In metered-manual mode, you set both the shutter speed (using the Main Dial) and the aperture (via the Quick Control Dial on the camera back). A bar graph in the viewfinder (and on the external LCD panel) shows you how your settings compare to the camera meter's idea of correct exposure; or you can use a hand-held meter to determine exposure. Portrait PIC mode makes great portraits point-and-shoot simple. Depth-of-Field AE is a Canon exclusive. Rotate the Command Dial to DEP, select a focusing point, focus on the nearest subject and press the shutter button to record its distance, then focus on the farthest subject and push the shutter button to record its distance. Compose the picture, press the shutter button halfway, and the camera will set the focus point and aperture required to provide enough depth of field to get both subjects in focus (assuming it's possible with the lens, light level and film speed—if it isn't, the aperture display will blink to alert you, and you can still take a correctly exposed picture). With the Eye Controlled Elan 7E models, you can do the focusing by looking at the desired focusing points in the finder instead of selecting a point manually and aiming it at each subject. The exposure locks along with the focus when you press the shutter button halfway down and focus is achieved, except in AI Servo AF. But you can also lock the exposure (in the Creative AE modes) by pressing the * button by your right thumb: Press the * button, and exposure is locked based on the active AF point. You can set ±2 stops of exposure compensation in the Creative AE modes, in 0.5-stop increments. Just rotate the Rear Command Dial until the desired amount of compensation appears on the graph in the viewfinder (it's also shown on the external LCD panel). If you aren't sure about the exposure, use the camera's Auto Exposure Bracketing feature (available in any of the Creative modes, including Metered Manual). Press the FUNC button on the camera back until the arrow at the right edge of the LCD panel points at the AEB icon, then rotate the Command Dial to set the bracketing increment (0.5-2 stops, in 0.5-stop increments). The increment is shown at the top left corner of the LCD panel, and the bracketing range is shown on a graph along the bottom. Compose your photo, press the shutter button, and the camera will shoot three frames—the first at the presumed-correct exposure, the second under by the set amount, and the third over by the set amount. (In single-frame advance mode, you press the shutter button to make each exposure; in continuous advance mode, the camera will make the three exposures as you hold the shutter button down.) Flash The Elan 7's built-in TTL autoflash has an ISO 100 guide number of 42 (in feet), and covers the field of view of a 28mm lens. It automatically pops up and fires when needed in Full Auto, Portrait, Close-up and Night Scene PIC modes, and can be activated manually in the Creative Zone modes. Three-zone flash metering is linked to the active AF point for increased accuracy. In the Creative modes, you can set ±2 stops of flash exposure compensation, in 0.5-stop increments, and you can activate red-eye reduction in any mode except the two no-flash PIC modes (Landscape and Action). Maximum flash-sync shutter speed is 1/125. Add an EX-series Canon Speedlite (such as the new 420EX), and you get more power, bounce capability and some amazing flash features. Thirty-five-zone E-TTL flash uses preflash evaluative metering to naturally balance flash and background exposures. High-Speed Sync (FP Flash) lets you shoot flash pictures at any shutter speed up to the camera's top 1/4000 (at close range, due to reduced power output). FE Lock and Flash Exposure Compensation work like their ambient-light counterparts, and can be used in conjunction with them. Flash Exposure Bracketing (with the 550EX Speedlite only) works like ambient-light exposure bracketing, but changes the flash output instead of the background exposure. The 550EX, 420EX and MR-14EX ringlight have a modeling flash feature that lets you preview the lighting effect (in Creative modes). Wireless E-TTL flash is possible with a Speedlite 550EX, MR-14EX Ring Lite, or Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2 mounted on the camera, and one or more 550EX or 420EX units used off-camera as slave units, with all of the above features. The Off-Camera Shoe Cord 2 lets you move the accessory Speedlite off-camera with full TTL control. Landscape mode is ideal any time you want lots of depth of field, as it favors smaller lens apertures. Other Features Shutter speeds (courtesy of an electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter) range from 30 seconds to 1/4000, plus bulb. Film threading, advance (single-shot or continuous at 4 fps; 3.5 fps in AI Servo AF mode) and rewind are automatic and very quiet, thanks to the built-in Whisper Drive advance system. You can choose fast or silent rewind, and activate rewind in mid-roll if desired. A full-time depth-of-field preview button lets you see in the viewfinder how much depth of field you have (light level and lens speed permitting). You can lock the mirror up before exposure via Custom Function 5, to let the mirror vibration (which is minimal anyway) settle down before exposure—especially useful for high-magnification work. (Use of the accessory Cable Remote Switch RS-060E3 is recommended when using mirror lock). You can make up to nine exposures on a single frame by pressing the FUNC button until the arrow at the right side of the LCD panel points at the multiple-exposure icon, then using the Main Dial to set the desired number of exposures. The built-in eye-level pentaprism viewfinder shows 90% (vertical) by 92% (horizontal) of the actual image area, and has a high (19.5mm) eyepoint so that eyeglasses wearers can see the whole image while wearing their glasses. Viewfinder eyepiece correction from -2.5 to +1 diopters is built-in. The finder shows the seven AF points, and (along the bottom, below the image area) an Eye Control active icon, AE Lock/FE Lock, flash status, shutter speed, Eye Control calibration and Depth-of-Field AE points, focus status, film rewind in progress, analog exposure scale, and lens aperture.