Auto Lighting Optimizer

The Auto Lighting Optimizer automatically corrects brightness and contrast when the camera detects that a photographed face has turned out dark or that the overall contrast is low. The Auto Lighting Optimizer has been upgraded to work with manual and bulb exposures, unlike the previous Kiss X3 model.

Peripheral illumination correction

This function automatically corrects JPEG images for lens vignetting. EOS Utility, a communication program that comes with the camera, is used to register and delete lens correction data. JPEG images are corrected in-camera automatically immediately after shooting. RAW images can be corrected later with a computer using Digital Photo Professional’s capture settings.

Noise reduction at high ISO settings

The noise reduction function has four settings — Standard, Low, Strong, and Disable. In settings other than Strong the noise reduction function has no impact on the maximum burst length during continuous shooting.

Highlight Tone Priority mode

As with previous models, the Kiss X4 comes with a Highlight Tone Priority mode, which prioritizes the reproduction of tonal information in highlights.

Live mode

This is a contrast AF mode that uses the imaging sensor to detect contrast.

Face Detection Live mode (Figure 2)

This is also a contrast AF mode, but it focuses on faces detected in the frame. When multiple faces are detected, the camera analyzes the faces using face size and proximity to the center of the image as criteria and selects one face. The user can use the cross keys to select another face if the automatic selection is not desired.

Quick mode

This is a phase-difference AF mode that uses the AF sensor. Live View is paused momentarily while the camera auto focuses in this mode.

Exposure control while shooting movies

The X4 now allows the user to select either Auto exposure or Manual exposure from the camera’s menu for movie shooting.

Auto exposure
The camera automatically adjusts the exposure to compensate for the ambient brightness. The camera’s imaging sensor is used with the metering mode set to either center-weighted averaging or Program AE for movies. If the Face Detection Live AF mode is active, the camera will use evaluative metering linked to the AF frame activated by the face detection function.

Manual exposure
In this mode, the user manually sets the shutter speed and aperture before starting to shoot a movie. The user can also choose auto or manual for the ISO sensitivity (the manual ISO speed can be set between ISO 100 and ISO 6400).

Recording size and frame rate

The user can choose from the movie recording size and frame rate combinations given in Table 1. The Kiss X4 is the first EOS model to feature the Movie Crop function. Movie Crop (SD quality) records a rectangular 640-x-480-pixel block in the center of the sensor. Movie Crop is similar in function to a 7x zoom compared to normal shooting.

Recording lengths and audio recording

A 4 GB card can hold about 12 minutes of continuous movie recording in Full HD and HD, and about 24 minutes in SD and Movie Crop. Movie recording requires an SD card with a read/write speed of at least 6MB/second. Audio is recorded in mono with the built-in microphone. Stereo recording is possible by using an external stereo microphone. Sound level (recording level) is adjusted automatically.
Pressing the shutter button while recording a movie will take a still image (the still image uses the current still-image recording quality settings). Movie recording is interrupted for about one second.

Support for wireless remote controllers

The new RC-6 remote controller can be used to record movies as well as shoot still images. The controller can be used to start and stop movie recording in the two-second delay release mode and to shoot stills in the instantaneous release mode. The Kiss X4 also supports the RC-1 and RC-5 remote controllers.

Playback on a Full HD TV (recommended)

Users can use the camera’s controls to play movies on a Full HD TV by simply connecting the camera to the TV with an HDMI cable. The camera selects the output resolution based on the TV’s capabilities so that the user can enjoy the highest image quality. Still images can also be enjoyed in stunning HD quality with this setup.

Playback on a computer

It is possible to play back movies on a computer using the bundled software (ZoomBrowser EX/ImageBrowser), but because of the data sizes involved a high-performance computer (Core 2 Duo 2.6GHz CPU or better, and 2GB of RAM or more) is necessary for smooth playback.

Simple movie editing (starting and ending cuts only)

The Kiss X4 has a function that lets the user make cuts to a recorded movie at the start or end in one-second increments with the camera controls. The edited movie file can be saved separately from the original file.