Raw

• When shooting in the creative modes, you can set the camera to shoot in the Raw format rather than JPEG. Raw captures and stores as much information as possible when you shoot. This means that when you load the image in a photo-editing program, like Photoshop, you can make adjustments as if you were retaking the image. Raw format requires about twice as much memory as JPEG.
  
  

Vision Impaired Viewfinder

• Some people may find it difficult to look through the viewfinder with glasses. Canon has accounted for this and created a way for photographers to adjust the focus of the viewfinder. If the squares in the viewfinder are blurry because you wear glasses or should wear glasses, adjust the "Diopter Control", the small dial next to the viewfinder until the squares come into focus.
  
  

Custom White Balance

• Determining the correct white balance can be difficult. In most instances, you can use the Auto White Balance feature. Canon has also provided a Custom White Balance feature that allows you to take an image of a plain white image, and the camera will fill in the white balance settings. To use this feature, photograph the white image with the manual focus. Make sure the image is not overexposed or underexposed. Select "Custom WB" from the "Camera" tab in the menu. Then, select the image and press "Set".
  
  

Focus Lock

• Occasionally, you may find that the camera will not focus on the subject you want to capture. There are two options for correcting this. You can manually focus on a subject by repeatedly pressing the "Shutter" button halfway. The red dots in the viewfinder will flash to indicate the subjects. You can also recompose a shot after you have focused on a subject. Once you have focused on an image, hold the "Shutter" button halfway and move the camera to the new shot.
  
  

Free Lens Hoods

• Lens hoods help cut out extraneous light from a photo. Buying a lens hood retail will cost about $50. The Lenshood website, however, has created a variety of lens hoods that you can download for free. Print the template onto a piece of black paper and cut and fold your lens hood.