I'm going to switch off my auto!

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Randy Mandy

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Mandy
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Hi I've got a 400D and I want to start using it properly. I'm interested in taking pictures of my friends out and about in town. What's a good lens and should I use Flash and do I use M or AV? I'm really new so I need all the help I can get.

Mand
 
Thats abit of an open question , its all dependent on the lighting conditions at the time, and you shouldnt really 'use one or the other', Id say Av is a good start as this gives u aparture prioity control, allow DOF adjustment and thus shutter speed, leave M for now. And I personally hardly ever use flash but thats just the way I roll, some of my friends never leave home without it, just try everything and see what happens, its all about experimentation :)

Pop down the local book store and your self a guide to photography book it covers all these basis in those kind of things, on my book shelf now just lookin I can seee Encyclopeida digital photography and digital photography master class by Tim ang to name a couple.
 
Av is for 'everyday' use. You should not use on-board flash unless for gentle fill-in with -1 to -2 EV compensation. With a proper flash there are 2 ways. In one case flash will be the main light (ideally bounced and reflected), so set to M and use sync speed 1/200s. The other way is to expose for background in Av mode and use flash to light up the subject. Watch out for too slow shutter in the latter case.
 
I've got a friend who knows a bit more than me and has suggested I change my lens from the one that came with the camera to a 24 105. Does that sound right? Also, he has suggested I look on ebay. Is there a way of showing an item for sale on ebay on this forum so I can get better advice?
 
I don't think (personally) you need to upgrade your lens until you're more used to the camera. The 24-105 has benefits over the kit lens but only really once you know what you're doing (unless the bank manager won't notice then buy what you want :D ). Once you have spent some time with your camera you may find a different lens will suit you better.

I'd suggest you try one thing at a time:

P setting - see what difference changing the ISO makes
Then move onto Av & TV and see what aperature does (mainly DOF) and shutter speed.
Then move onto manual.

Read lots on here, post photos for c&c and enjoy it!
 
Uum rather than lash out on that very nice but very pricey lens, I'd switch to Av mode, as I did after a few weeks with my 450D, and switch yer ISO according to what the shutter speed dictates.

That's how I started taking pictures of birds, choose a good aperture, in Av mode, take a squint at the shutter speed & if it's falling below the usual rule of thumb; 1/focal length, then increase your ISO.

You soon learn how far with increasing ISO your camera body can cope :(

See my thread about upgrading, it's better ISO, autofocus tracking, and frames per second that you yearn for once you start trying to photograph fast moving creatures.

:help:
 
Mandy, not that far ahead of you myself coming off auto.

Look online for Scott Kelby books and training videos.... I think they are excellent. Oh and plenty of practice works for me.
 
I can agree with nearly all of the comments above. Just try them one at a time. When I turned away from auto. I did exactly this and actually worked my way to Manual one at a time on the Canon, so from auto to P, Tv, Av then M. Worked wonders for me and then you learn what each different one does.

So by the time you come to using manual you know what changing each one does individually :)
 
good for you Mandy :)

try getting on with the lens you've got to start with.... otherwise you might get frustrated when you look at what the fab photographers on here can achieve with the same stuff.

Av (guessing you've got a canon?) is a great place to start to learn the relationship between aperture and shutter speed.

Don't forget to post lots of pics - people on here are friendly and helpful :)
 
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