The most wasted 600D ever!

[savagesam117]

I have had this Canon 600D for about a year now, and it is the most wasted camera on me! I don't have a clue how to use it, i have read the instructions and they didn't really help. I've looked online no real help either. The reason i got it was because i was going to do photography classes but i just didn't and don't have the time.

I have 2 lenses. The standard 18-55mm and then a big one, 75-300mm

Like i can take a basic picture.. I get the blurry background thing which i like.. But i can never get the full picture nice and clear.. Say for a big shot of a beach or something like that.

Here's a picture I took of a dying flower in my garden the other day. I can point and shoot

Spoiler

Is there any basic tips that you can give me? So that i get a slight understanding that is at least.

 

[savagesam117]

Thanks guys, i'm not one for reading massive text books. I like little definitions and how to's. I learn whilst watching/doing it so i think i'll be taking my learning to YouTube.

But to start, lets get to know some of the terminology!

I think this is going to take a while, there's nothing around where i live to really get any decent pictures, so i think i'll take a ride up to the forest/park and get some photos of the lake and stuff around there.

I also need to invest in a tripod, i borrowed one from a friend and it was so handy.

 

[savagesam117]

Spoiler

Photography seems extremely complicated until you learn the 3 most important fundamentals of aperture, shutter speed and ISO, including how they are relate to and effect each other.

You need to understand these three things before even picking up a camera, although obviously you'll see the out come of each by taking photos.

I'll keep it simple rather than as if its taken from a text book and try to keep it relative to your equipment.

Aperture

• An optical hole in which light passes through.
• The amount of light that passes through the aperture is measured in F/numbers.

Aperture - First effect of an F/number

• Lower the F/number = Wider the hole & lets more light through. (example f/3.5)
• Higher the F/number = Narrower the hole and lets less light through. (example f/22)

Aperture - Second effect of an F/number

• Lower the F/number = Smaller the focus plane before and after the focus point. (example f/3.5)
• Higher the F/number = Larger the focus plane before and after the focus point. (example f/22)

Shutter speed

• Shutter speed is the amount of time the sensor is exposed to light.

Shutter speed - The first effect of shutter speed

• A long shutter speed will expose the sensor to light for a long period of time. (example 30seconds)
• A short shutter speed will expose the sensor to light for a short period of time. (example 1/4000s - four thousands of a second)

Shutter speed - The second effect of shutter speed

• A long shutter speed will mean any subject that moves in the frame will be captured for the entire time and result in motion blur. (example 30seconds)
• A short shutter speed gives the effect of freezing a subject due to a minimal amount of movement time in the frame. (example 1/4000s - four thousands of a second)

ISO

• ISO changes the sensitivity of the sensor to light

ISO - First effects of ISO

• A high ISO will make the sensor very sensitive to light (example ISO 12,800)
• A low ISO will make the sensor less sensitive to light (example ISO 100)

ISO - Second effects of ISO

• A high ISO will induce digital noise (grain) in the photo due to the amount you are asking from the sensor (example ISO 12,800)
• A low ISO will have a very small amount of digital noise (grain) in the photo due to the sensor working at optimal performance (example ISO 100)

If any of this has been any help let me know and i'll write up something tomorrow night and explain how each of these functions have an effect on each other

Having a read through this has really helped my understand. I need to read up on how they effect the composition and that kind of stuff.

I had my camera in my hand playing with the ISO number and i can see how the number effects the 'graininess' of the picture. 12,800!? My camera only goes to 6400!!

And the aperture, i think it's this.. It makes the light change a lot in the picture, from really quite dark to stupidly bright!