Canon EOS REBEL T3/1100D User manual

1
Getting the Lay of the Land
In This Chapter
▶ Attaching and using an SLR lens
▶ Adjusting the viewfinder focus
▶ Working with camera memory cards
▶ Getting acquainted with external camera controls
▶ Selecting options from menus
▶ Using the Shooting Settings and Quick Control displays
▶ Customizing basic camera operations
For many people, getting your first serious camera means moving from
a point and shoot to an SLR (single lens reflex) model. Like with
any growth spurt, the excitement of the move is often tempered
with a bit of anxiety. Sure, you’ll be able to do lots of new
things with your dSLR (digital SLR), but along with that
newfound capability comes a barrage of new buttons,
knobs, LCD menus, and mechanical knickknacks.
Heck, this may be the first time you’ve even changed
a lens on a camera — a big step in itself.
If the Rebel T3/1100D is both your first SLR and
your first digital camera, you’re getting something
of a double-whammy in the New Stuff department.
But fear not: With some practice and the help of
this chapter, which introduces you to each external
control, we explain in simple language how to adjust
camera settings and offer advice on a few setup options.
You’ll get comfortable with your new camera quickly.
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COPYRIGHTEDMATERIAL

8Part I: Fast Track to Super Snaps
Getting Comfortable with Your Lens
One of the biggest differences between a point-and-shoot camera and an SLR
camera is the lens. With an SLR, you can swap lenses to suit different photo-
graphic needs, going from an extreme close-up lens to a super-long telephoto,
for example. Additionally, an SLR lens has a movable focusing ring that
allows you to focus manually instead of relying on the camera’s autofocus
mechanism. Even this basic difference extends your picture-making opportu-
nities in big ways.
Of course, those added capabilities mean that you need a little background
information to take full advantage of your lens. To that end, the next several
sections explain the process of attaching, removing, and using this critical
part of your camera.
Attaching a lens
Your camera accepts two categories of Canon lenses: those with an EF-S
design and those with a plain-old EF design.
The EF stands for electro focus; the S, for short back focus. And that simply
means the rear element of the lens is closer to the sensor than with an EF
lens. And no, you don’t need to remember what the abbreviation stands for.
Just make sure that if you buy a Canon lens other than the one sold with the
camera, it carries either the EF or EF-S specification. You get the best end of
this deal because the T3/1100D is compatible with both new types of Canon
lenses, whereas EF-compatible cameras can only fit the EF type lenses. If you
want to buy a non-Canon lens, check the lens manufacturer’s website to find
out which lenses work with the Rebel T3/1100D.
Whatever lens you choose, follow these steps to attach it to the camera body:
1. If you don’t already have a lens attached, remove the cap that covers
the lens mount on the front of the camera.
You’ll be in this situation the first time you take the camera out of it’s box,
and if you like putting the body cap back on when you’re done shooting.
If there’s already a lens attached, you’ll have to remove it rather than this
cap (see the next series of steps) to put another one one.
2. Remove the cap that covers the back of the lens.
3. Locate the proper lens mounting index on the camera body.
A mounting index is simply a marker that tells you where to align the
lens with the camera body when connecting the two. Your camera has
two of these markers — one red and one white — as shown in Figure 1-1.
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Chapter 1: Getting the Lay of the Land
Which marker you use to align your lens depends on the lens type:
•Canon EF-S lens: The white square is the mounting index.
•Canon EF lens: The red dot is the mounting index.
EF mounting index
EF-S mounting index
Figure 1-1: Which index marker you should use depends on the lens type.
For a non-Canon lens, check the lens manual for help with this step.
4. Align the mounting index on the lens with the correct one on the
camera body.
The lens also has a mounting index. Figure 1-2 shows the one that
appears on the so-called kit lens — the EF-S 18–55mm IS (Image
Stabilizer) zoom lens that Canon sells as a unit with the Rebel T3/1100D.
If you buy a different lens, the index marker may be red or some other
color, so again, check the lens instruction manual.
5. Keeping the mounting indexes aligned, position the lens on the cam-
era’s lens mount.
6. Turn the lens in a clockwise direction until the lens clicks into place.
In other words, turn the lens toward the lens-release button, as indi-
cated in Figure 1-2.
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10 Part I: Fast Track to Super Snaps
Always attach (or switch) lenses in
a clean environment to reduce the
risk of getting dust, dirt, and other
contaminants inside the camera or
lens. Changing lenses on the beach
on a windy day, for example, isn’t a
good idea. For added safety, point
the camera body slightly down when
performing this maneuver. Doing so
helps prevent any flotsam in the air
from being drawn into the camera by
gravity.
Removing a lens
To detach a lens from the camera
body, take these steps:
1. Locate the lens-release button
on the front of the camera,
labeled in Figure 1-2.
2. Grip the rear collar of the lens.
In other words, hold onto the
stationary part of the lens that’s
closest to the camera body.
3. Press the lens-release button
while turning the lens away
from the lens-release button
(counterclockwise).
You can feel the lens release
from the mount at this point. Lift the lens off the mount to remove it.
4. Place the rear protective cap onto the back of the lens.
If you aren’t putting another lens on the camera, cover the lens mount
with the protective cap that came with your camera, too. These steps
help keep your lens and camera interior dust-free.
Using an IS (Image Stabilizer) lens
The 18–55mm lens sold with the Rebel T3/1100D camera offers image stabili-
zation. On Canon lenses, this feature is indicated by the initials IS in the lens
name.
EF-S mounting index
Lens-release button
Figure 1-2: Place the lens in the lens mount
with the mounting indexes aligned.
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Chapter 1: Getting the Lay of the Land
Image stabilization attempts to compensate for small amounts of camera
shake that are common when photographers handhold their cameras and
use a slow shutter speed, a lens with a long focal length, or both. Camera
shake is a problem because it can result in blurry images, even when your
focus is dead-on. Although image stabilization can’t work miracles, it does
enable most people to capture sharper handheld shots in many situations
that they otherwise couldn’t.
When you use a tripod, image stabilization can have detrimental effects
because the system may try to adjust for movement that isn’t actually occur-
ring. Although this problem shouldn’t be an issue with most Canon IS lenses,
if you do see blurry images while using a tripod, try setting the Stabilizer
switch (shown in Figure 1-3) to Off. You also can save battery power by turn-
ing off image stabilization when you use a tripod. If you use a monopod, leave
image stabilization turned on so that it can help compensate for any acciden-
tal movement of the monopod. (Julie never can keep those things perfectly
still, no matter how hard she tries — but then again, she drinks way too
much coffee.)
If you use a non-Canon lens, the image stabilization feature may go by
another name: anti-shake, vibration compensation, and so on. In some cases,
the manufacturers may recommend that you leave the system turned on or
select a special setting when you use a tripod, so be sure to check the lens
manual for information.
Whatever type of lens you use, image stabilization isn’t meant to eliminate
the blur that can occur when your subject moves during the exposure. That
problem is related to shutter speed, a topic you can explore in Chapter 7.
Chapter 8 offers more tips for blur-free shots and explains focal length and its
effect on your pictures.
Shifting from autofocus to manual focus
Your Rebel T3/1100D offers an excellent autofocusing system, which you
can find out how to exploit to its best advantage in Chapter 8. However, with
some subjects (such as low-contrast scenes, like foggy mornings), autofocus-
ing can be slow or impossible, which is why your camera also offers manual
focusing.
Make the shift from auto to manual focus as follows:
1. Set the AF/MF switch on the side of the lens to the MF position.
This switch sets the focus operation to either auto (AF) or manual (MF).
Figure 1-3 shows you the switch as it appears on the Rebel T3/1100D kit
lens. The switch should be in a similar location on other Canon lenses.
If you use a lens from another manufacturer, check the lens instruction
manual.
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12 Part I: Fast Track to Super Snaps
Focusing ring
Zoom ring
Focal length (zoom) indicator
Auto/Manual focus switch
Image Stabilizer switch
Figure 1-3: Image Stabilization can help ensure sharper handheld shots.
2. Look through the viewfinder and twist the focusing ring until your
subject comes into focus.
On the kit lens, the focusing ring is at the far end of the lens barrel, as
indicated in Figure 1-3. If you use another lens, the focusing ring may be
located elsewhere, so check your lens manual.
If you have trouble focusing, you may be too close to your subject; every
lens has a minimum focusing distance. (For the kit lens, the minimum
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Chapter 1: Getting the Lay of the Land
close-focus range is about 10 inches; for other lenses, check the specifi-
cations in the lens manual.) You also may need to adjust the viewfinder
to accommodate your eyesight; see the next section for details.
Some lenses enable you to use autofocusing to set the initial focusing point and
then fine-tune focus manually. Check your lens manual for information on how
to use this option, if available. (This option isn’t offered on the kit lens.)
Zooming in and out
If you bought a zoom lens, it sports a movable zoom ring. On the kit lens, the
zoom ring is behind the focusing ring, as shown in Figure 1-3, but again, the
relative positioning of the two components depends on your lens. With the
kit lens, you rotate the lens barrel to zoom. A few zoom lenses use a push-
pull motion to zoom instead.
The numbers around the edge of the zoom ring, by the way, represent focal
lengths. Chapter 8 explains focal lengths in detail. In the meantime, just note
that when the lens is mounted on the camera, the number that’s aligned with
the white focal length indicator, labeled in Figure 1-3, represents the current
focal length. In Figure 1-3, for example, the focal length is 28mm.
Adjusting the Viewfinder Focus
Perched on the top-right edge of the viewfinder is a tiny black knob, labeled
in Figure 1-4. Officially known as a dioptric adjustment control, this knob
enables you to adjust the magnification of the viewfinder to mesh with your
eyesight.
Viewfinder adjustment knob Autofocus point
Figure 1-4: Roll the little knob to set the viewfinder focus for your eyesight.
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14 Part I: Fast Track to Super Snaps
Adjusting the viewfinder to your eyesight is critical: If you don’t, scenes that
appear out of focus through the viewfinder may actually be sharply focused
through the lens, and vice versa.
Follow these steps to adjust your viewfinder:
1. Remove the lens cap from the front of the lens.
2. Look through the viewfinder, aim the lens at a plain surface (such as
a white wall), and concentrate on the focusing screen shown on the
right side of Figure 1-4.
The focusing screen is the collective name assigned to the group of nine
autofocus points that appears in the viewfinder — the little squares with
the dots inside. One of the little guys is labeled in Figure 1-4.
3. Rotate the dioptric adjustment knob until the autofocus points appear
to be in focus.
Don’t worry about focusing the actual picture now; just pay attention to
the sharpness of the autofocus points.
If your eyesight is such that you can’t get the autofocus points to appear
sharp by using the dioptric adjustment knob, you can buy an additional eye-
piece adapter.This accessory, which you pop onto the eyepiece, enables
further adjustment of the viewfinder display. Prices range from about $15–
$30 depending on the magnification you need. Look for an E-series dioptric
adjustment lens adapter.
Using the LCD Monitor
One of the many great features of the T3/1100D is the LCD monitor on the
back of the camera. As shown in in Figure 1-5, the monitor serves as a multi-
function display and control device. Use it to navigate the camera’s extensive
menu system, review shooting information, control camera settings, as a
viewfinder in Live View and Movie modes, to check camera settings, to watch
photo and movie playback, and to perform rudimentary photo and movie
edits. Sheesh, that’s a lot!
Because of its importance, we want to offer a few monitor-related tips:
✓ Protect it. Although the monitor is reasonably sturdy, treat it with
care and respect. Don’t set the camera down on the monitor with the
lens pointing up into the air, You could scratch or break the monitor.
Instead, always set the camera down on its bottom — the part with the
battery door. Along these lines, be careful what you put in a camera bag
with your camera. Keys, pens, and other objects can rub against and
scratch the monitor.
In effect, treat the monitor as you would any camera lens.
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Chapter 1: Getting the Lay of the Land
Shooting settings displayed
in Full Auto mode
Shooting settings displayed
in Aperture-priority AE mode
Photo playback
(zoomed in)
Movie made
(during shooting)
Figure 1-5: The monitor is one of the most important parts of the camera.
✓ Clean smart. It’s virtually impossible to keep nose prints and finger-
prints off the monitor — well, for us, anyway. When you get the urge to
clean the screen, use only special cloths and cleaning solutions made for
this purpose. (You can find them in any camera store.) Do not use paper
products, such as paper towels, because they can contain wood fibers
that can scratch the surface of the LCD. And never try to use a can of
compressed air to blow dust off the camera because the air is cold and
can crack the monitor.
✓ Live View photography has some drawbacks. Live View is the feature
that enables you to compose your photos using the monitor rather than
the viewfinder. You switch the feature on and off by pressing the Live
View button, which is found to the right of the viewfinder and looks like
the icon shown in the margin here.
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16 Part I: Fast Track to Super Snaps
You may find using Live View more comfortable than the viewfinder if
you’re stepping up to the T3/1100D from a point-and-shoot camera with-
out a viewfinder. But using the monitor is one of the biggest drains on
battery power, and autofocusing in Live View mode is slower than when
you use the viewfinder. For these reasons and a few others that you can
explore in Chapter 4, we stick with the viewfinder for most regular pho-
tography and reserve Live View for movie recording. (You can’t use the
viewfinder in Movie mode.)
Working with Memory Cards
Instead of recording images on film, digital cameras store pictures on
memory cards. Your Rebel T3/1100D uses a specific type of memory card —
an SD (Secure Digital) card, shown in Figures 1-6 and 1-7. You can also use
high-capacity SD cards, which carry the label SDHC and come in capacities
ranging from 4–32GB (gigabytes), and extended-capacity (SDXC) cards, which
offer capacities greater than 32GB.
Memory cards also are rated according to speed class, which refers to how
quickly data can be written to and read from the card. A higher-speed card
helps ensure the smoothest movie recording and playback. Currently, the
fastest cards have a speed rating of 10. For movie recording, Canon recom-
mends that you purchase a card with a speed class of 6 or higher.
Unlike other digital SLRs, the T3/1100D memory card is located in the same
compartment as the battery, which is underneath the camera. Some Canon
compact digital cameras share this design. In and of itself, this location is nei-
ther good or bad. You’ll get used to it. However, if you have your T3/1100D
mounted on a tripod and you need to swap out memory cards, you may find
it difficult to remove the card without taking the camera off the tripod.
Whatever the speed or capacity,
safeguarding your memory cards —
and the images on them — requires a
few precautions:
✓ Inserting a card: Turn the
camera off and then put the
card in the card slot with the
label facing the back of the
camera, as shown in Figure 1-6.
Push the card into the slot until
it clicks into place.
Memory card
Memory card access light
Figure 1-6: Insert the card with the label facing
the camera back.
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