Getting the best out of my camera

Hi there,

I am new on here and I know next to nothing about cameras, however I would like to learn how to use all the different modes on my basic Cannon compact camera. If you have any hints or tips or any useful links I would appreciate them.

My camera is a Cannon PowerShot A550, a very basic camera I believe but I'm sure I could do better than using the Auto mode all the time.

Thanks for your patience

Hey welcome aboard, I think the first stop on your trip is to learn about exposure. I recommend Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. It's about $15 on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com …tal-Updated/dp/0817463003

Once you understand the basics and relation of aperture, shutter, and ISO then you can dig into your manual and find out what your camera will allow you to do and perhaps better understand what's happening in Auto. The 550 does give you some control over exposure and I'm sure you can make the most of it, and then possibly think about upgrading to a dSLR

Gremlin- I am basically in the same boat. I was overwhelmed when reading through the manual. I immediately plugged the battery pack in, and once it was charged, I took about 10 pictures in basic modes, just to get the feel of it. I then promised myself to use nothing but the creative modes. I then wrote down the creative modes, and tried to pick each one apart- taking notes. For me, it helps when I actually write it down. I even went as far as instead of writing "Tv", I would write "time value" for example.

I want to learn the right way...even though it's a slow road, big learning curve. I have looked at things on here, like moon photos, and found the information on what settings were used and such, just to get a good ballpark setting. But I want to understand why the ISO should be set at 100, or why the shutter speed could be 1/250. I would have thought that due to the fact that it's dark out, the camera needs a lot of light, so a 10 second shutter speed has to help. Thats why I am here. Theres a wealth of info here, and more than I could ever possibly consume.

I shoot amlost everything in Av or Tv, and once I get somewhat comfortable with that, I will dig a little deeper. I learn something every day, even if it's something small. So many buttons, options, etc., I just learned yesterday how to select the AF point with the dial. The button has been there by my thumb for over 300 pictures, and I just learned about it.

I know I am ramblin', but I thought it might be helpful. Starting from ground zero, and building up from that has to make a solid foundation. Just get out there and take some pictures...just having the camera in your hands is like "seat time" in a race car.

Hi Gremlin,

Try having a read (if you haven't already) of Ben's Newbie Guide...

Thanks guys, I'll have a look at the links given.

Oh yes I thought I'd better mention of the kind of pictures I usually take, most of my pictures are to do with the detailing I do on cars, things like before, during and after shots. Here is an example:

Another place to find some info is Digital Photography School http://digital-photography-school.com/