One of the first things that you will notice when you start using this Rebel is the wonderful 3” LCD screen. At 920,000 dots (VGA) it is clear and crisp. Even the text is clearer than most camera screens. The screen also has anti-reflective and scratch-resistant coatings for improved viewing and smudge protection. Although depending on your physical makeup, looking through the view finder may press your nose against the LCD screen causing a smudge every time you take a picture using the view finder.

Unlike many older SLR’s, you can use either the LCD screen or the view finder to frame your photo. Canon calls using the LCD screen Live View. To initiate Live View, you simply press the Live View button seen in Figure 6. Since this button is also used to capture a video when in Movie View, it will be an often-used button. For that reason, Canon has put a small protruding dimple on the top of this button to help differentiate it from nearby buttons.

When you change to the Live View the camera gives you on-screen instructions for pressing the exposure-focus lock (asterisk) button to set the auto-focus. Live View has several focusing options that can be accessed through the menus.

Live View also allows you press the DISP button and see the camera settings, grids, and histogram on the screen. You can also press the magnify button to magnify the view and you the arrow keys to move the focus to magnify the area of your choice. This can be used in conjunction with manual focusing to get the camera precisely focused.

Although the LCD screen doesn’t flip out like some of the Rebel’s competitors, it is still extremely functional.

The combination of the large, clear LCD screen and the dials and buttons shown in Figure 8 also makes it easy to navigate the menu system.

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Figure 8: The quick menu.

Canon also provides a quick menu function that is activated by pressing the SET button (shown in Figure 8). This allows to you quickly set the functionality. The function that you are working with is highlighted in blue is also shown in Figure 8. You press SET to change the highlighted option. You move to the other choices for that option by pressing the arrow keys. Then you set each function by pressing the SET button. If you are changing an option that has a corresponding function on the mode dial, you can also highlight that option and turn the mode dial to the selection of your choice.

You can also store a set of custom settings that you use often.