User manual MINOLTA DYNAX MAXXUM 800SI PART 2

[. . . ] BASIC OPERATION E INSTRUCTION MANUAL FOCUS BASICS FLASH BASICS SUBJECT PROGRAM MODES EXPOSURE BASICS ADVANCED AUTOFOCUS ADVANCED EXPOSURE ADVANCED FLASH ADDITIONAL FEATURES APPENDIX FOR PROPER AND SAFE USE Thank you for purchasing the Minolta Dynax/Maxxum 800si. The 800si features Minolta's highly acclaimed 14-Segment Honeycomb Pattern Metering, a built-in high-power zoom flash, and built-in Intelligent Card functions. The built-in flash covers focal lengths from 24 to 80mm and has a guide number of up to 20. A screw-type PC terminal and Rear-flash sync function give you maximum control over flash exposures. [. . . ] FOCUS appears in the data panel, press the focus-mode button to select autofocus. · The selected AF mode will remain when a Subject Program Selection is made. · The AF Illuminator will not operate when mode is selected. Horizontal (Wide) Vertical Horizontal (Local) WIDE FOCUS AREA The camera uses all of the AF sensors to focus. Wide Focus Area provides flexibility in framing and makes it easier for the camera to focus on moving subjects. The default setting of the camera is wide focus area. Continued on next page. 66 67 FOCUS FRAME LOCAL FOCUS AREA Select a specific local focus AF sensor for the camera to use. RELEASE PRIORITY The default setting of the 800si is autofocus-priority shutter release. When the camera is in autofocus, the shutter will not release if the subject is not in focus. You can set the camera to shutter-release priority so the shutter will release even if the subject is not sharply focused. While pressing the AF button, turn the front control dial to display each local focus area. Press and hold the adjust button and press the ISO button. · CUSt - 1 and a setting number of 1 will appear in the data panel. When the desired local focus area appears in the viewfinder, release the AF button. The selected local focus area indicator will remain in the viewfinder. · To return to wide focus area, press and hold the AF button and turn the front control dial one click. · When the RF 500mm lens or the AF Power Zoom 35-80mm lens is attached, only the center local focus area can be selected. · If Customized Function #6 is on setting 3 (Lens' focus hold button operates Continuous Autofocus), operation of continuous autofocus will be suspended while the dial is turned to select a local focus area. Turn the rear control dial so the setting number in the lower right corner is changed to 2. Press the shutter-release button partway down to enter the selection. · RP will appear in the data panel. · Pressing the program-reset button will return the camera to AF Priority. Customized Function #1 - Release/AF Priority This page describes the Release/AF Priority customize function. See page 99 for information. 68 69 METERING Your camera takes meter readings of the light in the scene to determine the correct exposure. Use the method most appropriate for your subject. 14-SEGMENT HONEYCOMB-PATTERN METERING Fourteen-Segment Honeycomb-Pattern Metering is the camera's standard metering mode and will be set whenever the programreset button is pressed (p 120). This mode uses information from the autofocus system to set the metering pattern according to the position of the main subject in the frame. The camera evaluates each of the honeycomb segments separately to determine the degree of spot-lighting or backlighting present in your scene. ADVANCED EXPOSURE Continued on next page. 70 71 METERING CENTER-WEIGHTED AVERAGE METERING In center-weighted average mode, the exposure is based on an average of the reading made by each of the honeycomb segments - with emphasis placed on the center of the image. Take care when photographing backlit, spotlit, or off-center subjects because the meter may include non-subject areas of your scene when calculating the exposure. SELECTING A METERING METHOD Press the metering-mode button in the control panel. Turn either control dial until the icon of the desired method appears in the data panel. Press the shutter-release button partway down to enter the setting. SPOT METERING Spot metering uses only the center segment of the honeycomb pattern. The spot-metering circle appears in the viewfinder to indicate the metering area. MEMORY: The Metering Mode setting can be stored in memory. See page 99 for information. 72 73 EXPOSURE COMPENSATION This function enables you to bias the camera's exposure calculation up to 3 EVs over or under the normal metered setting. AE LOCK Use this function to lock the automatic exposure settings without locking the autofocus. While pressing the exposure compensation button, turn either control dial. Center the subject of which the meter-reading will be made. When the desired compensation value appears in the viewfinder and data panel, release the exposure compensation button. · The compensation value will disappear from the body data panel, but will remain in the data panel. · Press the exposure-compensation button at any time to make the exposure factor appear in the data panel. · In P, A, and S modes and each subject program mode, the metering index will appear in the viewfinder when the autofocus is activated by Eye-start or pressing the shutter-release button partway down. [. . . ] When photographing in cold weather, we recommend you keep the camera and spare batteries inside your coat to keep them warm when you are not shooting. · The low-battery symbol may appear even with a fresh battery, depending on storage conditions. To restore camera power, turn the main switch to LOCK and then to ON. TECHNICAL DETAILS Camera Type: 35mm single lens reflex (SLR) with built-in flash, autoexposure (AE), and actionpredictive autofocus (AF) Minolta A-type bayonet mount (Maxxum/Dynax lenses) Type: Through-the-lens (TTL) phase detection, multi metering with CCD line sensor metering cell. AF Sensitivity Range: EV -1 to19 (ISO 100) AF Illuminator: Built-in LED with range of 0. 7 - 7m. [. . . ]