they give me nearly 200 more shots in my Canon SX20is than what is rated in the camera manual.
1560702
If macro mode means to take picture at close up, I think it does NOT have a macro mode. Otherwise, I don't know.
393524
the macro setting isnt exactly the best, most of the time it turns out blurry - works best about 6 inches away, but the super macro mode seems to work better - for as close as about 2-3 inches. I know this probably isn't the most helpful response, but ive only had the camera for about a few days, this is just what ive noticed.
833870
Hello, there is an Auto Focus on this lens. Click the switch by AF - M to use Auto Focus (AF) however when shooting Macro, it's usually better and easier to manually focus. I hope this helped.
2234807
Bad news about the flash - I just checked out the User Guide for the SX210IS on Canon's website and it mentions that the flash will automatically pop up when you power on the camera in any mode :(Check out page #24 here:http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/4/0300003224/01/PSSX210IS_CUG_EN.pdf
111693
Due to how you can't manually select the shutter speed sometimes it gets a little bit tricky to shoot in low light. You'll have to play with the iso and the exposure settings for a while before you get a nice result. The hand-held starlight mode doesn't always work. The night scene mode works fine but you'll need a tripod and ISO is auto so sometimes pics come out grainy. HD VIDEO mode works perfect in low light; I've been going to local band shows and the videos come out great. At the beggining I was a bit frustrated for not being allowed to manipulate shutter speed but after playing with the camera for a month or so now I get some really great results in low light. Due to how you can't manually select the shutter speed sometimes it gets a little bit tricky to shoot in low light. You'll have to play with the iso and the exposure settings for a while before you get a nice result. The hand-held starlight mode doesn't always work. The night scene mode works fine but you'll need a tripod and ISO is auto so sometimes pics come out grainy. HD VIDEO mode works perfect in low light; I've been going to local band shows and the videos come out great. At the beggining I was a bit frustrated for not being allowed to manipulate shutter speed but after playing with... » Read More Due to how you can't manually select the shutter speed sometimes it gets a little bit tricky to shoot in low light. You'll have to play with the iso and the exposure settings for a while before you get a nice result. The hand-held starlight mode doesn't always work. The night scene mode works fine but you'll need a tripod and ISO is auto so sometimes pics come out grainy. HD VIDEO mode works perfect in low light; I've been going to local band shows and the videos come out great. At the beggining I was a bit frustrated for not being allowed to manipulate shutter speed but after playing with the camera for a month or so now I get some really great results in low light. « Show Less
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You haven't given any information about the procedures you are using so I'm having to do some guessing here. First, have you set the camera to Macro? If so, What distance range are you working in? If you are too far away or too close, you will be out of the filters' working range. If you have the settings right and are in range and still can't get the auto focus to work, make sure that the filter(s) are screwed in all the way and on straight. If it still will not auto focus, you will have to switch to manual focus and perhaps moved the camera a little bit closer or farther away from the subject until the subject is in focus. You haven't given any information about the procedures you are using so I'm having to do some guessing here. First, have you set the camera to Macro? If so, What distance range are you working in? If you are too far away or too close, you will be out of the filters' working range. If you have the settings right and are in range and still can't get the auto focus to work, make sure that the filter(s) are screwed in all the way and on straight. If it still will not auto focus, you will have to switch to manual focus and perhaps moved the camera a little bit closer or farther away from the... » Read More You haven't given any information about the procedures you are using so I'm having to do some guessing here. First, have you set the camera to Macro? If so, What distance range are you working in? If you are too far away or too close, you will be out of the filters' working range. If you have the settings right and are in range and still can't get the auto focus to work, make sure that the filter(s) are screwed in all the way and on straight. If it still will not auto focus, you will have to switch to manual focus and perhaps moved the camera a little bit closer or farther away from the subject until the subject is in focus. « Show Less
1359668
I figured it out. The lens can not be zoomed in to have full control over the manual focus. When zoomed out to a normal range, the manual focus will fully function, as well as macro, it seems.
1662824
Hi personally it did not work for me. The camera becomes set back so far as a result of the mounting that focussing is a problem. For me other than macro work it was not suitable and certainly not as all round useful as I understood it to be.I returned mine for a refund
1174840
You push the little black flash button in the back that allows the camera to autoflash. This isn't a timing issue for me because if you need a flash that fast the camera won't take the picture anyway. This is a small camera better quality than the pocket cameras in that range. The zoom is great and photo quality is also wonderful. I have two larger cameras the PowerShot SX10 IS it is my medium camera better than this one but again speed isn't going to work for action shots. If speed is required then you need to look into the EOS range. I have the Rebel xTi but my upgrade will probably be the EOS 60D. I hope this helps! You push the little black flash button in the back that allows the camera to autoflash. This isn't a timing issue for me because if you need a flash that fast the camera won't take the picture anyway. This is a small camera better quality than the pocket cameras in that range. The zoom is great and photo quality is also wonderful. I have two larger cameras the PowerShot SX10 IS it is my medium camera better than this one but again speed isn't going to work for action shots. If speed is required then you need to look into the EOS range. I have the Rebel xTi but my upgrade will probably be... » Read More You push the little black flash button in the back that allows the camera to autoflash. This isn't a timing issue for me because if you need a flash that fast the camera won't take the picture anyway. This is a small camera better quality than the pocket cameras in that range. The zoom is great and photo quality is also wonderful. I have two larger cameras the PowerShot SX10 IS it is my medium camera better than this one but again speed isn't going to work for action shots. If speed is required then you need to look into the EOS range. I have the Rebel xTi but my upgrade will probably be the EOS 60D. I hope this helps! « Show Less
678673
I'm one of those guys who starts pushing buttons before I look at the manual. hah This is what I figured out: First, you can use the button to take photos even without batteries or the power turned on. If all you want is a remote shutter without any of the timer features, you should be ok without turning it on. Across the top are the following marks: DE - Delay.. how long to pause before taking the first photo BU - Bulb.. basically how long to keep the shutter open when your camera is in BULB mode INT - Interval.. how long to wait between taking the next photo N - Number of photos to take. Blank for unlimited &lt;speaker&gt; - Volume of beeps. Including countdown beeps before next photo is taken LEFT/RIGHT on the direction pad to select which of these you're changing CENTER BUTTON on direction pad to tell it you want to change the selected item After you press the CENTER BUTTON, you can use LEFT/RIGHT to select which item to change (hours/minutes/seconds/etc).. if you press LEFT/RIGHT again when you're on the first/last setting for that item, it'll go to the previous/next item so you can set all your parameters without exiting "edit mode". Once you ever everything set, exit edit mode by pressing the center button again. Press start/stop to start the countdown and image taking sequence. Looks like you can also hold down the main button (has HOLD printed on it) to take long exposures (might require BULB mode? haven't tested this). Also, sliding the main button up appears to hold it down for you until you slide it back down. You can't slide it up with the button pressed (I originally thought you'd press then slide up to hold but it doesn't work like that). The light/lock button lights up the display on a single press, locks the settings on a long-press. I think that's everything. Hope that helps!
787433
It takes macro but wide angled, meaning you get a lot of the background. Also, there is no macro mode per se, you just put the lens within a few centimeters and snap away, you'll see the macro icon displayed. Of course the lens has to be in the fully retracted position. Someday, I'd like to have a real macro lens, a DSLR base and a good illuminator. The big problem in macro is light, i.e. you're always casting a shadow on your subject with the camera/ lens. I do like this camera for its manual focus mechanism (on the lens ring).
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I'm going against the others by saying: not really. If you've set the camera to be in iAuto mode, then the flash module will always pop up as soon as you power up the camera. However, I find that the protruding flash module is annoyingly in the way of how I like to hold small cameras, such as this one, with my left hand. So, I'd push it down. Of course this changes the camera's flash setting to disabled. Thus, even if it's really dark and you would think the camera should being using the flash, well hey, it's been manually disabled, so no flash. You will need to keep this in mind (ie is the flash module is not popped up?) and then click through the settings to re-enable the flash again (pop it up). I'm going against the others by saying: not really. If you've set the camera to be in iAuto mode, then the flash module will always pop up as soon as you power up the camera. However, I find that the protruding flash module is annoyingly in the way of how I like to hold small cameras, such as this one, with my left hand. So, I'd push it down. Of course this changes the camera's flash setting to disabled. Thus, even if it's really dark and you would think the camera should being using the flash, well hey, it's been manually disabled, so no flash. You will need to keep this in mind (ie is the... » Read More I'm going against the others by saying: not really. If you've set the camera to be in iAuto mode, then the flash module will always pop up as soon as you power up the camera. However, I find that the protruding flash module is annoyingly in the way of how I like to hold small cameras, such as this one, with my left hand. So, I'd push it down. Of course this changes the camera's flash setting to disabled. Thus, even if it's really dark and you would think the camera should being using the flash, well hey, it's been manually disabled, so no flash. You will need to keep this in mind (ie is the flash module is not popped up?) and then click through the settings to re-enable the flash again (pop it up). « Show Less
301636
I've been comparing them for 2 months and finally bought the 1000IS because:1. It has a rotating wheel on top to change from auto to programmable to movie and all other modes. The review button is on the back.With the 1200 it is a rubber slider and movie mode is in between shoot and review. With my old Canon, I was always getting back to the hotel room out of battery life and discovering it was because in going back and forth between review and shoot mode I had slipped into movie mode and had lots of footage of my feet walking around while sight seeing. Hopefully this can't happen now. I've been comparing them for 2 months and finally bought the 1000IS because:1. It has a rotating wheel on top to change from auto to programmable to movie and all other modes. The review button is on the back.With the 1200 it is a rubber slider and movie mode is in between shoot and review. With my old Canon, I was always getting back to the hotel room out of battery life and discovering it was because in going back and forth between review and shoot mode I had slipped into movie mode and had lots of footage of my feet walking around while sight seeing. Hopefully this can't... » Read More I've been comparing them for 2 months and finally bought the 1000IS because:1. It has a rotating wheel on top to change from auto to programmable to movie and all other modes. The review button is on the back.With the 1200 it is a rubber slider and movie mode is in between shoot and review. With my old Canon, I was always getting back to the hotel room out of battery life and discovering it was because in going back and forth between review and shoot mode I had slipped into movie mode and had lots of footage of my feet walking around while sight seeing. Hopefully this can't happen now. « Show Less
1889665
I have the flash mounted on the Canon 100mm Macro. The 67mm cap is VERY picky about getting on at all. But, once it's on, it seems to stay. Looks like it needs to be vertically aligned with the flash (i.e. printing on flash and lens cap is horizontal) It seems to work, but is not as truly fitted as it should be. Hope this helps!
1217766
yeah, the macro mode lets you take close up images. Got the camera a few days ago and it too pretty nice pics of my fav. ring! The ring is focused, but background will be blurry