I got my Christmas present early...

[SnowyShiloh]

Our friend was over last night and accidentally spilled the beans that Paul bought me a camera for Christmas! Since the secret was out, Paul decided to just give it to me early. Imagine my surprised when I opened the box and found... a disposable Kodak camera! Ha ha ha, laughs all around :biggrin2: THEN imagine my surprise when I opened the real box and found... a Canon Digital Rebel XTi :shock::shock::shock:

Needless to say, I am very pleased and excited and amazed that Paul got it for me. I'd planned to ask my parents and brother for money for Christmas so I could buy the Nikon D40, which is a couple hundred dollars less than the Canon Digital Rebel.

I'm going to start reading the instruction manual now, I can't wait to take beautiful pictures! Anyone have any tips for using a camera like this? I've always been into photography so I'm quite excited.

 

[PepnFluff]

Lucky much! thats an awesome camera! Honestly I dont know jack about cameras but I searched it and the amount of specs that came up for that babyit must be goodHave fun being snap happy, go get some pics of those beautiful bunners especially Phoebeand post them up so we can marvel at the clarity and beautifulness of the shot and the bun

Phoebe

 

[MissBinky]

Awwww how nice :biggrin2:Now I get to see more pics right??? Oh and as for a tip? Yeah, don't drop it

 

[mouse_chalk]

:shock::shock::shock:

WOW! You have the same camera as me!!! Lol.... it's really great, I love mine..... :biggrin2:

How did you get on with the instruction manual? I must admit I didn't really read mine for the first few months lol.... :embarrassed:

My tip? Avoid using the auto modes- all of the 'green' settings on the dial. Try and at least get to grips with P (Program) mode, and even the others if you can. You'll get much better pictures I promise! Get a really decent sized memory card (I use 4GB ones) so that you can use the highest quality setting- they aren't very expensive these days! I currently don't do much post-editing as I don't know how lol, so I don't really shoot in RAW, but it's reccommended to...

Can't wait to see what you've snapped! Congratulations! And what a lovely man Paul is! Was he mad at your friend for spilling the beans?!

 

[mouse_chalk]

MissBinky wrote:

Awwww how nice :biggrin2:Now I get to see more pics right??? Oh and as for a tip? Yeah, don't drop it

Lol! I read in one of my photography magazines, someone dropped theirs down wooden stairs.... it was fine, not a scratch on it!! :shock:


Oooh another tip- get a filter for the lens. A skylight filter I think they're called, or a UV filter? They wont alter your pictures at all but they will protect the lens from dust etc- They're about $20 I think, and it's much easier to replace that than have to replace the whole lens. Well worth it!! Which reminds me to ask, did you get the kit lens with it? The 18-55mm one? That's the one I mostly use

 

[irishbunny]

Cool! I'm getting a digital camera too for christmas, though it won't be half as good as that one! At the moment I'm just using a camera phone

 

[DyemondRabbitry]

You will be SO happy with the camera! I have one also and it takes beautiful pictures when you figure out all it's little tricks! I have some amazing pictures from mine. By the way- we had the film version before and loved it so much that when the digital came out we got it too!



Oh yeah- all my my pictures in the "Our Family" thread were taken with this

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Mouse_Chalk, Paul ordered me a 16 GB card for it! Should hold plenty :biggrin2: Unfortunately, it didn't ship until yesterday so it'll be a few more days until I can get started taking pictures. I almost want to go buy a cheap little one from the store so I can play before then! The camera will take pictures without a card, but I think you can only do auto and of course it doesn't save them. We were having fun last night taking pictures of random things and being amazed by how well they looked on the screen considering only one little lamp was on in our tiny apartment!

Also, I was wrong about which camera it is. It's the 12.2 MP XSi, not XTi. Here's the Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012YA85A/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I feel dumb, but is the lens included the one you mean, Jen? I will be sure to get the UV filter and a nicely padded camera bag for it, and

MissBinky, I sure hope I don't drop it! I'm a clumsy person, but thankfully I've never dropped anything really important like a baby or a bunny or a camera. One of the first things I did was put the neck strap on it, hopefully that will minimize my chances of dropping it.

Dyemond, I'm going to go take a look at your blog! And PepnFluff (or should I say, the OTHER Phoebe), lots of pictures of Phoebe Mae will be taken! I'm trying to decide who should get the honor of the first photograph...

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Okay, I have a silly question... for this camera, which UV filter should I buy? It says the lens is 18-55 mm. I need to learn more about cameras!

 

[slavetoabunny]

Very nice camera! I really like Canon products. I have a 8.0 MP Powershot S5. One great thing about it is that I can use the awesome lenses my husband has for his Canon. He has one lens the in 800mm :shock:. You will really enjoy the camera!

 

[mouse_chalk]

SnowyShiloh wrote:

Okay, I have a silly question... for this camera, which UV filter should I buy? It says the lens is 18-55 mm. I need to learn more about cameras!

Hello! Sorry, I only just got your PM!

For the UV filter, the size you need is 58mm. I'm guessing you want a UV protection filter- which basically absorbs UV rays getting through and you getting hazy pictures. You wont notice a real difference in picture quality, except a lack of 'haziness', and it will protect the lens too

Hoya are a really good make: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00009R9A1/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I find it really hard to understand Amazon's crazy pricing ways, I think it said that was $11, but I'm not sure lol!


There's also a Canon one for about $12:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007NIB42/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


And a Tiffen one:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004ZCJI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


Just make sure that you buy one that is 58mm in size.... that's the size to fit the lens you have!!


Oh, and that camera that you have is the model up from mine lol! :X That's the one that Fran (pinksalamander) wants too.... it's got Live View (you can take the picture whilst looking through the LCD screen like on compact cameras), and the lens is Image Stabilised, to compensate for movement, which mine isn't lol. From everything I've read it's a great camera!

Did you go and get a cheap memory card? I wouldn't be able to wait lol....16GB is amazing! I dont think you'll be running out of space on that one lol!

Does that help at all?

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Jen, thanks so much! I forgot to say in the PM that on RO it said you were online, but you weren't showing up on my MSN. I wasn't trying to be pushy, just saw you were online so thought I'd say hi

All that info is perfect. It's a little late here so I'll order the filter tomorrow! Hopefully I can get one with free shipping :biggrin2: I'm going to look around at the store here for a camera bag since the ones on Amazon are HUGE, they look like I could fit all my bunnies in them! I'm going to buy this book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1598635786/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

According to the reviews, it's basically the user's manual in more detail. Sounds like a good starting place to me! And no, we didn't get to the store to get a cheaper card because poor Paul isn't feeling well (stayed home from work today) and he's the driver. I did however "practice" taking pictures of Rory, some of them would have been adorable! I'll probably pick up a smaller card tomorrow after work just so I don't have to wait longer.

Thanks again, Jen!

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Okay okay I ordered the stuff tonight! I found the perfect camera bag:

http://www.tamrac.com/welcome.htm

I ordered the red and black one :biggrin2: It looks like a nice bag, cost $30 (free shipping! The only way to go) and the Tamrac web site lists that bag as being compatible with my camera. Woohoo!

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Jen! I need help again! I got the UV filter, how do I put it on the camera? And how can I clean the lens, it got a smear on it from a certain bunny nose.

 

[mouse_chalk]

SnowyShiloh wrote:

Jen! I need help again! I got the UV filter, how do I put it on the camera? And how can I clean the lens, it got a smear on it from a certain bunny nose.

It should just screw onto the end of the lens? There's a small filter thread on it... screw it on tightly, but not too tight- they're a nightmare to get off otherwise lol!

When you say on the lens, you mean the end of it? I use a microfibre cloth to clean mine, very gently.... I must say I'm not sure what the 'reccommended' method of cleaning is.... But I've always used that and it's been fine

 

[SnowyShiloh]

It doesn't fit on the end of the lens! Do you mean the far end of the lens, the part that has the bunny nose print? It's too small to fit there and there aren't any threads anyway. The filter is 58 mm, it says right on it. I bought the Canon one, so you'd think it would fit! I must be doing it wrong. Time for google image search.

What liquid can I use to clean the lens? The nose print has dried so I need to get it wet.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Okay, I found a picture of a Canon camera with the UV filter on it, and it goes where I thought it did... Why doesn't the filter fit on my camera then? The inside rim of the filter has threads, which implies the filter screws on over the lens, but there are no threads on the outside rim of the lens. Just the things to hold the lens cap in place. Oh and the lens cap wouldn't fit over the UV filter either, they're the same size. What am I doing wrong here?

 

[mouse_chalk]

SnowyShiloh wrote:

It doesn't fit on the end of the lens! Do you mean the far end of the lens, the part that has the bunny nose print? It's too small to fit there and there aren't any threads anyway. The filter is 58 mm, it says right on it. I bought the Canon one, so you'd think it would fit! I must be doing it wrong. Time for google image search.

What liquid can I use to clean the lens? The nose print has dried so I need to get it wet.

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/c...ategoryid=149&modelid=15704#ModelTechSpecsAct

It's defiantely the right size! That's so odd.....

How do you mean it doesn't fit? Can you get a picture of it? Is the filter literally too small for it? :?

I'll try and get a picture of how mine goes on...

 

[mouse_chalk]

Just uploading a couple of pics now!

The filter thread for the lens is on the inside- the filter should just screw into it?

This has puzzled me lol!

 

[SnowyShiloh]

I took some pictures with the other camera, they're uploading now!