dawg4ever Loc: Florida

Just purchased my first slr - a Canon Rebel T21 with regular and telephone lens. Reading complicated manual, heading for Italy for for sightseeing from Amalti coast to Dolomites - need advice on how to quickly learn my camera and what sites/sights I must see in Italy. Thanks

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Two suggestions: do lots of shooting at various settings; look on youtube for shooting ideas.

Don't be afraid to use the Auto setting. It's safe. If you start out using Manual, you could wind up with 1,000 unusable images.

Acountry330 Loc: Dothan,Ala USA

What jerry41 said. Take lots of pictures of different subjects. You do not have to keep them you are trying to learn how to use your camera. When all else fails use the P setting.

dawg4ever Loc: Florida

Thanks, Jerry. Did you take a photo course or learn by doing?

fergal

see Passso Sella, drink lots of wine - test your memory card before you go!!! enjoy

larrycumba

First thing to learn is have an extra battery and don't forget the charger.

dawg4ever Loc: Florida

Good advice. What's that instument you're playing?

dawg4ever Loc: Florida

Thanks - will look it up

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

I lived a wonderful, safe life, shooting in "P" or Program Mode.
Take a couple of spare batteries, Charger, plenty of memory cards. Unless you are taking a laptop, etc.
Have fun and post results after you get home!!!
Oh! Send me a post card from Italy!!!
Pat

Peekayoh Loc: UK

Wow, the Amalfi coast to the Dolomites is quite a trip and there's just so much to see. Will you be in a hire car and for how long? So you have an itinerary yet?

# Buy a good field guide and read that as well/instead of the manual, take it with you for a a bit of light reading. Use Auto mode until you get confident.

# Batteries. I normally have three, two with me in the day another charging in the hotel room which gets swapped before bedtime.

# Memory cards. You can't buy enough so you need a strategy. I use 8GB cards and I have a Nexto battery powered hard drive into which the images go in the evening. A laptop will do the job as well.

Your chargers will probably accept any voltage but check and don't forget you will need EU style cables.

Take cleaning materials with you but don't swap lenses when you're on that beach on the Amalfi coast.

A polarising filter may come in handy.

If you are carrying a DSLR around all day you will need a comfy strap like a Black Rapid or similar.

Enjoy yourself and post some pics.

Dr Rae Loc: Sarasota Florida

I'll just answer the part of your question about quickly learning your camera. I've found Blue Crane's videos very helpful and easy to follow. I'm not a person who can 'get it' by reading a manual. Here's a link

http://bluecranedigital.com/Introduction-to-the-Canon-Rebel-T2i-550D-Volume-1

suehutchins

If nothing is moving too fast, and if there is good light, then stick with the Auto or P mode. The engineers who make these things are really good under those circumstances. Use what you paid for. When traveling, there are many things to occupy your attention; don't distract yourself with figuring out a new camera.

I spent 5 weeks in India recently and came home with 7,500 images. All but 200 were shot on P. Nothing was moving fast, and there was always good light. P (Program mode) still asks the camera to deal with metering and focusing, but opens the gate to many adjustments) I use P, rather than Auto, because I always shoot on 'cloudy' White Balance, as I like my images warm. You can't adjust this on Auto.

You need time and attention to get control of a new camera. Enjoy the trip first, and do this later.

suehutchins

I should have added: pay a lot of attention to composition. That will give you far better pics than trying to get a cram course on the camera. Landscape images are tricky; especially with big panorama views. So many beginning photographers comment that the images never look like the real thing. That's usually because of weak composition.

The camera controls will only do so much for you. The most important part of the camera is the 7" behind the viewfinder :-)

PatrickTheCop Loc: Spartanburg, SC

Let me offer you a tip I found very helpful when learning my T1i. The manual can seem daunting, as you have expressed, but there is a way to make it less frustrating. Read two things in your manual every day - 1 new thing and one thing you have already read. Doesn't have to be an entire chapter or section just a subject is fine.

The new part will obviously get you thinking about the new subject while re-reading a subject you have already done reinforces what you already learned OR it makes that subject more clear since you have had time to think about and digest it previously.

And ALWAYS do or practice both subjects you are reading about. Some people learn better by doing than by reading but even if you aren't one of those types it will still reinforce and ingrain the subject in your mind by doing so.

When you finish the manual, start over. Maybe not every day, but at least once a week/month. Until you know that camera like you know your own name you will always learn something new from re-reading the manual. An alternative is to get another book specifically about your camera model and substitute it AFTER you have gone through the manual at least once.

Like Jerry said, shoot, shoot, shoot. Digital "film" is free. One of the biggest things to help me improve after trying to absorb all the information and tips I read was to shoot something on auto then switch to Av or Tv mode and start taking some more shots of the same auto mode shot but slightly changing the settings so I could see how and why the image was changing based upon the adjustments I was making.

Good luck and happy shooting!

Luigi

Set your iso high..like 800 or 1600 and set camera to PROGRAM (P) mode and have fun. I'd use the focus point display as default for the set button. Center spot is the best. You pick your focus point and compose in one step. Good luck.