How do I learn how to use my SLR

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AK86

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Amy
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Hi,

I have just completed a basic 10 week photography course but if I am honest I didn't learn very much as most people in the class already knew the "basics" !

Whats the best way to learn? There is so much to take in and there doesn't seem to be a set way/qulaification that you need....

Any advice would be helpful, at the mo I am shoting in Auto!

Thanks
Amy
 
Read the manual a couple of times, then take it slowly working round the dial to the more advanced stuff, and keep the manual handy while you are doing so. You'll soon pick up the basics of what each setting does and then practice, practice, practice. But don't forget to have a lot of fun while you're doing it.
 
Thank you. The only thing is the manuel is like another language to me, guess I have to keep with it.
 
YouTube is your friend!

If your struggling with any specific or general aspects, they are sure to covered on there!
 
Getting started for me meant reading the manual a number of times, and playing around with shots lots and lots of times at home. Sorry to hear you haven't got very far with the course. Good luck! (y)
 
I'd personally start off looking at what Aperture, Shutter speed and ISO do (probably on youtube or similar) and then how to work Aperture priority, shutter priority and manual on your camera (from your manual) and then have a think about situations when you want to control either aperture or shutter speed

When you've got your head round all of that (doesn't sound much there but its the bulk of what you need to know) you'll be way on the way and be able to look into other things such as RAW v JPEG etc.

One of the best ways to learn though (in my opinion) is to get your camera and have a play with settings... have a look at what changes when you change something... you've always got the internet to fall back on for tips or hints
 
bensambrook said:
What did you do on the course and what is it you're struggling with? :)
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Hi, it is all of it really, just knowing where to start....there is just sooooo much to learn.....I am thinking you tube is my answer, along with more practice (y)
 
just looking said:
Getting started for me meant reading the manual a number of times, and playing around with shots lots and lots of times at home. Sorry to hear you haven't got very far with the course. Good luck! (y)
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Thank you. Yeah the course was abit of a waste of money tbh :crying:
 
I would recommend "Understanding Exposure" by Brian Petersen. Very informative and covers the basics well.
 
neil_1980 said:
I'd personally start off looking at what Aperture, Shutter speed and ISO do (probably on youtube or similar) and then how to work Aperture priority, shutter priority and manual on your camera (from your manual) and then have a think about situations when you want to control either aperture or shutter speed

When you've got your head round all of that (doesn't sound much there but its the bulk of what you need to know) you'll be way on the way and be able to look into other things such as RAW v JPEG etc.

One of the best ways to learn though (in my opinion) is to get your camera and have a play with settings... have a look at what changes when you change something... you've always got the internet to fall back on for tips or hints
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Thank you for this. I will start to research in that order then.
 
The basics are easy enough to learn, and you could start with the tutorials on here. The trick is to know when to apply different settings according to the situation and the result you're after - that just takes time and experience. The handbook tells you how to operate the camera's functions, but is not much help in explaining why or when.

The basic basics are the exposure triangle of shutter speed, lens aperture and ISO, coupled to depth of field and how shutter speeds affect movement. That's central to everything and will give you a good foundation to build on.

There's nothing wrong with auto, so long as you review the results and get some understanding of why the camera has chosen those settings and the effect they have. A lot of the time, it makes very little difference in general walkabout shooting, but when you want to do something different and creative, that's when you need to know what's what.
 
Also have a look at the Meeting Place forum and see if there are any meets in your area. People will be happy to help a beginner and give a few tips.

Or you could start a thread in Meeting Place to ask if someone in your area would spend an afternoon with you just taking a few shots and going through the basics. People are usually very helpful and friendly on here.
 
AK86 said:
Thank you. The only thing is the manuel is like another language to me, guess I have to keep with it.
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people kept telling me to read the manual and pointing me towards tutorials... what they didnt understand was the level i was at.. what the hell is an aperture and other words i ahd never seen before in my life... manuals and tutorials do presume you know what a lot of the terms mean or relate to..

it took me a long long time to figure it all out.. very slowly... then after i had and knew my stuff... my brother took up photogprahy.. i taught him in a week what it took me years to learn through trial and error...

youtube is good as it will show you hands on.. but you cant stop them and ask..


if your really struggling.. get down to your local camera club and see if anyone will explain the basics.. or find someone on here local to you who will meet up and show you.. its amazing what you can learn face to face with a human :)
 
slinkery said:
I would recommend "Understanding Exposure" by Brian Petersen. Very informative and covers the basics well.
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:plus1:

KIPAX said:
if your really struggling.. get down to your local camera club and see if anyone will explain the basics.. or find someone on here local to you who will meet up and show you.. its amazing what you can learn face to face with a human :)
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A good camera club is better than a course. I've learnt so much from my local club, talks, studio nights, outings and just having people I can ask questions.

And this forum is a wealth of information, read lots and ask when you don't understand something.

It seems like a lot to take to learn, but we've all been there and everyone started with picking up a camera and thinking 'how do I work this?' - it does all start to make more sense after a while!
 
I think the book Understanding Exposure is a must read, then once you get that you understand why people keep talking about the triangle ;) And also you can then delve into your manual to understand how to do that on your camera. From there on it is a case of getting out there and practise practise practise, and develop your own style.

I wouldn't get hung up on getting qualifications, so what it proofs you can pass an exam, doesn't make you a good photographer...
 
Hi Amy.
DSLRs are new to me too, haven't even bought one yet, There seems to be quite a few books out there covering the basics though. I got one from the library called 'Dummies guide to Exposure', or maybe try that other book by Brian Peterson everyone seems to recommend

:)
 
Hi Amy

First of all I can't recommend the undertanding exposure book at all , for someone with their first DSLR it has some glaring omissions
Maybe try one of the expanded manual type books such as one of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=d90&x=16&y=18 should help with finding out what the controls actually do

When my daughter had her first DSLR she found this book on exposure to be of assistance http://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Exposure-Handbook-Ross-Hoddinott/dp/1861085338/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319268458&sr=1-5 she had the Peterson book from the library and wasn't impressed either

Have a read then go out and just take pictures experimenting with the various settings and see the differences aperture and shutter speed changes make.

One other way to go could be a one day one to one tuition course, bit expensive, but would be far better than the evening type class you tried originally

Even better if someone from here could spend some time explaining it all, worth a try to ask. Would volunteer my services, but Cambridge might be a bit far to travel for you, but the offer is there

It does all click in the end, trial and error really, bit like using a PC for the first time. You have to know what you want to do then go about finding how to achieve that aim

Will have a look in my book collection and see if I have anything suitable for a beginner, don't get disheartened, sure everyone felt it a bit daunting to start with
 
Start with learning about exposure, that is the whole basis of photography - the rest will come form that.

Understanding Exposure is the book that is often cited as the best for this (but I've not read it).
 
I decided to read the manual, all though its quite big i lernt lots about my camera i had no idea its so worth reading it !!! :)
 
tijuana taxi said:
Hi Amy

First of all I can't recommend the undertanding exposure book at all , for someone with their first DSLR it has some glaring omissions
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I haven't read it but I'm curious - what are these `glaring omissions` of which you speak :thinking:

And Amy, if you weren't happy with the course, did you speak to the people running it? They want to know if people are unhappy (well, if they're any good!) as word of mouth is the best advertising. I run 10-week courses at my local college and it isn't unusual to move people from beginners to improvers, or vice-versa, if they're not getting the level of tuition they're after.
 
jon ryan said:
I haven't read it but I'm curious - what are these `glaring omissions` of which you speak :thinking:

And Amy, if you weren't happy with the course, did you speak to the people running it? They want to know if people are unhappy (well, if they're any good!) as word of mouth is the best advertising. I run 10-week courses at my local college and it isn't unusual to move people from beginners to improvers, or vice-versa, if they're not getting the level of tuition they're after.
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Any mention of the histogram for a start, or blinkies which are perhaps the single most useful exposure aid there is, and some 'unconventional' ideas that clearly work for him but are not exactly best practise.

The book was originally written for film, and even the latest edition hasn't changed much :(
 
As has already been said you tube is a good resource.

What I have done is set the camera up on a tripod (but you could use a table etc) and just take shots using the various "automatic" settings and then have a play with the others.That will at least give you an idea of what the camera does.
 
learn to shoot one thing at a time

To start, pick something easy, and something that doesn't moan too much when bored - a vase of flowers on the table for example. What ever you choose, do yourself a favour and make sure you are at least 1.5 metres away from your object, and there is at least a few metres behind the object. A vase on a window cil is great

change one thing at once, and concentrate on one thing at a time

to start, reset your camera settings / menus (there will be a setting in the menu for this)

The ISO setting is a red herring at the moment, set it to "200" or "100" (not auto)

for the moment, these are the settings to play with one by one

- aperture
- shutter speed

They are linked to exposure - it is the combination of how open the aperture of the lens is, with how long the shutter is open for that determines how much light falls on the sensor. As you change the balance between the two aspects of the image change

what to do

1. sit down and pop your camera on "A" or "aperture priority" and work your way up through all off the apertures of your camera
2. use a notebook and record what the camera actually shot the image at

i.e. aperture = F4.5 shutter speed = 1/500th second

Sitting still in the same chair, produce a series of 10 (or so) shots, through your range of apertures available

When you have done that, post your photographs in this thread, along with the notes you made about aperture/shutter speed with your observations about what changes from shot to shot

Don't worry for the moment if the pictures look a bit naff

There will be a number of further steps to this process
 
Ah! Yeah, quite a few of the older books have been very badly updated.
 
Any mention of the histogram for a start, or blinkies which are perhaps the single most useful exposure aid there is, and some 'unconventional' ideas that clearly work for him but are not exactly best practise.

The book was originally written for film, and even the latest edition hasn't changed much
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Ah! Yeah, a lot of old book have been very badly updated.

(Oops! Double post)
 
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AK86 said:
Thank you, I was looking at books, have you read this one in particular?
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No, I don't have a D90, however the series is well received.
Another option, especially if you're not a great reader is This DVD Set which is also a very useful aid to get to know your camera, I had one for mine when I first got it and it was very useful, not only showing what each feature is for but what it actually does.
 
gramps said:
One of THESE may be useful to you.
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#1, read and try to understand the manual (not easy - they all seem to be poorly translated into English - however, the Magic Lantern books seem to be far easier to read and understand.
Another book worth looking out for is basic Photography by Michael Langford. Rather dry but very informative. The older printings are aimed at film users but the basics of photography are still the same - an aperture is still a hole which controls the amount of light that gets through the lens and the shutter speed is still the length of time the recording medium is exposed to that light.
 
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