New Equipment!!!

mommaof2 · Dec 2, 2008

so i have purchased a canon rebel xs and still waiting for it in the mail, but i would like some pointers on what i need to work on first when i receive the camera!!!

Josh66 · Dec 2, 2008

Learn to use Av, Tv, and M modes. Save the green box for your point & shoot cameras.

Congratulations on the new camera.

Dionysus · Dec 2, 2008

is this your first slr? do you know anything about the science behind exposure? I really dont know how much you already know, so you may want to be more specific.

If a total beginner: Understanding Exposure. Get this book.

Search these forums, read all you can, and play around w/ your new camera on manual. fastest way to learn.

A4Effort · Dec 2, 2008

Take a bunch of pictures in the modes described above, making sure not to post them all on this site. Then, look at your pictures and see what needs to be improved on, once you have read up on some more information.

cbryan · Dec 2, 2008

I don't think anyone has said it yet but take the time to read the manual. It's fairly light reading and will give you a nice introduction to your camera. I think it was the only manual I read this year. ha!

AlfromLA · Dec 3, 2008

I would have said that. Manual is more important than you know. I tried to blow it off, not a good idea. Then prepare wallet for a shock because the heavy spending will really begin. Be sure this is what you want to do before you do that because I realize it takes some dedication & money. Lots of money.

Nurf · Dec 3, 2008

I have to agree with the to people above my post! First thing to do when getting your camera is read your manual!! Know what all the features of your camera are and learn what it is capable of.

Overread · Dec 3, 2008

What I did (around this time last year)
Get the camera - open the manual - read!
sit and play with the camera having the manual there and just shoot off some shots and experiment (honestly I have loads of photos (mostly deleted now

) of my dull dorm room)

Then just get out and about and do some shooting - but always carry your manual with you - always!

Once your past the "its new" stage start to set yourself some targets to meet (this sounds boring and work linked, but its really a big help!). Define your interests and decide what you want to take better photos of - and then go out and do some shooting. Once done come back and upload some of the best examples (1-5 no more) to the net and post them here - along with the shutter speed, aperture, ISO and shooting mode you used at the time (this information is recorded in the camera and attached to each photo - look at the propertise of the photo image on your computer and select the details tab - scroll down to find aperture and the rest..

Then sit back and get ready for some feedback

I also recomend getting and reading Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson - a fantastic book and a great introduction to understanding aperture, ISO and shutter speed and how they relate to each other in getting a good exposure.
Past that keep and eye on aperture priority mode and try to get into it as soon as you can - many people use this mode all the time since it both allows control over the camera and yet is also fast to adapt to shifts in the light

mrodgers · Dec 3, 2008

mommaof2 said:
so i have purchased a canon rebel xs and still waiting for it in the mail, but i would like some pointers on what i need to work on first when i receive the camera!!!

Overread said:
What I did (around this time last year)
Get the camera - open the manual - read!
sit and play with the camera having the manual there and just shoot off some shots and experiment (honestly I have loads of photos (mostly deleted now ) of my dull dorm room)

You have a benefit over folks like me who purchased their camera at a store, thus had their camera in their hands immediately.

I did similar to what Overread stated above. The difference is, my manual is very basic.

While searching for photography, I came across the following sites that I found very helpful in the beginning. You can also download the camera's manual online to read before your camera comes in the mail.

Digicam Help
Shortcourses

These gave me a good idea on what all the shutter and aperture stuff is about. Also, there is info on composition and other stuff. The Shortcourses site has quite an extensive amount of info.

You can check out those 2 links, as well as the forum here and get some info before you have the camera. You would be one step ahead when turning the camera on for the first time.

As I read around the net, it gave me a good understanding of what exactly the shutter speed does (motion), and what the aperture does (depth of field). But it still wasn't clicking for me how they relate to each other. Understanding Exposure is always recommended on the forum here. I read the first 3 chapters and that's all it took for me to understand the relationship between the shutter, aperture, and ISO settings.