What is a good way to learn to fully use all the features of a "real" camera? I bought a used Canon D60 and a Tamron 18-270 mm lens. I'm OK with the automatic features (turning the top left knob CCW (counter clock wise) from "fully automatic, but clockwise features are a mystery.

I'm not good at learning from the manual, or other books. I have trouble following Utubes/video tutorials. I have learned other things when I have a knowledgeable person with me to ask questions.I am considering visiting a camera club, and looking for an introductory course at a local college or Leisure Learning course. I live in the north suburbs of Houston.

Thanks, David B

That isn't what they were testing, basically it was the point and shoot capabilities of the various camera's just the defaults. A what if you do nothing but press the shutter button test pretty much.

Everyone who claims some degree of photographic skill will have idea's on how to make the camera take better photographs but what looks better to one doesn't to another. The tests shouldn't mean much to photographers, after all who is shooting this way.

If there is something to be learned it's that you should be using the raw capability of your camera if you want better than the default. E.g in the comments of the video someone said that 3 different film emulations in the fuji would have produced better results. If the shots had been taken as Raw files then these 3 emulations would have been available in post processing (i'm assuming fuji provides software which replicates the in camera options as most manufacturers software does).

Maybe manufacturers choose less than optimal default settings so photographers can feel better about themselves when they improve on them, certainly would be demoralizing if all the changes made the image worse. How good are the lens supplied with the camera? The more expensive bodies probably have better lenses, than camera's designed to be competitive on price.

Another point might be the target audience Japanese skintones are pretty different to German skin tones and that may reflect in the photographs for paler skin usually a touch of toning down of the reds and oranges helps a lot.

I am one of the new ones here, and I've gotten great pleasure reading all of your postings. I do need help however. I would like to get more serious about my photography and want to know what you would advise. Right now we have a home PC that I we share. I have always loaded my photos onto this computer and I have multitudes. Some I have put on memory sticks just to creat room. What would be involved in having a set up just for my photography? I am no IT person, but I feel if I had my own equipment for editing and only photo work, this would help me out a lot. Everything else in our life goes on our computer right now, paying bills too. Any advise?

Sherry