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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020
Learn to take gorgeous photos with this beginner-friendly guide to dSLR photography The Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D dSLR camera has dozens of features that can help you take beautiful and striking photos. But if you're new to photography, where do you begin? And is it possible to get up to speed quickly, without a lot of technical knowledge? Absolutely! In Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D For Dummies, expert photography educator Julie King draws on her years of experience as she walks you through the ins and outs of photography and your Canon camera. Julie skips the technical jargon and gives you the info you need in plain language, guiding you through everything from shooting your first photos in auto mode to taking full control of your camera's features. In the book you'll: * Take the fast track to stunning stills with camera setup, picture settings, and Canon's Auto Mode * Customize your picture taking experience by taking control of settings like exposure and focus * Access and organize your new picture library both on your camera and your computer Perfect for anyone who's just received a Canon EOS Rebel and doesn't know where to begin, this book will also earn a place in the libraries of more seasoned photographers who want to unlock everything this great camera has to offer.
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Canon® EOS® Rebel T8i/850D For Dummies®
Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2021 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2020949814
ISBN 978-1-119-71621-1 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-71623-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-71622-8
Canon® EOS® Rebel T8i/850D For Dummies®
To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Introduction
A Quick Look at What’s Ahead
Icons and Other Stuff to Note
Practice, Be Patient, and Have Fun!
Part 1: Fast Track to Super Snaps
Chapter 1: Getting Up and Running
Preparing the Camera for Initial Use
Exploring External Camera Features
Changing from Guided to Standard Display Mode
Ordering from Camera Menus
Customizing the Touchscreen
Viewing Camera Settings
Switching to Live View Mode
Using Quick Control Mode
Familiarizing Yourself with the Lens
Working with Memory Cards
Reviewing Basic Setup Options
Chapter 2: Choosing Basic Picture Settings
Choosing an Exposure Mode
Changing the Drive Mode
Understanding the Image Quality Setting
Setting the Photo Aspect Ratio
Adding Flash
Reviewing Advanced Flash Options
Chapter 3: Taking Great Pictures, Automatically
Using Scene Intelligent Auto Mode
Exploring Creative Assist Adjustments
Discovering Selfie Mode
Taking Advantage of SCN (Scene) Modes
Part 2: Taking Creative Control
Chapter 4: Taking Charge of Exposure
Introducing the Exposure Trio: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO
Stepping Up to Advance Exposure Modes (P, Tv, Av, and M)
Monitoring Exposure Settings
Choosing an Exposure Metering Mode
Setting ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed
Sorting Through Your Camera’s Exposure-Correction Tools
Locking Autoexposure Settings
Bracketing Exposures Automatically
Chapter 5: Controlling Focus and Depth of Field
Setting the Lens to Automatic or Manual Focusing Mode
Discovering the AF ON button
Exploring Viewfinder Focusing Options
Focusing in Live View and Movie Modes
Manipulating Depth of Field
Chapter 6: Mastering Color Controls
Understanding White Balance
Taking a Quick Look at Picture Styles
Changing the Color Space
Chapter 7: Putting It All Together
Recapping Basic Picture Settings
Shooting Still Portraits
Capturing Action
Capturing Scenic Vistas
Capturing Dynamic Close-Ups
Chapter 8: Shooting and Viewing Movies
Recording Movies Using Default Settings
Setting the Broadcast Standard (NTSC or PAL)
Understanding the Movie Recording Size Setting
Selecting Audio Options
Using Movie Digital Zoom
Recording Vertical Movies
Reviewing Other Movie Options
Playing Movies
Part 3: After the Shot
Chapter 9: Picture Playback
Adjusting Instant Image Review
Viewing Pictures in Playback Mode
Viewing Picture Data
Taking Advantage of Image Search
Chapter 10: Working with Picture and Movie Files
Deleting Files
Protecting Photos and Movies
Rating Photos and Movies
Fixing Red-Eye
Cropping Photos
Processing Raw Images in the Camera
Sending Pictures to the Computer
Preparing Pictures for Online Sharing
Part 4: The Part of Tens
Chapter 11: Ten More Customization Options
Giving the Set Button an Extra Job
Customizing Four Other Buttons
Disabling the AF-Assist Beam
Creating a Custom Menu
Adding Custom Folders
Turning Off the Shooting Settings Screen
Embedding Copyright Notices
Adding Cleaning Instructions to Images
Stopping a Retractable Lens from Closing
Swapping the AF Point Selection and AE Lock Button Functions
Chapter 12: Ten Features to Explore on a Rainy Day
Shooting a Time-Lapse Movie
Enabling Mirror Lockup
Exploring a Few Obscure Printing Options
Adding Special Effects to Photos
Adding Effects During Shooting
Creating Video Snapshots
Trimming Movies
Setting Up for Smooth HDTV Playback
Presenting a Slide Show
Viewing Photos and Movies on a TV
Appendix: Exploring Wireless Connections
Reviewing the Camera’s Network Menus
Connecting to a Computer via Wi-Fi
Connecting to a Smartphone or Tablet
Index
About the Author
Advertisement Page
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
List of Tables
Chapter 2
TABLE 2-1 The Resolution Side of the Image Quality Setting
Chapter 7
TABLE 7-1 All-Purpose Picture-Taking Settings
List of Illustrations
Chapter 1
FIGURE 1-1: Align the mounting index on?the lens with the one on the camera?bod...
FIGURE 1-2: Insert the memory card with the label facing the back of the camera...
FIGURE 1-3: Here are two possible monitor positions.
FIGURE 1-4: Rotate the switch to On to shoot photographs; move the switch one s...
FIGURE 1-5: Use this dial to adjust the viewfinder focus to your eyesight.
FIGURE 1-6: Here’s a guide to controls found on top of the camera.
FIGURE 1-7: The notched half-circle symbol tells you to use the Main dial to ad...
FIGURE 1-8: Having lots of external buttons makes accessing the camera’s functi...
FIGURE 1-9: The Quick Control dial and Set button are key to making picture-tak...
FIGURE 1-10: Via the Multi Function Lock option, you can tell the camera what c...
FIGURE 1-11: Immediately after you engage the lock function, the camera tells y...
FIGURE 1-12: To remove a lens, first press the lens-release button to disengage...
FIGURE 1-13: I removed the lens from the camera to make it easier to see the De...
FIGURE 1-14: In Guided Display mode, the camera offers simplified menus and bri...
FIGURE 1-15: Here are two guided screens that appear when you use the Tv exposu...
FIGURE 1-16: Choose the Display Level Settings tab to turn the Guided mode feat...
FIGURE 1-17: Here’s how the menu and Quick Control screens appear in Standard m...
FIGURE 1-18: You can access all menus only when the Mode dial is set to P, Tv, ...
FIGURE 1-19: Choose Custom Functions from Setup Menu 5 to access additional cus...
FIGURE 1-20: After you select a setting (left), the initial menu screen updates...
FIGURE 1-21: The data displayed on the Quick Control screen depends on your exp...
FIGURE 1-22: You can swap out the Quick Control screen with an electronic level...
FIGURE 1-23: The default viewfinder display (left) can be customized to include...
FIGURE 1-24: In Live View mode, a live preview of your subject appears on the m...
FIGURE 1-25: To use Live View, make sure this menu option is set to Enable.
FIGURE 1-26: Here’s a look at the default Live View display for Scene Intellige...
FIGURE 1-27: Press the Info button to change the type of data that appears duri...
FIGURE 1-28: Through this option, you can add one of three alignment grids to t...
FIGURE 1-29: To activate Quick Control mode, tap the Q symbol or press the Q bu...
FIGURE 1-30: After selecting the setting you want to change, rotate the Main di...
FIGURE 1-31: In Live View mode, the name of the setting you’re adjusting initia...
FIGURE 1-32: Here are a few features that may be found on your lens.
FIGURE 1-33: Avoid touching the gold contacts on the card.
FIGURE 1-34: Setup Menu 1 contains the Format Card option with a handful of oth...
FIGURE 1-35: Through the first option on this menu, you can adjust the delay ti...
FIGURE 1-36: Still more customization features await on Setup Menu 3.
FIGURE 1-37: To display Setup Menu 4, you must set the Mode dial to P, Tv, Av, ...
FIGURE 1-38: Setup Menu 5 is home to the Custom Functions options, among other ...
FIGURE 1-39: Enabling Airplane mode saves battery power by shutting down wirele...
FIGURE 1-40: Turn this feature off so that you can’t accidentally take pictures...
Chapter 2
FIGURE 2-1: The exposure mode you choose determines how much control you have o...
FIGURE 2-2: Wired remote-control units connect to the camera via this port.
FIGURE 2-3: The Quick Control screen displays an icon indicating the current Dr...
FIGURE 2-4: In Live View mode, press Info to display settings including the Dri...
FIGURE 2-5: For viewfinder photography, rotate the Quick Control or Main dial t...
FIGURE 2-6: In Live View mode, rotate the Quick Control or Main dial to change ...
FIGURE 2-7: For viewfinder photography, a faster way to get to the Drive mode s...
FIGURE 2-8: Pixels are the building blocks of digital photos.
FIGURE 2-9: A high-quality print depends on a high-resolution origin...
FIGURE 2-10: At 50 ppi, the image has a jagged, pixelated look.
FIGURE 2-11: Adding pixels in a photo editor doesn’t rescue a low-r...
FIGURE 2-12: When you can’t get close enough to fill the frame with the subject...
FIGURE 2-13: The reduced quality of the right image is caused by excessive JPEG...
FIGURE 2-14: This symbol represents the Image Quality setting.
FIGURE 2-15: Here’s a guide to the hieroglyphics you encounter when changing th...
FIGURE 2-16: In P, Tv, Av, and M exposure modes, you also can shift to Quick Co...
FIGURE 2-17: In Live View mode, the Image Quality setting icon appears on the l...
FIGURE 2-18: To access Raw options from the Live View Quick Control screen, pre...
FIGURE 2-19: Change the Aspect Ratio setting from Shooting Menu 1 (left) or, in...
FIGURE 2-20: When you change the Aspect Ratio setting using the Live View Quick...
FIGURE 2-21: The secret to raising the built-in flash lies in these “handles;” ...
FIGURE 2-22: The “busy” signal means that the flash is recharging; the lightnin...
FIGURE 2-23: When you use a slow shutter speed with flash, backgrounds are brig...
FIGURE 2-24: These symbols indicate the Auto Flash Firing mode.
FIGURE 2-25: In the P, Tv, Av, and M modes, a symbol representing the Flash Fir...
FIGURE 2-26: Select Flash Control from Shooting Menu 1, shown here as it appear...
FIGURE 2-27: Select Flash Firing (left) to display the options available for th...
FIGURE 2-28: In Scene Intelligent Auto mode, you can change the setting via the...
FIGURE 2-29: Open Shooting Menu 1 and choose Flash Control to access the Red-Ey...
FIGURE 2-30: When normal flash output is too strong, lower the Flash Exposure C...
FIGURE 2-31: For viewfinder photography, you can change the Flash Exposure Comp...
FIGURE 2-32: To see just the Flash Exposure Compensation settings, as here, tap...
FIGURE 2-33: After selecting Flash Control from Shooting Menu 1, follow this pa...
FIGURE 2-34: When flash compensation is enabled, the value appears in the detai...
FIGURE 2-35: When you shoot in the P, Tv, Av, or M exposure modes, choose Flash...
FIGURE 2-36: Select Built-in Flash Settings to set even more options, such as t...
FIGURE 2-37: With rear-curtain sync, motion trails appear to follow the moving ...
FIGURE 2-38: With front-curtain sync (the default setting) and a long exposure,...
Chapter 3
FIGURE 3-1: Set the Mode dial to Scene Intelligent Auto for point-and-shoot sim...
FIGURE 3-2: Even in Scene Intelligent Auto mode, you have control over the Driv...
FIGURE 3-3: Set the lens switch to AF to use autofocusing; enable Image Stabili...
FIGURE 3-4: Frame your subject so that it falls within the autofocus brackets.
FIGURE 3-5: When focus is achieved, you see the focus points the camera used to...
FIGURE 3-6: In Live View mode, tap the Drive mode or Flash Firing symbol to cha...
FIGURE 3-7: Green focus points (left) or a green face-detection frame (right) i...
FIGURE 3-8: The red boundary lines are an indication that the autofocusing syst...
FIGURE 3-9: In Live View mode, press the Q button or tap the Creative Assist ic...
FIGURE 3-10: After you adjust a setting (left), an icon representing that setti...
FIGURE 3-11: During viewfinder shooting, shift to Quick Control mode and select...
FIGURE 3-12: Scroll to the effect you want to apply (left) and press Set to acc...
FIGURE 3-13: Create up to three custom presets so that you can apply a batch of...
FIGURE 3-14: The icons represent Creative Assist adjustments that will be appli...
FIGURE 3-15: After putting the camera in Live View mode, rotate the monitor to ...
FIGURE 3-16: When the camera is in Self Portrait mode, tap the Q icon or press ...
FIGURE 3-17: Set the Mode dial to SCN to access the scene modes.
FIGURE 3-18: The current SCN mode setting appears as soon as you set the dial t...
FIGURE 3-19: After shifting to Quick Control mode, select Choose Scene (left) t...
FIGURE 3-20: In Live View mode, tap the icon representing the current scene typ...
FIGURE 3-21: Landscape mode keeps both the background and foreground as sharply...
FIGURE 3-22: Close-up mode also produces short depth of field.
FIGURE 3-23: To freeze the action of moving subjects, try Sports mode.
FIGURE 3-24: Handheld Night Scene captured this handheld shot from a vantage po...
FIGURE 3-25: Try shooting high-contrast scenes in HDR Backlight Control mode to...
FIGURE 3-26: Here’s a look at the settings you can adjust when you set the SCN ...
Chapter 4
FIGURE 4-1: The aperture size and shutter speed determine how much light strike...
FIGURE 4-2: The smaller the f-stop number, the larger the aperture.
FIGURE 4-3: Widening the aperture (choosing a lower f-stop number) decreases de...
FIGURE 4-4: If both stationary and moving objects are blurry, camera shake is t...
FIGURE 4-5 : Noise is caused by a very high ISO or long exposure time, and it b...
FIGURE 4-6: Raising the ISO allowed a faster shutter speed, which produced a sh...
FIGURE 4-7: To fully control exposure and other picture properties, choose one ...
FIGURE 4-8: The shutter speed, f-stop, and ISO speed appear at the bottom of th...
FIGURE 4-9: You also can view the settings in the Quick Control display (left) ...
FIGURE 4-10: In manual exposure (M) mode, the meter indicates whether exposure ...
FIGURE 4-11: The Live View screen displays circles representing the area measur...
FIGURE 4-12: In Evaluative mode, the camera underexposed the statue; switching ...
FIGURE 4-13: You can quickly adjust the metering mode in Quick Control mode.
FIGURE 4-14: You also can access the Metering mode from Shooting Menu 2.
FIGURE 4-15: By enabling Custom Function 2, you can push the available ISO rang...
FIGURE 4-16: Follow this menu path to limit the highest ISO setting the camera ...
FIGURE 4-17: The fastest route to the ISO setting screen is to press the ISO bu...
FIGURE 4-18: During Live View shooting, tap the ISO setting (left) to display t...
FIGURE 4-19: For a brighter exposure than the autoexposure mechanism chooses, d...
FIGURE 4-20: The notch on the exposure meter indicates the amount of Exposure C...
FIGURE 4-21: In Live View mode, the Exposure Compensation setting appears in th...
FIGURE 4-22: After reaching this screen, set the Exposure Compensation value by...
FIGURE 4-23: Highlight Tone Priority can help prevent overexposed highlights.
FIGURE 4-24: Enable Highlight Tone Priority from Shooting Menu 2.
FIGURE 4-25: These symbols indicate that Highlight Tone Priority is enabled and...
FIGURE 4-26: For this image, Auto Lighting Optimizer brought more life to the s...
FIGURE 4-27: These symbols tell you the status of the Auto Lighting Optimizer s...
FIGURE 4-28: You can also adjust Auto Lighting Optimizer settings through Shoot...
FIGURE 4-29: Peripheral Illumination Correction works to combat vignetting, whi...
FIGURE 4-30: The Multi Shot setting captures four images and merges them into a...
FIGURE 4-31: Anti-Flicker Shooting may produce more consistent exposures when y...
FIGURE 4-32: Automatic Exposure Bracketing records your image at three exposure...
FIGURE 4-33: The three lines under the exposure meter indicate that bracketing ...
Chapter 5
FIGURE 5-1: On the kit lens, as on many Canon lenses, you set the switch to AF ...
FIGURE 5-2: In P, Tv, Av, and M modes, holding down the AF ON button achieves t...
FIGURE 5-3: The viewfinder offers these focusing aids.
FIGURE 5-4: In P, Tv, Av, and M exposure modes, the Quick Control display conta...
FIGURE 5-5: Zone AF modes limit the camera to choosing a focus point within a s...
FIGURE 5-6: These curiously marked buttons both access the settings screen, but...
FIGURE 5-7: In Auto Area and Large Zone modes, the brackets indicate the curren...
FIGURE 5-8: In Manual Selection: Zone AF mode (left) and Manual Selection: 1-Po...
FIGURE 5-9: When the AF Operation is set to AI Servo (continuous autofocusing),...
FIGURE 5-10: You also can access the AF Area Selection mode setting via the Qui...
FIGURE 5-11: Pressing the AF button is the fastest path to the AF Operation set...
FIGURE 5-12: You also can adjust the setting via the Quick Control screen.
FIGURE 5-13: When the Touch Shutter feature is Off, tapping the touchscreen set...
FIGURE 5-14: In Face+Tracking mode, a focus frame appears over a detected face ...
FIGURE 5-15: In Zone AF, move the frame over the area that contains your subjec...
FIGURE 5-16: To limit focus to a smaller area, choose 1-Point AF frame (left) o...
FIGURE 5-17: Change the AF Method via the Quick Control screen (left) or Shooti...
FIGURE 5-18: To quickly access just the AF Method settings, press the AF Area S...
FIGURE 5-19: For photography, adjust the AF Operation setting via the Quick Con...
FIGURE 5-20: When the magnifying glass is displayed, you can tap it to zoom the...
FIGURE 5-21: The magnification level and a box indicating the area of the frame...
FIGURE 5-22: A shallow depth of field blurs the background and draws added atte...
FIGURE 5-23: A large depth of field keeps both near and far subjects in sharp f...
FIGURE 5-24: Lowering the f-stop value decreases depth of field.
FIGURE 5-25: Using a longer focal length also reduces depth of field.
FIGURE 5-26: Press this button to see how the aperture setting will affect dept...
Chapter 6
FIGURE 6-1: Each light source emits a specific color.
FIGURE 6-2: Multiple light sources can result in a color cast in Auto White Bal...
FIGURE 6-3: AWB stands for Auto White Balance.
FIGURE 6-4: You can choose from prefab White Balance settings, create a Custom ...
FIGURE 6-5: Press WB on the Quick Control dial to display the White Balance set...
FIGURE 6-6: After selecting AWB on the main White Balance selection screen, tap...
FIGURE 6-7: After selecting the K symbol, rotate the Main dial to set the Kelvi...
FIGURE 6-8: In Live View mode, the preview updates to show how the current Whit...
FIGURE 6-9: You also can adjust the White Balance setting from Shooting Menu 3.
FIGURE 6-10: Choose this option from Shooting Menu 3 to create a White Balance ...
FIGURE 6-11: After putting the camera in Quick Control mode, select the White B...
FIGURE 6-12: In Live View or Movie mode, tap the Info icon (left) or press the ...
FIGURE 6-13: You can also get to the White Balance Shift settings through Shoot...
FIGURE 6-14: These symbols remind you that White Balance Shift is being applied...
FIGURE 6-15: You can view the current amount of White Balance Shift on Shooting...
FIGURE 6-16: With White Balance Bracketing, the camera automatically creates th...
FIGURE 6-17: To establish bracketing settings, rotate the Main dial or tap the ...
FIGURE 6-18: The Quick Control screen displays this alert when White Balance Br...
FIGURE 6-19: Here’s how the Auto Picture Style rendered the example image.
FIGURE 6-20: And here are the variations produced by the six other full-color P...
FIGURE 6-21: This symbol represents the Picture Style.
FIGURE 6-22: You can select a Picture Style via the Quick Control screen.
FIGURE 6-23: During viewfinder photography, pressing the bottom of the Quick Co...
FIGURE 6-24: For most photographers, the sRGB color space is the best choice.
Chapter 7
FIGURE 7-1: The information display shows the most critical picture settings.
FIGURE 7-2: To diminish a distracting background and draw more attention to you...
FIGURE 7-3: For soft, even lighting, forego flash and instead expose your subje...
FIGURE 7-4: To better illuminate faces in outdoor portraits, use flash.
FIGURE 7-5: To eliminate harsh lighting and strong shadows (left), use bounce f...
FIGURE 7-6: A too-slow shutter speed (1/125 second) causes the skater to appear...
FIGURE 7-7: Raising the shutter speed to 1/1000 second freezes the action.
FIGURE 7-8: Using a shutter speed slow enough to blur moving objects can be a f...
FIGURE 7-9: The bench in the foreground helps provide a sense of the vastness o...
FIGURE 7-10: For misty water movement, use a slow shutter speed (and tripod).
FIGURE 7-11: A slow shutter also creates neon light trails in city-street scene...
FIGURE 7-12: Using a shallow depth-of-field helped the subjects stand apart fro...
FIGURE 7-13: A macro lens enables you to focus close enough to fill the frame w...
Chapter 8
FIGURE 8-1: You can attach an external microphone here.
FIGURE 8-2: The built-in microphone is located on the flash cover; the speaker,...
FIGURE 8-3: Set the On/Off switch to Movie mode and set the Mode dial to Scene ...
FIGURE 8-4: Tap the red dot to start and stop recording.
FIGURE 8-5: These symbols represent the major movie-recording options.
FIGURE 8-6: Set the Video System option to the television broadcast standard us...
FIGURE 8-7: Select Movie Recording Size from Shooting Menu 1 (left) to display ...
FIGURE 8-8: You also can use Quick Control mode to change the Movie Recording S...
FIGURE 8-9: In Scene Intelligent Auto and other Basic Zone exposure modes, your...
FIGURE 8-10: In P, Tv, Av, and M exposure modes, you have a few more audio opti...
FIGURE 8-11: When sound is disabled, you see the microphone symbol highlighted ...
FIGURE 8-12: Select Rec. Level (left) to open the screen where you can adjust t...
FIGURE 8-13: Enable Movie Digital Zoom via the Quick Control screen.
FIGURE 8-14: From the initial zoomed view (left), tap the W/T icon or press the...
FIGURE 8-15: Enabling this option is key to recording videos that can be played...
FIGURE 8-16: The triangle on top of the camera symbol indicates the orientation...
FIGURE 8-17: You may have control over these additional options, depending on y...
FIGURE 8-18: The camera forces you to use Auto ISO in the P, Tv, and Av exposur...
FIGURE 8-19: You can delay the start of recording by 2 or 10 seconds with the M...
FIGURE 8-20: This option lets you specify what exposure and autofocus actions y...
FIGURE 8-21: Tap the arrow to begin playback or tap Set to display playback con...
Chapter 9
FIGURE 9-1: Control instant review of photos through this menu option.
FIGURE 9-2: The default Playback mode displays one picture at a time, with basi...
FIGURE 9-3: Press the Quick Control button for fast access to these playback fe...
FIGURE 9-4: Pinch inward or press the Index/Reduce button to switch to display ...
FIGURE 9-5: You can specify a Jump method by using the Quick Control screen.
FIGURE 9-6: You can also select the Jump method via Playback Menu 2.
FIGURE 9-7: Display vertically oriented pictures upright (left) or sideways (ri...
FIGURE 9-8: Go to Setup Menu 1 to disable or adjust automatic image rotation.
FIGURE 9-9: During playback, the fastest way to rotate an image is to use the Q...
FIGURE 9-10: You also can choose Rotate Stills from Playback Menu 1.
FIGURE 9-11: After displaying your photo in single-image view (left), you can m...
FIGURE 9-12: You can display the focus point (or points) the camera used to est...
FIGURE 9-13: Press the Info button to change the amount of data displayed with ...
FIGURE 9-14: You can view basic exposure and file data in this display mode.
FIGURE 9-15: The first screen of the Shooting Information display offers this f...
FIGURE 9-16: Here’s a map to the data that appears on the bottom half of the fi...
FIGURE 9-17: The second page has lens details and an RGB histogram (left); the ...
FIGURE 9-18: Keep scrolling to see these additional settings, which are spread ...
FIGURE 9-19: A Brightness histogram indicates the tonal range of an image.
FIGURE 9-20: The RGB histogram can indicate problems with color saturation.
FIGURE 9-21: You can set up a search from Playback Menu 3 (left) or, during pla...
FIGURE 9-22: You can turn on as many as five search criteria; be sure to press ...
FIGURE 9-23: The yellow frame reminds you that you’re viewing photos turned up ...
Chapter 10
FIGURE 10-1: During picture playback, press the Erase button to delete the disp...
FIGURE 10-2: Choose these Playback Menu 1 options to quickly delete all unprote...
FIGURE 10-3: Tag a file as ready for the trash by tapping the Set symbol or pre...
FIGURE 10-4: Use Select Range to quickly select and delete a consecutive series...
FIGURE 10-5: If you choose Erase Images immediately after you use the Image Sea...
FIGURE 10-6: During playback, use the Quick Control screen to protect the curre...
FIGURE 10-7: You can access a few additional options for selecting files to pro...
FIGURE 10-8: You can rate photos via the Quick Control screen.
FIGURE 10-9: The Rating feature on Playback Menu 2 offers a few more options fo...
FIGURE 10-10: After choosing Select Images, tap Set (left), tap the up or down ...
FIGURE 10-11: If flash portraits exhibit red eye, try using the Red-Eye Correct...
FIGURE 10-12: The white box indicates where the repair was made; choose OK to s...
FIGURE 10-13: You can get to the cropping tool through the Quick Control screen...
FIGURE 10-14: Use these controls to set the size, angle, orientation, and aspec...
FIGURE 10-15: Hidden among the cropping features is an option that enables you ...
FIGURE 10-16: You see these symbols during playback when you display a cropped ...
FIGURE 10-17: The first two highlighted settings provide different ways to proc...
FIGURE 10-18: By default, the Creative Assist Raw processing option appears on ...
FIGURE 10-19: Press Set to select the image (left), press the Q button, and the...
FIGURE 10-20: Select an adjustment icon and then press Set to access the contro...
FIGURE 10-21: Tap Info or press the Info button and then rotate the Quick Contr...
FIGURE 10-22: These symbols indicate that you converted the file to a JPEG with...
FIGURE 10-23: The Creative Assist raw-processing tool offers most of the same s...
FIGURE 10-24: The most convenient way to transfer picture and movie files to a ...
FIGURE 10-25: You can use Canon Digital Photo Professional 4 to drag and drop f...
FIGURE 10-26: You can learn a lot about what went wrong or right with a picture...
FIGURE 10-27: You can create low-resolution copies of JPEG images using the cam...
FIGURE 10-28: These marks indicate an edited photo and the Image Quality settin...
Chapter 11
FIGURE 11-1: You can configure the Set button to perform an extra function duri...
FIGURE 11-2: After choosing Set (left), select which function you want to assig...
FIGURE 11-3: After you highlight an icon, the graphic tells you where the butto...
FIGURE 11-4: The My Menu feature lets you create a custom menu.
FIGURE 11-5: You can create a new storage folder at any time.
FIGURE 11-6: Enter your name and other copyright information that you want tagg...
FIGURE 11-7: Enter the text you want to include in your copyright notice.
FIGURE 11-8: You can swap the functions of these two buttons, but I advise agai...
FIGURE 11-9: You can swap the functions of these two buttons through this Setup...
Chapter 12
FIGURE 12-1: Mirror lockup eliminates the chance that mirror movement blurs the...
FIGURE 12-2: If your printer has an SD card reader, use this feature to select ...
FIGURE 12-3: Here’s a look at how three Creative Filters affected a city scene.
FIGURE 12-4: During playback, apply Creative Filters through the Quick Control ...
FIGURE 12-5: Choose this exposure mode to add special effects to photos or movi...
FIGURE 12-6: Select Choose Filter from the Quick Control screen (left) to displ...
FIGURE 12-7: In Live View mode, you can preview the effect of a filter before d...
FIGURE 12-8: The Video Snapshot feature joins brief video clips into a single m...
FIGURE 12-9: From the playback screen, select the scissors icon to get to the m...
FIGURE 12-10: For lag-free display on an HDTV or other HD device, change this s...
FIGURE 12-11: Head to Playback Menu 3 to create a slide show.
FIGURE 12-12: Plug the small end of the HDMI cable into this port.
Appendix
FIGURE A-1: Access the camera’s wireless functions through these two Network me...
FIGURE A-2: These symbols indicate Wi-Fi and Bluetooth status.
FIGURE A-3: Choose the first option on Network Menu 1 (left) and then select th...
FIGURE A-4: Select Add a Device to Connect To (left) and then choose Switch Net...
FIGURE A-5: Choose your wireless network and, if required, enter the network pa...
FIGURE A-6: This screen appears after the wireless connection is established.
FIGURE A-7: Choose the function you want to use from the main EOS Utility windo...
FIGURE A-8: You can preview your files and select the ones you want to download...
FIGURE A-9: EOS Utility also offers a tool for
tethered shooting —
that i...
FIGURE A-10: From the app’s home screen (left), choose Remote Live View Shootin...
FIGURE A-11: Choose Images on Camera to see thumbnails of images on your camera...
Guide
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Table of Contents
Begin Reading
Appendix: Exploring Wireless Connections
Index
About the Author
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Introduction
In 2003, Canon revolutionized the photography world by introducing the first digital SLR camera (dSLR) to sell for less than $1,000, the EOS Digital Rebel/300D. 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 Rebel T8i/850D. Like its ancestors, this baby offers advanced controls for experienced photographers as well as features to help beginners be successful from the get-go. Adding to the fun, the camera also offers high-definition video recording and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth that enable wireless connection to your computer, smartphone, or tablet.
In fact, the T8i/850D is so feature-packed that sorting out everything can be a challenge. For starters, you may not even know what SLR means, let alone have a clue about all the other terms you encounter in your camera manual — resolution, aperture, and ISO, for example. If you’re like many people, you may be so overwhelmed by all the camera controls that you haven’t yet ventured beyond fully automatic picture-taking mode. That’s a shame because it’s sort of like buying a Porsche Turbo and never pushing it past 35 miles per hour.
Therein lies the point of Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D For Dummies. In this book, you can discover not only 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, either. 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 a photography workshop tailored specifically to your camera. Whether your interests lie in taking family photos, exploring nature and travel photography, or snapping product shots for your business, you’ll get the help you need to capture the images you envision.
A Quick Look at What’s Ahead
This book is organized into four parts, each devoted to a different aspect of using your camera. Although chapters flow in a sequence that takes you from absolute beginner to experienced user, each chapter is designed to be as self-standing as possible so that you can explore topics that interest you in any order.
Here's an overview of each part:
Part 1
: Fast Track to Super Snaps:
This part contains three chapters that help you get up and running.
Chapter 1
offers a brief overview of camera controls and walks you through initial setup and customization steps.
Chapter 2
explains basic picture-taking settings, such as image-quality and flash options, and
Chapter 3
shows you how to use the camera’s simplest exposure modes, Scene Intelligent Auto and SCN (Scene).
Part 2
: Taking Creative Control:
Chapters in this part help you unleash the full creative power of your camera by moving into advanced shooting modes.
Chapter 4
covers the all-important topic of exposure;
Chapter 5
offers tips for manipulating focus;
Chapter 6
explains color features; and
Chapter 7
provides a summary of shooting strategies for specific types of pictures: portraits, action shots, landscape scenes, and close-ups. Wrapping up this part,
Chapter 8
covers movie recording and playback.
Part 3
: Working with Picture Files:
As its title implies, this part discusses after-the-shot topics.
Chapter 9
explains picture playback features, and
Chapter 10
covers topics including rating, deleting, and protecting files; transferring pictures from your camera to your computer; processing Raw files; and preparing pictures for online sharing.
Part 4
: The Part of Tens:
In famous
For Dummies
tradition, the book concludes with two top-ten lists containing additional bits of information.
Chapter 11
takes a look at ten camera-customization options not covered elsewhere.
Chapter 12
introduces features that may not be on the top of your “Why I bought this camera” list, but are nonetheless interesting, useful on occasion, or a bit of both.
Appendix: Exploring Wireless Connections:
Head here for information about establishing a wireless connection between your camera and a computer, smartphone, or tablet. You can then transfer files wirelessly and use your computer or smart device as a camera remote control, among other things.
Cheat sheet:
When you have a minute or two, visit
www.dummies.com
and enter the name of this book in the search box. You’ll find a link to a cheat sheet, which provides a handy reference to your camera’s buttons, controls, and exposure modes.
Icons and Other Stuff to Note
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 saves you time, effort, money, or another 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 it’s ignored.
Lots of information in this book is of a technical nature — digital photography is a technical animal, after all. But if we present a detail that’s useful mainly for impressing your geeky friends, we mark it with this icon.
This icon highlights information that’s 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 another pressing fact.
Additionally, replicas of some of your camera’s buttons and onscreen graphics appear throughout the book to help you locate the button or setting being discussed.
Practice, Be Patient, and Have Fun!
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 good company. Everyone finds this stuff mind-boggling at first. Take it slowly, trying just one or two new camera settings or techniques each time you pick up your camera. With 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 and a cup of whatever you prefer to sip while you read and then start exploring the rest of this book. Your T8i/850D is the perfect partner for your photographic journey, and I thank you for allowing me, through this book, to serve as your tour guide.
Part 1
Fast Track to Super Snaps
IN THIS PART …
Familiarize yourself with the basics of using your camera, from attaching lenses to navigating menus.
Select the right exposure mode, shutter-release mode, picture aspect ratio, and image quality.
Discover options available for flash photography.
Take your first pictures in the easy-to-use Scene Intelligent Auto and SCN (scene) modes.
Chapter 1
Getting Up and Running
IN THIS CHAPTER
Preparing the camera for its first outing
Getting acquainted with camera features
Viewing and adjusting camera settings
Setting a few basic preferences
Shooting for the first time with an SLR (single-lens reflex) camera can produce a blend of excitement and anxiety. On one hand, you can’t wait to start using your new equipment, but on the other, you’re a little intimidated by all its buttons, dials, and menu options.
Well, fear not: This chapter provides the information you need to start getting comfortable with your Rebel T8i/850D. The first section walks you through initial camera setup; following that, you can get an overview of camera controls, discover how to view and adjust camera settings, work with lenses and memory cards, and get advice on some basic setup options.
Preparing the Camera for Initial Use
After unpacking your camera, you have to assemble a few parts. In addition to the camera body and the supplied battery (charge it before the first use), you need two other items:
Lens:
Your camera accepts Canon EF and EF-S model lenses; the 18–55mm kit lens sold as a bundle with the camera body falls into the EF-S category. If you want to buy a non-Canon lens, check the lens manufacturer’s website to find out which lenses work with your camera. Flip to the later section “
Familiarizing Yourself with the Lens
” for details on this critical component of your camera.
SD (Secure Digital) memory card:
Like all digital cameras, the T8i/850D stores picture and movie files on a memory card. The camera accepts SD cards only. For information about buying SD cards, skip to the section “
Working with Memory Cards
.”
With camera, lens, battery, and card within reach, take these steps:
Make sure the camera is turned off.
Attach a lens.
First, remove the caps that cover the front of the camera and the back of the lens. Then locate the proper mounting index, which is a mark on the camera’s lens mount that indicates how to align the lens with the camera body. Your camera has two of these markers, one red and one white, as shown in Figure 1-1. Which marker you use depends on the lens type:
Canon EF-S lens:
The white square is the mounting index.
Canon EF lens:
The red dot is the mounting index.
Your lens also has a mounting index; align that mark with the matching one on the camera body, as shown in Figure 1-1. Place the lens on the camera mount and rotate the lens toward the side of the camera that sports the red Rebel logo. You should feel a solid click as the lens locks into place.
FIGURE 1-1: Align the mounting index on the lens with the one on the camera body.
Install the battery.
The battery compartment is on the bottom of the camera. When inserting the battery, hold it with the contacts down and the Canon imprint facing the right side of the camera grip (where the memory-card cover, shown in Figure 1-2, is located). Gently push the battery in until the gray lock clicks into place and then close the battery-cover door.
Insert a memory card.
Open the memory-card door and orient the card so that the label faces the back of the camera, as shown in Figure 1-2. (If you look closely at the silver panel on the inside of the card door, you see a diagram that indicates the proper card orientation.) Push the card gently into the slot and close the card door.
The memory-card access lamp, labeled in Figure 1-2, blinks for few seconds to let you know that the camera recognizes the card. (The light appears even when the camera is turned off.)
FIGURE 1-2: Insert the memory card with the label facing the back of the camera.
Rotate the monitor to the desired viewing position.
When you first take the camera out of its box, the monitor is positioned with the screen facing inward, protecting the screen from scratches and smudges. Gently lift the right side of the monitor up and away from the camera back. You can then rotate the monitor to move it into the traditional position on the camera back, as shown on the left in Figure 1-3, or swing the monitor out to get a different viewing angle, as shown on the right.
FIGURE 1-3: Here are two possible monitor positions.
Move the On/Off switch to the On position.
Okay, that’s an odd way to say “turn on the camera,” right? Agreed, but there’s good reason for it: This particular On/Off switch, shown in Figure 1-4, has three positions. When you rotate the switch to On, the camera comes to life and is ready to take still photos. If you move the switch one step further, to the movie-camera symbol, the camera turns on and sets itself to Movie mode. You can’t take a still photograph in Movie mode; it’s good for recording video only.
FIGURE 1-4: Rotate the switch to On to shoot photographs; move the switch one step further to set the camera to movie-recording mode.
Set the language, time zone, and date.
When you power up the camera for the first time, the monitor displays a screen asking you to set the date, time, and time zone. The easiest way to adjust these settings is to use the touchscreen, which is enabled by default. Just tap an option to select it. Small triangles appear above and below the option to let you know that it’s active, but you don’t tap those triangles the change the value. Instead, look for the up and down triangles in the lower-left corner of the screen, and tap those arrows to set the value. Lather, rinse, and repeat until you complete all the adjustments you want to make. Finally, tap OK to exit the screen.
If you prefer not to use the touchscreen, you can adjust settings by using the Quick Control dial, which is the combination dial/toggle switch that surrounds the Set button. Rotate the dial or press the left or right edges of the dial to highlight the option you want to adjust; press the Set button to activate it. Again, triangles appear above and below the active option. Rotate the dial or press up or down on the top or bottom of the dial to change the value. Press Set again to lock in the new value. (I provide more information about using the Quick Control dial later in the chapter.)
The date/time information is included as metadata (hidden data) in the picture file. You can view metadata in some playback display modes (see Chapter 9) and in certain photo programs, including Canon Digital Photo Professional 4. (Refer to Chapter 10.) Also note the sun symbol to the left of the Time Zone option. That symbol represents the option that automatically adjusts the camera’s clock when Daylight Saving Time begins and ends, if that’s a thing in your part of the globe. The option is turned on by default.
Select an exposure mode by rotating the Mode dial, labeled in Figure1-4.
The exposure mode determines how much control you have over camera settings as well as whether any special effects are applied. Chapter 2 explains the various exposure modes. For easiest operation, set the dial to Scene Intelligent Auto, represented by the green A+, as shown in Figure 1-4. Be aware, though, that some features are available only in the advanced modes: P, Tv, Av, and M.
Adjust the viewfinder to your eyesight.
This step is critical; if you don’t set the viewfinder to your eyesight, subjects that appear out of focus in the viewfinder might actually be in focus, and vice versa. If you wear glasses while shooting, adjust the viewfinder with your glasses on.
You control viewfinder focus through the dial labeled in Figure 1-5. (In official lingo, it’s called the diopter adjustment dial.) After taking off the lens cap, follow these steps:
Look through the viewfinder, press the shutter button halfway and then release it.
Concentrate on the lines that appear in the center of the frame and the row of data displayed at the bottom of the frame.
Rotate the adjustment dial until the viewfinder markings and data appear sharpest.
Ignore the scene you see through the lens; that won’t change because you’re not actually focusing the camera. If the markings turn off before you finish making your adjustment, give the shutter button another quick half-press and release to redisplay them.
Can’t get the display sharp enough? You may need an adapter that enables further adjustment of the viewfinder. Look for an E-series dioptric adjustment lens adapter.
FIGURE 1-5: Use this dial to adjust the viewfinder focus to your eyesight.
That’s all there is to it — the camera is now ready to go. The rest of this chapter familiarizes you with other major camera features and explains such basics as how to navigate menus, use the touchscreen, and view and adjust camera settings.
Exploring External Camera Features
Scattered across your camera’s exterior are features that you use to change picture-taking settings, review your photos, and perform other operations. Later chapters explain how and when to use these tools; the following sections provide a basic “what’s this thing do?” introduction to them. (Don’t worry about memorizing the button names; throughout the book, figures and margin symbols tell you exactly which button or switch to use.)
If you’re moving to the T8i/850D from an earlier version of this camera (such as the T7i/800D) or even other Rebel dSLR models, you probably noticed that certain buttons found on those models are nowhere to be found on this one — such as the button that’s been used for years to raise the built-in flash and the one that accessed the setting known as Exposure Compensation. The good news is that the functions that the now-gone buttons accessed are still there; you just get to them in a different way.
Topside controls
Your virtual tour begins on the top of the camera, shown in Figure 1-6. Here are the items of note:
On/Off/Movie mode switch: As outlined in the preceding section, setting the switch to the movie-camera icon turns on the camera and sets it to movie-recording mode. Move the switch to On for still photography.
Even when the switch is in the On position, the camera automatically goes to sleep after a period of inactivity to save battery power. To wake the camera up, press the shutter button halfway and release it. See the information related to the Auto Power Off setting, found in the section “Setup Menu 2,” later in this chapter, for help adjusting the timing of the automatic shutoff.
Mode dial:
Rotate this dial to select an
exposure mode,
which determines whether the camera operates in fully automatic, semi-automatic, or manual exposure mode when you take still pictures.
Chapter 2
introduces you to the various exposure modes.
Viewfinder adjustment dial:
Use this dial to adjust the viewfinder focus to your eyesight, as outlined in the preceding section.
Main dial: As its name implies, this dial is central to many camera functions, from scrolling through menus to changing certain shooting and playback settings.
FIGURE 1-6: Here’s a guide to controls found on top of the camera.
On some menu screens, you see a symbol that resembles the top half of a dial with notches around the edge, as shown in Figure 1-7. That symbol indicates that you use the Main dial to adjust the setting. On some screens curved arrows appear near the Main dial symbol. In Figure 1-7, you see one arrow under the Main dial symbol and another on the left side of the screen. When using the touchscreen, you can tap those arrows to adjust the setting instead of using the Main dial.
FIGURE 1-7: The notched half-circle symbol tells you to use the Main dial to adjust the setting.
AF Method/AF Area Selection button:
Press this button to access the AF Method and AF Area Selection settings, both related to autofocusing.
Chapter 5
explains.
ISO button:
True to its name, this button displays a screen where you can adjust the ISO setting, which determines how sensitive the camera is to light.
Chapter 4
details this critical setting.
DISP button:
This button affects the Quick Control screen, which displays shooting information when you’re taking still pictures. (Check out “
Displaying the Quick Control screen
,” later in this chapter, for a look.) Normally, the screen appears automatically when you turn the camera on or press the shutter button halfway and release it; the screen then turns off after a period of inactivity. But you can press the DISP button at any time to toggle the screen on and off.
Shutter button:
You no doubt already understand the function of this button, but you may not realize that when you use autofocus and autoexposure, you need to use a two-stage process when taking a picture: Press the shutter button halfway, pause to let the camera set focus and exposure, and then press down the rest of the way to capture the image. You’d be surprised how many people mess up their pictures because they press that button with one quick jab, denying the camera the time it needs to set focus and exposure.
Flash hot shoe:
Labeled in
Figure 1-6
, this is the connection for attaching an external flash and other accessories such as flash adapters and the Canon GP-E2 GPS Receiver.
Focal plane indicator: Should you need to know the exact distance between your subject and the camera, the focal plane indicator, labeled in Figure 1-6, is key. This mark indicates the plane at which light coming through the lens is focused onto the camera’s image sensor. Basing your measurement on this mark produces a more accurate camera-to-subject distance than using the end of the lens or some other point on the camera body as your reference point. You might take advantage of this feature when taking pictures for a legal or scientific purpose that requires you to submit the camera-to-subject distance along with the photos.
Speaker:
When you play a movie that contains audio, the sound comes wafting through these holes.
Microphone:
