Just got my...

chicken_food

first ever DSLR! Canon 450d! To say I am delighted is an understatement, however I must be honest, I feel a little overwhelmed. The scope of what it can do compared to my Sony - T-70 P&S is incredible. Where is the best place to start in your humble opinions?
I downloaded the Guide to 450d for Dummies ebook and while it has been helpful, I feel like I just dont know where to start. Does that make sense?
I 'understand' apertures, f-stops, shutter speed etc etc - but in a vague understanding of them, not any practical knowledge of them.

Should I stick to Av mode to begin with, then on to A-Dep mode (thats an example of the kinda advice I'm looking for).

Any help is going to be appreciated

Ps-This is the first time I think I've ever read the manual of something I've bought!!

melekalikimaka

dive in head first. go manual, shoot something, see how it turns out, fiddle with settings til it comes out right. best way to learn , after a whie you look at things and can guess the iso/shutter/aperture, with your eye, thats when you know you got the photo bug

daycent

I can't get the link to work, but if this is what I think it is you'll find it very useful: http://web.canon.jp/imaging/enjoydslr/index.html

And keep reading the manual!

swingking

Watch lots and lots of YouTube videos. They are extremely helpful

Trev M

daycent wrote: »

I can't get the link to work, but if this is what I think it is you'll find it very useful: http://web.canon.jp/imaging/enjoydslr/index.html

And keep reading the manual!

That link is teh very place I started a little over a year ago possbily yourself that posted it back then daycent, if so much obliged! Great guide for starting out !

Paulw

Get used to Av mode. See how the different apertures effect the images. Then do some shooting with Tv mode, before you feel ready to move on to M (manual).

Trial and error is best, with lots of practice. Learn how aperture, shutter speed and ISO all interact, and soon you'll be ready for Manual mode.

hbr

chicken_food wrote: »

first ever DSLR! Canon 450d! To say I am delighted is an understatement, however I must be honest, I feel a little overwhelmed. The scope of what it can do compared to my Sony - T-70 P&S is incredible. Where is the best place to start in your humble opinions?

By making lots of mistakes.

I downloaded the Guide to 450d for Dummies ebook and while it has been helpful, I feel like I just dont know where to start. Does that make sense?

There are many good books, some general, others targeted at the 450D.
The little book that comes with the Canon is quite good, but it is a little
bit terse because of the need to pack so much into a small space.

You have everything you need right now. Once the lens is attached and the
battery is charged and installed, you can go out and take some pictures.

Take a few in full auto mode to start with. Take note of the shutter speed,
f-stop and ISO values that the camera uses in auto modes. This will help
you to gain some insight into what is happening.

I 'understand' apertures, f-stops, shutter speed etc etc - but in a vague understanding of them, not any practical knowledge of them.

Two tins of peas (or whatever you have handy) on the kitchen table will
tell you more about aperture and depth-of-field than a whole library
full of books.

Should I stick to Av mode to begin with, then on to A-Dep mode (thats an example of the kinda advice I'm looking for).

Try Av mode for experimenting with depth-of-field and Tv mode for
experimenting with motion, blur, freezing action etc...

Any help is going to be appreciated

Ps-This is the first time I think I've ever read the manual of something I've bought!!

Reading the manual is always a last resort for most of us. However you really
should RTFM - where F stands for 'fine' rather than the alternative.

Enjoy your new camera. Don't forget to show us some of your pics.

melekalikimaka

hbr wrote: »

Two tins of peas (or whatever you have handy) on the kitchen table will
tell you more about aperture and depth-of-field than a whole library
full of books.

pfft... yeah right, more like this :p:p:p





basically learn this off, and your laughing... don't leran it, and you wil lose the respect of every photographer here :mad:


[\sarc]

chicken_food

Thank you all so much for your help and words of wisdom. I'm going to go out and start taking photos around campus (living on campus and 'trying' to start studying - so the camera isn't helping!).
I've wanted this camera for nearly 11 months now, and i'm extremely excited to have it at last!! I just want to make the most of it.
If I fail these exams, I'm going to blame the camera .... and this forum!

Paulw

chicken_food wrote: »

If I fail these exams, I'm going to blame the camera .... and this forum!

Don't forget to blame this forum too if you go bankrupt from camera/lens buying.

hbr wrote: »

You have everything you need right now. Once the lens is attached and the
battery is charged and installed, you can go out and take some pictures.

Oh, and memory cards are useful too.

Understanding Exposure was recommended to me on here and it's a good starting point in my opinion. Explains fairly well how the different settings work and what can be achieved by changing them.


One thing I will say though, is if you pick up a copy of understanding exposure, don't bother with any other begginer books. I spent €25 on the Scott Kelby trilogy and, whilst it's nice to own them, i didn't learn much from them. If i was a little more advanced and was working with a studio or something they'd be grand, but I'm not, so they're not.


Google will help you understand everything fairly well, though i would stress that it's extremely important to actually get out and about and take photographs. I've been reading about photography for about six months, and whilst I know ISO/aperture/shutter speeds theoretically, I find I'm still struggling a bit when it comes to actually taking a half decent photograph.



Lots of trial and error is probably ultimately the best way to learn practically though. (all of this is in my own amateur opinion, though)

Thecageyone

Congrat's on the new purchase

I made the leap from p&s to dslr only this year myself. What impressed me the most to date is not just the control range, but the IQ. I don't have to cringe anymore when I zoom in 100%

I already had a good handle on manual controls, but because the range is much greater I find I use Aperture priority a lot more. Even if just to see what the cam suggests in certain lighting, often flicking to manual and adjusting from there if it seems a bit off.

Good luck

Oh, and youtube tutorials can be great, just go for the pro-ones, and ignore the ones with some geeky teen in his bedroom talking a load of crap.

pixbyjohn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp4ovqqlSE0

Download and save them to watch over again. Best of luck with new camera

chicken_food

Well...went out for about an hour there just wandering around my local area and it was a steep learning curve! I took alot of photos which when reviewed on the tiny screen was exactly what I wanted, as soon as I put them on my laptop and checked through - they were awful!!
It kind of shocked me, and nearly put a dampner on things. My shutter was too slow or the whites were over powering, lack of contrast etc. I know theoretically how to fix it...but i guess practice makes perfect.

Thecageyone

make use of the narrower apertures for scenic shots, that way you can keep the shutter slow enough without blowing anything.

try Aperture priority with ap's of f/8 - f/16, see what the camera thinks, then adjust slightly in manual. Works for me most times.

humberklog

Stick the camera in full auto and point it in the direction something interesting.

Thecageyone

:eek:

Aye, so long as you don't mind loads of speckles after the camera decides ISO 3200 would be great on a sunny day, lol.

humberklog

Thecageyone wrote: »

:eek:

Aye, so long as you don't mind loads of speckles after the camera decides ISO 3200 would be great on a sunny day, lol.

Happily I haven't got a clue what any of that means.

Thecageyone

My experience with auto modes is that cameras are a bit ... well, thick, when left to their own devices

They need telling!

Before I decided to learn manual controls I would use those auto scene modes, and almost always the images would be blown all over the shop. Mostly because the camera decided that the higher the ISO [light sensitivity] setting, the better.

At least use Program AE mode, or semi-auto, where you can control the ISO [keep it down small as possible]

chicken_food

Here's one of my favourites from today, I just uploaded a few so far. No pp done or anything. Want to get it right first, before I start playing with photoshop etc.

Thecageyone

Nice one

The boat's a little too central for my liking but I like it all the same.

chicken_food

Cheers! I know what you mean, I couldn't get any closer or from a different angle! So it was either smack bang in the middle or have some ugly apts in the background. Preferably I wouldnt have the bridge in it either - but its a start! First day with the camera is done!!

sineadw

I have never *ever* shot in A-dep. I can't even remember what it is..

Just have fun

goretti

where did you get the guide

Thecageyone

Absoloutely nowt wrong with semi auto modes. It helps take some confusion away when you start out. You can concentrate on the main controls you desire, and once that becomes a cinch, stick her in manual. I think the eye > the brain when it comes to great photos

swingking

Nice composition and lighting.

goretti

Fantastic link many thanks.