Canon 450D Beginner/Noob to the max

[Deedeeyaw22x]

Salutations Ladies/Gentlemens,

I'm Deedee and erghhh my lil sister actually bought a Canon 450D last year and i has been in the dry box since then (under used). I just took over the camera last week nad start buying some items for the camera. Im starting to have interest in photgraphy and wanna learn some basic shoots for this camera.
1) Any links to any webby for tutorials 450D?
2) Where do i go to get it serviced (clean/upgrade of firmware if there is)

I have 2 lens that came with it and bought 1 recently
1) EF 50mm 1:1.8 II
2) EFS 18-55mm
3) Lens EF 75-300mm III
and a speedlite given by a friend
1) Sunblitz Pz 4500 E-TTL

What I wanna learn is about shooting people outdoors and streets.
Lens to recommend?

Thank you in advance ya!
Your Nooby shooter
Deedee

 

[magicianhisoka]

street shooting? one tip, stop thinking about the lenses you have and actually do some shooting. the 50mm which is equivalent to the 80mm is fine enough

 

[gundamseed84]

Current lenses setup is good enough for learning purpose no need to look for new lenses. You can google youtube, teach alot on basic photography and 450D is quite user friendly if you experiment around.

Best way to learn online is look at other people's albums on Clubsnap and go out try it yourself. Then compare and see what's so nice and what's not so nice about your photos compared to others.

You will become PROshooter one day, all the best.

 

[AnsQ]

Hi Deedee,

1) The manual that came with the camera will be a good place to start; it contains the information you need to know about your camera and what it can do
2) You can bring your 450D down to the Canon Service Center to do the servicing.

 

[Deedeeyaw22x]

Thanks guys!! Awesome motivation.. How much does the servicing cost?

 

[Deedeeyaw22x]

Thanks guys!! Awesome motivation.. How much does the servicing cost?

 

[SamTac]

Thanks guys!! Awesome motivation.. How much does the servicing cost?

You might not need to service ur cam if there is nothing wrong.
What make u think that you need to service ur cam?

 

[Deedeeyaw22x]

i dunno ecause its been untouched so long and ermm...not kept in dry box for so long just recently..maybe cleaning?

 

[flashbug]

i dunno ecause its been untouched so long and ermm...not kept in dry box for so long just recently..maybe cleaning?

The only servicing it needs now is really for you to bring it out and take shots with it. cure its loneliness first
Not keeping in a dry box is still 'ok' so long as you did not store the camera at somewhere humid.
If the camera takes photos perfectly fine, there might not be anything wrong with it.
Just wipe the lens, attach it to the body and go grab some good photos

 

[horizon8]

Bring the 450D back to life.

 

[Deedeeyaw22x]

Thanks Guys.I think I shall do that..Anyway, I got a nother question to ask. My Lens has this lens cover (the UV dunno what) that is stuck on the lens.Cannot come out!..any possible ways to get it out?.

Is it reccomended to use the protection lens only when we are out shooting or keep it while its storage in the dry box.
cause I just bought a zoom lens 75-300mm and I dunno if i should get the protector in the lens or outside the lens while storing

 

[gundamseed84]

If you ask me for 75-300 don't bother to buy a good UV filter to protect it....not worth the money, and no pt getting a cheap UV filter to degrade the IQ which is already not that fantastic so just shoot it 'naked'.

Most of my lens I did not use UV filter to protect them, just be careful when using or I use lens hood to protect them. It is quite a hassle to me when there are dust in between lens and UV filter and I have to unscrew to clean it etc.

 

[flashbug]

Thanks Guys.I think I shall do that..Anyway, I got a nother question to ask. My Lens has this lens cover (the UV dunno what) that is stuck on the lens.Cannot come out!..any possible ways to get it out?.

Is it reccomended to use the protection lens only when we are out shooting or keep it while its storage in the dry box.
cause I just bought a zoom lens 75-300mm and I dunno if i should get the protector in the lens or outside the lens while storing

Many will use a UV filter to protect the front of the lens, because scratching the lens is more costly. However, I would only spend $100 on a good filter if the lens is worth it.
It is true that the $10 'cheapo' UV filters might cause flare to show up more often and IQ to drop, but I have 1-2 close encounters where pple in crowds just bump into me, so I wouldn't risk my lens getting scratched because of IQ concerns. If you leave the filter on all the way, there should be little dust in between.

Alternatively, you can purchase a lens hood to to protect the front element of your lens and control flare, but I rarely attach my lens hood Little troublesome. haha.
If you choose to shoot 'naked', just take very good care, and watch out when in crowds where pple are blind.

 

[driveanegg]

Just bring it out to shoot !!

 

[Sivakis]

Welcome to the wonderful (and oftentimes head-scratching) world of photography

If you seem lost and have absolutely no clue what to do with this new "thing" that you've inherited, all is not lost. The camera itself isn't exactly rocket-science - you don't have to be a genius or have 10-hands to operate (that would make all of us freaks!!)

Ok, back to topic. You now have an under-utilised 450D. It's been kept in the drybox since last year. You've bought a lens to complement what's there. While I personally wouldn't recommend buying any new lens/equipment upon getting a camera, you haven't done anything wrong. The lenses are good beginner starters - a kit, a prime and a tele-zoom. Other than macro, you've pretty much got it covered for most types of photography - it's just a matter of learning what works best for you in the situation that you find yourself in or wanting to get in.

Sound confusing? Read on.

The user manual contains a wealth of information. A lot of it may seem like jargon at the beginning and that's fine. Afterall, you're not familiar with it yet. It's like buying a new handphone. Familiarity breeds ease.

Read the manual, have your camera with you. Try it on the camera as you read along if you wish. See if what you have done equates to what you are or have read. That's one of the best ways to learn.

The 18-55 kit lens should be your bread-butter lens for now. Great for learning, light for carrying. Take it out and shoot! When you review your photos and don't like it, no matter. It's all part of the learning process. Go back, take a look at it, ask yourself why. Was it a fixed or variable problem. Fixed = something beyond your control. Variable = within your control.

When you have the opportunity, retake a similar shot and try something different after having formed a few options of what you could have done differently. Worst-case scenario, come here, post your photo and ask us what went wrong. I'm sure many here would be willing to give their advice.

The 50/1.8 prime and the tele-zoom offers a different angle on how you take shots and how the shots turn out. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. It's up to you to exploit them.

I'm not going to go any further on other aspects of photography until you have had a chance to read it or try it. Much of it would just fly over your head. But only for now

This journey into photography can either be fun or frustrating. Don't let the equipment daunt you. That takes the fun away. Always remember - the camera is a dead tool that only does what you tell it to do. It's just a journey to learn what it can do and how to do it.

Have fun!

 

[kangdi]

Thanks Guys.I think I shall do that..Anyway, I got a nother question to ask. My Lens has this lens cover (the UV dunno what) that is stuck on the lens.Cannot come out!..any possible ways to get it out?.

Are you referring to the UV filter? The screw-on piece of glass in front of the lens?

You tried unscrewing it by turning it anti-clockwise? If it is still stuck maybe try hold a piece of cloth when trying to unscrew it to give your hand more friction and a better grip.

 

[Deedeeyaw22x]

This had happened to my old EF 50mm f/1.8II.
The lens not broken,no scratches no nothing.

Will I be able to fix myself or, will i have to go down to a shop to get it fixed

 

[Yoh]

This had happened to my old EF 50mm f/1.8II.
The lens not broken,no scratches no nothing.

Will I be able to fix myself or, will i have to go down to a shop to get it fixed

You might wish to buy another copy of 50mm f/1.8 II instead.

 

[Deedeeyaw22x]

so it just doesnt work at all?

 

[Yoh]

so it just doesnt work at all?

The lens is as good as broken unless you have the skill to put it back again.