Beginner Canon 400D

rossjackson01

rossjackson01

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Ross Jackson
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Hello to all.

I'm starting photography whilst still on lockdown. I've purchased a Canon400d. I know about the rule of 1/3s. and wish to use it to assist my learning. On the Canon 400D menu I cannot seem to locate the facility to place a grid in the viewfinder. Can anyone assist and advise me if such a facility exists, and when can I find it?

Thank you in advance.

Regards

Ross
 
The 400D is quite an old camera and that feature may well not be available. However....... the rule of 3rds is not set in stone. It can help with composition but other options are available, and it's easy enough to judge 1/3 without a grid. Have a read of the manual. If you didn't get one with the camera you'll find on on line to download.
 
Jannyfox

Thank you for your prompt reply. I think you are right. there does not seem to be a grid available in the viewfinder. Nothing in the downloadable manual. Ah well!

Regards

Ross
 
Hi Ross,

I had a 400d many many years ago, it's what I started on too. There is no way to place a grid electronically in the viewfinder on any DSLR. It's an optical viewfinder so the only way to do this would be to replace the focusing screen but that option is only available on higher spec pro grade cameras.

You may be able to turn this feature on for live view but you'd have to check your manual for that as it's been a while so I can't remember if that was available on the 400d.

Also, don't forget that there are no rules in photography. There are guidelines of which the rule of thirds is one of them. You certainly don't have to compose every image to the rule of thirds.
 
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You don't need a grid for this. The 'rule' of thirds is a rule of thumb, or a guideline, but it's certainly not set in stone. Photographers were eyeballing it long before viewfinder grid lines came along, and you can do the same. It's easy enough and digital allows you to experiment without worrying about costs, so have fun. :)
 
ecoleman said:
There is no way to place a grid electronically in the viewfinder on any DSLR. It's an optical viewfinder so the only way to do this would be to replace the focusing screen but that option is only available on higher spec pro grade cameras.
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I've got a grid in my viewfinder (80d), I can turn it off and on in the menu. It's also available in a 750d, so I would assume that most dslr's of the last 5-6 years also have this feature (I don't know for sure without looking at all of the cameras in the canon line).
As mentioned the 400d doesn't have a grid in the viewfinder.
 
Unless you're using a grid to check the horizon is straight on water (photos of sloping lakes and seascapes are a classic photography mistake!) or something like that, then it's not much use for general purpose photography, so I wouldn't worry too much about not having that feature. If you were planning to use it as an absolute guide for 'rule of thirds' then I'm pretty sure your photos would soon start to look pretty 'samey' and formulaic, unless you were planning on doing a project on OCD. ;)

As people have said, 'rule of thirds' is just a guide to producing a pleasing looking image, but it doesn't always work, so bear it in mind but don't be ruled by it. Learning about depth of field (controlled by the aperture setting), where to focus, what different shutter speeds do, etc. are just as important, if not more so.

For general purpose/everyday photography, just look through the viewfinder and try to compose a nice looking shot by moving the camera (and yourself, including the height you're holding the camera at) around until what's in the frame looks pleasing. If you find it doesn't actually look that pleasing when you download the shots and view them on a computer screen or print them out, then ask yourself why (and perhaps try cropping a different frame using your image processing software [Photoshop, etc.]) and learn from the experience. When you take a shot you like, then also ask yourself why it works. Stick with it and persevere; learning to 'see' a shot should get easier the more you practice and look at your work, so don't expect miracles overnight. Hope you enjoy your 400D, I used to own one, it was my first DSLR. :)
 
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ecoleman said:
You what? How does that answer the OPs question?
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When you view the photo in your photo editing software, most have a facility to overlay a grid or even leading lines etc. You can then crop to fit the rule of thirds. Shooting a bit wider allows for more control on where you want the borders.
 
To all.

Thank you for your replies. Very happy with all your comments. As you say, there is no facility for a grid. Really enjoying learning about the camera.

Regards to you all.

Ross
 
Hello Ross, hope your photography with the 400D is coming on well. (y)

Something that might help you compose your shots is connecting with other photographers' inspiring work. I don't mean copying them. I mean discovering how you identify with each image, appreciating compositions. I've found this to be really inspiring, especially photographs from the 30s-50s era.

How images were manipulated in the darkroom can be very significant too. James Dean in Times Square is a famous example: HERE

I should add, there's a lot of arty tosh that comes with this overall subject! Best avoided, IMO...
 
The 400D has only 9 focus points, in a diamond pattern plus a centre point. Only the centre point is a "Cross" type the others are either vertical or horizontal. Why does this matter and why is it relevant to the question?, even if you had a rule of thirds grid you could not select a focus point to marry the the two together.
The rule of thirds as mentioned is a guide, a rule of thumb; if you can visualise a "Hash - # " character through the view finder and into the scene then you will not need an overlay. The rule of thirds is a way of moving a subject away from the centre of the picture to make a more dynamic or interesting composition. By placing the subject on one of the line intersections, or e.g an horizon on either the two horizontal lines, you create a more pleasing aspect and do not cut the image into two equal halves.
Back to the focus points, if the camera is set for single shot and not tracking in any way, when you place the centre focus point on the subject (this is the most reliable on the 400D) and press the shutter halfway, the camera will achieve focus; by maintaining the shutter release in the halfway position you will be able to move the camera slightly to position the subject on one of the line intersects without losing focus; so when you complete the shutter release and take the picture the subject will still be in focus and hopefully the composition more pleasing.
 
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