New Camera! - DPChallenge Forums

03/16/2007 05:33:39 PM · #1

My school has a new camera on order and I can bring it home and use it for DPC challenges. It's a Canon EOS Rebel XTi. Aside from reading reviews, can anyone offer me a clue as to how I might benefit from using this? Right now I use the Sony 828. I own an Olympus E-10...but my friend took it over (maybe I should get it back?). Given the Canon is an SLR and I am trying to break out of auto mode setting, would the Canon be better for me?

03/16/2007 06:12:18 PM · #2

It is a nice camera. And yes get out of auto mode. anyone that can use anything other than auto and doesn't is doing themselves a disservice IMO.

03/16/2007 06:24:55 PM · #3

Originally posted by Elvis_L:

It is a nice camera. And yes get out of auto mode. anyone that can use anything other than auto and doesn't is doing themselves a disservice IMO.

Thank you
My Sony offers auto mode - S, A, M and P settings. Is the Canon different? I am new to this and my cameras come from school. Is short I have no idea what I am talking about...just looking to get better.

03/16/2007 06:32:25 PM · #4

not sure but the a mode may be aperture and the s may be shutter. The Canon has Av (aperture),Tv(shutter), M (manual) and several other modes.

I would suggest the aperture mode first. basically you choose what aperture you want to control the Depth of field you would prefer for you shot and the camera will choose the correct shutter speed to properly expose it. This is a good place to start (and what I think many if not most photographers use most of the time)

03/16/2007 06:39:43 PM · #5

Originally posted by Elvis_L:

Sir ELVIS..you are my hero! You gave me FOCUS. I have been fiddling to my wits end among all the diffrent settings to the point that I can't remember what I did...and I leaves me frustrated and back to auto mode...Gonna try that - it narrows the learning load for sure!

03/16/2007 06:52:34 PM · #6

when setting you aperture, remember the lower the aperture number the shallower the depth of field (less of the shot is in focus)

take this shot (by my lovely wife)

notice how you can read the book title but all of the other books are out of focus. Her aperture was 3.2 if she had set it to say 11 everything would have been in focus. Form what I understand this effect is very hard to achieve on a point and shoot like your sony so don't go try it get frustrated:)

This effect is not as much the further you are away from something so if she was 10 feet away at 3.2 everything would ahve been in focus.If you have low light you make the number smaller to let in more light and get you higher shutter speeds.

Message edited by author 2007-03-16 18:56:18.

03/16/2007 06:55:43 PM · #7

Sh^t fire! Your posts get better all thime!

03/16/2007 08:56:47 PM · #8

Originally posted by dsterner:

Sh^t fire! Your posts get better all thime!

NP let me know if you have anymore questions.

rex

Canon PowerShot SD780

03/16/2007 08:58:54 PM · #9

Originally posted by dsterner:

Sh^t fire! Your posts get better all thime!

You can say "Shit fire!" Just don't do it cause it will burn.

Message edited by author 2007-03-16 20:59:22.

03/16/2007 09:00:52 PM · #10

Originally posted by rex:

Originally posted by dsterner:
Sh^t fire! Your posts get better all thime!

You can say "Shit fire!" Just don't do it cause it will burn.

I can attest to that:)

03/16/2007 09:35:45 PM · #11

Originally posted by Elvis_L:

Originally posted by rex:

Originally posted by dsterner:
Sh^t fire! Your posts get better all thime!

You can say "Shit fire!" Just don't do it cause it will burn.

I can attest to that:)

I don't get it?

Ubersteiny

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM for Canon

03/16/2007 10:33:20 PM · #12

Originally posted by Elvis_L:

when setting you aperture, remember the lower the aperture number the shallower the depth of field (less of the shot is in focus)

take this shot (by my lovely wife)

notice how you can read the book title but all of the other books are out of focus. Her aperture was 3.2 if she had set it to say 11 everything would have been in focus. Form what I understand this effect is very hard to achieve on a point and shoot like your sony so don't go try it get frustrated:)

This effect is not as much the further you are away from something so if she was 10 feet away at 3.2 everything would ahve been in focus.If you have low light you make the number smaller to let in more light and get you higher shutter speeds.

.. how could you get 3.2 on a f/4 lens :-S

rex

Canon PowerShot SD780

03/16/2007 10:54:57 PM · #13

Originally posted by dsterner:

I don't get it?

You know if you shit fire it will burn. Kinda like eating Mexican!!!

mobster

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

03/16/2007 10:57:14 PM · #14

Originally posted by noisemaker:

Originally posted by Elvis_L:
when setting you aperture, remember the lower the aperture number the shallower the depth of field (less of the shot is in focus)

take this shot (by my lovely wife)

notice how you can read the book title but all of the other books are out of focus. Her aperture was 3.2 if she had set it to say 11 everything would have been in focus. Form what I understand this effect is very hard to achieve on a point and shoot like your sony so don't go try it get frustrated:)

This effect is not as much the further you are away from something so if she was 10 feet away at 3.2 everything would ahve been in focus.If you have low light you make the number smaller to let in more light and get you higher shutter speeds.

.. how could you get 3.2 on a f/4 lens :-S

Magic...

Tajhad

Canon EOS R

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS USM

03/16/2007 11:45:00 PM · #15

Deb
As Elvis (love that name !) said. Try the AV setting first. Take some shots (in daylight or good lighting) of the same thing. Change the setting (by the wheel near the shutter) each shot. Do a half a dozen shots ranging from f3.5 (or what ever is lowest on your lens) through to F16. View them side by side to see the difference in depth of field.

Try the same with the TV setting (this is the shutter speed). Again adjust by the same wheel. Try a reaaly slow shutter (10 or so) up to 2000. Try it on a moving object - maybe a wind chime moving back and forth in the wind. You should find the slower shutters are blurred and the faster ones freeze the movement.
This should help you get farmiliar with what each setting will do.

Of course the trick is getting the right combination of shutter speed and aperture (depth of field) to get the effect you want.

Manual on the Rebel is a little more tricky - mainly because the adjustments are a little fiddly. I'd play around with the AV and TV modes first until you feel comfortable with them.

Ubersteiny

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM for Canon

03/17/2007 12:06:42 AM · #16

Originally posted by Tajhad:

technically Tv stands for Time Value :P