DSLR newbie/ Disney questions

[thinkerbell]

We just bought a Canon T3i. We literally took it out of the box today.We have always used a point and shoot so we don't know a whole lot about the camera other than using our daughters a little bit. We got two lenses with it. One is 18-55mm and the other is a 75-300mm. In what instances would we use each lens at Disney--or anywhere else for that matter? Do we need to take both of them? If we were only going to take one of the lenses to the parks, which would be the best? We are leaving to head down to Disney on Christmas Day so we don't have a whole lot of time to practice with it. I have been playing around with it in the house today but since it is raining buckets I haven't been able to get outside. We will have tomorrow and Tuesday to practice. Also, to take pictures of fireworks, what settings should we use?

One more question. It also came with an extra flash. Since it has a flash on it, in what instances would we need the extra flash?

Thanks so much!

 

[havoc315]

You'll want to use the regular kit lens most of the time. The telephoto zoom is very useful at the Animal Kingdom safari.

 

[Animagic!]

Congrats on your new camera!

As far as a point and shoot goes, you can always use your T3i like a point and shoot if that what you are comfortable with. The T3i is a very capable and well loved camera that is able to take great pictures. It is going to have lots of advanced controls on it that you aren't used to using because they aren't available on a point and shoot camera. But don't let that concern or discourage you! As far as all the "fancy" controls and modes go, don't worry about it. I suggest keeping your camera in Auto mode and simply have fun. If you spend your whole vacation fretting over controls, dials, and modes that you do not yet understand then A) you'll probably end up with bad photos or many missed photo opportunities and/or B) the frustration of dealing with a new camera can ruin or really dampen your fun trip. If it is new to you then just keep it in Auto and enjoy yourself. That's what the trip is all about anyways. Besides, your camera is pretty smart. Let it do the thinking while you have fun.

As far as lenses go, the 18-55mm lens is the standard kit lens. It is meant as a generic, do-all (within reason) lens. 18-55mm is a very common focal range at which most walk-around pictures are taken. 18mm is considered "wide" so it fits a lot into the frame. 55mm of zoom is a "medium" range that lets you focus in on details or zoom in on distant objects. It is not a lot of zoom but it's useful. I personally rarely zoom outside of 50mm. In fact when I'm in the parks I typically keep my photos between 18-30mm. A lot of zoom is generally not necessary in the parks for general picture taking and family photos.

However, I would suggest taking along the 70-300mm, especially if you only have only two lens to worry about. Simply put, you cannot use what you don't have with you. That lens will give you a lot of zoom. 300mm is quite a bit of zoom, especially at a Disney park. For the most part I'd recommend the 70-300mm for shows and the Safari at Animal Kingdom. I have an inexpensive 75-300mm that came with my camera and I got some excellent shots of Fantasmic! and Beauty and the Beast with it. It's a fun lens to bring on the Mark Twain or get distant shots of scenery. The 70-300mm is also great for taking pictures of details, especially at somewhere like Animal Kingdom and Epcot. Long zooms are popular for wildlife photographers. So bring it to AK and you'll get some nice, up-close-and-personal pictures of the wildlife.

If you have to have go with only one lens then definitely use the 18-55mm. However if you can bring both then I highly recommend taking both lenses and using the 70-300mm as you need it for shows and detail shots.

Fireworks are difficult to photograph. To get decent fireworks shots you typically need a tripod and a good working knowledge of photography and your camera. Definitely feel free to try your hand at fireworks but be prepared to get few decent shots if you're shooting them offhand in Auto mode. But try it anyways. Your photos might not be perfect but trying will help you learn. I would suggest trying to set your camera down on something solid and safe (some people use trash cans) instead of a tripod, use a 2 second timer to eliminate camera shake, and use a long exposure to get brighter images and nice light trails.

The extra flash will likely be more powerful and capable than the one built in your camera. But they will also make your camera more bulky and heavy. Plus it is one more piece of equipment to learn to use, bring with you, and carry around. It's entirely up to you but I would suggest using the camera's flash and leaving the external one at home.

 

[thinkerbell]

Thanks for all of the info. That definitely helps to know where to use the bigger lens. We always carry a book bag so it won't be a problem to carry it. It IS a good bit heavier than our old point and shoot but we are excited about seeing the pictures it takes. We will be taking our grandbaby in June so we want to really see what the camera will do this trip, maybe just on auto though.

 

[DoDaLeCa]

Set your camera on auto mode (green square?) so it will act just like a point and shoot - you can try other modes as your experience and confidence rise.

If one lens only take the 18-55 as the 75-300 is too long a focal length for shots in crowds, etc. where you can't back up 20 feet to get everyone in the picture. The 75-300 is more a far distance lens.

One thing to note is that the more recent - current versions of the 75-300 (and maybe your 18-55 depending on version) are not equipped with image stabilization so you will want to keep shutter speed above 1/(Focal Length x 1.6) in seconds if hand holding the camera (not on tripod or other stable support) otherwise hand shake might cause a blurry picture. For example if shooting at 300 mm focal length you will want a shutter speed of 1/(300 x 1.6) = 1/480s or faster which is probably 1/500 s when you set it (you can keep the math simple by just doubling it instead of doing 1.6x).

The auto picture mode probably will not do this automatically (it may give a slow shutter speed [long time open] to get the proper exposure as these lenses are considered "slow" in terms of maximum aperture [small opening wide open]).

You can also use the external flash for things like bouncing light off of the nearby ceiling (I'm assuming the external flash has a tilt head) to get light coming down on your subjects which looks natural (used to lighting by the sun and indoor lights which are overhead). As well it will have more power than the built-in flash (I think it has a GN of 13 whereas most Canon externals will be 20 - 60) plus the red eye might be a little better as the flash is farther above the lens axis (but I think it will still be bad as the light isn't that high above the lens so that is why most people prefer bounce or off camera flash).

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

Since you don't have time to learn how to use a DSLR before your trip, as the others have said, just leave it on the auto mode and use it like a point and shoot. You should get better images than a standard P & S. However, until you learn how to use your new camera, temper your expectations. Cameras do not take pictures, but photographers do. As soon as you return from your trip, I would highly recommend the book, Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. This is a great beginners book to start to learn photography. You didn't say what additional accessories you purchased, ie, memory cards, extra battery etc. Depending on how many images you take and what mode you use (JPEG, RAW or RAW+) you may need some extra memory. Again, depending on how much you shoot (plus constantly looking at your screen + flash use) will determine how long your battery will last before it needs recharging.

There is a lot more to a DSLR system than the P & S, so use this trip as a learning experience. When you get back, then you can start the learning process using your images as learning tools to what you did right and wrong. Don't get discouraged we all started almost exactly where you are now. Good luck and have fun.

 

[Animagic!]

Reading about flashes reminded me about something. NEVER use a flash on a dark ride. Doing so is like the cardinal sin of Disney photography. You probably already know this but I like to remind everyone.

Also, keep in mind that the built in flash is usually not that great. This isn't a reflection upon your camera. It's more of a general rule for all cameras. They aren't powerful or necessarily accurate. But they'll do in a pinch. Also, I'd like to add that I almost never use a flash, ever.

As a tip, sometimes the greatest use of a flash is in the daylight. When it is very bright outside the sun will cast heavy shadows on people's faces. When your camera tries to meter the bright light you end up with images that have properly metered faces in the sunlight but the shaded parts end up very dark, making for a bizarre looking contrast between the light and dark parts of the face. Buy using a flash in this harsh light you can brighten the dark, shaded areas and have an evenly metered face that looks normal.

 

[confectioneer]

That's a great camera -- congrats on it!!

Like others have said, there's a bit of a learning curve going from a P&S to all the options available from a DSLR. So the advice to keep it in "green" mode for now is a good one.

If you haven't read the manual, I recommend reading the manual. Then, read it again. That's a great way to learn about all your camera can do (seriously!).

One other thing I'd recommend is, if you get a few minutes of down time while taking pictures, is take it off "green" mode and experiment with the Aperture Priority (Av) and Shutter Priority (Tv) modes. Pick a composition you like, take a shot in "green", then switch it to Av and adjust settings. Repeat in Tv. When you're able to put the results up on a monitor that'll be a big help in learning how those creative controls impact your image.

(Don't forget to return to "green" when you're done

Adam

 

[thinkerbell]

Set your camera on auto mode (green square?) so it will act just like a point and shoot - you can try other modes as your experience and confidence rise.

One thing to note is that the more recent - current versions of the 75-300 (and maybe your 18-55 depending on version) are not equipped with image stabilization so you will want to keep shutter speed above 1/(Focal Length x 1.6) in seconds if hand holding the camera (not on tripod or other stable support) otherwise hand shake might cause a blurry picture. For example if shooting at 300 mm focal length you will want a shutter speed of 1/(300 x 1.6) = 1/480s or faster which is probably 1/500 s when you set it (you can keep the math simple by just doubling it instead of doing 1.6x).

Thanks for the info. I did notice that the 18-55 did have the image stabilization and the 75-300 did not.
Shutter speed (and aperture)---something that we know very little about. That info in the blue is very helpful. Thank you. We are driving this time so I will have about 8 hours going down to play with it and maybe see what I can do outside of the auto mode. We definitely have a LOT to learn.

 

[thinkerbell]

Since you don't have time to learn how to use a DSLR before your trip, as the others have said, just leave it on the auto mode and use it like a point and shoot. You should get better images than a standard P & S. However, until you learn how to use your new camera, temper your expectations. Cameras do not take pictures, but photographers do. As soon as you return from your trip, I would highly recommend the book, Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. This is a great beginners book to start to learn photography. You didn't say what additional accessories you purchased, ie, memory cards, extra battery etc. Depending on how many images you take and what mode you use (JPEG, RAW or RAW+) you may need some extra memory. Again, depending on how much you shoot (plus constantly looking at your screen + flash use) will determine how long your battery will last before it needs recharging.

There is a lot more to a DSLR system than the P & S, so use this trip as a learning experience. When you get back, then you can start the learning process using your images as learning tools to what you did right and wrong. Don't get discouraged we all started almost exactly where you are now. Good luck and have fun.

Thanks for the book recommendation. I need it!! I don't want to be a professional but I do want to know how to use what our camera has to offer.
We got a lot of extras with it--an extra battery, a 32 gb card (and we also have two 16 gb cards that we use with our video camera as back ups), card reader, camera case, sd card wallet, remote, lens cleaning kit, tripod, screen protectors, uv filters, and the external flash. We THINK we have all that we need.

Not sure about the part in red. I don't know the difference in the different types of files or how to change that on the camera. Is one of the types any better than the other?

 

[thinkerbell]

Reading about flashes reminded me about something. NEVER use a flash on a dark ride. Doing so is like the cardinal sin of Disney photography. You probably already know this but I like to remind everyone.

Also, keep in mind that the built in flash is usually not that great. This isn't a reflection upon your camera. It's more of a general rule for all cameras. They aren't powerful or necessarily accurate. But they'll do in a pinch. Also, I'd like to add that I almost never use a flash, ever.

As a tip, sometimes the greatest use of a flash is in the daylight. When it is very bright outside the sun will cast heavy shadows on people's faces. When your camera tries to meter the bright light you end up with images that have properly metered faces in the sunlight but the shaded parts end up very dark, making for a bizarre looking contrast between the light and dark parts of the face. Buy using a flash in this harsh light you can brighten the dark, shaded areas and have an evenly metered face that looks normal.

We definitely know not to use a flash on the inside stuff at Disney. That is very annoying so we don't do it besides it being against rules on many of the rides and shows.

I had forgotten, but you talking about using the flash in the daylight is a good reminder. We had to use it a good bit when we were last in Las Vegas for our outside pictures. We would put our backs to the sun and the pictures would have our faces really dark. We learned by experience on that trip that flash is good in those instances.

 

[thinkerbell]

That's a great camera -- congrats on it!!

Like others have said, there's a bit of a learning curve going from a P&S to all the options available from a DSLR. So the advice to keep it in "green" mode for now is a good one.

If you haven't read the manual, I recommend reading the manual. Then, read it again. That's a great way to learn about all your camera can do (seriously!).

One other thing I'd recommend is, if you get a few minutes of down time while taking pictures, is take it off "green" mode and experiment with the Aperture Priority (Av) and Shutter Priority (Tv) modes. Pick a composition you like, take a shot in "green", then switch it to Av and adjust settings. Repeat in Tv. When you're able to put the results up on a monitor that'll be a big help in learning how those creative controls impact your image.

(Don't forget to return to "green" when you're done

Adam

Thanks! I just hope we haven't bit off more than we can chew. I have read the manual from front to back. Many of the things are too hard to understand, never having used them before. I'll have to do what you said and play around with it and look at the differences on the computer. I tried playing around with it and some of the pictures look the same--but I was looking at them on the camera. Some of them were really blurry because I have no idea what I am doing. Hopefully, I can take some of the advice from here and get a little better.

For this trip, though, I think I will follow all of ya'lls advice and keep it on auto most of the time.

 

[wiigirl]

You'll want to use the regular kit lens most of the time. The telephoto zoom is very useful at the Animal Kingdom safari.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

Thanks for the book recommendation. I need it!! I don't want to be a professional but I do want to know how to use what our camera has to offer.
We got a lot of extras with it--an extra battery, a 32 gb card (and we also have two 16 gb cards that we use with our video camera as back ups), card reader, camera case, sd card wallet, remote, lens cleaning kit, tripod, screen protectors, uv filters, and the external flash. We THINK we have all that we need.

Not sure about the part in red. I don't know the difference in the different types of files or how to change that on the camera. Is one of the types any better than the other?

From smaller to larger files, JPEG is where your camera chooses what data it needs to produce an image and disregards everything else. These can be post processed, but will have limitations in certain areas. Each time a JPEG file is copied a small amount of data is lost, however with the larger files being produced by the higher megapixel cameras its not as bad as in the past. RAW files are everything that the camera sees is recorded. This type of file requires post processing with software. I like to think of RAW files as similar to film negatives. You can produce as many copies from a RAW file as you want without the loss of data. RAW+ files are the RAW and a JPEG file. This gives you the "negative" file with the instant gratification of a JPEG. Its totally up to the photographer (and sometimes the situation), which file to select from your camera's menu. I choose which format to use based on the situation. Example: being a motorsports photographer, I need the JPEG's for my boss instantly and the higher burst rate of the JPEG format. When not shooting motorsports, I usually shoot RAW+ so I have the "negative" and the JPEG for instant viewing. RAW+ uses a large amount of memory so that may not be for everyone. Its your choice.

 

[photo_chick]

Congrats on the camera! Like others have said leave it on auto until you get to know a little about the technical side of things. ON the lenses, while we all shoot differently, if those were my only lenses I'd keep the 18-55 on there everywhere except maybe on the safari at Animal Kingdom. There I'd use the 75-300. Also understand that because of the 75-300's aperture limitations combined with it's slow focusing the lens might produce disappointing results in less than full sun. It's great when there's enough light but is less than idea for other situations.

 

[JillyBean1899]

The only things I would worry about are learning the little icons on the thumb wheel to use the preset options. You'll want the fast motion (mine looks like a running man) for animal shots usually (I can take pictures of NASCAR races with no problem with this setting) plus it lets you use burst mode, which I *LOVE* because if you just take one shot of everything, I guarantee that you'll miss shots.

Also, you'll want to get used to the autofocus on the DSLR. If you point the camera at something and mash the button all the way down, it's probably not going to be in focus. What you need to do is center what you're taking a picture of in the viewfinder (use the eyepiece, don't use the screen for taking pictures), and push the button down halfway. The easiest way I can describe it is you'll feel it hit like a ledge, and you have to push harder to get it to take the shot. If you focus on something, and keep the button held halfway down, you can track what you're trying to shoot and hopefully get it doing something interesting.

The biggest difference you will notice is the speed of a DSLR. When you hit the button, it takes the picture *INSTANTLY*. None of this focusing back and forth and oh maybe this is what it wants finally take the picture stuff.

There are a bunch of great books for learning how to use the camera. And check with your local community college or community center; a lot of the time they have amateur camera classes that teach you how to really dive in and use all the spiffy features on it.

 

[Animagic!]

Also understand that because of the 75-300's aperture limitations combined with it's slow focusing the lens might produce disappointing results in less than full sun. It's great when there's enough light but is less than idea for other situations.

That's a good point. Your 18-55mm will do better in low light than your 70-300mm. I have never used the Canon version of this lens; however, I do have the inexpensive equivalent by Sony. It was a cheap lens ($100) thrown in as a package when I bought my camera. I almost never used it. Frankly, I never gave it a chance. I snobbishly ignored it, thinking it was too slow and cheap to be a "good" lens. I feel like an idiot now because after giving the Sony 75-300mm a chance to prove itself I was impressed by how great the lens was. Moral of the story, give your lenses an honest shot to prove themselves and see what they are capable of. Your 18-55mm will probably be doing the lion's share of the work but don't be afraid to break out the 70-300mm and give it some lovin' too. It may surprise you.

As a point of reference, my "cheap and slow" zoom that everyone told me would be next to useless shooting hand held in low light turned out to be much better than I expected at Fantasmic! Here's a pic that my zoom took. It was taken at 300mm, at a f/5.6 aperture, shutter speed of 1/500 of a second, and ISO of 2000. True, it's not a perfect image. But I'd say it's pretty good for a slow, inexpensive lens. Moral of the story, don't be afraid to try out your equipment.


Spirit Fingers by tomserwin, on Flickr

 

[fla4fun]

I also recommend that you buy your books as ebooks if possible. I have mine loaded on my iPad and iPod so if I'm out and about and want to refer to the book, it's always with me. I have a book that is camera model specific, as well as the Understanding Exposure book, and an app for DSLR beginners. They have all come in handy at different times.

I've had my new Canon DSLR for a couple months now. I started out using Program ("P") mode instead of Auto because it didn't use the flash and I found my photos turned out better on that setting. I'm doing most of my shooting in Av mode now (working on going full M mode), but sometimes I just get the camera out to play around with different settings. I can't tell you how many photos I have taken lying on the couch looking up at the ceiling fan - a moving ceiling fan is a great subject when learning about photographing motion and light conditions.

The best advice I can give you is to enjoy your new camera and don't be afraid to experiment. Sometimes it's fun to try the different preset modes for other things - like using the sports mode for fireworks - just to see what happens. Sometimes the results are good, sometimes not so good, but the great thing about digital is you can dump the bad ones and take more, and every time you try something new, you learn something!

I also agree that the 18-55 is a good all around lens for the parks. Mine works very well in low light. I was amazed at how well my photos of the lights at the Studios came out this year using that lens - not a bad one in the bunch! I have the 40mm pancake that I keep on the camera most of the time, just to lighten the load, but the 18-55 is more versatile when it comes to composing the shot. However, the extra zoom does come in handy on the Safari at AK so you may want to have it avaliable for that purpose only. I have back issues that make carrying any weight at all very painful, so I don't generally carry any additional gear - just the body with whatever lens I want to use that day. Some people like to carry everything so they are prepared for whatever comes their way. As a newbie, you could fall into either group.

 

[photo_chick]

That's a good point. Your 18-55mm will do better in low light than your 70-300mm. I have never used the Canon version of this lens; however, I do have the inexpensive equivalent by Sony. It was a cheap lens ($100) thrown in as a package when I bought my camera. I almost never used it. Frankly, I never gave it a chance. I snobbishly ignored it, thinking it was too slow and cheap to be a "good" lens. I feel like an idiot now because after giving the Sony 75-300mm a chance to prove itself I was impressed by how great the lens was. Moral of the story, give your lenses an honest shot to prove themselves and see what they are capable of. Your 18-55mm will probably be doing the lion's share of the work but don't be afraid to break out the 70-300mm and give it some lovin' too. It may surprise you.

As a point of reference, my "cheap and slow" zoom that everyone told me would be next to useless shooting hand held in low light turned out to be much better than I expected at Fantasmic! Here's a pic that my zoom took. It was taken at 300mm, at a f/5.6 aperture, shutter speed of 1/500 of a second, and ISO of 2000. True, it's not a perfect image. But I'd say it's pretty good for a slow, inexpensive lens. Moral of the story, don't be afraid to try out your equipment.

I bolded the important line here. Because the OP just got their new toys I didn't want to come out and say it, but I will. The Canon 75-300 is the worst lens Canon has on the market right now. You know how people dog on the cheap old Sigma zooms for being awful? This lens is worse. Not just the aperture but the CA, sharpness, everything across the board is awful. It's an old design that was passable with film but doesn't hold up to digital well at all. I do have this lens and have considerable experience with it. Using it in less than full sun, especially on auto, can be an exercise in frustration and disappointment. I still don't get why Canon doesn't drop this antiquated lens off their lineup because the 55-250 is in the same price range and a much better quality lens. Also the Canon 70-300 is actually a different, more expensive and better quality lens.

Specs are only part of the story.

 

[Animagic!]

I bolded the important line here. Because the OP just got their new toys I didn't want to come out and say it, but I will. The Canon 75-300 is the worst lens Canon has on the market right now. You know how people dog on the cheap old Sigma zooms for being awful? This lens is worse. Not just the aperture but the CA, sharpness, everything across the board is awful. It's an old design that was passable with film but doesn't hold up to digital well at all. I do have this lens and have considerable experience with it. Using it in less than full sun, especially on auto, can be an exercise in frustration and disappointment. I still don't get why Canon doesn't drop this antiquated lens off their lineup because the 55-250 is in the same price range and a much better quality lens. Also the Canon 70-300 is actually a different, more expensive and better quality lens.

Specs are only part of the story.

Oh, I see! I didn't know that about the Canon zoom. I was operating under the assumption that at the same price point, zoom range, and low reputation the two lenses would be somewhat comparable to demonstrate a point I was trying to make. I looked the lens up on B&H and although it had significantly more review than my Sony model they both had the same rating and the reviews were very similar between the two lenses. That's why I chose to compare them.

Anywho, no matter. To thinkerbell, my point still stands. I was dumb. I let other people's opinion of my zoom lens effect my attitude toward it and so I never gave my zoom a chance. It wasn't until I actually tried it out that I realized that it was a really fun lens that wasn't nearly as bad as I assumed that it was. I haven't used the Canon zoom, so I can't give a side by side, direct comparison of my Sony lens and the Canon; however, since they cost the same, zoom the same, and have similar reviews on B&H, I would say they are similar enough to make my point. Yes, your 75-300mm may not be the best lens in the world but don't let that stop you from using it, playing around with it, and (most of all) having fun with it. They say "The best camera is the one you have with you." Same goes for lenses. The best lenses are the ones you have with you. True, your Canon 75-300 isn't a professional $10,000 wildlife lens. However, it is the one you have. And having your lens is WAY better than not having any zoom lens. Let's say you're watching a show or looking at animals at AK. 18-55mm will only zoom in so far. Personally, I'd rather have any inexpensive/slow zoom lens over not having any zoom at all and trying to get pictures with a tiny subject at 55mm. But that's just me.

All lens have limitations of some kind. You generally have to trade one good quality for another, no matter how expensive or nice a lens is. You just learn to work around each lens' particular limitations. So learn from my mistake and don't ignore your 75-300mm before giving it an honest try. Then, if you don't like it and it isn't for you, then it isn't for you. But who knows, you may love using it.

Enjoy your new camera! I hope you get lots of awesome pictures with it!