Canon 550D Camera and Accessories

Hi Marc,

Found these,

Instructions

Also try this one

Hope they help.

Cheers,
Dennis

Google flickr and have a browse around all the catergories of photoghraphy.
Some good ideas there and some comments on the pictures can be usefull as well.

Cheers.

Marc,

The best advice that I can give is to get out and take a few photos.

Download them onto a computer to see them full screen and the ones that don't look good, hit them with the delete button. You will soon start to save more than you delete.

This is what I have done and now I am at the stage where I will delete more than I save, my standards have improved with the photos that I want to keep, and not necessarily what other may think.

Photos are of what you see and what pleases you. They are a digital reminder of a place or time in your life and that is all they have to be.

From you previous post you say that you live in the Kimberley, there is plenty of subject matter to click away at.
I was told once to put the camera away between 10am and 2pm so morning and afternoon are the best times and to have the sun on your right shoulder.

Being a member of ExplorOz you have a photo gallery on your home page, download a few there, that way we can see how you see the Kimberley through your eyes.

Wayne

Plenty of good advice on photography from this Whirlpool forum site.

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/132


Wotacroc

Good question Marc, and one close to my own yearnings. It's easy to get lots of comment on gear - what camera, lenses, film.......... all the tools that we use to take a photo, but there's very little attention given to what is a "Good" photo. I understand that National Geographic has a huge culling rate, but what criteria determine which photos are for keeps and which to discard?

Just had a look at the Whirlpool site referred to above - No doubt there are gems there, but well hidden in discussion of the tools themselves rather than what to do with them.

Wayne's suggestion to critically appraise your photos and discard those that aren't "right" is a good one and he's right in saying that your "keep" rate will go up, and fairly fast too. (I enjoyed an evening with Wayne out on the CSR where he showed us some of his "keepers" - good stuff. Laptop under the stars!)

An important part of developing your own sense of good composition and your eye for detail is that you also develop good observation skills. (In WA last year we met various people on the track who assured us there were no wildflowers ahead of us. In fact there were huge displays that they simply hadn't noticed. Once you stop and walk among them and start really looking you find great diversity and see fascinating detail.) Using the camera to expand your observations by using extreme close-up is very rewarding. Adjusting contrast and tonal qualities can improve good images too.

Suggest have a look through the ExploreOz photo comp blogs and critically examine the images - what's good about this one, how does this one fail, could this one have been improved by shooting from below, or the side, or later in the day to get some shadows........ A landscape painter recently told us how she doesn't paint in the middle of the day - the light is too flat.

If you find good info on technique and composition, please publish the links here.

Hope to see some of your photos blogged here too.

Cheers

John

G'day Marc, I would recomend a Digital Photography course if available, & you must get a manual for your camera. You need to get the knowledge to operate
your camera in other than "Idiot Mode"...that is ..full automatic. Your camera has the ability to give much improved results if you tell it what type of shot you are trying to take. You do this by getting off the green auto mode & making
adjustments to the White Balance & Exposure compensation etc. That may sound technical but it is not that difficult to do...more difficult to explain. By using
full auto your camera just takes an average of the conditions & thats what you get in the shot. For many that is adequate, but as you wish to go for quality,
you need to go further than that. Just banging away & deleting the duds is not likely to improve your shots, although taking several images of one scene can be
of value. Good luck with it. On the advice of an expert, I no longer delete any
thing other than real stuff ups...that image is the only one of that scene at that time that will ever exist & as such is valuable. Just fill your SD cards & keep
them. This is the best & safest way to store your images. You can delete, alter
play with your images on your computer, as you wish, but still have a complete
record on the SDs....Memory is cheap...:))).....oldbaz.

Hi Marc,

You have brought a good camera. Remember that a camera is only a light safe box with a few electronic bits. Buy the best lenses you can afford and they will help you capture your vision of your world. A site that I go to is www.ausphotography.net.au I hope I am not breaking site rules by suggestion a site. I am a member but receive no benefit by recommending it. It has stuff for the new photographer as well as the seasoned one. The other thing I would recommend is to have the camera nearby always. The more you use it the more familiar you become with it until it is just like an old friend.

I look forward to seeing some of your images.

Jim

Just a minor comment on digital cameras, SLR or point'n'shoot.

I see a few DSLRs, and quite a few P'n'S, cameras are coming out with the option of 16X9 aspect ratio.

I think that's the way to go because you can now load your photos on to a USB stick and plug it into your flat panel tellie and watch a slide show.

With 16X9 that slide show will be full screen.

Where did you buy the camera as most sold in Aussie in shops have an English User manual provided.

Ebay ones can come with a Chinglish or none.

Guarantees are the same

Unless specified differently cameras are warrantied ONLY in the country of purchase.

Lenses are usually warrantied worldwide.

Personally I dislike multi lens usage as in lots of situations its dusty or windy or both.

I invested in a Tamron 18-270 lens which covers 35mm equiv of 28-400mm.

Does all I want for outdoor photography and never have to change lens.
It is a VR one as well.

Cost $1000 approx.

Use on a Nikon D 200 but Canon vers available.

Only thing it doesnt do is macro.

Hi Marc
This place sends out weekly photo tips and has a forum.
Digital Photography School
Rob

http://www.digitalslr.com.au/forum/index.php

A good reasonably* friendly forum forum for DSLR users good information and advice questions answered and a chance to post your photos and get feedback.

(It is slow at the moment due to outside reasons but it will pick up again I am sure)

* most people are very friendly I am the resident NIKON bigot so I will have to be rude to you over your choice of a canon camera. :-)

cheers doug

Hi Marc,

Some years back I was introduced to the following site/club

http://canondslrphotographyclub.yuku.com/directory

The resident guru there pulls no punches but is very supportive to those learning the game. He has a wealth of knowledge particularly about Canon cameras and lenses and instructs you well. Whilst it is open to all cameras the main support is for Canon and the information I have found and instruction given has been nothing less than fantastic.
It has certainly helped my development.

http://peterwpa1.zenfolio.com/


A friendly Group with varied experience including newbies.
Nothing to join and although it is USA based there are a few Aussies who are members.
Give it a try.
I know they are looking for new people to help.

Cheers.

Peter

Hi Marc,

The Canon Australia website does indeed have the downloadable version (PDF) of the 550D manual, and also a link to download the latest firmware for your camera if you're not already running it (1.0.8).

Canon Australia Driver Downloads

www.canon.com.au & look under 'support & services', 'driver downloads', and search for your model of camera or select from the drop downs....you'll then get a link to download the latest drivers & software & another link to the latest firmware.


cheers

Jeff

PS. If you intend to get serious about photography, then you might look at getting the Canon 'L' series lenses instead of their 'consumer' range lenses, more expensive but they are superior lenses.

another good website dedicated to photography is Luminous Landscape

Hi All

Thankyou so much to everyone who has responded. I now have heaps of sites to visit, plenty of camera guides to look at and ample advice, for which I am extremely appreciative.

This old dog will learn the new tricks, and hopefully one day I will be able to impress other EO members with some decent photography. When I do eventually post, I would always welcome constructive criticism and comments, as I can only learn from that.

To Ric, whom I have bought s couple of items from (you know who you are), I reckon a man would go no further than you for great quality gear, and I will keep getting my equipment from you. Great tripod by the way.

Cheers

Marc

Check out the following site.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/

I use it all the time for different things.

Hi Marc

Good on you for jumping in boots and all, and committing to your interest. I bought a Canon 300D new in 2004 (about 2k back then) and it is still going strong. The key to good photos is perseverance, experimentation and good quality lenses.

Canons are definitely the way to go and Nikon's are only for people who can't afford a Canon - LOL (Most cameras these days are very good)

If you just get a handle on the effect that shutter speed, Aperture setting, and ISO have on your photos you will be half way there. Read as much as you can, but also experiment with the AV (aperture) and TV (shutter) settings by taking the same photo a number of times with different setting you will see how the field of view, focus etc...... are changed.

Essentially don't take it too seriously and have fun with it, also get yourself a good quality tripod for low light shots.

I am just upgrading my gear and have managed to get my self a Canon EOS 5d for $650 (my old man is a professional photographer and has just upgraded) I will also be upgrading my lenses starting with a 24 -105 IS USM 4L and then I will get some thing with more zoom a 70 - 200 perhaps.

I am looking forward to renewing my interest in photography as a result of the new toy as my interest of late has wained.

I wish you all the best with it and I am sure you will be taking awesome photos in no time.

Regards