These are a couple of comments from a post on this great forum: Digital Photography School.com
They asked what are some tips for a new DSLR camer owner.
I have to agree, read the manual, as dry and boring as it is, and even if it doesn't fully make sense at the time just plow through it. I found keeping the camera next to me as I read was helpful as I could pick it up and look at what the manual was talking about. And forcing yourself to use everything but auto is also key to using a DSLR, since all you really get with auto less shutter delay (compared to your old Point and Shoot). Though if you really need to get an important shot go ahead and use Auto but switch right back and practice not using it for that same shot.
1. Read your manual to get to know what your camera can do (i.e. functions, pros and cons and limitations).
2. Take lots of pictures using various modes (except for Auto; don’t shoot in auto) so you can learn how the setting affect your photos.
3. Search for your camera model and camera techniques on YouTube for tutorials. Besides its free education.
4. Visit sites like http://www.cameralabs.com for reviews about your camera.
5. Review hundreds of photos from pros and amateur enthusiasts online to examine techniques.
BONUS: Stay encouraged and stay focused especially if some of photos come out crappy. I’ve heard that the different between a pro and an amateur is simply 10,000 photos. Hope this helps!
Regardless of skill level, I’d recommend (at least) the following:
1. Learn the camera – go through the manual, look for online articles, what-have you. Learn how to shoot in shutter priority, aperture priority and some basic understanding of manual mode.
2. Learn how to change settings on the fly. It’s not all menus, most DSLRs have dedicated buttons on the outside – learn how to do that.
3. Don’t expect immediate results. It will be difficult to get the desired results immediately. You have to first become comfortable with the camera before you’re satisfied with the results.
4. Fail and fail often. Sounds odd, but you need to experiment to find out what doesn’t work. Embrace failure, and you’ll learn faster. I personally aim to fail at 60-70% of my experimental works. When I’m on assignment, lessons learned from my failures help me to stay on task to make sure that my practiced methods result in a 90% (or higher) success rate.
5. Have fun. A new camera can be overwhelming…but if you start getting frustrated, put the camera down for a while. Take breaks. You don’t want to build a grudge against your gear.
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June 8th, 2010 at 6:15 am