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Exploring Your Canon 

EOS Rebel SL1/100D

In This Chapter

▶ 

Getting to know the camera controls

▶ 

Using the viewfinder

▶ 

Introducing the touchscreen

▶ 

Attaching and removing a lens

▶ 

Using image stabilization

▶ 

Using a zoom lens

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Changing camera settings

▶ 

Using SD cards

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Accessorizing your Canon EOS Rebel SL1/100D

T

his pint-sized dSLR comes with a shooting mode 
for every photographer. If you’re new to digital 

photography, or you’ve graduated from a point-
and-shoot digital camera, Canon gives you several 
modes to create great photographs automatically. 
Think of these as your training wheels. And if 
you’re a seasoned photographer, Canon also gives 
you quite a few modes where you can take the reins 
and create the type of photograph you want. Add 
Creative Filters, in-camera editing, plus in-camera 
HDR, and you’ve got a potent tool for creating cool 
images.

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7/8/13   2:22 PM

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COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL

Summary of Contents for EOS Rebel SL1/100D

Page 1: ...ting mode for every photographer If you re new to digital photography or you ve graduated from a point and shoot digital camera Canon gives you several modes to create great photographs automatically Think of these as your training wheels And if you re a seasoned photographer Canon also gives you quite a few modes where you can take the reins and create the type of photograph you want Add Creative...

Page 2: ...ase You do have to go to the menu to access some features typically provided by but tons on a Canon camera body but access to menu options has never been easier thanks to the Quick Control button which you push to display shoot ing settings on the LCD monitor From this menu you can specify settings with your finger on the touchscreen or you can use the cross keys to navi gate and specify settings ...

Page 3: ...ehind the shutter button so you ll easily be able to find it when you re taking pictures Here s the lay of the land on the top of the camera Power switch This switch powers the camera on and off You also use it to capture video Shutter button This button prefocuses the camera and takes a picture I discuss this button in greater detail in Chapter 2 Main dial This dial changes a setting after you pr...

Page 4: ...eo Microphone monaural Record sound when capturing video Exploring the back of the camera The back of the camera is also an important place Here you find controls to access the camera menu switch to Live View mode and much more The following is what you find on the back of your SL1 100D see Figure 1 2 Menu Press this button to display the last used camera menu on the LCD monitor I introduce you to...

Page 5: ...n of an image you ve previously magnified Aperture Exposure Compensation button This button is also used in conjunction with the Main dial to set the aperture when shooting in Manual M mode You also use this button with the Main dial to increase or decrease the exposure Exposure Compensation Cross keys These keys are directional up down left and right and are used to navigate between menu settings...

Page 6: ... images access menu settings and apply menu settings In addition the LCD monitor on your camera has a touchscreen similar to touchscreens on portable devices and smart phones Here you can make menu changes apply shooting settings and scroll between images as well as magnify them Figure 1 2 Buttons and dials and switches oh my ...

Page 7: ...nd sometimes only the left cross key will work such as when you need to select OK to finalize a setting Exploring the front of the camera The front of your camera see Figure 1 3 has controls you can use and other gizmos that the camera uses Here you ll find a few buttons that you use every time you use the camera as well as some features you ll rarely use The following are on the front of your cam...

Page 8: ... 35mm film The EF S mount index is white and is used when aligning EF S lenses to the camera when mount ing them Flash button Use this button to pop the on camera flash into the upright and locked position I show you how to flash your subjects in Chapter 7 Red Eye Reduction Self timer lamp When you enable the Red Eye Reduction menu option this lamp sends out a preflash before you actually take the...

Page 9: ...ses in the upcoming sections Attaching a Lens and Removing a Lens Depth of Field preview button Press this button to preview the depth of field the amount of the image in front of and behind your subject that s in apparent focus at the current f stop Exploring the bottom of the camera The underside of your camera see Figure 1 4 has one door and one female thread socket Tripod socket This socket wi...

Page 10: ...king a picture and also all the autofocus points You never see this much information displayed while you re taking a picture though When you peer into the viewfinder you find the current shooting settings ISO speed setting shots remaining and much more Here s the info displayed from left to right in your viewfinder AE lock AEB in progress You ve locked the auto exposure to a specific point in the ...

Page 11: ...he shutter speed and aperture when shooting in M Manual mode See Chapter 6 for more on autoexposure bracketing see Chapter 7 for flash exposure compensation Highlight Tone priority This icon displays when you enable Highlight Tone priority see Chapter 6 ISO speed setting See your currently selected ISO speed setting how sensitive the camera sensor is to light You can also use this informa tion whe...

Page 12: ...creen and then pinch them together To pinch out position your thumb and finger close to each other and spread them away from each other The touchscreen is available when you re using the Quick Menu mode Throughout the book I cover the touchscreen in conjunction with various tasks you perform Chapter 4 covers the LCD monitor for example and there I describe using touchscreen gestures to review imag...

Page 13: ...so don t use sharp instru ments your fingernail or the tip of a ballpoint pen for touchscreen opera tions and don t even press too hard Use your fingertip Having said that do not use the touchscreen with wet fingers Modifying touch control Touch control is enabled by default You can adjust the sensitivity of touch control or if you don t like the feature you can disable it To modify touch control ...

Page 14: ...nnect a microphone to this port the onboard microphone is disabled This port will capture stereo sound from a stereo microphone Remote control Connect an RS 60 E3 remote control device to this port and you can trigger the shutter remotely The device comes with a 2 cord which enables you to move away from the camera and view the LCD monitor when shooting in Live View mode A V Out and Digital Connec...

Page 15: ...21 Chapter 1 Exploring Your Canon EOS Rebel SL1 100D Figure 1 7 Ports just looking to be plugged ...

Page 16: ...ars on the LCD monitor 2 Navigate to the Camera Settings 2 tab shown at the left of Figure 1 8 Use the cross keys to navigate to the Camera Settings 2 icon or tap it Either way you choose the menu with the date and time options dis plays on your LCD monitor The cross keys enable you to navigate left right up or down The key s you use depend on the last menu command you used 3 Highlight Date Time Z...

Page 17: ...ress Set to display up and down arrows and then select the Daylight Saving Time option its icon looks like the sun 10 Set the Time Zone a Press Set to display an up and down arrow around the Time Zone box b Select the desired time zone and then press Set The time zones are listed as cities The default time zone when the camera ships is London time GMT or Greenwich Mean Time 11 Review the settings ...

Page 18: ...ing a short power off time helps conserve your bat tery After your camera powers off press the shutter Info or Menu button to make the camera power on again Here s how to change the power off time 1 Press the Menu button The previously used menu appears on the LCD monitor 2 Navigate to the Camera Settings 2 tab left image Figure 1 10 3 Highlight Auto Power Off left image in Figure 1 10 and then pr...

Page 19: ... the viewfinder and turn the dioptric adjuster knob see Figure 1 11 left or right until the autofocus points look sharp and clear Check your viewfinder clarity every time you go on a new photo shoot It s easy to accidentally turn the dioptric adjuster knob when putting the camera in a case or camera bag Figure 1 11 I can see clearly now Working with Lenses One of the beautiful things about a dSLR ...

Page 20: ...e lens that s already attached see Removing a lens 1 Remove the body cap from the camera Twist the cap counterclockwise to remove it Alternatively you ll remove the lens currently on the camera with the steps I outline in the upcoming Removing a Lens section 2 Remove the rear cap from the lens you re attaching to the camera Twist the cap clockwise to remove it 3 Align the dot on the lens with the ...

Page 21: ...ller than the frame size of 35mm film you can zoom in closer with a telephoto than would be possible with a camera with a full frame sensor Photographers who are experienced shooting with 35mm cameras like to know how lenses will behave on a camera without a full frame sensor They find out by multiplying their camera s focal length multiplier by the focal length of the lens The focal length multip...

Page 22: ...tently blow into your camera I also recommend pointing the camera body down when changing lenses Dust on the sensor shows up as little black specks on your images which is not a good thing Never store a camera without a lens or body cap attached because pollutants may accidentally get into the camera harming the delicate mechanical parts and possibly fouling the sensor Using image stabilization le...

Page 23: ... you take pictures with your camera mounted on a tripod dis able image stabilization If you don t disable this feature you may get a less than crystal clear shot because the lens is trying to stabilize motion that is not present the tripod stabilizes the camera Using a zoom lens Zoom lenses come in two flavors twist to zoom or push pull to zoom in or out respectively The lens that comes with the S...

Page 24: ... focal length range and features image stabilization The wider focal lengths of this lens are ideal for creating landscape images The range from 50mm to 80mm is ideal for creating portraits and the longer focal lengths enable you to zoom in on wildlife like wading birds 40mm f 2 8 STM This lens may be the ideal walkabout lens for your camera The body and lens combine for a very small footprint hel...

Page 25: ...toward the front of the camera I find it s easier to change cards with the back of the camera facing me 2 Insert the card in the slot As shown in Figure 1 14 the card label should face you and the end with the contacts should face the front of the camera 3 Gently push the card into the slot and I do mean gently Never force a card because you could damage the contacts in the camera and the card The...

Page 26: ...not read a card however you can purchase a data recovery program to retrieve the data from the card Data recovery programs also work if you accidentally erase the card before downloading the images to your computer Chapter 4 covers deleting images A program called CardRecovery which works with Windows applications retails for 39 99 www cardrecovery com or you can purchase CardRescue for the Mac wh...

Page 27: ... The menu changes to show the amount of data on the card and displays a warning that all data will be lost see the right image in Figure 1 15 6 Highlight OK and then press Set Again use the cross keys to navigate to OK or just tap OK The card is formatted Now you have a blank card that s ready to cap ture images from the camera The Low Level format totally erases all data on the card and resets it...

Page 28: ...ally dis charges In addition Li ion batteries have a long life In the upcoming sec tions I show you everything you need to know about the battery that powers your camera and then some About your camera battery The LP E12 battery in your SL1 100D a rechargeable Li ion battery engineered for a long life enables you to capture about 380 images with 50 percent flash usage when you use the camera in wa...

Page 29: ... you notice the battery status icon is blinking charge the battery using the charger supplied with the camera When you purchase your camera the battery is not fully charged Run your battery through one recharge cycle before using the camera To recharge the battery follow these steps 1 Plug the battery charger into a wall outlet You can use the battery charger in foreign countries as well as the Un...

Page 30: ...pecks in areas of your image that are one solid color say in a patch of sky you have dust on your sensor Your camera will automatically clean the sensor when you power it off However sometimes that s not enough If you consistently see dust spots in the same area on several images there s a jiffy menu command you can use to clean your sensor whenever you feel the need by following these steps 1 Pre...

Page 31: ...bit of sage advice you ll keep your sensor as squeaky clean as possible I first learned about sensor dust when I owned my first dSLR a Canon EOS 10D I was on a business trip vacation to California When I was reviewing some images of the Golden Gate Bridge I noticed some hor rible dust specks on the image Then I read the manual and learned how to clean the sensor Since then I ve learned that doing ...

Page 32: ...will make using your camera more enjoyable I discuss a few useful Canon accessories here and list several third party camera and video accessories in this book s eCheat Sheet online at www dummies com cheatsheet canoneosrebelsl1100d Canon sells lots of goodies in its online store that may also be available from other sources such as your local camera retailer or your favorite online camera store H...

Page 33: ...r you should never use a solvent on your camera body When you want to clean your camera body wet a soft cloth and then wring it almost dry Gently rub the cloth over the camera body to remove any residue from skin oil or airborne pollutants Some areas of your camera have ridges that are traps for dirt and debris from your skin You can clean these areas with a soft toothbrush It is also recom mended...

Page 34: ...40 Part I Getting Started ...

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