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Digital Camera Setup in 10 Easy Steps

Get your camera ready for taking high-quality product photos, by making a few key adjustments:

New! How to connect the power supply (AC Adapter Kit) to the Canon SX30

Main Menu

Connect the AC power adaptor to your camera
Insert the memory card into your camera
Install the close-up lens to the camera
Select the Auto focus option
Set the camera to manual mode
Fix the aperture to the biggest F Stop number
Turn off or disable the camera flash
Enable your camera's macro mode
A custom white balance adjustment is needed
Adjust the file size and resolution to fine JPEG

1. Connect the AC power adaptor to your camera

In order to have continuous power supply without the need to rely on the camera batteries, use an AC power adaptor to connect your camera to an electricity outlet.

2. Insert the memory card into your camera

To begin photographing, you'll need to insert a memory card into your digital camera. The images you shoot will be stored in the camera's memory card until you decide to download them into your computer.

3. Install the close-up lens to the camera

This will ensure the proper focusing when using any of our lighting systems.

Installing the close-up lens on the Canon Powershot Cameras. Show

In this example we are using a Canon S3IS (older model, view current camera models)

1. Detach the lens ring	2. Grab the lens and the lens adapter
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Press the button located on the front bottom of the camera next to the lens, in order to remove the ring.	Get the macro lens you are going to use (usually the +2 lens) as well as the lens adapter for the camera.
3. Attach the lens	4. Lens attached to adapter
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Simply grab the lens and screw it onto the camera lens adapter	This is how the lens and the adapter should look after you have screwed them together.
5. Align the lens with the camera	6. Complete attachment to camera
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Align the white dot in the lens adapter with the white dot found in the camera	Once the white dots are aligned, finish by securing the lens adapter to the camera by slightly rotating the lens adapter counter clock-wise

4. Select the Auto-focus option

Let the camera focus your product automatically.
Please check how to set the auto-focus option in your camera's manual.

Note: Most Canon cameras used in manual mode are pre-set to auto-focus

5. Set the camera to manual mode

This allows you to manually control the aperture and shutter speed.

Setting the Canon cameras to Manual Mode. Show

To select the manual mode, please select the "M" mode of the camera. View illustrations below for more details
Canon SX110 IS Digital Camera	Canon SX 10 IS Digital Camera
Click image to enlarge	Click image to enlarge

6. Fix the aperture to the biggest F Stop number

Fix the aperture to the biggest F Stop number, as this will give you a greater depth-of-field in your pictures. By doing this, you will be able to focus the entire product your are photographing, rather than only parts of it. For most point-and-shoot cameras use F8.0, while for professional cameras use F16.0 or F32.0

Learn more about Depth-of-Field
Please refer to your camera's manual to learn how to setup the aperture.

Screenshot of Canon Camera Menu. Show

Screen shot of the Canon SX110 IS Camera

The camera's LCD monitor displays the settings we are using:
Manual mode ("M"), F8.0 aperture, 1/125 shutter speed (selected), no flash, ISO 80
Macro mode (Tulip flower) symbol missing (See next step).
Screenshot of the menu of Canon Camera A620

7. Turn off or disable the camera flash

Turn off or disable the camera flash, our photography lighting systems provide you with enough light for all your photography needs. To enable or disable your camera's flash press the button with the image of a lightning bolt. The flash will be disabled when you see an image of a circle with a lightning bolt crossed out in your LCD monitor. (see the top middle of the image shown above, in step 6)

Note: The Canon SX10 does not have a "flash" button. To enable and use the flash simply pull the flash compartment up (open), to disable it simply push it down (close it).

8. Enable your camera's macro mode

Turn on the macro mode on your camera in order to correctly focus objects that are at a close distance from the camera's lens (4-12 inches). This feature increases the camera ability to focus at short distance. Turn OFF the macro mode when you are photographing a product that is more than 12 to 14 inches away from the camera.

Finding the Macro mode button on the Canon Powershot SX110 IS and SX10 IS. Show

Please view the following images to view where the MACRO MODE (Tulip) button is located

Canon SX110 IS Camera	Canon SX10 IS Camera
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The tulip symbol shown here appears when you select the MACRO MODE function (by pressing the tulip button/area) Once you have selected it, the tulip image becomes smaller and appears on one side of the LCD screen

This is the LCD Screen of a Canon A620 Digital Camera (old model) while selecting the Macro mode.

9. Do a custom white balance adjustment

Take or measure the light inside our system by using the custom white balance feature on your camera. Please do these adjustments with the shutter speed set at 1/400 (for fluorescent) or 1/100 (for halogen) and the ISO at 80.

Steps for a custom white balance adjustment to your camera. Show

Turn on the fluorescent or halogen lights of your photography
lighting system (not both at the same time) with nothing inside
View photos shot with halogen lighting before and after white balance
Place your camera facing the inside of the lighting system (View Photo C)
Turn on your camera and select the manual mode (Learn how)
Select the shutter speed at 1/400 (for fluorescent light) or 1/100 (for halogen light) and the ISO at 80 or 100. Please refer to your camera's manual for information on how to do this.
Press the "Function/Set" button to enter the functions menu
(View Photo A for the Canon SX110 or Photo B for the Canon SX10 )
Move down the menu (by pressing the DOWN area on the main control) to the second option on the vertical menu called "white balance".
Once you are in the white balance menu, move to the right and select the last option with the icon of a circle on top of two triangles (where the LCD says "Evaluate white balance") (View Photo D)
To evaluate the white balance, press the "Set" or "Menu" button.
The camera will take a picture of the light and measure the light inside the lighting system, it will then adjust the camera's white balance to the correct temperature of light inside the box.
To exit the functions menu and save the setting, press the "Function/Set" button.

Canon SX110 IS Camera- Photo A	Canon SX10 IS Camera - Photo B
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This photo shows you where the Macro Mode and Function/Set buttons are located in the Canon SX110 IS Digital Camera	This photo shows you where the Function and Set buttons are located in the Canon SX10 IS

MK Photo-eBox PLUS - Photo C	Canon SX110 IS LCD Screen - Photo D
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This is one way you may position your camera in order to do the custom white balance adjustment in your camera.	This is the Canon SX110 IS LCD Screen that shows you the functions menu under the "custom white balance" option. You can access using the menu with the "Functions/Set" button.

10. Adjust the file size and resolution to fine JPEG

Adjust your file size to "L" (Large) and the resolution to "Superfine". This will give you a good file size and resolution for most of your applications.

Steps for adjusting the file size and resolution on Canon Powershot cameras. Show

Turn on your camera while on shooting mode (to take photos, not view)
Press the "Function/Set" button to enter the functions menu
(View Photo A for the Canon A650 or Photo B for the Canon S5IS) - Note: Older models!
Move down the menu (by pressing the DOWN area on the main control) to the last option on the vertical menu. This should be the resolution/size menu.
Once you are in the resolution/size menu, move to the right or left and select the "Large" size image, then press "SET" or other button - depending on the camera model (to switch to the resolution menu), and then select the "Superfine" option.
To save the settings, simply exit the main menu.
NOTE: Newer Canon models have the Resolution and the Image Size options separately
To exit the functions main menu, press the "Function/Set" button.

Screen shot of Image Size Menu	Screen shot of Image Resolution Menu
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