Canon PowerShot A100 Service Manual page 12

Enabling for On/Off selection of AF-assist beam
Many of the PowerShot series are equipped with an assist light to ensure proper autofocus when subject
brightness is below a certain level. However, when photographing animals in a dark environment, they may react
to the AF-assist beam by running away, preventing the desired photo from being taken in such situations.
The PowerShot A200/A100 therefore includes the capability to turn the AF-assist beam on and off, so that
photos can be taken without it in situations like the above.
*When the surrounding light level is extremely low, the AF function may be unable to determine the
proper focus. In such cases, the focus is fixed at a specific point.
Macro Function focuses down to 5 cm
The PowerShot A200/A100 includes a macro function that can photograph
as close as 5 cm from the subject. The area of the photo is about 46 × 34 mm
with the PowerShot A200, and about 47 × 35 mm with the PowerShot A100,
which is the smallest area that can be photographed so far by any camera in
the PowerShot/IXY series'.
Use of widely available size AA battery with (2) (primary: alkaline, secondary: NiCd/NiMH)
For convenience, the PowerShot A200/A100 can be powered by AA-size batteries. This convenience is espe-
cially significant because only two batteries are required instead of four, such as in the PowerShotA20/A10.
While the primary battery type is alkaline, NiCd
the best battery type according to the usage situation and environment.
*1 Manganese batteries cannot be used. Also, because alkaline batteries vary considerably among
manufacturers, it is preferable to use brands recommonded by Canon.
*2 NiCd battery capacity also varies considerable among manufacturers, so we do not recommend their use.
One-click open/close lens cover (dual use for switching between still and movie)
The lens cover of the PowerShot A200/A100 can be opened and closed with one touch. Also, clever use of two
springs (patent application planned) for the opening and closing mechanism provides convenient operation with
minimum effort.
Additionally, a one-touch selection is provided to use the lens cover for switching between still images and
movies.
I nverted Galilean-type optical viewfinder
The reverse Galileo-type optical viewfinder system was adopted instead of the previous actual-image system. In
the reverse Galileo-type system, the object lens is concave and the eyepiece is convex. The mechanism is simple
(2 lenses), resulting in clear visibility and suitable compactness for a small camera.
Further, the eye relief being as long as 16 mm, excellent observation is also possible for people wearing eye-
glasses.
Fig. 2-1 Optical viewfinder
Reset of all settings by one-touch operation
The user can make many settings on the PowerShot A200/A100 LCD, and by pressing the menu button for five
seconds, all settings can be canceled (returned to defaults).
or NiMH batteries may also be used, so the user can choose
*2
1-6
46 mm/1.8 inch
Photo 2-2 Max. capturing area
Eye-point
16mm
(0.63inch)