I am a new user to the A1, about two weeks now. One thing I can't find in the manual is what "clear scan" means in the shutter speed section and when to use it. I wish to be able to shoot in manual mode as soon as I can. I know I have still a lot to learn. This site is a great tool for any user. Thanks for the help.

Clear scan should be used when you're shooting television screens.

Television screens or CRT computer monitors. You can finely tune the ClearScan function to precisely match the refresh rate of the monitor you're pointing at.