Canon Powershot E1 Review

Easy mode allows any user to pick the camera and start shooting. When shooting this way the only option that you are able to control is if the flash is on or off.

The screen display in Auto record mode. Icons of the top tell you that the camera is set to ISO Auto, Flash is set to Auto and single shot mode. On the left you see the icons for AUTO shooting mode, metering mode, size and quality. On the right you see the number of pictures you have remaining on the memory card.

When the color LCD is turned on and you half-press the shutter you will see which of the nine AF points (green rectangles) were used for the focus lock. You can also see whether the flash will be used as well as the shutter speed, aperture and ISO values that were selected for by the camera for this shot.

Program AE exposure mode is like Auto in that the camera selects both the shutter speed and aperture for a correct exposure but you now have access to a multitude of Function and Menu options and color effects. Icons on the left here indicate ISO speed is Auto, flash is on, single drive mode, metering is set to evaluative, etc.

Program FUNC. Menu

Exposure Compensation - ±2 in 1/3 intervals and long shutter mode
White Balance - Auto, Day Light, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H,
Custom
My Colors - Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, B&W, Custom Color
AF Mode - Evaluative, Center, Spot
Quality - Superfine, Fine, Normal
Image Size - L (3648x2736), M1 (2816x2112), M2 (2272x1704), M3 (1600x1200),
S (640x480), 2M Date Stamp (1600x1200), Widescreen (3648x2048)

The camera features several scene modes, some of which are located on the dial and the rest are located in the FUNC. menu under the scene setting. On the dial you will find the scene modes for Portrait, Landscape, Night Snapshot, Kids&Pets and Indoor. Under the scene menu (shown above) you will find the settings for: Night Scene, Sunset, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Aquarium and ISO 3200.

When using the Standard Movie mode, you can capture video clips at either 640x480 30fps (or LP) or 320x240 30fps. There's also Compact (160x120), mode that is great for saving space or if you plan on sending the videos via email. To switch between them, use "Left" and "Right" on the 4-way controller while in the FUNCtion menu. The optical zoom may not be used during recording, but can be preset before hand. Movie clips are recorded in Motion JPEG format and saved as AVI files.

Both the video and audio portion of movies can be replayed on the camera thanks to the built-in speaker. Full audio-video playback is also possible when connected to a TV monitor or a compatible PC after downloading.

Movie FUNC. Menu:

Movie - Standard or Compact
White Balance - Auto, Day Light, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H,
Custom
My Colors - Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, B&W, Custom
Video Size - 640x480 30fps, 640x480 30fps LP, 320x240 30fps

Record Menu:

AF Frame - Center, Face Detect, AiAF
A Frame Size - Normal, Small
AF-Point Zoom - On or Off
Digital Zoom - Standard, Off,1.4x, 2.3x
Flash Settings - Slow Synchro, Red Eye Correction, Red Eye Lamp
Self Timer - Allows you to set a custom self timer
AF-Assist Beam - On or Off
Review - Off, 2-10 second, Hold
Review Info - Off, Detailed, Focus Check
Auto Category - On or Off
Display Overlay - Off, Grid Lines, 3:2 guide, Both
IS Mode - Continuous, Shoot Only, Panning, Off
Set Print Button - Set button to shortcut of your choosing

Movie Menu:

Digital Zoom - Off, Standard
AF-assist Beam - On or Off
Auto Category - On or Off
Disp. Overlay - Off, Grid Lines
IS Mode - Continuous, Off
Set Print Button - Set button to shortcut of your choosing