Beginner Complete beginner - Getting started

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mrmcox

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Hey guys, first post here.
I'm just about to get started in the world of dSLR photography, having always used a smartphone, and prior to that, Fujifilm point and shoot digital cameras, and even old film cameras.

A friend of mine has gifted me (just waiting for it to arrive) their old dSLR, a cannon EOS 600D. It has the kit lens, ef-s 18-55mm, a flash gun, batteries and memory cards etc. Is this a good starting point ? To start with I just want to learn how to use the manual controls, play around with settings and hopefully get some nice pics.

Eventually I would like to start upgrading, but not sure whether to buy some better lenses for this camera, or save and get a better camera first, once I have a better understanding of the workings. Ie, if I buy lenses for this camera, will they fit an upgraded model? Or if I change brands, would I need new lenses, or can you buy adapters to fit them ?

Any advice much appreciated
Thanks
 
Hi there
That is some gift enjoy my advice would be to set the ISO to 200 or 400 and learn the relationship between aperture and sutter speed once you understand that you can add the third perameter of ISO in there till you have a good understanding of how to get the correct exposure .
Enjoy it and have fun yes there will be failures but also some good shots shoot plenty. The advice I was given many years ago by a newspaper photo editor was film is the cheapest bit these days no film even cheaper
Good luck
 
It is a good starting point. With regards to lens upgrades, as you start shooting, you will start to realise what the limiting factors of the lens/body are for you. I would use that to influence your decisions of any upgrades.
 
Of course it's a good place to start. It's free! If I were you I'd cross your bridges when you get to them.
 
To put your mind at rest; there’s plenty of upgrade options from the 600d that’ll take any lenses you buy for it.

You would need to stick with Canon, but any EFS lens you buy will work with any Canon crop camera (including the latest mirrorless with the appropriate adaptor), and any EF lenses you buy would even fit if you decided to go full frame (including the latest mirrorless with the appropriate adaptor).
 
And my advice for learning is to not get hung up on exposure settings (you got the camera to make pictures not to learn maths).
Auto ISO, AV mode, leaves you to select the aperture you want (to determine your Depth of Field) and to have full control of what you want to focus on.
Those 2 decisions give you creative control of the process, leaving the maths to the camera.

Once you’ve played with that for a while, you’ll learn what the camera is doing, and when you can override those decisions to improve things.

Also when shooting moving things change from AV to TV
 
Can't go wrong with a 600D plus kit lens as a starting point. I would say that if you were to buy lenses in the near future stay away from EF-S and go straight to EF. The EF-S lenses are not flawed but if you ever feel like getting a 6D or 5D series camera then EF-S lenses won't work that that.

In terms of operating the camera, see how you get on in 'P' mode and take it from there. The camera should be intelligent enough to select the most appropriate setting for the shot, and when you feel confident you can explore Av. Tv or M. Stay away from 'Green'. I am not sure of Canon cameras, accustomed as I am to Pentax's HyperProgram/HyperManual modes, whether you can override the 600Ds aperture or shutter speed while in Program but it would be good to use it if the camera had such a feature.

It's a good friend you have, it might not be the newest kid on the block but the 600D is still a great and relevant little camera.
 
Thanks everyone for all the tips and advice. Looking forward to getting out and taking some photos
 
welshwizard645 said:
Can't go wrong with a 600D plus kit lens as a starting point. I would say that if you were to buy lenses in the near future stay away from EF-S and go straight to EF. The EF-S lenses are not flawed but if you ever feel like getting a 6D or 5D series camera then EF-S lenses won't work that that.
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I’d strongly disagree with this.

I’d advise you’re much better buying the lens you need now rather than trying to mitigate a possible future decision.

If the OP decides he needs an ultra wide, then an EF lens would be prohibitively expensive. If he really wants an upgrade from the std zoom, there are several great crop zooms to choose, and the equivalent 24-70 is just a bad choice option.

It makes more sense in tele length lenses, however the 55-250 is an absolute bargain (and much better than any cheaper ff equivalent), and picked up s/h it’s virtually cost free when he comes to upgrade.

We have to accept sometimes, that not all decisions we make are ‘permanent’. And that ‘the best for this moment’ isn’t a mistake as long as you are aware of the consequences.
 
Congratulations!. there are tons of online resources out there, my advice would be to join a local camera club where you will find a wealth of knowledge..The "exposure triangle" would be a good starting point, and don't be afraid to experiment with the settings on your camera..happily these days digital cameras alow you to take hundreds of pictures which are instantly accessible. !..
Have Fun
 
Phil V said:
I’d strongly disagree with this.

I’d advise you’re much better buying the lens you need now rather than trying to mitigate a possible future decision.

If the OP decides he needs an ultra wide, then an EF lens would be prohibitively expensive. If he really wants an upgrade from the std zoom, there are several great crop zooms to choose, and the equivalent 24-70 is just a bad choice option.

It makes more sense in tele length lenses, however the 55-250 is an absolute bargain (and much better than any cheaper ff equivalent), and picked up s/h it’s virtually cost free when he comes to upgrade.

We have to accept sometimes, that not all decisions we make are ‘permanent’. And that ‘the best for this moment’ isn’t a mistake as long as you are aware of the consequences.
Click to expand...

I would disagree with what you say there. why tie yourself in to APS-C format, it is restrictive? There may be several good lenses in the EF-S range but EF lenses are not prohibitively expensive as you say, now that people are migrating to mirrorless. Neither Nikon or Canon invested that much in the crop format lenses, so there is much more choice with full-frame lenses, and you get the option of L series glass that is affordable (eg 17-40 and 24-105, 70-200f4), he might not need ultrawide..
 
You aren't tying yourself in though, especially if you buy second-hand lenses.
 
welshwizard645 said:
I would disagree with what you say there. why tie yourself in to APS-C format, it is restrictive? There may be several good lenses in the EF-S range but EF lenses are not prohibitively expensive as you say, now that people are migrating to mirrorless. Neither Nikon or Canon invested that much in the crop format lenses, so there is much more choice with full-frame lenses, and you get the option of L series glass that is affordable (eg 17-40 and 24-105, 70-200f4), he might not need ultrawide..
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Of course by sticking with an APS-C Canon camera you do have the widest possible choice of lenses. EF lenses work just fine on crop sensor bodies. EF-S lenses don't work on the FF bodies. So sticking with APS-C isn't restrictive, it gives the most choice. I've never shot a FF body yet and I've been shooting digital for 15 years. I've not missed out on anything
 
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welshwizard645 said:
I would disagree with what you say there. why tie yourself in to APS-C format, it is restrictive? There may be several good lenses in the EF-S range but EF lenses are not prohibitively expensive as you say, now that people are migrating to mirrorless. Neither Nikon or Canon invested that much in the crop format lenses, so there is much more choice with full-frame lenses, and you get the option of L series glass that is affordable (eg 17-40 and 24-105, 70-200f4), he might not need ultrawide..
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I didn’t suggest anyone should tie themselves in to anything.

The OP might decide to go FF one day, and if they’ve bought wisely it shouldn’t be too difficult to upgrade.

Or they might follow the vast majority and never go FF in which case if they’d followed your advice they’d have greatly disadvantaged themselves. Either having to do without a lens, or overspending.

It just makes no sense to do that.

I shot crop for 13 years and have no need to regret a single lens I bought because of that.

Actually that’s not quite true. The only L lens I was ever disappointed by was the 17-40 (cos one day I might have gone FF) which I sold to buy the EF-S 17-55 which was better in every single way.

My Mrs shot with a 24-70 on a crop also; which I found to be the most frustrating lens I ever used.

There you go - two solid practical examples that fit your advice that I have personal experience of; and both prove my point.
 
mrmcox said:
Eventually I would like to start upgrading, but not sure whether to buy some better lenses for this camera, or save and get a better camera first,
Click to expand...

A lot depends on the type of photography that you do.
 
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