New camera

I just got a Canon XSi with kit lens. I believe its 18-55mm. I'm still learning how to use DSLR's. I only got my first one last week. Here are the trial photos from last night. Some were edited with the software that came with the camera. Nothing majoy, just contrast, saturation, brightness and color controls.

This is a bit blurry but I wasn't expecting the mouth to open. I got lucky I guess. I just wish I could have got a clearer photo.

Good start Curtis. Especially the 3rd take is IMHO very good.

To avoid the blurred images more regularly, may I give You just one hint?

Try to get familiar with the manual selection of the AF fields. Select one (maybe the middle) and then ALWAYS try to get the selected field at the eye of the snake when taking Your pictures. You will see, how the focus will improve.

Thanks Guenter, I've been reading a lot today about the "exposure triangle". Iso, aperature size and shutter speed. I plan on working in the aperature mode and the shutter speed mode until I get the hang of settings. Any advice is appriciated. I really like the camera.

Use Av mode. Much better in many cases because it gives You control of the depth of field.

Try to keep the aperture betwenn 8 and 16 for Your first tries and put ISO up to get faster exposition times, if the exposition falls under 1/focal length (e.g. 1/60 with the 55mm lens).

Guenter Leitenbauer wrote:

Good start Curtis. Especially the 3rd take is IMHO very good.

I agree! Also like nr: 5..

Yes, stay away from shutter priority mode, Curtis! Go AV all the way. Also, when you go to AV your camera should then use the center auto focus bracket all the time, if it's like my Canon. I can't stand the non-designated focus bracket of auto mode.

Hi,

allways I had the trouble, to find a DSLR, I can handle with the left hand easy.
I have found and bought now a NIKON D40 and a SIGMA DG 70 - 300 mm Macro.
So I bought it in winter, here are the first test shots.



and one of my not sleeping vipers (Vipera ammodytes ammodytes, Ada, Montenegro, born 2007). reduced to 640 pixels



and these are the EXIF-Data of the ammodytes image:
ImageWidth - 160
ImageLength - 120
BitsPerSample - 8 8 8
Compression - 1 (None)
PhotometricInterpretation - 2
Make - NIKON CORPORATION
Model - NIKON D40
StripOffset - 103912
Orientation - Top left
SamplesPerPixel - 3
RowsPerStrip - 120
StripByteCount - 57600
XResolution - 300
YResolution - 300
PlanarConfiguration - 1
ResolutionUnit - Inch
Software - Ver.1.10
DateTime - 2009:02:08 09:53:41
ReferenceBlackWhite - 0
ExifOffset - 468
DateTimeOriginal - 2009:02:08 09:53:41
ExposureTime - 1/500 seconds
FNumber - 5.60
ExposureProgram - Shutter priority
ISOSpeedRatings - 200
DateTimeOriginal - 2009:02:08 09:53:41
DateTimeDigitized - 2009:02:08 09:53:41
ExposureBiasValue - 0.00
MaxApertureValue - F 5.66
MeteringMode - Multi-segment
LightSource - Auto
Flash - Flash fired, auto mode, return light not detected
FocalLength - 300.00 mm
UserComment -
SubsecTime - 00
SubsecTimeOriginal - 00
SubsecTimeDigitized - 00
SensingMethod - One-chip color area sensor
FileSource - Other
SceneType - Other
CustomRendered - Normal process
ExposureMode - Auto
White Balance - Auto
DigitalZoomRatio - 1 x
FocalLengthIn35mmFilm - 450 mm
SceneCaptureType - Standard
GainControl - None
Contrast - Normal
Saturation - Normal
Sharpness - Normal
SubjectDistanceRange - Unknown

Maker Note (Vendor): -
Data version - 0210 (808595760)
ISO Setting - 200
Color Mode - COLOR
Image Quality - RAW
White Balance - AUTO
Image Sharpening - AUTO
Focus Mode - AF-A
Flash Setting - NORMAL
Flash Mode - Built-in,TTL
White Balance Adjustment - 0
White Balance RB - 710
Exposure Adjustment - -1442771968
Thumbnail IFD offset - 12346
Flash Compensation - 67072
ISO 2 - 200
Tone Compensation - AUTO
Lens type - AF-D G
Lens - 786
Flash Used - On camera
AF Focus Position - 33554433
Bracketing - 0
Contrast Curve - I
Color Mode - MODE3a
Light Type - SPEEDLIGHT
Hue Adjustment - 0
Noise Reduction - OFF
Total pictures - 35
Optimization - NORMAL

I also have to learn, till now I only have taken about 20 test images.

Since last spring I also have a SONY HDR-HC5 HDV 1080 Camcorder.
Although you can do images onto a SD card, the following is one frame out of a video sequence (reduced here to 640 pixels).



Mario

Hi i se the the f5,6 was used, set camera to av and change f value to 8 then u get more focal lenght and more of the animals in focus
reg
Mats