Canon EOS 1100 D advice please......

Deano69

Deano69

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Hi I am Dean from Kent UK and have only ever used compact camera's or my nokia n8 mobile camera, but decided to buy a DSLR as I always wanted one.

Anyway I just bought a Canon EOS 1100D which came with a standard 18-55mm lens and a 75-300mm one too I have tried it on basic auto setting but need advice on how to venture into other programs.

Is there a program I should concentrate on ? I have briefly tried ''P'' mode where I can set some of the settings myself, but wondered if there is a particular program I should concentrate on for a while whilst I am getting to grips with the camera's features.

Any info very much appreciated,

Deano :thumbs:
 
Hi, try the TV mode and AV mode. TV allows you to choose the shutter speed, the camera then adjusts the aperture and ISO. AV you choose the aperture, the camera then does the shutter/ISO. These are the two modes I use the most, dipping into full manual for long exposures/night shots.
 
1100d was my first slr and personally I used manual all the time. It was like jumping in at the deep end but I found it was the best way to learn about how a camera works and to teach your self what settings are correct for the situation.
I always found that some of the other modes used to blow things out of proportion especially the iso if the light wasn't to good.
Just remember to keep an eye on the histogram and that should usually see you right.
 
As long as you stay out of the 'idiot' modes you'll do fine. Concentrate on focussing on the most important part of your picture, get the exposure right and make pictures.

Frankly modes and settings are irrelevant, what's much more important is getting decent images. Sharp well exposed pictures of boring rubbish things are no use to anyone.
 
As above, the 1100D is capable of superb results so as long as your images are improving from a technical point of view then its all good.

From my point of view TV , AV and M are the only modes that are relevant at all, either of those 3 can be useful for different situations.
 
As mentioned above, ban yourself from using Auto, P or any of the scene modes (Sport, portrait etc.) - stick to A/S/M and you'll learn a lot quicker.

Personally I tend to think of it as follows: Think about what's important in your shot, and choose the appropriate mode.

If you want a shot with either everything in focus (e.g. landscape), or the background/foreground blurred (e.g. a portrait), use Av mode.

If you want to capture the timing, either freezing a fast-moving object, or blurring some water - use Tv mode

If you're doing something more specialist; macro, startrails - use Manual.

Once you get to grips with these three modes, especially the first 2, you can then ignore this and you'll get a feel for what's appropriate for each shot. Again as an example, if you're taking a shot using your tele' lens of a bird far away, "normally" you'd think to use Av as you'd want a large aperture to make the subject sharp and the background blurred. But, like me, if you only have a budget lens, it's more important to keep the shutter speed about 1/300 to ensure the picture doesn't suffer from camera-shake, so I'd actually use M or Tv...
 
Durbs said:
As mentioned above, ban yourself from using Auto, P or any of the scene modes (Sport, portrait etc.) - stick to A/S/M and you'll learn a lot quicker.

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Actually, you have as much control in P mode as you do in ASM modes (on a Canon anyway)

And for the OP:
A = AV (you set the aperture, the camera sets the shutter speed)
S = TV (you set the shutter speed (Time Value), the camera sets the aperture)
M=M (you set the aperture and the shutter speed Manual)
P=P (the camera sets the aperture and the shutter speed, you can override the settings - Program)
 
Hey welcome!!

This was my first DSLR and it was a great camera. I still wish I had it today :'(.

I know a lot of people are telling you to avoid P, but actually, P is a fantastic way of learning. See what the camera sets and learn from it. When you take photos, look at the settings the camera chose for it and say "This is blurry because of this..." etc etc, this is how I learnt.

I still use P mode today. When I need control over depth of field I use aperture priority or Av mode (whichever Canon calls it).

Good luck!
 
Hi,

I have an 1100d and really like it. I've never used the scene modes, usually stick to Av. P is very good for general walking around snapping away at the kids, but bear in mind that it only gives you a shutter speed that will stop camera shake. If something, or someone is running around then use Tv. If your doing long exposure landscapes, then use a tripod and Manual. I normally use auto ISO, which is capped at 1600, only go higher than this if you really have to as it gets very noisy.

P mode is also very good when using a flash, I have a 270ex which is a lovely match with my 1100d
 
Thanks for the replies everyone, will give the other modes a try and see what I can learn, its not as easy as I thought it was going to be ......

Deano
 
Deano69 said:
Thanks for the replies everyone, will give the other modes a try and see what I can learn, its not as easy as I thought it was going to be ......

Deano
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Think of it like playing a musical instrument. A bit of practice and you'll be able to knock out a half decent picture, you'll improve your whole life and only if you're gifted will you become a virtuoso.

The camera manufacturers make you believe that expensive cameras take good pictures, they lied :lol:
 
Good on you and it's like anything in life, you never stop learning and you can always improve.

Even the best can improve so keep shooting, keep asking questions and you will go far.

As Phil rightly points out, its not the camera but the person behind the camera that makes the shot.

Iso wise personally I wouldn't be worried at all about pushing the 1100 to 3200 or even 6400 if you are shooting raw, its a fair performer and unless you are printing at larger than 10x8 then 6400 shouldn't be a problem either.
 
dalegt4 said:
Good on you and it's like anything in life, you never stop learning and you can always improve.

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You'll find if you read all the advice here that the people who claim to know stuff for absolute certain first picked up a camera 12 months ago;)

Those of us who've been shooting for 20 years plus still learn something new on a regular basis, and accept that the only absolutes in photography are the laws of physics.

Now that's either because we're old and stupid or those newbies really haven't got a clue how much they'll slow their learning by shouting rather than listening. ;)
 
I agree whole heartedly there Phil! :)

A good friend of mine who runs his own garage and tuning company runs multiple cars in the 750Motor championships from single seaters to Mr2's and Porsches and he has always stated that if you are not trying to learn to improve or accept that you can always be better than you were yesterday then you are in theory going backwards.

Always makes me strive to do the next photo better than the last one.

You have to admit though its sometimes funny to hear people who claim to know everything, we had some randoms at a car trackday telling Alex how an engine works one day.. :D haha
 
Phil V said:
You'll find if you read all the advice here that the people who claim to know stuff for absolute certain first picked up a camera 12 months ago;) Those of us who've been shooting for 20 years plus still learn something new on a regular basis, and accept that the only absolutes in photography are the laws of physics. Now that's either because we're old and stupid or those newbies really haven't got a clue how much they'll slow their learning by shouting rather than listening. ;)
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A bit like being a teenager then :-) At 16 you think think you know everything. It's only once you get into the real world that you realise how little you knew and your parents might have been right. Aahhh to be 18 again, but with the knowledge I have now :-)
 
I'd suggest getting a good book to teach you the basics of exposure and how to adjust the 3 factors. I recommend 'understanding exposure' by Bryan Peterson.

Have fun and practice!
 
Try all of them and experiment. Good luck, it's going to take a quite a while to learn not just what all the modes do, but everything concerning the camera.
 
ive got the same camera and ive started using manual and just fiddle about with the shutter speed etc. Im still getting used to it and finding new things to do :)
 
Many moons ago, one of the first things I was told to do was find two subjects, one stationary and one moving, didn´t matter what they were - a cup on the bench at home, a car driving down the street, then fully open the aperture and adjust the shutter speed for ´correct´ exposure and take a photo, then close the aperture and again adjust the shutter speed for ´correct´ exposure, see how they work together and what the result looks like for both subjects.

Don´t get disheartened if you make a mistake, digital lets you try again without penalty.
 
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