Quick Tour
My guess is you are itching to start using your new Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D. Maybe you picked up this book to learn how to use it or maybe you just want some advice on taking better pictures. This Quick Tour covers the basics for achieving both goals. The next few pages provide an overview about using your camera more efficiently and effectively. The in-depth information is in the chapters ahead. In those chapters, I explore all of the menus, functions, settings, and tips for getting the images you desire. Don’t worry—even after you start playing around with your camera, if you find you are not happy with its settings, it’s easy to reset it to the factory default settings in the Setup menu. First, let’s set up your camera and get out in the field.
The Canon T4i/650D has many great new features, including an LCD touch screen, HDR capabilities, and continuous focus for video.
Getting Started
If you want to take photos right now, follow these quick steps to get going. Your camera should be unpacked from the box. The camera battery, straight out of the box, should have some power. However, I recommend fully charging the battery before you use it for the first time. If you can’t wait that long, just get started.
To begin shooting, you need a fully-charged battery, a formatted memory card, and a Canon dedicated lens (or compatible lens) attached to your camera. The battery door is on the bottom of the camera. Open it and insert the battery until you hear a click indicating that the battery is locked in place. The memory card should also be formatted for your camera.
To format the memory card, place it in the card slot (with the letters facing you) on the right side of the camera, as shown in Figure QT.1. Press the Menu button (
), select Setup menu 1 (
), select the Format option, and then press OK. The memory card is formatted within a few moments. The more memory the card has, the longer the formatting process takes. To place a lens on the camera, match the red (or white) dots found on both the camera and lens, and then turn the lens to the left. Make sure that the camera lens is set to autofocus.
QT.1 The memory card fits into the slot on the right side of the camera.
Set the camera to the Scene Intelligent Auto shooting mode (
) for evaluative automatic program control. In other words, this mode lets the camera make all of the exposure decisions. Your job is to place your index finger on the shutter button, as shown in Figure QT.2, and your eye to the viewfinder to begin shooting photos.
QT.2 Place your index finger on the shutter button to begin taking photos. Make sure that you hold the camera grip securely with your other hand.
To shoot videos, flip the power button to Movie mode (
). The LCD screen’s Live View feature turns on, and displays the view through your lens. For quick access to many of the camera’s main movie options, press the Quick Control/Print button (
) to get the options displayed on the screen. Use the Live View Shooting button (
) to start and stop movie recording.
Camera Controls
This section covers some of the basic controls you need to know for the everyday use of your Canon T4i/650D. Most of these are found on the top and back of the camera. Many of the same controls can also be found on the LCD touch screen. Press the Quick Control/Print button () to view them.
CROSS REF A detailed list of all of the camera controls can be found in Chapter 1. Menu options are covered in Chapter 2.
The top of the camera
The top of the camera features the following buttons and dials:
▶ Power button. You have three power options: Off, On, and Movie on. Turn the power button On when you want to take still photographs. Turn it to the Movie mode () when you want to create videos.
▶ Mode dial. This controls the 14 exposure modes. The dial is divided into two zones: Basic and creative. The following basic zone modes offer a variety of automatic settings: Scene Intelligent Auto (), Flash off (
), Creative Auto (
), Portrait (
), Landscape (
), Close-up (
), Sports (
), Night Portrait (
), Handheld Night Scene (
), and HDR backlight control (
). The following creative zone modes offer more exposure freedom for advanced users: Program (
), Shutter-priority AE (
), Aperture-priority AE (
), and Manual (
).
▶ ISO button. ISO refers to the light sensitivity setting of your camera. The higher the ISO is, the less light you need. The lower the ISO is, the more light you need, but the less digital noise your image will contain (higher quality).
QT.3 The controls on top of your camera.
The back of the camera
The back of the camera features the following buttons and dials:
▶ Menu button (). Pressing this button gives you access to the many options available to customize your camera.
CROSS REF The camera’s menus are fully covered in Chapter 2.
▶ Info button (
). Press this button to activate the information display on the LCD screen. Depending on the mode you are using, the screen displays information about the camera, the shooting mode settings, photograph, or video.
▶ Live View Shooting button (). This button turns on the camera’s LCD screen for the Live View feature. This allows you to see the scene as the lens reads it. This button is also used for starting and stopping video shooting.
▶ Quick Control/Print button (). Press this button to quickly pull up important features on the LCD screen to use in specific modes.
▶ Cross keys. These four buttons offer quick access to the White balance (
), Autofocus mode (
), Picture Styles (
), and Drive modes (
). They also serve as direction keys to navigate through menu options. When you land on the menu option that you want, press the Set button (
).
QT.4 The control center on the back of Canon Rebel T4i/650D.
Choosing Image Quality
Your camera has 10 image-quality options. The default is Large fine (
), which is the largest size JPEG available on your camera at 5184 × 3456 pixels. The RAW format (
) is the highest quality image available on your camera and Small 3 (
) is the smallest file size. I recommend that you use the higher image-quality settings, such as the default Large fine (), for regular use because you can always downsize your photos on your camera or in the Digital Photography Professional software that came with it. You cannot, however, increase a photograph’s resolution without losing image quality. If you need more room for images, purchase a card with more memory, especially if you plan on shooting larger files and video.
QT.5 The Image quality menu has 10 options.
Selecting a Focus Mode
To use autofocus, check the switch on the side of your lens and make sure that it is in the AF position. Next, press the shutter button halfway to focus on your subject. If you are using a basic (automatic) zone mode, the camera selects the focus points for you. If you are using a creative zone mode, you have the option of nine focus points (31 if you are using the Live View FlexiZone Auto focus method options). The default is automatic autofocus, in which the camera selects the focus point based on nine AF points, usually focusing on the closest subject to your camera. To manually adjust the autofocus points, press the Magnify button (
) to view the camera’s AF points. Adjust the points by using the Main dial (
) on top of the camera.
CROSS REF For more information about the Live View and Focus options, see Chapter 8.
You also have three options related to how your camera focuses. Press the Autofocus button () to see your autofocus operation options. The default (and first) option is One Shot (
) and it does just that. When you press the shutter button halfway in this focus mode, the camera focuses on your subject once. It stays at that focus point until you lift your finger and press the shutter button again. Al Focus (
) takes one shot unless the camera detects motion, and then it switches to the Al Servo mode (
). Al Servo () follow-focuses as you or the subject moves.
QT.6 The Autofocus (AF) operation menu offers three focus options.
The default focus setting for videos is Movie Servo AF (
). This means that the camera follow-focuses the closest object to the camera. You can turn off Movie Servo AF () by touching the icon in the lower-left corner of the LCD screen. When Movie Servo AF mode () is turned off, your camera focuses once when you press the shutter button halfway. Manual focus is achieved by selecting the Manual focusing mode (
) on your lens.
Using a Flash
If you are using one of the basic zone modes, the flash pops up automatically when needed. When using one of the creative zone modes, the flash must be manually popped up by pressing the Flash button (
) on the front of the camera (see Figure QT.7). If you are using an external flash, place it in the hot shoe on top of the camera. Flashes that are compatible with Evaluative Through-the-Lens (E-TTL) technology (that is, Canon’s version of Through-the-Lens metering) sync seamlessly with your camera. This means that the flash and camera work together to create the best exposure using your camera’s evaluative metering sensor. This type of metering is helpful for more accurate readings, especially if you have a filter on your lens, because the flash knows how to adjust.
QT.7 The Flash button is on the left side of the camera.
Reviewing Images or Video
Once you have taken some pictures, you will want to review them. To see your photos, press the Playback button (
) while keeping the camera power on. You can use the left and right Cross keys to move forward and back between images. This is where the LCD touch screen is very convenient—you can also swipe your finger back and forth across the screen to review images. If you want to skip through a large number of images, use the Main dial () to scroll through ten or more at a time.
To play a video, press the Set button () located in the middle of the Cross keys twice. The first time you press it, the camera displays the video playback and review options on the LCD screen. The second time you press it, the video plays if the Playback button () is highlighted. An even easier option is to press the Playback button () on the LCD screen.
NOTE Each time you press the Info button (), a different image display screen appears for either images or videos. There are four screen options.
Taking Better Photos
Beyond my own tips I have invited other professional photographers to share their suggestions for taking better photographs, and Chapter 7 covers this topic in depth. However, the following list includes a few tips to help you get started:
▶ Fill the frame. Get close to your subject. Often, too much empty space or unrelated objects can lessen the impact of a great subject. Make sure that everything in the frame is necessary and supports your concept. To help compose your images, use the Live View mode () to view your scene in larger form on the LCD screen. Consider using the grid option, located under the Live View menu (), to support your composition.
▶ Light. Light is everything in photography, so always make sure that you have a good source of it for your photographs. Early morning and late evening are referred to as the golden hours, and are the prime times for photography. Experiment with light direction and shadows. If you turn on the Auto Lighting Optimizer located in Shooting menu 2 (
), your camera will adjust your image automatically to optimal brightness when you are shooting in the basic modes.
▶ Flash. Don’t fear the built-in or external flashes; learn how to use them. I encourage you to use Canon E-TTL II flashes to ease the learning curve of flash photography. Plus, you camera is designed to fire Canon flashes wirelessly, offering you more lighting options.
▶ Variety. Every photograph doesn’t have to be shot in the same way—try new angles and lenses. Use your vari-angle LCD screen to get pictures from high and low angles.
▶ Experiment. Try out all of the exposure modes and special effects, such as Picture Styles, so that you know what your camera can do.
To kick off our advice from professional photographers, here are some composition tips from artist and photographer Damien Franco:
▶ Learn the Rule of Thirds and know when to use it. Think of lines that divide your photograph into horizontal and vertical thirds, like a tic-tac-toe grid. Most people instinctively put their subject in the middle of a shot, but that often results in boring photographs. You can line up your subject on one of the intersecting points of the grid, called a power point, and it creates a more dynamic photo. Also, you can try placing the horizon on one of the horizontal lines to create a more pleasing balance to your photographs. Humans have a natural tendency to look for symmetry because we find it safe. When you see a scene that is a little off balance, you tend to pay more attention to it. The most important thing to do is experiment. Use the grid as a guideline but, remember, in art, all rules are made to be broken.
Image courtesy of Damien Franco
QT.8 The Rule of Thirds creates more dynamic images. (50mm lens, ISO 100, f/2.0, 1/400 second)
▶ Take control and lead your viewer. You will find that there are lines all around you if you practice looking for them. Use them in your composition to lead the viewer across your photographs. Maybe there are lines in the background that can point toward your subject. Perhaps you’re photographing a person who is looking off to the right of the camera. Leave room in the photograph in the direction in which your subject is looking. This gives the viewer space to follow your subject’s gaze.
▶ Use different perspectives and angles. As you make your way through your daily life, you spend most of your time looking at the world from a standing position. It’s all too familiar to see photographs taken from that same perspective and think, “I could have shot that.” Change your perspective by getting down on the floor or up on a ladder—shoot subjects from weird angles. It’s fun, and you can create images that are different from your normal visual frame of reference. Doing this also makes people stop and pay more attention. It’s almost like viewers are forced to put themselves at the level of the photographer—that’s called engagement!
▶ Break all of the rules and have fun. I discovered, early on in my studies, that learning the rules was essential to becoming a consistently better artist. Then I learned an even better lesson: rules are made to be broken. You can create visually compelling images by purposefully (and sometimes, forcefully) breaking the rules. When done correctly, this can create tension in a photograph that carries the mood in a dramatic fashion. This is also about learning, experimentation, and fun. Take tons of photographs all of the time. Study them and study the photographs of some of the great photographers, past and present. Dissect them to see which rules and guidelines they follow and which they break. Don’t forget to play with your camera and its settings to try new stuff. This is photography, after all, not rocket surgery.
Damien Franco is a photographer, artist, and writer based in Houston. He is well known for sharing quality photography information online. You can view his work at: http://damienfranco.com.
