Need a lot of help with my new Canonsx220 HS.

[kelshaw]

Hello to everyone, my name is Kelshaw, i am a new member. Christmas 20011 my son bought me the camera, even though iv used different cameras through the years i knew this camera would be too advanced for me. Iv been very lucky with most of the photos iv taken, mostly my two grandaughters, the problem is digital is so so new to me and i know im not useing the functions properly. I read the instruction manual but can"t take it all in, im not sure if i have it set up properly. i mostly use Auto and have used kids n pets also continuous shooting. I have taken some good photos of the children to my surprise but would like to feel more confident. If any member is familiar with this canon model can you help by telling me the correct set up. i have lots of questions to ask but is getting late here and will have to post again tomorrow night. Thank you in advance for any help you can give and i look forward to replies. Kelshaw.

 

[jedirunner]

Hello to everyone, my name is Kelshaw, i am a new member. Christmas 20011 my son bought me the camera, even though iv used different cameras through the years i knew this camera would be too advanced for me. Iv been very lucky with most of the photos iv taken, mostly my two grandaughters, the problem is digital is so so new to me and i know im not useing the functions properly. I read the instruction manual but can"t take it all in, im not sure if i have it set up properly. i mostly use Auto and have used kids n pets also continuous shooting. I have taken some good photos of the children to my surprise but would like to feel more confident. If any member is familiar with this canon model can you help by telling me the correct set up. i have lots of questions to ask but is getting late here and will have to post again tomorrow night. Thank you in advance for any help you can give and i look forward to replies. Kelshaw.

Ok, so let me preface this with the fact that I'm no expert. I'm fairly new to this whole photography thing. But ... I've used a SX200 (an older model to what you have right now). It was a fun camera, and the first one that made me think about eventually really getting into photography.

My daughter has a book (Photography for Kids) which actually breaks down many of the basics of using a camera into very small, short, and easy to understand pieces. It may be worth looking at to see if it would help you get into your camera. By the way, I noticed that the camera used throughout most of the book is the SX200, so it would be very similar to the actual camera you're using now. Anyway, this book, while saying it's for kids, would be just fine to someone older who wants to slow down and try different things at the very basic levels.

Hope it helps. If nothing else, it would give you a book to go into a book store and look at -- flip through the pages and see if it gives you what you'd like to start with.

Once you get through the stuff in that book, then you could try going back to the camera model (which manuals are almost never written for true beginners), or to other books which cover other basics of photography, such as my favorite "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson.

Hope that helps you get started. Like I say, that camera is a pretty decent point-and-shoot with lots of options to get you hooked on being able to actually "control" your photography, once you learn how.

Kevin

 

[kelshaw]

Hi and thank you Kevin for responding to my request. I think we have a time difference between us that is why im late replying to you, i live in Ireland. I think i will be learning for some time to come. Kelshaw.