Totally green
Dec 8, 2019 12:13:12 #
ehall123
Loc: From Philly live in Tucson
Hi everyone, please bear with me as I ask some very basic questions. I am totally new to photography and just purchased a starter camera (Canon Rebel T7) I am slowly trying to figure things out. I purchased this camera because my job is sending me to Juneau Alaska for 10 days and I figured it would be good opportunity to takes some pictures.
One question I have is about the AF Method. My choices are Flexizone AF, Live Mode and Quick Mode.
From what can gather, Flexizone is for taking pictures of moving objects, Live mode is for focusing on faces if you are taking pictures of people. And Quick Mode, I'm not sure about. What is the best general setting for taking a wide variety of pictures? I am assuming it not Live Mode? Can someone give me more clarification on how to use these AF modes, if I am missing anything?
Thanks,
Earl
One question I have is about the AF Method. My choices are Flexizone AF, Live Mode and Quick Mode.
From what can gather, Flexizone is for taking pictures of moving objects, Live mode is for focusing on faces if you are taking pictures of people. And Quick Mode, I'm not sure about. What is the best general setting for taking a wide variety of pictures? I am assuming it not Live Mode? Can someone give me more clarification on how to use these AF modes, if I am missing anything?
Thanks,
Earl
Dec 8, 2019 12:38:39 #
Welcome to the forum. Sorry, I can't help with your questions as I'm a Nikon shooter.
Bob
Bob
Dec 8, 2019 12:42:26 #
Hey Earl, welcome aboard!
Your camera has a different set of features than my older model and presents some interesting options. You should practice with your camera before leaving and confirm which features, functions work best in your hands. Reading your manual, but not having that specific model in hand, it seems the three options of your question all relate to using the Live View and focusing via the LCD display on the back of the camera. I've found Live View works best when I have the camera mounted to a tripod and I can zoom 10x into the details.
If you use your viewfinder (holding the camera to your eye), this would be the 'more traditional' method for a DSLR. You'll probably use One-Shot AF as described on page 97 for your entire Alaska trip. You might practice the buttons, dials needed to move the active AF point around the viewfinder with the camera held to your eye. Or, practice looking the scene, deciding where you plan to focus, select an off-center AF point, and then look through the view-finder and arrange / adjust your shooting position to match the subject to the preset AF point.
Have a great time and feel free to ask questions, probably better in the Main Section, where a wider audience will see the question. Consider the several 'scene settings' as these provide a lot preset 'logic' available from the camera to match your situation, especially Landscape for your outdoor work.
Your camera has a different set of features than my older model and presents some interesting options. You should practice with your camera before leaving and confirm which features, functions work best in your hands. Reading your manual, but not having that specific model in hand, it seems the three options of your question all relate to using the Live View and focusing via the LCD display on the back of the camera. I've found Live View works best when I have the camera mounted to a tripod and I can zoom 10x into the details.
If you use your viewfinder (holding the camera to your eye), this would be the 'more traditional' method for a DSLR. You'll probably use One-Shot AF as described on page 97 for your entire Alaska trip. You might practice the buttons, dials needed to move the active AF point around the viewfinder with the camera held to your eye. Or, practice looking the scene, deciding where you plan to focus, select an off-center AF point, and then look through the view-finder and arrange / adjust your shooting position to match the subject to the preset AF point.
Have a great time and feel free to ask questions, probably better in the Main Section, where a wider audience will see the question. Consider the several 'scene settings' as these provide a lot preset 'logic' available from the camera to match your situation, especially Landscape for your outdoor work.
Dec 8, 2019 17:34:09 #
Do not be afraid to put your camera in the green box (full Automatic). In this mode, your choice of how the camera collects an image is severely limited, and all you have to think about is what the heck am I shooting.
Every picture - like every sentence - must have a subject. A sentence cannot be just a bunch of words, it must be part of a story. Every picture has a foreground and a background and normally a middle ground- in Alaska, it is really - REALLY - easy to photograph the background and not include anything in the foreground or the middle ground. To do so is to end up with flat lifeless pictures where the glaciers, for example could be only 3-4 feet thick, or if captured with depth, you can see that they are over a thousand feet thick.
Once you like the pictures you are capturing, you will begin to wonder how can I tell this story better, how can I - I control the light rather than just allowing the light to fall where it may. when you begin getting up before dawn JUST to take a picture, or you reserve the 3-4PM time frame in the afternoon because you know the light is better then; when you are at that point, then you can begin to move to Av and Tv, and then into manual.
Photography is art - even in the industrial field or the documentary world - it is art. I requires an amount of technical acumen to use a camera properly, but we do well to always remember that our goal with a camera is to capture what the mind sees. Without that vision, nothing!
Every picture - like every sentence - must have a subject. A sentence cannot be just a bunch of words, it must be part of a story. Every picture has a foreground and a background and normally a middle ground- in Alaska, it is really - REALLY - easy to photograph the background and not include anything in the foreground or the middle ground. To do so is to end up with flat lifeless pictures where the glaciers, for example could be only 3-4 feet thick, or if captured with depth, you can see that they are over a thousand feet thick.
Once you like the pictures you are capturing, you will begin to wonder how can I tell this story better, how can I - I control the light rather than just allowing the light to fall where it may. when you begin getting up before dawn JUST to take a picture, or you reserve the 3-4PM time frame in the afternoon because you know the light is better then; when you are at that point, then you can begin to move to Av and Tv, and then into manual.
Photography is art - even in the industrial field or the documentary world - it is art. I requires an amount of technical acumen to use a camera properly, but we do well to always remember that our goal with a camera is to capture what the mind sees. Without that vision, nothing!
Dec 9, 2019 06:27:11 #
Dec 9, 2019 07:47:05 #
PaulBrit
Loc: Merlin, Southern Oregon
Welcome! I will leave to others to answer your questions but I’m fascinated in what sends you to Juneau!
Dec 9, 2019 08:14:14 #
ehall123 wrote:
Hi everyone, please bear with me as I ask some ve... (show quote)
Welcome to the forum Earl
If you don't have time between now and when you leave for your trip to learn how your camera works, place the camera in "Full Auto" (A) and concentrate on composition.
Learning all about a camera in a short period of time is putting a lot of pressure on yourself. You have a great camera so let it work for you until you can get into the "artsy stuff".
Secondly, sit down and read each section of the manual with the camera within arms reach so that you can reach over and actually take a picture with the same setting that the manual is advocating.
Take the picture, look at the picture, see what really happened, read again, take another picture, review the picture, and so on . . . I know that I learn by using the rote method of learning. Read, do, rinse & repeat until you feel comfortable with that function, then move on to the next item of interest.
Smile,
JimmyT Sends
Dec 9, 2019 09:34:23 #
Picture Taker
Loc: Michigan Thumb
CHG CANON make sense. As you grow look to the future, such as, buy full frame lenses as you grow so you don't have to replace them when you decide to go full frame. They will cost more but save in a long run also ar usually better quality lenses.
Dec 9, 2019 11:24:45 #
Dec 9, 2019 12:13:33 #
Dec 9, 2019 12:23:13 #
Dec 9, 2019 12:25:19 #
ehall123
Loc: From Philly live in Tucson
Haha-I work for a medical software company. There is a large Bone and Joint Center there that purchased our software, so I am going there to train. 
Dec 9, 2019 12:25:58 #
PaulBrit
Loc: Merlin, Southern Oregon
ehall123 wrote:
Haha-I work for a medical software company. There is a large Bone and Joint Center there that purchased our software, so I am going there to train.
Thanks!
Dec 9, 2019 14:41:48 #
1st: WELCOME TO UHH Earl!
From your question it appears you are focusing using the 3" screen, or "live view". Most of us use the viewfinder. This is particularly important in bright sunlight, especially with the sun over your shoulder. Also, live view uses up batteries faster.
If you are new to photography, you should learn the Exposure Triangle. Many like Peterson's book. Alternately, there is an article at https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/amp/photography/tips-and-solutions/the-exposure-triangle?BI=572&BI=572&gclid=Cj0KCQiA_rfvBRCPARIsANlV66Pzwgkt1TJ_0fZ8dpPefGhAINHKpfA7wbLM4B3_yqJ1Vq0cp9X952waAkoDEALw_wcB
Also, it is useful to know that in very bright scenes (such as in snow or beach) the camera will try to bring the brightness down to the average level, but such scenes are brighter than average. I usually set the camera exposure compensation to +1 1/3 to overcome this. If you have the camera in Auto, Exposure Compensation probably won't work, but it does in "P".
From your question it appears you are focusing using the 3" screen, or "live view". Most of us use the viewfinder. This is particularly important in bright sunlight, especially with the sun over your shoulder. Also, live view uses up batteries faster.
If you are new to photography, you should learn the Exposure Triangle. Many like Peterson's book. Alternately, there is an article at https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/amp/photography/tips-and-solutions/the-exposure-triangle?BI=572&BI=572&gclid=Cj0KCQiA_rfvBRCPARIsANlV66Pzwgkt1TJ_0fZ8dpPefGhAINHKpfA7wbLM4B3_yqJ1Vq0cp9X952waAkoDEALw_wcB
Also, it is useful to know that in very bright scenes (such as in snow or beach) the camera will try to bring the brightness down to the average level, but such scenes are brighter than average. I usually set the camera exposure compensation to +1 1/3 to overcome this. If you have the camera in Auto, Exposure Compensation probably won't work, but it does in "P".
Dec 9, 2019 18:39:21 #
PHRubin wrote:
1st: WELCOME TO UHH Earl! br br From your questio... (show quote)
Another advantage to using the viewfinder rather than the monitor is that it forces you to hold the camera in a more stable position. Also, oddly enough, you can see the view in a larger scale. It might seem not to make sense (because the viewfinder seems smaller than the monitor) but your eye is much closer to the viewfinder's screen. This is why I was dissatisfied with my former "Purse" camera (a Canon A2500) that did not have a viewfinder. I could never get a really sharp image because holding the camera far enough out to see the monitor introduced shake and I could not see the small screen sharp enough. (Now have a Panasonic Lumix DMC ZS60.)
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