New Camera & User

mrbez

mrbez

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Hi Guys,

This morning I took delivery of a Canon 40D with 18-55 and 55-250 lens.

I am extremely pleased with it so far, however I am a total beginner and I was wondering if there is anything I should be doing first up?

Any settings that I should reset or input?

Also, I have a UV filter and a polariser, should I use these?

Thanks,

Craig.
 
Polariser has a nice effect on skies and foliage on sunny days, also cuts through reflections. There is a time and place for this.

UV filter - many use them just for protection on their regular lens.

Would suggest reading through some of the tutorials and some of the 'learn with MD' threads.
 
To be honest I dont really use a lens hood as I use filters for my landscapes but they can be handy in sunny conditions to eliminate lens flare.

Andrew has pretty much covere the the UV and polorisor. WHat background do you have with a DSLR is this your first or an upgrade?

Congrats on the 40D its a great all rounder :).
 
I had a 400D a couple of years ago, but only for a few months, so lets just say that this is my first camera.
 
Ha plenty to learn then :). I went from a 450D to a 40D and it was quite an easy move, if anything the 40D is a lot easier to use due to the extra big dial and button lay out. The Digital Photography Book - Scott Kelby is a good book for a beginner covering all the settings and shooting modes etc. Then there are other books such as Understanding Exposure - Bryan Peterson that will give you a better understanding of how to take better pictures and understanding of photography itself.

Main things you want to learn to start off with is the relationship between aperture/shutterspeed/ISO, these factors will result in your overall exposure. Aperture and shutterspeed can also be used creatively to give an image a certain look i.e. aperture effects deepth of feild and shutterspeed can be used to blur movment i.e. blurred water and clouds.

There are plenty of people on here who will answer any questions you have :).
 
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