My first task, before starting on the learning materials, is to "Know my camera" i.e. read the manual. I have a Canon EOS 450D and I've had it for almost a year. I thought this would be a formality, but have amazed myself by what I didn't know, and found the answers to some of my failed shots. So tonight I have finally done it, end to end, and here's what I found I didn't know but should have known.
1. AI Servo. AI stands for artificial intelligence. I've had my camera set to one shot autofocus since day 1, which explains why all my shots of racing children & dogs are blurred. I'm quite ashamed to own up to that one, especially as I used this in my previous bridge camera where it was helpfully called "Continuous autofocus".
2. The higher the ISO speed the greater the flash range. Obvious when I think about it now.
3. Higher temperatures can result in grainier images. That was a revelation.
4. Formatting a memory card. I've never done it before, and still not completely clear whether it's necessary, but I've done it tonight.
5. AE lock & FE lock - useful when the area of focus is to be different from the metering area, effective for backlit subjects.
I also set some custom settings to suit my shooting style.
So I now feel armed and ready to get started on the learning materials. No excuses about not knowing my camera!
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