A few days ago, I got myself a Canon EOS 700D DSLR camera along with a Canon EFS 18-55mm lens for about $160. Until now, I’ve only ever used point-and-shoots, like my smartphone or my “Kodak” Pixpro AZ401.

So, it’s basically the first time I get to properly play around with the exposure triangle and all that good, manual stuff. I already love this camera, because despite the low cost, you can get great shots in auto mode out of the box, but it’s also very versatile in professional photography. All that, and I still haven’t even gotten into editing raw photos; this is just the JPG!

This particular photo of a garden shed was shot with:

ISO: 6400
Exposure: 1/395s
Aperture: f/14
Focal length: 46mm
Resolution: 5184x3456

From what I’ve heard, those settings aren’t ideal, especially the high ISO for that much light. Does anybody have some general tips for me or resources to check out?

By the way, I also just installed Magic Lantern. That’s some great stuff. Oh, and also - if anyone has a good way to connect it as a webcam on Linux, that’s also very welcome since EOS Utility doesn’t work and Gphoto2 is very low-res. The first thing I didn’t get properly running on Linux!

  • itchick2014 [Ohio]
    3·
    5 months ago

    This is really good for a person starting out with a DSLR. You have a great composition here. I recommend learning by experimentation and inquiring with others. A lot of photography concepts are covered well on YouTube. I learned a lot from Ken Rockwell though I know a lot of people don’t care for him. One thing to invest in is a good tripod. Take the same photo with multiple settings until you find what you want. Though knowing techniques is good and desirable, a lot of decisions are subjective to you as the photographer.