Newbie pointers.

Just looking for some pointers here. Got my D40 with a 17-85mm F/4-5.6 IS lens in the mail last weekend. Completely new to the DSLR world. So I bought one of those Master Works DVD on the 40D and sat through most the DVD concerning operation of the camera. At least now I know what most of the buttons mean. Will watch the rest when I have some time. Also bought the "Understanding Exposures" book by Peterson and have been reading it when I ride the subway.

Anyway, the weather looks like it's clearing up a little so I want to go out and shoot this weekend. Mainly just city shots and whatever is happening on the streets. My plan is first to shoot in Av mode and just get used to playing around with the aperture. Is that how most of you guys first started out?

I would take advantage of this forum as much as possible. Helpful advice can be found in the Critque Corner.

I started by shooting in Manual, and I still favor that for most photos. At times where I need to snap away quickly I'll us AV or TV mode.

There are also plenty of tutorials that will help you

Of course the best help is to get out there with someone and shoot.

big_apple_ken wrote in post #5441411
Just looking for some pointers here. Got my D40 with a 17-85mm F/4-5.6 IS lens in the mail last weekend. Completely new to the DSLR world. So I bought one of those Master Works DVD on the 40D and sat through most the DVD concerning operation of the camera. At least now I know what most of the buttons mean. Will watch the rest when I have some time. Also bought the "Understanding Exposures" book by Peterson and have been reading it when I ride the subway.

Anyway, the weather looks like it's clearing up a little so I want to go out and shoot this weekend. Mainly just city shots and whatever is happening on the streets. My plan is first to shoot in Av mode and just get used to playing around with the aperture. Is that how most of you guys first started out?

Yes, please don't think you have to shoot in manual . Plop someone down in a chair and experiment with focal length, apeture, and the effect on DOF with a apeture. lso mess with ISO and see how it changes the quality.

read 'understanding exposure' by Scott Pedersen.

When I started, everything I shot where on the green box mode.
Read, practice and learning from other photographer's shots will help alot.

Here is free online video of 40D Manual from canoneurope http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=EzRU4KG-jE4

http://goingmanual.com​/photo/

not bad at all

Try Av mode as you said. Soon you'll find you have to use exposure compensation (EC) to correct for the metering. Then you'll want to read this:
Need an exposure crutch?
More on how the subject affects the exposure & why manual keeps me worry free: Post #47

Some help on what the settings are doing: Virtual Camera
Notice the background change when you use his "Shutter and Aperture" settings!

Good luck, & welcome to POTN!

Sounds like you are on the right track Ken..

I prefer to shoot in Av mode unless lighting situations get tricky then I shoot in M. Indoors, try using your flash (external or onboard) in Manual, because in Av mode it won't let you get a higher shutter speed. I know what it's like shooting indoors with the 17-85 and it can be a fun lens but works best with the shutter speed turned up to 1/60 or so for handheld shots.

The 17-85 is a nice lens to start out with, great range and fast USM. Great for city shots and whatever is "happening on the streets"

Thanks for all the advice guys. I love that virtual camera site! The other sites also look pretty cool and I will definitely look into them.

I just finished watching the DVD on basic operation of my 40D last night and I will continue reading "Understanding Exposures" on my subway rides home. I watched the youtube video galahad referenced some time last week but the DVD is more extensive. Pretty excited to go out and shoot tomorrow when the weather is nicer here in NYC. Just want to play around with the controls and see what kind of shots I can get. PP...well that's a totally different beast I'll tackle another day.

If you got more advice keep them coming! Thanks again!

Don't buy more gear until you have learned all about what you have and feel limited by it.

^ Good advice, unless of course you have a lot of money and love blowing it on expensive hobbies.

I love those guys with the custom Pings and Taylors that still can't golf

Sadly I am a total gear whore....

P.S. No custom Pings but you should see my snowboard gear collection. I could easily open up a store.

sevillafox wrote in post #5447659
Don't buy more gear until you have learned all about what you have and feel limited by it.

True. But also, when you find the need for something, buy something that is good.

For example, I bought a Tamron 75-300 for $85. I used it for a little while but soon realized I wanted something better. So I sold it for what i bought it for (but lost money on shipping) and just ordered a Sigma 70-200 f/2.8. I do find this gear selling/swapping kinda fun though! It's cheaper than renting!

Look closely at what kind of shooting you do, and take advice from people on the forum. Also look into alternative brands such as Sigma and Tamron, "L"s are awsome but cost much more for something you may not need.