Introduction

I first started taking pictures using an old film camera when I was a child. Luckily we had access to a darkroom and didn't have to wait for the pictures to come back. But still, the picture-taking process was half mystery, half imagination — we just never knew what we would get.

When I first got my hands on a digital camera, the resolution wasn't much. The camera could only take eight images before you had to hook it up to a computer and download the files from the camera's built-in memory. The whole process was clunky but it was still amazing because just seconds after you took a picture, you could see what you photographed.

The PowerShot was introduced by Canon in 1996. Although primitive by today's standards, it was the start of a long line of digital cameras that has increasingly pushed the capabilities of digital imaging technology. The PowerShot isn't just a snapshot camera; it is a sophisticated digital imaging device. Images captured by PowerShots have appeared in magazines and newspapers, dorm rooms and photo albums.

Who is this Book for?

This book is written for those PowerShot owners who are new to photography and those who are transitioning from shooting film. If you are a long-time PowerShot owner and want to improve your picture-taking techniques, there are chapters for you, as well. And if staring at camera menus causes you to become blurry-eyed, these pages will help.

Although this book covers many specific PowerShot models, if you have an older model or ...

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