DSLR failure

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Uhuru

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I have had my DSLR now for a three weeks and I still haven't a clue how to use it. When I bought it I was overwhelmed by the technicality of the manual, so in frustration I ut away the camera.

Yesterday I went on worksho on getting to gri with my camera. It was a really good worksho but I still came away quite confused and frustrated with myself. I'm still struggling with understanding the basics which seems second nature to everyone else. I've looked at my otions which are

1. A one to one session at a cost of £35o

2. Muddle on on my own

3. Accet defeat and resort to comact.


So am I on my own in being so confused and frustrated by my camera



Excuse the terrible errors in the above. My keyboard is on its last leg.
 
I would reckon you're probably trying to learn the whole camera all at once rather than picking a particular part and running with that. Coming from a person that's fairly new too, what I would do first is read up about exposure and aperture (forget everything else for now). Learn how to change the aperture and what it does. Once you're happy with that then you move to the next part.

Basically, just learn bits and pieces as you go and you'll find it's mch easier to tackle.
 
Where abouts are you based and which make / model of camera are you trying to use, maybe someone on here lives very near you and could give you some basic tips.

Once you get to grips with it, I'm sure you'll enjoy it :thumbs:
 
Where are you?
If someone lives nearby they may be willing to give you some advise.

My keyboard is OK but I type too slow !
 
if you feeling overwhelmed, to start with why dont you try shooting in the simple modes.

just to get a feel for the camere

then you can start to move towards the creative modes later
 
bloody hell , those were some quick replys....
 
Yup, take your time, have patience, post on here as often as you get stuck, and you'll soon start getting the hang of it ;)

One things for sure, you won't learn if you give up!!
 
Been there. Wanna buy a t-shirt?

1. Stick it on auto and get out there on a fine day and enjoy it.

2. Then, one at a time, pick out a setting/feature of the camera and spend time with it and the relevant section of the manual.

3. Buy a new keyboard.
 
You are not the first person to get a little confused with the inner workings of a DSLR, and as sure as eggs are eggs, you will not be the last.

Re your options. First of all do not admit defeat and return to a compact and don’t muddle on your own. One to one tuition is a good option but at £350, that seems a tat expensive. Could you not find a more experienced photographer in your area and see if he/she will give you some help. There are many people here that would help you, may cost you the price of a cup of coffee but it would be worth it.
 
Thank you for the relies and aologies for the errors. Most frustrating esecially for someone that was once an English language teacher. :) I will be getting a new keyboard soon.

My camera is the Canon 45od which I am told is not very comlicated. :help:
The worksho covered the basics, and was meant to draw us away from using auto mode which is all I have ever used with my old camera. I just found it all so much to take on board and all my efforts were as rubbish as with my comact camera.

I don't really want to throw in the towel but right now its just one comlete blur.


So sorry for these ridiculous errors with my keyboard. It refuses to tye the letter that comes after 'O' and the numeral zero.
 
If you can use a pc, laptop, mobile etc you will manage a camera too
What exactly are you trying to do with it?

As suggested start on auto, take some pics and download them. If you then want to have a dabble, perhaps try the P setting, bit like auto, but more user control over certain functions

Don't try and run before you can walk, also the additional model specific user guides may help as they have a bit of tuition too.

Sure you will soon have it sorted, think of it as fun not a demon to be mastered
 
^^ Agree with all of the above (including the new keyboard :lol:)

Two questions please: -

1) Which DSLR do you have?
2) Whereabouts are you based?

I'm relatively new to DSLRs and I would say spending a day out with a friend who knows their way around a camera or someone from here who lives local to you would be invaluable to you but the important thing in the meantime is to take lots of pictures using the different settings and see and understand the changes that happen

A good example is to use Av mode and take the 'same' photograph but for each image, change the aperture and then you will see the effect that this has on your photos/subject.

Do the same in Tv mode and change the shutter speed for each shot, this time keeping the Av constant on something like 8.

Once you've done this, keep the shutter and aperture constant and then change the ISO for each shot.

As you are using digital the cost of taking lots of photos is predominantly time so snap away and then spend a little time looking at the effects when you load them onto you computer.

This way you will get more used to your camera and start to learn the impact of different, Aperture, Shutters Speeds and ISOs as a "starter for 10"


Finally, enjoy your camera - even load up a couple of photos if you have specific queries - the knowledge and friendliness on this site is fantastic for us beginners.


:thumbs:
 
Shove it in auto mode, go out and practice and enjoy, buy a decent book (Andy Rouse did one called the "Complete DSLR",that is a good read). Don`t try to learn photography all at once,you can`t.Take some pics of what you like to begin with and start to enjoy your camera.You will progress at your own rate once you start to use it.

Where do you live? I have just helped somebody out who had the same problems that you have.
 
you still haven't told us where you live? If you're near me I'll pop round and help you as much as my ability allows!! I'm sure plenty of other people on here will offer the same........
 
edit: just seen your rely (:lol:) whilst I was typing my reply!!


There are some good books and DVDs out there on getting the most out of your camera

Take a peak on Amazon or the Bay of E for starters....
 
If you picked up an older film SLR from the the 60s or 70s, you'd find only three controls on the camera- shutter speed, aperture and ISO,and all being on simple dials on the body and lens. These three settings are the only settings which mattered on these cameras.

They are actually still the only settings which matter, but with a modern DSLR, that simple truth tends to get lost in a plethora of modes at your disposal and a confusing array of buttons and dials on the camera. It can be very confusing for a newcomer trying to grasp the basics faced with a modern DSLR.

I do sympathise, but don't be disheartened - you can't use a DSLR to it's full potential without a good grasp of some simple photographic basic principles.

It's not a race though - take your time. As already suggested, put the camera on full auto mode and go out and enjoy taking pictures. The camera will do a good job most of the time just left on auto.

Yiou really need someone to sit down with you and explain a few basic principles with your camera handy.
 
You can't beat one to one.. it took me yrs to learn by trial and error and messageboards. (still learning as i bleive we all are) . I am not the quickest at picking things up it seems and depth of field took me forever... but my brother bought a dslr and all that I had to go through to learn I passed onto him in a couple of days initialy and within a month or so he knew it all..... its just not right is it :)
 
I think he's taking the "p"...
 
Ok Uhuru first of all welcome to TP. First of all you will need to take it one stage at a time. You have decided to learn manual mode, which imo is a good idea from the outset and does not have to be complicated. Even if you manage to work the camera and take some pics it will not help you if you want to know where you are going wrong, something that a lot of peeps on here can assist you with. I would suggest the following to save yourself confusion. If by any chance you get stuck on doing any of the following then ask how to do it on here and you should soon be on your way.

1)Take a couple of shots of a subject of your choice.
2)Transfer the images to your pc.
3)Set up an image hosting site which is free, such as Flickr or Photobucket, you can even set up a gallery on TP as well.
4)Edit your pictures using the software provided with your camera and save it as a jpeg, resize the picture to 800pixels on the longest side.
5)Upload your pictures to whichever one you use.
6) Post up the picture on here for comments.

I understand that it might be a bit confusing to start with but this is really the basics you will need to get further help with your photography.
 
Thank you again.

I live in Leeds.

I have thought of buying some books to hel me but I'm not sure that would be very useful for me at the moment. I barely know what the different knobs and dials on the camera do, never mind anything else.

:bang:
 
Uhuru said:
I live in Leeds.
Click to expand...

I'm from Leeds but I now live in Norwich so can't really pop round to help :shake:

You're starting from the very beginning so buy a book for beginners that covers the absolute basics, read the Canon manual, any words that you don't understand, look up on the internet.

And again, take your time and have patience, these are two very valuble qualities!! Trying to run before you can walk has seen many DSLR owners give in before they even get started!

Stick with it!!:thumbs:
 
u8myufo said:
Ok Uhuru first of all welcome to TP. First of all you will need to take it one stage at a time. You have decided to learn manual mode, which imo is a good idea from the outset and does not have to be complicated. Even if you manage to work the camera and take some pics it will not help you if you want to know where you are going wrong, something that a lot of peeps on here can assist you with. I would suggest the following to save yourself confusion. If by any chance you get stuck on doing any of the following then ask how to do it on here and you should soon be on your way.

1)Take a couple of shots of a subject of your choice.
2)Transfer the images to your pc.
3)Set up an image hosting site which is free, such as Flickr or Photobucket, you can even set up a gallery on TP as well.
4)Edit your pictures using the software provided with your camera and save it as a jpeg, resize the picture to 800pixels on the longest side.
5)Upload your pictures to whichever one you use.
6) Post up the picture on here for comments.

I understand that it might be a bit confusing to start with but this is really the basics you will need to get further help with your photography.
Click to expand...

Thank you.

I already have a hotobucket account which I use to host my hotos on another forum I am a member of. To be honest when I look at my hotos from my bridge camera all taken in auto they seem so much better than what I have taken on the DSLR and that is really annoying me.



Slimbert said:
I'm from Leeds but I now live in Norwich so can't really pop round to help :shake:

You're starting from the very beginning so buy a book for beginners that covers the absolute basics, read the Canon manual, any words that you don't understand, look up on the internet.

And again, take your time and have patience, these are two very valuble qualities!! Trying to run before you can walk has seen many DSLR owners give in before they even get started!

Stick with it!!:thumbs:
Click to expand...

As you say, I susect I am being too hard on myself.

I need to give myself a good talking to, calm down and try and take it one ste at a time.

Thanks.
 
Hi Uhuru, it will take more than 3 weeks to get the hang of using DSLR, it took me about a year to know all the functions and technical aspects. It is a long steep hill but its worth it in the end.
 
Uhuru said:
I need to give myself a good talking to, calm down and try and take it one step at a time.
Click to expand...

:thumbs:

I've just upgraded my camera, and in between typing on here, I'm reading through parts of the manual to get to grips with some of the functions I'm not familiar with. Currently I'm finding out how to lock the mirror up so I can clean my sensor with wire wool.......:lol:

I could sit here and press all the buttons in loads of differents orders with my fingers crossed until something happens but it's much easier to, and almost always quicker, to take the step by step methodical route.......

Then when you have the basics nailed, get out there snap away, and post your photos on here for critique from other TP members. I've learn't loads doing things this way.

It works, I promise!!!:thumbs:
 
Thank you.

I will try that method.

But first I need to sort myself out with a new keyboard.

I will be back. . .
 
If the 450 is like the D60 then I reckon you'll need to change the exposure compensation to account for this (sorry, I'm throwing another tech phrase in the loop!). The D60, for some reason, slightly overexposes on the default setting. Not sure why.

Quick run down and let's see if I can lift some confusion! The 2 modes I recommend you should start learning are Program and Aperture.

Start with program. When in Program mode the camera decides what aperture and shutter speed it will use. You don't worry about it. What you can change is the "exposure compensation". This means you tell the camera "When deciding your settings slightly over expose (brighter) or slightly under expose (darker)". I usually set mine to -0.3 (slightly darker photo and the sky doesn't go all white).

In aperture mode you get to change 2 settings, but mainly the Aperture. This is what makes the hole in the lens bigger or smaller. Bigger means more light (plus other stuff you can learn later). Smaller means less light (plus the opposite to other stuff you can learn later). The other setting you can change is again, the exposure compensation.

If you already know the above maybe you just need to figure out what the on camera controls do? I would hedge a bet that there is a spin control someplace. So if you put it in Aperture Priority mode, look at the LCD screen and spin the control each direction. You should see the hole get bigger and smaller on screen (or a number increase/decrease).

Am I anywhere near where you're struggling, or miles away, or is that on the money?


P.S. That missing P on your keyboard is giving me a great giggle here!
 
Well its already been said, but its true, it won't happen straight away, we have all been there, but definately try and get to grips with the basics first - exposure using aperture and shutterspeed, one of them at a time. Don't worry about all those weird buttons, just take it slowly and work through the simple stuff and most importantly, enjoy the learning process, because its a never ending one :thumbs:
 
There are some great tutorials in this part of the forum that have been written by TP members to tackle all sorts of photography issues, both for beginners and those more advanced.

Definately do not give up - There is little more advice I can offer without repeating what has already been said. This is a great forum, with lots of helpful peeps who will always go that little bit extra to help out people that may be struggling.

Good luck and most of all, get out there, take pics and post them on here. You will then start getting ideas of where you may be going wrong with settings etc.
 
Yeah this is a friendly forum. Tell us where you're located and I'm sure someone will offer to help :)

And I found the best way was to experiement with one setting at a time. When I first got my SLR I did lots of experiements with shutter speed and had great fun making ghostly effects :) Then over the next few weeks I looked at different settings individually. Depth of Field (F numbers), ISO etc. And now I have a pretty good understanding of all of them and I know what situation to use them in :)
 
swag72 said:
Friendly we are ................ Able to read a whole thread to get information about location ........ We can't ;)

He's in Leeds :D
Click to expand...

Yeah, read it afterwards :razz::thumbs: I clicked 'post reply' at about half 11 and only just posted it as I went on a quest for alloy wheels :p And I still don't know what the Stud Diametre of a Ford Focus is :bang:
 
Well I'm not too far from Leeds and I do pop up in that direction a fair bit so as its the basics I can probably help, and I do understand what its like with your first DSLR - seems like all buttons and functions that are just put there to confuse you :lol:
Have dropped you a pm in case you are interested :)
 
Hi Uhuru,
One of your comments, which I think was possibly overlooked, was that you thought the images straight from the camera, did not look as good as those from the bridge camera?
Could you confirm (at the risk of adding more confusion), whether your camera is taking pictures as jpeg, or as RAW?
I had the 400d, which is the model before yours, and when I compared its images to those from a bridge camera, they were dull and lifeless, but this was mainly because the bridge had over-saturated the image.
If this is the 'problem' there are a couple of settings which can be changed, to make things a little more even
 
Most things worth doing take a bit of learning and practise. But you're a teacher, so you know that ;)

This tutorial, Understanding Photography, from the section highlighted by Sara was written for folks like you, first time DSLR users. Photography is actually not difficult at all, just confusing. CT alluded to it earlier, very true. Have a read of this:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=99841
 
My OH is trying to learn how to use a DSLR. I've just sent her outside with her 'assignment' for today. It's getting dark, it's gloomy, and it's spotting with rain. I've asked her to take a well exposed photograph of anything in the garden that takes her fancy, but she has to use manual mode and she's only allowed one attempt.

Be interesting to see how she gets on.
 
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