Canon® EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D For Dummies®

Canon® EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D For Dummies®

by
Released September 2008
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9780470385371

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Book description

If you’re as excited as we are about the Rebel XSi/450D, you probably can’t wait to start shooting. Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D For Dummies will show you how to make every shot count! Even if you’re new to digital SLR cameras or are unfamiliar with general photography terms and techniques, this handy guide will show you how to feel comfortable with the controls and start taking beautiful photographs.

Don’t worry if you’ve never heard the words aperture, white balance, or ISO. You’ll soon be switching easily between automatic and manual modes, managing exposure, and using the all-important Quality setting! You’ll learn everything about the lenses, from how to choose the ones you need to how to handle them. You’ll finally know how to push just the right buttons to achieve the results that you desire. In a snap, you will find out how to unleash your creativity by manipulating exposure and lighting. You will find out how to:

  • Control picture quality

  • Adjust resolution for image quality and size

  • Shoot in automatic and manual modes

  • Review photos using Playback Mode and the histogram, delete unwanted photos, and protect valuable photos from accidental deletion

  • Manipulate exposure, color, focus, and lighting

  • Download, organize, archive, print, and share photos with family and friends

Complete with lists of ten fast photo-editing tricks and ten special-purpose features to explore on a rainy day, Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D For Dummies is your one-stop guide to setting up, working with, and making the most of your new Canon digital SLR camera.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. About the Author
  3. Author's Acknowledgments
  4. Publisher's Acknowledgments
  5. Introduction
    1. A Quick Look at What's Ahead
      1. Part I: Fast Track to Super Snaps
      2. Part II: Taking Creative Control
      3. Part III: Working with Picture Files
      4. Part IV: The Part of Tens
    2. Icons and Other Stuff to Note
    3. About the Software Shown in This Book
    4. Practice, Be Patient, and Have Fun!
  6. I. Fast Track to Super Snaps
    1. 1. Getting the Lay of the Land
      1. 1.1. Getting Comfortable with Your Lens
        1. 1.1.1. Attaching a lens
        2. 1.1.2. Removing a lens
        3. 1.1.3. Using an IS (image stabilizer) lens
        4. 1.1.4. Focusing and zooming the lens
      2. 1.2. Adjusting the Viewfinder Focus
      3. 1.3. Working with Memory Cards
      4. 1.4. Exploring External Camera Controls
        1. 1.4.1. Topside controls
        2. 1.4.2. Back-of-the-body controls
        3. 1.4.3. Front-left buttons
      5. 1.5. Ordering from Camera Menus
      6. 1.6. Monitoring Critical Camera Settings
      7. 1.7. Decoding Viewfinder Data
      8. 1.8. Reviewing Basic Setup Options
        1. 1.8.1. Setup Menu 1
        2. 1.8.2. Setup Menu 2
        3. 1.8.3. Setup Menu 3
        4. 1.8.4. Three more customization options
    2. 2. Taking Great Pictures, Automatically
      1. 2.1. Getting Good Point-and-Shoot Results
      2. 2.2. Using Flash in Automatic Exposure Modes
      3. 2.3. Exploring Your Automatic Options
        1. 2.3.1. Full Auto mode
        2. 2.3.2. Automatic scene modes (a.k.a. Image Zone modes)
          1. 2.3.2.1. Portrait mode
          2. 2.3.2.2. Landscape mode
          3. 2.3.2.3. Close-Up mode
          4. 2.3.2.4. Sports mode
          5. 2.3.2.5. Night Portrait mode
          6. 2.3.2.6. Flash Off mode
      4. 2.4. Changing the Drive Mode
    3. 3. Controlling Picture Quality
      1. 3.1. Diagnosing Quality Problems
      2. 3.2. Decoding the Quality Options
      3. 3.3. Considering Resolution: Large, Medium, or Small?
        1. 3.3.1. Pixels and print quality
        2. 3.3.2. Pixels and screen display size
        3. 3.3.3. Pixels and file size
        4. 3.3.4. Resolution recommendations
      4. 3.4. Understanding File Type (JPEG or Raw)
        1. 3.4.1. JPEG: The imaging (and Web) standard
        2. 3.4.2. Raw (CR2): The purist's choice
        3. 3.4.3. My take: Choose Fine or Raw
    4. 4. Monitor Matters: Picture Playback and Live View Shooting
      1. 4.1. Disabling and Adjusting Instant Review
      2. 4.2. Viewing Images in Playback Mode
        1. 4.2.1. Jumping through images
        2. 4.2.2. Viewing multiple images at a time
        3. 4.2.3. Rotating vertical pictures
        4. 4.2.4. Zooming in for a closer view
      3. 4.3. Viewing Picture Data
        1. 4.3.1. Basic information modes
        2. 4.3.2. Shooting Information display
        3. 4.3.3. Understanding Histogram display mode
          1. 4.3.3.1. Interpreting a brightness histogram
          2. 4.3.3.2. Reading an RGB histogram
      4. 4.4. Deleting Photos
        1. 4.4.1. Erasing single images
        2. 4.4.2. Erasing all images on your memory card
        3. 4.4.3. Erasing selected images
      5. 4.5. Protecting Photos
      6. 4.6. Using Your Monitor as a Viewfinder
        1. 4.6.1. Enabling Live View
        2. 4.6.2. Taking a shot in Live View mode
        3. 4.6.3. Customizing the Live View display
  7. II. Taking Creative Control
    1. 5. Getting Creative with Exposure and Lighting
      1. 5.1. Kicking Your Camera into Advanced Gear
      2. 5.2. Introducing the Exposure Trio: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO
        1. 5.2.1. Understanding exposure-setting side effects
        2. 5.2.2. Doing the exposure balancing act
      3. 5.3. Monitoring Exposure Settings
      4. 5.4. Choosing an Exposure Metering Mode
      5. 5.5. Setting ISO, f-stop, and Shutter Speed
        1. 5.5.1. Controlling ISO
        2. 5.5.2. Adjusting aperture and shutter speed
      6. 5.6. Overriding Autoexposure Results with Exposure Compensation
      7. 5.7. Holding on to Highlights
      8. 5.8. Disabling Auto Lighting Optimization
      9. 5.9. Locking Autoexposure Settings
      10. 5.10. Bracketing Exposures Automatically
      11. 5.11. Using Flash in Advanced Exposure Modes
        1. 5.11.1. Understanding your camera's approach to flash
        2. 5.11.2. Adjusting flash power with flash exposure compensation
        3. 5.11.3. Locking the flash exposure
        4. 5.11.4. Exploring more flash options
        5. 5.11.5. Using an external flash unit
    2. 6. Manipulating Focus and Color
      1. 6.1. Reviewing Focus Basics
      2. 6.2. Adjusting Autofocus Performance
        1. 6.2.1. Selecting an autofocus point
        2. 6.2.2. Changing the AF (autofocus) mode
      3. 6.3. Autofocusing in Live View Mode
        1. 6.3.1. Enabling Live View autofocusing
        2. 6.3.2. Live View autofocus option 1: Quick mode
        3. 6.3.3. Live View autofocus option 2: Live mode
      4. 6.4. Manipulating Depth of Field
        1. 6.4.1. Using A-DEP mode
        2. 6.4.2. Checking depth of field
      5. 6.5. Controlling Color
        1. 6.5.1. Correcting colors with white balance
        2. 6.5.2. Changing the white balance setting
        3. 6.5.3. Creating a custom white balance setting
        4. 6.5.4. Fine-tuning white balance settings
        5. 6.5.5. Bracketing shots with white balance
      6. 6.6. Choosing a Color Space: sRGB vs. Adobe RGB
      7. 6.7. Exploring Picture Styles
        1. 6.7.1. Assessing the Picture Styles
        2. 6.7.2. Setting the Picture Style
        3. 6.7.3. Customizing Picture Styles
        4. 6.7.4. Creating your own Picture Style
    3. 7. Putting It All Together
      1. 7.1. Recapping Basic Picture Settings
      2. 7.2. Setting Up for Specific Scenes
        1. 7.2.1. Shooting still portraits
        2. 7.2.2. Capturing action
        3. 7.2.3. Capturing scenic vistas
        4. 7.2.4. Capturing dynamic close-ups
      3. 7.3. Coping with Special Situations
  8. III. Working with Picture Files
    1. 8. Downloading, Organizing, and Archiving Your Photos
      1. 8.1. Sending Pictures to the Computer
        1. 8.1.1. Connecting camera and computer
        2. 8.1.2. Starting the transfer process
        3. 8.1.3. Downloading images with Canon tools
          1. 8.1.3.1. Using EOS Utility to transfer images from your camera
        4. 8.1.4. Using MemoryCard Utility for card-to-computer transfers
      2. 8.2. Using ZoomBrowser EX/ImageBrowser
        1. 8.2.1. Getting acquainted with the program
        2. 8.2.2. Viewing photos in full-screen mode
        3. 8.2.3. Organizing your photos
          1. 8.2.3.1. Creating custom folders
          2. 8.2.3.2. Managing your image collection
      3. 8.3. Exploring Other Software Options
      4. 8.4. Processing Raw (CR2) Files
    2. 9. Printing and Sharing Your Photos
      1. 9.1. Avoiding Printing Problems
        1. 9.1.1. Check the pixel count before you print
        2. 9.1.2. Allow for different print proportions
        3. 9.1.3. Get print and monitor colors in sync
      2. 9.2. Printing Online or In-Store
      3. 9.3. Printing from ZoomBrowser EX/ImageBrowser
      4. 9.4. Preparing Pictures for E-Mail
        1. 9.4.1. Creating Web-friendly copies of Raw and TIFF photos
        2. 9.4.2. E-mailing photos from the browser
      5. 9.5. Creating an In-Camera Slide Show
        1. 9.5.1. Viewing Your Photos on a Television
  9. IV. The Part of Tens
    1. 10. Ten Fast Photo-Editing Tricks
      1. 10.1. Removing Red-Eye
      2. 10.2. Cropping Your Photo
      3. 10.3. Adjusting Color Saturation
      4. 10.4. Tweaking Color Balance
      5. 10.5. Adjusting Exposure
        1. 10.5.1. Three-point exposure control with the Level Adjustment filter
        2. 10.5.2. Gaining more control with the Tone Curve Adjustment filter
      6. 10.6. Sharpening Focus (Sort Of)
      7. 10.7. Shifting to AutoPilot
      8. 10.8. Adding Text
      9. 10.9. Saving Your Edited Files
    2. 11. Ten Special-Purpose Features to Explore on a Rainy Day
      1. 11.1. Changing the Function of the Set Button
      2. 11.2. Customizing Exposure and Focus Lock Options
      3. 11.3. Disabling the AF-Assist Beam
      4. 11.4. Enabling Mirror Lockup
      5. 11.5. Adding Cleaning Instructions to Images
      6. 11.6. Turning Off the Camera Settings Screen
      7. 11.7. Creating Desktop Wallpaper
      8. 11.8. Adding Original Decision Data
      9. 11.9. Creating Your Very Own Camera Menu
      10. 11.10. Getting Free Help and Creative Ideas

Product information

  • Title: Canon® EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D For Dummies®
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: September 2008
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9780470385371