Just got my first 'real' camera ...tips?

Just bought the camera below ...Canon Rebel XS 10.1mp .. used

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be sure to pick up a 50 f1.8 II and 55-250 IS to have a good dslr starter kit. enjoy!

Sharpmaxell wrote in post #10634594
be sure to pick up a 50 f1.8 II and 55-250 IS to have a good dslr starter kit. enjoy!

Don't forget Brian Peterson's "Understanding Exposure" (as someone is of course going to suggest next).

Oh, and a 430EXII .

But above all else - get the book. And then the 50mm f/1.8 II.

:p

Sharpmaxell wrote in post #10634594
be sure to pick up a 50 f1.8 II and 55-250 IS to have a good dslr starter kit. enjoy!

Ok, I will look into those for my next purchases in a little bit. Thanks!

TheBurningCrown wrote in post #10634602
Don't forget Brian Peterson's "Understanding Exposure" (as someone is of course going to suggest next).

Oh, and a 430EXII .

But above all else - get the book. And then the 50mm f/1.8 II.

:p

Am I missing something? Whats so good about the 50mm? Wont my 18-55mm cover the 50mm spectrum?

well, for normal stuff shoot in Av (aperture priority) mode and watch the shutter speed the camera picks. The size of the aperture (i.e lens opening) has a big impact on how much the stuff in fron of and back of the focus point is in focus (depth of field). A bigger opening (smaller number) means that less stuff will be in focus, which is the halmark of SLR photography. To get faster shutter speed indoors you'll need to open the aperture up and possibly increase the ISO.

You'll also need to get used to processing in photoshop or digital photo pro (DPP) that comes with the camera - typically adding some sharpening and tweaking color/exposure a little. As for color, you'll need to learn about white balance so your images have the right color hue (i.e. shots taken indoors don't look to red/yellow). Most of us have the camera record in raw instead of jpeg - raw gives you better control of adjusting the white balance (i.e. color cast) of the shot afterwards. raw also has more lattitude for correcting exposure. In DPP you can easily do a batch convert from RAW to JPEG for printing and posting on the net.

Youy might wanbt to look into getting "the digital rebel field guide" - it helped me learn the camera and shooting techniques very quickly when I started. If most of what I said sounds like gibberish, then you really need to get the book.

copenhagen69 wrote in post #10634604
Ok, I will look into those for my next purchases in a little bit. Thanks!

yeah, don't spend any more money on gear yet - get a book and learn what you have first. experiment with settings, and learn what works for a given situation and what doesn't. Then you can worry about what to get next - and most importantly if you're going to spend a lot or little on more gear.

copenhagen69 wrote in post #10634604
Ok, I will look into those for my next purchases in a little bit. Thanks!



Am I missing something? Whats so good about the 50mm? Wont my 18-55mm cover the 50mm spectrum?

the 18-55 does cover 50mm, but the difference is that the 50/1.8 has a wide aperture (lens opening) and the 18-55 has a more narrow aperture. As mentioned before, the wider the aperture the more light that gets in (and thus can be shot in darker situations). It also makes the stuff in front and behind the focus point blurred for a more "artsy" look

copenhagen69 wrote in post #10634604
Am I missing something? Whats so good about the 50mm? Wont my 18-55mm cover the 50mm spectrum?

It does focal length wise, but the 50mm prime has a much larger aperture and allows you to learn more about depth of field and get shots that are impossible with the 18-55.

That, and it's just an awesome overall lens for a very cheap price tag.

EDIT:

timbop wrote in post #10634634
the 18-55 does cover 50mm, but the difference is that the 50/1.8 has a wide aperture (lens opening) and the 18-55 has a more narrow aperture. As mentioned before, the wider the aperture the more light that gets in (and thus can be shot in darker situations). It also makes the stuff in front and behind the focus point blurred for a more "artsy" look

Beat me to it :P.

timbop wrote in post #10634605
well, for normal stuff shoot in Av (aperture priority) mode and watch the shutter speed the camera picks. The size of the aperture (i.e lens opening) has a big impact on how much the stuff in fron of and back of the focus point is in focus (depth of field). A bigger opening (smaller number) means that less stuff will be in focus, which is the halmark of SLR photography. To get faster shutter speed indoors you'll need to open the aperture up and possibly increase the ISO.

You'll also need to get used to processing in photoshop or digital photo pro (DPP) that comes with the camera - typically adding some sharpening and tweaking color/exposure a little. As for color, you'll need to learn about white balance so your images have the right color hue (i.e. shots taken indoors don't look to red/yellow). Most of us have the camera record in raw instead of jpeg - raw gives you better control of adjusting the white balance (i.e. color cast) of the shot afterwards. raw also has more lattitude for correcting exposure. In DPP you can easily do a batch convert from RAW to JPEG for printing and posting on the net.

Youy might wanbt to look into getting "the digital rebel field guide" - it helped me learn the camera and shooting techniques very quickly when I started. If most of what I said sounds like gibberish, then you really need to get the book.

Yep mostly gibberish haha. I guess I am off to barnes and noble tomorrow

timbop wrote in post #10634617
yeah, don't spend any more money on gear yet - get a book and learn what you have first. experiment with settings, and learn what works for a given situation and what doesn't. Then you can worry about what to get next - and most importantly if you're going to spend a lot or little on more gear.

Oh I dont plan on spending anymore money for awhile. Unless I pick up a used 50mm lens in a week or so. That would be about it until I figure all this stuff out and figure out all the ins and outs

timbop wrote in post #10634634
the 18-55 does cover 50mm, but the difference is that the 50/1.8 has a wide aperture (lens opening) and the 18-55 has a more narrow aperture. As mentioned before, the wider the aperture the more light that gets in (and thus can be shot in darker situations). It also makes the stuff in front and behind the focus point blurred for a more "artsy" look

Oh ok, well that makes sense. I will have to look into that soonish. It sounds like a great all around lens for a beginner.

TheBurningCrown wrote in post #10634637
It does focal length wise, but the 50mm prime has a much larger aperture and allows you to learn more about depth of field and get shots that are impossible with the 18-55.

That, and it's just an awesome overall lens for a very cheap price tag.

EDIT:

Beat me to it :P.

Any specific 50mm lens or what?

timbop wrote in post #10634634
Any specific 50mm lens or what?

The Canon 50mm f/1.8 II.

For the price (under $100) it's impossible to beat for what it does.

Yes, the 50mm 1.8 Mark 2 Made by Canon.

You can find many online, and probably in your local camera shop.

Read this: https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=414088 It is better than a lot of books.
Don't get in a hurry to purchase more equipment. At some point you will almost certainly want a flash and zoom lens. The 55-250mm zoom and 430EX II flash are good value.

TheBurningCrown wrote in post #10634687
The Canon 50mm f/1.8 II.

For the price (under $100) it's impossible to beat for what it does.

Syntaxxor wrote in post #10634694
Yes, the 50mm 1.8 Mark 2 Made by Canon.

You can find many online, and probably in your local camera shop.

Ok thanks!

I will look into one of those in a week or so.

Craign wrote in post #10634708
Read this: https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=414088 It is better than a lot of books.
Don't get in a hurry to purchase more equipment. At some point you will almost certainly want a flash and zoom lens. The 55-250mm zoom and 430EX II flash are good value.

wow that is a lot of great info! Will definitely have to study this while my stuff is being shipped!

Another recommendation for Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure book. At this stage in your photographic progression, it will do you worlds more good than any gear you could purchase.

Congrats on your camera and welcome!