Newbie with newbie questions

[TPERedNeck]

I hope I don't get flamed, but I believe the way to learn is to ask!

I own a Canon Rebel XTi and would like to know if there are any tutorials out there that will teach me how to use this camera. I have searched all over the internet and can't seem to find a place that has a tutorial for it.

Is there a link that someone has written here on the site or someone that can link me to where I can read and understand the fundamentals of photography?

My goal is to become familiar with my camera, I would like to take good pictures, but don't expect to be come an expert. Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks everyone for looking.

[zespri]

Hiya, and welcome to DPS Did you get a manual with your camera? That's the best place to start for sure, the first thing I read when I got mine. Otherwise the 'rebel field guide' was recommended to me.

[TPERedNeck]

Wanted to add that what I am looking for is NOT editing techniques, rather techniques with using the camera itself.

Thanks!

[TPERedNeck]

I LOST my manual that came with the camera. I tried to find a place to download it, but can never find the right place.

Originally Posted by zespri

Hiya, and welcome to DPS Did you get a manual with your camera? That's the best place to start for sure, the first thing I read when I got mine. Otherwise the 'rebel field guide' was recommended to me.

[oldwolf]

Here you go:

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/co...&modelid=14256

At the bottom of the page in the Guides and Manuals column is a link to:

EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi / EOS 400D DIGITAL Instruction Manual

It's a ********** link or I'd link it directly here. It'll pop up your Adobe Reader with the manual. You can then save the manual to your hard drive.

There are other books out there that will teach you how to use the camera but it's best to look at the manual that comes with it first. If there are things that you don't understand about it then just ask here. For the most part, people are friendly here hehe. There are also quite a few XTi/400D users on the forums.

[zespri]

Try here:
http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/7/090000...i400DIM-EN.pdf

Reading the manual is the quickest way, you won't regret it

If that link doesn't work, I went here, then ticked 'I have read and understood....' before clicking the download button.
http://support-nz.canon.co.nz/conten...900035701.html

Originally Posted by TPERedNeck

I LOST my manual that came with the camera. I tried to find a place to download it, but can never find the right place.

[Saralonde]

These lessons may help. I know they say Rebel XT, but there are a lot of similarities.

[peeperita]

saralonde's link to canon's tutorials were a tremendous help to me when i got my xti......just make sure you have your camera in hand when you go through them......and take your time!

peeper

[kencaleno]

reading the manual will not show you how to make images-what it will do is show you what each button and knob does-manuals are written by engineers,not photographers-Email me for my growing (30 pages so far-)Guide at gloriaj@xtra.co.nz Rick Sammon has agood tutorial for Canon Cameras, Too.regards,Ken

[oldwolf]

Originally Posted by kencaleno

reading the manual will not show you how to make images-what it will do is show you what each button and knob does-manuals are written by engineers,not photographers-Email me for my growing (30 pages so far-)Guide at gloriaj@xtra.co.nz Rick Sammon has a good tutorial for Canon Cameras, Too.regards,Ken

ken,

If you read the original post they wanted to become familiar with their camera.

Originally Posted by TPERedNeck

My goal is to become familiar with my camera, I would like to take good pictures, but don't expect to be come an expert. Any help will be greatly appreciated!

The manual will help them with that. None of us that linked the manual stated that the manual will help them take "good pictures". If you want to get technical the manual will

Originally Posted by kencaleno

show you how to make images

because all you need to do to "make images" is to press the shutter release button and somewhere in the manual it does tell you to do that.

There's a book called Canon EOS Digital Photography that includes Rick's DVD. Rick can do this because he's a professional and he constantly reminds us of that throughout the whole DVD hehe.

Here's the link to the book with DVD:

Canon EOS Digital Photography

I actually bought the book and watched the DVD but to be honest with you, it didn't teach me anything new and it wasn't ground breaking because I already knew the info that was in the book. I picked up that info from DPS, trial and error and *gasp* from reading the manual that came with the camera. Nothing says romance more than a Friday night, pizza and Rick Sammon's DVD.

Now I'm not knocking your 100 years of photography experience. I just took offense to the fact that you're telling TPERedNeck that reading the manual won't do anything for them when in fact it will. It will give them the basic knowledge they need to understand how to change to AV mode or change the aperture when someone suggests that.