Canon® EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D For Dummies®
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2008933790
ISBN: 978-0-470-38537-1
Manufactured in the United States of America
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Julie Adair King is the author of many books about digital photography and imaging, including the best-selling Digital Photography For Dummies. Her most recent titles include Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi/400D For Dummies, Digital Photography Before & After Makeovers, Digital Photo Projects For Dummies, Julie King’s Everyday Photoshop For Photographers, Julie King’s Everyday Photoshop Elements, and Shoot Like a Pro!: Digital Photography Techniques. When not writing, King teaches digital photography at such locations as the Palm Beach Photographic Centre. A graduate of Purdue University, she resides in Indianapolis, Indiana.
I am extremely grateful to the team of talented professionals at John Wiley and Sons for all their efforts in putting together this book. Special thanks go to my awesome project editor, Kim Darosett, who is the type of editor that all authors hope for but rarely experience: supportive, skilled, and amazingly calm in the face of any storm, including my not infrequent freakouts.
I also owe much to the rest of the folks in both the editorial and art departments, especially Heidi Unger, Rashell Smith, Shelley Lea, Steve Hayes, Andy Cummings, and Mary Bednarek. Thanks, too, to Jonathan Conrad for providing the awesome nighttime shot for Chapter 7, and to agent extraordinaire, Margot Maley Hutchison, for her continuing help and encouragement.
Last but oh, so not least, I am deeply indebted to Canon guru Chuck Westfall for always answering all my questions, even the silly ones; to Scott Heath at Synergy Communications for his help with this book and various other projects; and to technical editor Chuck Pace, whose keen eye and vast experience set me on the right track whenever I mistakenly thought I should go left. Thank you, thank you, for sharing your time and your expertise — the book would not have been the same without it.
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Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions and Editorial
Project Editor: Kim Darosett
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Copy Editor: Heidi Unger
Technical Editor: Chuck Pace
Editorial Manager: Leah Cameron
Editorial Assistant: Amanda Foxworth
Sr. Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case
Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)
Composition Services
Project Coordinator: Erin Smith
Layout and Graphics: Reuben W. Davis, Andrea Hornberger
Proofreaders: Jessica Kramer, Shannon Ramsey
Indexer: Slivoskey Indexing Services
Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies
Richard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group Publisher
Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher
Mary Bednarek, Executive Acquisitions Director
Mary C. Corder, Editorial Director
Publishing for Consumer Dummies
Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher
Composition Services
Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services
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Title
Introduction
A Quick Look at What’s Ahead
Icons and Other Stuff to Note
About the Software Shown in This Book
Practice, Be Patient, and Have Fun!
Part I : Fast Track to Super Snaps
1: Getting the Lay of the Land
Getting Comfortable with Your Lens
Adjusting the Viewfinder Focus
Working with Memory Cards
Exploring External Camera Controls
Ordering from Camera Menus
Monitoring Critical Camera Settings
Decoding Viewfinder Data
Reviewing Basic Setup Options
2: Taking Great Pictures, Automatically
Getting Good Point-and-Shoot Results
Using Flash in Automatic Exposure Modes
Exploring Your Automatic Options
Changing the Drive Mode
3: Controlling Picture Quality
Diagnosing Quality Problems
Decoding the Quality Options
Considering Resolution: Large, Medium, or Small?
Understanding File Type (JPEG or Raw)
4: Monitor Matters: Picture Playback and Live View Shooting
Disabling and Adjusting Instant Review
Viewing Images in Playback Mode
Viewing Picture Data
Deleting Photos
Protecting Photos
Using Your Monitor as a Viewfinder
Part II : Taking Creative Control
5: Getting Creative with Exposure and Lighting
Kicking Your Camera into Advanced Gear
Introducing the Exposure Trio: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO
Monitoring Exposure Settings
Choosing an Exposure Metering Mode
Setting ISO, f-stop, and Shutter Speed
Overriding Autoexposure Results with Exposure Compensation
Holding on to Highlights
Disabling Auto Lighting Optimization
Locking Autoexposure Settings
Bracketing Exposures Automatically
Using Flash in Advanced Exposure Modes
6: Manipulating Focus and Color
Reviewing Focus Basics
Adjusting Autofocus Performance
Autofocusing in Live View Mode
Manipulating Depth of Field
Controlling Color
Choosing a Color Space: sRGB vs. Adobe RGB
Exploring Picture Styles
7: Putting It All Together
Recapping Basic Picture Settings
Setting Up for Specific Scenes
Coping with Special Situations
Part III : Working with Picture Files
8: Downloading, Organizing, and Archiving Your Photos
Sending Pictures to the Computer
Using ZoomBrowser EX/ImageBrowser
Exploring Other Software Options
Processing Raw (CR2) Files
9: Printing and Sharing Your Photos
Avoiding Printing Problems
Printing Online or In-Store
Printing from ZoomBrowser EX/ImageBrowser
Preparing Pictures for E-Mail
Creating an In-Camera Slide Show
Viewing Your Photos on a Television
Part IV : The Part of Tens
10: Ten Fast Photo-Editing Tricks
Removing Red-Eye
Cropping Your Photo
Adjusting Color Saturation
Tweaking Color Balance
Adjusting Exposure
Sharpening Focus (Sort Of)
Shifting to AutoPilot
Adding Text
Saving Your Edited Files
11: Ten Special-Purpose Features to Explore on a Rainy Day
Changing the Function of the Set Button
Customizing Exposure and Focus Lock Options
Disabling the AF-Assist Beam
Enabling Mirror Lockup
Adding Cleaning Instructions to Images
Turning Off the Camera Settings Screen
Creating Desktop Wallpaper
Adding Original Decision Data
Creating Your Very Own Camera Menu
Getting Free Help and Creative Ideas
In 2003, when Canon introduced the very first sub-$1000 digital SLR camera, the EOS Digital Rebel/300D, it revolutionized the camera scene. For the first time, photography enthusiasts could enjoy the benefits of digital SLR photography without breaking the bank. And even at the then-unheard-of price, the camera delivered exceptional performance and picture quality, earning it rave reviews and multiple industry awards. No wonder it quickly became a best seller.
That tradition of excellence and value lives on in the EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D, known in most circles (and in this book) as simply the Rebel XSi/450D. For an even lower price than its older brother, this baby offers the range of advanced controls that experienced photographers demand plus an assortment of tools designed to help beginners to be successful as well.
If you count yourself among the latter camp, you may have a few questions about how to take advantage of all the features your camera offers, however. For starters, you may not even be sure what SLR means or how it affects your picture taking, let alone have a clue as to all the other techie terms you encounter in your camera manual — resolution, aperture, white balance, file format, and so on. And if you’re like many people, you may be so overwhelmed by all the controls on your camera that you haven’t yet ventured beyond fully automatic picture-taking mode. Which is a shame because it’s sort of like buying a Porsche and never actually taking it on the road.
Therein lies the point of Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D For Dummies: Through this book, you can discover not just what each bell and whistle on your camera does, but also when, where, why, and how to put it to best use. Unlike many photography books, this one doesn’t require any previous knowledge of photography or digital imaging to make sense of things, either. In classic For Dummies style, everything is explained in easy-to-understand language, with lots of illustrations to help clear up any confusion.
In short, what you have in your hands is the paperback version of an in-depth photography workshop tailored specifically to your Canon picture-taking powerhouse. Whether your interests lie in taking family photos, exploring nature and travel photography, or snapping product shots for your business, you’ll get the information you need to capture the images you envision.
This book is organized into four parts, each devoted to a different aspect of using your camera. Although chapters flow in a sequence that’s designed to take you from absolute beginner to experienced user, I’ve also tried to make each chapter as self-standing as possible so that you can explore the topics that interest you in any order you please.
The following sections offer brief previews of each part. If you’re eager to find details on a specific topic, the index shows you exactly where to look.
Part I contains four chapters that help you get up and running with your Rebel XSi/450D:
Chapter 1, “Getting the Lay of the Land,” offers a tour of the external controls on your camera, shows you how to navigate camera menus to access internal options, and walks you through initial camera setup and customization steps.
Chapter 2, “Taking Great Pictures, Automatically,” shows you how to get the best results when using the camera’s fully automatic exposure modes, including Portrait, Sports, and Landscape modes.
Chapter 3, “Controlling Picture Quality,” introduces you to one setting that’s critical whether you shoot in automatic or manual mode: the Quality setting, which affects resolution (pixel count), file format, file size, and picture quality.
Chapter 4, “Monitor Matters: Picture Playback and Live View Shooting,” explains how to review your pictures on the camera monitor, delete unwanted images, and protect your favorites from accidental erasure. In addition, this chapter introduces you to Live View shooting, in which you can use your monitor as a viewfinder.
Chapters in this part help you unleash the full creative power of your camera by moving into semiautomatic or manual photography modes.
Chapter 5, “Getting Creative with Exposure and Lighting,” covers the all-important topic of exposure, starting with an explanation of three critical exposure controls: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. This chapter also discusses your camera’s advanced exposure modes (P, Tv, Av, M, and A-DEP), explains exposure options such as metering mode and exposure compensation, and offers tips for using the built-in flash.
Chapter 6, “Manipulating Focus and Color,” provides help with controlling those aspects of your pictures. Look here for information about your camera’s automatic and manual focusing features as well as details about color controls such as white balance and the Picture Style options.
Chapter 7, “Putting It All Together,” summarizes all the techniques explained in earlier chapters, providing a quick-reference guide to the camera settings and shooting strategies that produce the best results for specific types of pictures: portraits, action shots, landscape scenes, close-ups, and more.
This part of the book, as its title implies, discusses the often-confusing aspect of moving your pictures from camera to computer and beyond.
Chapter 8, “Downloading, Organizing, and Archiving Your Photos,” guides you through the process of transferring pictures from your camera memory card to your computer’s hard drive or other storage device. Just as important, this chapter explains how to organize and safeguard your photo files.
Chapter 9, “Printing and Sharing Your Photos,” helps you turn your digital files into “hard copies,” covering both retail and do-it-yourself printing options. This chapter also explains how to prepare your pictures for online sharing and, for times when you have the neighbors over, how to display your pictures on a television screen.
In famous For Dummies tradition, the book concludes with two “top ten” lists containing additional bits of information and advice.
Chapter 10, “Ten Fast Photo-Editing Tricks,” shows you how to fix less-than-perfect images using the free software provided with your camera. You can find out how to remove red-eye, adjust color and exposure, crop your photo, and more.
Chapter 11, “Ten Special-Purpose Features to Explore on a Rainy Day,” presents information about some camera features that, while not found on most “Top Ten Reasons I Bought My Rebel XSi/450D” lists, are nonetheless interesting, useful on occasion, or a bit of both.
If this isn’t your first For Dummies book, you may be familiar with the large, round icons that decorate its margins. If not, here’s your very own icon-decoder ring:
A Tip icon flags information that will save you time, effort, money, or some other valuable resource, including your sanity.
When you see this icon, look alive. It indicates a potential danger zone that can result in much wailing and teeth-gnashing if ignored.
Lots of information in this book is of a technical nature — digital photography is a technical animal, after all. But if I present a detail that is useful mainly for impressing your technology-geek friends, I mark it with this icon.
I apply this icon either to introduce information that is especially worth storing in your brain’s long-term memory or to remind you of a fact that may have been displaced from that memory by some other pressing fact.
Additionally, I need to point out two other details that will help you use this book:
Other margin art: Replicas of some of your camera’s buttons, dials, controls, and menu graphics also appear in the margins of some paragraphs. I include these to provide a quick reminder of the appearance of the button or option being discussed.
If the information you see on your camera menus and other displays isn’t the same as what you see in this book, and you’ve explored other reasons for the discrepancy, a firmware update may be the issue. Firmware is the camera’s internal software; Chapter 1 shows you how to check which version your camera is running. This book was written using version 1.0.4 of the firmware, which was the most current at the time of publication. You can check the Canon Web site (www.canon.com) to find out whether any updates are available. Firmware updates typically don’t carry major feature changes — they’re mostly used to solve technical glitches in existing features — but if you do download an update, be sure to read the accompanying description of what it accomplishes so that you can adapt my instructions as necessary. (Again, changes that affect how you actually operate the camera should be minimal, if any.)
Software menu commands: In sections that cover software, a series of words connected by an arrow indicates commands that you choose from the program menus. For example, if a step tells you to “Choose File⇒Print,” click the File menu to unfurl it and then click the Print command on the menu.
Providing specific instructions for performing photo organizing and editing tasks requires that I feature specific software. In sections that cover file downloading, organizing, printing, and e-mail sharing, I selected Canon EOS Utility along with Canon ZoomBrowser EX (for Windows users) and ImageBrowser (for Mac users). These programs are part of the free software suite that ships with your camera.
Rest assured, though, that the tools used in these programs work very similarly in other programs, so you should be able to easily adapt the steps to whatever software you use. (I recommend that you read your software manual for details, of course.)
To wrap up this preamble, I want to stress that if you initially think that digital photography is too confusing or too technical for you, you’re in very good company. Everyone finds this stuff a little mind-boggling at first. So take it slowly, experimenting with just one or two new camera settings or techniques at first. Then, each time you go on a photo outing, make it a point to add one or two more shooting skills to your repertoire.
I know that it’s hard to believe when you’re just starting out, but it really won’t be long before everything starts to come together. With some time, patience, and practice, you’ll soon wield your camera like a pro, dialing in the necessary settings to capture your creative vision almost instinctively.
So without further ado, I invite you to grab your camera, a cup of whatever it is you prefer to sip while you read, and start exploring the rest of this book. Your Rebel XSi/450D is the perfect partner for your photographic journey, and I thank you for allowing me, through this book, to serve as your tour guide.
In this part . . .
Making sense of all the controls on your Rebel XSi/450D isn’t something you can do in an afternoon — or, heck, in a week, or maybe even a month. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t take great pictures today. By using your camera’s point-and-shoot automatic modes, you can capture terrific images with very little effort. All you have to do is compose the scene, and the camera takes care of almost everything else.
This part shows you how to take best advantage of your camera’s automatic features and also addresses some basic setup steps, such as adjusting the viewfinder to your eyesight and getting familiar with the camera menus, buttons, and dials. In addition, chapters in this part explain how to obtain the very best picture quality, whether you shoot in an automatic or manual mode, how to use your camera’s picture-playback features, and how to take advantage of Live View shooting.
