Canon 40D Help

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Name
Leah
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Hello guys! I have a Canon 40D and I'm using a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 III lens.

I am just playing around and learning to use it at the moment. I want to learn how to change the aperture and shutter speed. I understand to do this I move the mode dial on the top left to Av to change aperture, M to change both and Tv to change the shutter speed. I understand that once selected, I move the ridged dial on the top right hand screen and look through the view finder. Only I am confused at what is what!

So when I look through the view finder I see (When using M): Number(as I move camera this moved) Number A little scale -2 - +2 and then ISO 100 75

EDIT: I watched this video!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKhhJxtx_20

Could someone explain what each bit is :)

Also someone I take a photo and it's just black, and it takes ages to take the photo, like 10 seconds. I changed to no review time, how do I make it take a photo immediately?
 
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You really need to read the manual (you can download it from the Canon website). Your camera is far more complex than what you are used to (if i remember rightly you've been using your camera phone). Av mode is probably the best place to start learning, also watch some tutorials on YouTube about how the different modes work. Tony northrup on YouTube does a good video on this subject.
I can't post the link from my phone without the video showing in this thread (I don't know if that's allowed, so i will post it later when I'm at my laptop)
 
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Thank you guys I have saved the guide and I am reading through it. Going to Wales next week so going to spend a few hours really practising and learning.
 
I have to say, it is more complicated than I thought - not that I thought it would be easy. Has given me a new found respect for photography and photographers as it's an art to master a camera and know how to use it - I hope I make it that far
 
For the start,easy mode, put it on AV.

Small dial in front of the shutter will then change the aperture i.e. f5.6, f6.3, f7.1, f8 etc depending on what lens you have on. Shutter speed will adjust automatically to suit the light.

400D didn't have auto ISO, so if you need to bring up the shutter speed (to avoid blur on moving objects, or you need say faster than 1/30th if hand holding), press the ISO button and rotate the dial to change the ISO. On a 400D it'll start getting noisy over 800, under that should be ok.

So you've the holy trinity that you're shutter speed, aperture (f number) and ISO and all linked and you compromise or compose, according to those settings.
Small f number (f1.8, f2.8 etc) gives a shallow depth of field, only what you've focussed on in focus (or a bit around it). Larger f number increases the depth of field, more of the shot in focus.
But large f number may mean slower shutter speed, as they are all linked. Have a play and see

When you get used to that, you can play with the big dial, which will adjust the exposure compensation + or - stops either side, to allow you to tell the camera to shoot bright or darker than it thinks.

Good camera the 40D. have fun and show us how you're getting on
 
Could someone explain what each bit is :)
Have you got the manual @LeahP ?

If not, PM me your address as I neglected to handover the manual to my 40D when I traded it in - yours for the promise of a donation to the RNLI.

I may have a copy of the Field Guide lurking in the loft, but I won't be able to check for a few days and I may have already given that one away.


Going from memory, it's been a while since I had the 40D..
  • In Av mode one dial changes the Aperture and the other introduces Exposure Compensation as displayed on the top LCD by the exposure needle.
  • In Tv mode one dial changes the Shutter Speed and the other introduces Exposure Compensation as displayed on the top LCD by the exposure needle.
  • In M mode one dial does Aperture, the other does Shutter Speed and the exposure needle in the top LCD displays how far the manual exposure is from the reading by the exposure meter.
So when I look through the view finder I see (When using M): Number(as I move camera this moved) Number A little scale -2 - +2 and then ISO 100 75
The "75" is the remaining capacity on the memory card,i.e. with your current settings there's space for an estimated 75 more shots.

The scale "-2 - +2" is the exposure "needle".
 
No I don't, that's so so kind of you! Thank you so much :D What is the RNL!?
 
No I don't, that's so so kind of you! Thank you so much :D What is the RNL!?
Royal National Lifeboat Institution - www.rnli.org

The volunteer organisation that provide and man the lifeboats, or one of the (several) unpaid fourth emergency services.

Address received, I'll get it in the post later in the week.
 
Av mode is great for learning and what I usually use when shooting Canon.

However if you get stuck and just want to get the shot quickly, you can also turn the dial to "P", which is short for Program Mode.

In this mode the camera will choose aperture and shutter speed for you and will ensure the photograph is correctly exposed (according to the light meter).

If there is not much light, the shutter speed may drop under 1/60th of a second, which is generally the minimum speed for shooting handheld. If that happens, you should turn up the ISO and see if you can get the shutter speed back up to 1/60th or faster. If the light improves (e.g. because you moved from indoors to outdoors), turn the ISO down again.

Also, provided you have enough storage, I would recommend you shoot RAW + L (JPEG). This will give you 2 files for every photograph you take: a RAW file that is a digital negative and a Large JPEG file that is an image processed by the camera using the digital negative. You can then re-process your photographs on a computer using the RAW digital negative if the JPEGs aren't quite right. Personally I almost never use the camera JPEGs and process the RAW digital negatives in Adobe Lightroom.
 
The easiest way to use a camera like the 40 is the mode dial. The lady on the hat for portrait the mountain for a landscape and the man running for sports. If you use these modes the camera has an idea of the type of photo you are taking. In P mode or green square the camera has no idea if you are photographing a portrait or a landscape. I would use these modes get used to the camera and then move on to making some of the settings yourself in AV, TV M modes.
 
One thing did occur to me, unlike newer models Live View has to be activated via the menu and isn't on by default
 
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