just got a DSLR where do i start?

[acs=e36]

So a cannon 40D fell out of the sky and im so overwhelmed with all its functions and ability to take amazing pictures but i just dont know where to start. i was never really into photography so what makes a good picture is all quite new to me. i have got an idea of how to use this thing but its still limited at this point. can somone help me where to start when taking pics in M mode. i would really like to put this thing to some good use rather than just a fancy point and shoot!
what do i adjust first? what settings are best in what conditions? how do i fine tune it? help?! thanks in advance

[Bansheercr]

Best advice is read the manual several times and learn where and how the buttons are and used.

[gjl711]

I have to disagree with the reading the manual to learn a DSLR. The manual is a great tool to show you the hows but not the whens and whys. I have found that this simple website is much better in introducing the features and providing a simple explination of what to use and when. Once you get a handle on the the manual come into play to provide the detailed background on how to fully utilize a feature.

Check out this web site.
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/enjoydslr/index.html

[windpig]

what is your photographic background?

[acs=e36]

Originally Posted by windpig

what is your photographic background?

im pretty newb to all this. im comming straight from a point and shoot and im currently putting this to waste since im not using it to its full potential. i did however take a photography class ages ago using a nikon film SLR but its all forgotten now. i been playing with this allot and its slowly coming back but its still just basic knowledge.

[Photon Phil]

So you have knowledge of the triangle of Shutter Speed, aperture and ISO?

[acs=e36]

thats the part that actually frustrates me the most
i just dont know which one to mess with first and how to use these to get the most of the picture. sure i can tinker them so the pic turns out but i dont think im doing this properly

[kekoa]

I'm pretty new too. first, what lens are you using?

i would go outside, set the iso to about 200, put the camera in av mode and start playing with the aperature shooting different things. I still us av mode the most. I'm not yet comfortable going to full M. that is my goal this year though along with collecting a few L lenses.

[acs=e36]

mines a 17-85mm 1:4-5.6 i believe this is the standard one
first of all from what i understand for ISO, 100 is best for SUNNY days and 400 for indoors? when would i use the rest going to 1600?
but regardless im still confused about what to dial first in terms of Shutter Speed, aperture and ISO

[kekoa]

Originally Posted by acs=e36

mines a 17-85mm 1:4-5.6 i believe this is the standard one
first of all from what i understand for ISO, 100 is best for SUNNY days and 400 for indoors? when would i use the rest going to 1600?
but regardless im still confused about what to dial first in terms of Shutter Speed, aperture and ISO

I'm not an ISO expert, but your assumptions above are wrong. My iso can range from 100-400 on sunny days. Inside, the highest i've goon is 1600, but my 5dmk II can go even higher without too much noise. IMO, I would try AV first so you can control the aperature and the shutter speed sets accordingly. Just play with different aperatures and you will see the DOF's changing. See what works best for different subject.

Again, i'm new too so maybe some experts can guid you better. The above is just what i did when starting.

[ScootersDaddy]

I'm very new to DSLRs too. Two books that were a huge help to me were Scott Kelby's Digital Photography books and also Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. Read those books, read the forums for a couple of months and take a few thousand pictures and you'll be in good shape before you know it.

[SOK]

Start here: Ben's Newbie Guide

I'm also a fan of the way this site explains things.

[neilwood32]

Bens guide is a very good one.

Another good place to learn is http://digital-photography-school.com/

[-Swo0p]

As a fellow Newb I'll give my 2 cents...

I've been messing with Shutter speeds and Fstops the most, just trying everything out to see what works best in which situation.

These are modes Tv and Av.

If you select a shutter speed (ISO whatever) the camera will adjust the aperture (F stop) automatically for you, depending on whats needed.

If its dark, you want a low F stop (the higher the Fstop - the smaller the aperture) and the camera will give you a faster shutter speed to make up for lots of light being let in.
If you want one of those highway shots with blurred car lights, obviously then **** with the ISO.
If you want to shoot a water drop hitting the water... make the ISO very high or open the aprture as far as you can (low fstop).

if im wrong pls correct me


also, by messing with the f-stop you can decide how much blur in your background you want. i think the higher the fstop the more blur you can create. for a landscape picture where you want detail, use a low fstop number.

[SOK]

Originally Posted by -Swo0p

by messing with the f-stop you can decide how much blur in your background you want. i think the higher the fstop the more blur you can create. for a landscape picture where you want detail, use a low fstop number.

If you're talking about the actual F-stop number then you have this back to front.

Originally Posted by -Swo0p

if im wrong pls correct me

Check out the link to Ben's Newbie Guide I posted in post #12 above...it's all covered in there.