The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D Companion

The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D Companion

by Ben Long
Released September 2008
Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ISBN: 9780596520861

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Book description

Through a series of easy-to-follow lessons, The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/D450 Companion gives you a complete class on digital photography, tailored specifically for people who use this camera. This is not a typical camera guide: rather than just showing you what all the buttons do, this unique book teaches you how to use various Digital Rebel features to make great photographs. With The Canon Digital Rebel XSi Companion in your camera bag, you have the perfect field reference for taking stunning pictures of any occasion or place, any time. You get valuable creative tips and technical advice for capturing professional-looking images of people, landscapes, action shots, close-ups, night shots, and more.

  • Get to know the Digital Rebel XSi and how it works

  • Take creative control and go beyond automatic settings

  • Learn the basic rules of composition

  • Know when to let the camera work for you

  • Photograph fast-moving objects, and learn to capture decisive moments

  • Discover ways to use a flash indoors and outdoors

  • Learn the advantages of different lenses, and the best time to use them

  • Understand the options for shooting RAW, and whether it's right for you

There are plenty of photography books, but only this companion guide teaches you how to take high-quality digital photos using the camera model you own. Professional photographer Ben Long includes plenty of full-color examples to show you what's possible once you graduate from snapshots and focus on the pictures you've always wanted to take.

Table of contents

  1. Acknowledgments
  2. Preface
  3. Chapter 1: Getting to Know the Rebel XSi
    1. Shooting snapshots using Full auto mode
      1. Resetting the Camera’s Defaults
      2. Snapshot Shooting in Full Auto Mode
        1. Framing Your Shot
        2. Autofocus, or “How to Press the Shutter Button”
        3. Take the Shot
      3. The Viewfinder Status Display
      4. The LCD Status Display
      5. Viewing Your Images
      6. Using Scene Modes (1/3)
      7. Using Scene Modes (2/3)
      8. Using Scene Modes (3/3)
        1. Watch that Headroom: Fill the Frame
        2. Don’t Be Afraid to Get in Close
        3. Lead Your Subject
        4. Remember That Your Knees Can Bend
        5. Watch the Background
        6. Watch Out for Backlighting
        7. Understand Flash Range
        8. Cover Your Shot, or “One Shot Is Rarely Enough”
  4. Chapter 2: Anatomy of the Rebel XSi
    1. learning to hold and control your camera
      1. What Is an SLR Anyway?
      2. Cleaning and Maintenance
        1. The XSi Battery
        2. The Media Card
      3. Body Parts
        1. Camera Top
        2. Camera Front
        3. Camera Sides
        4. Camera Back
        5. Camera Bottom
      4. The Rebel XSi Menu System
      5. Holding the Camera
        1. The Grip
        2. Feet, Elbows, and Neck
      6. The Lens (1/2)
      7. The Lens (2/2)
        1. Understanding Focal Length
        2. Types of Lenses
        3. Lens Controls
        4. Lens Care
        5. Sensor Cleaning
      8. More Full Auto Practice
        1. Work with Fixed Focal Length
  5. Chapter 3: Playing Back Images
    1. Reviewing and analyzing images on your rebel xsi
      1. Image Review
      2. Image Playback (1/3)
      3. Image Playback (2/3)
      4. Image Playback (3/3)
        1. Navigating Images with the Main Dial
        2. Playback Zoom
        3. Exiting Playback
        4. Viewing Image Thumbnails
        5. Viewing Image Info
        6. Image Rotation
        7. Manual Image Rotation
        8. Slideshows in the Field
      5. Erasing Images
        1. Deleting an Image During Image Review
        2. Deleting an Image During Image Playback
        3. Deleting All of the Images on the Card
      6. Protecting Images
  6. Chapter 4: Image Transfer
    1. Copying Images to your computer
      1. Media Cards
        1. One Big Card? Or Lots of Small Ones?
        2. Card Management
      2. Transferring from Your Camera
      3. Installing the Canon Software
      4. Transferring Images to a Windows Computer
        1. Using Adobe Photoshop Elements for Windows
        2. Using Adobe Photoshop
      5. Transferring Images to a Macintosh Computer
        1. Configuring Your Mac for Image Transfer
        2. Transferring Images Using Canon ImageBrowser
      6. Transferring Images Manually Using Windows or the Mac
      7. Using the Camera to Select Images for Transfer
      8. Organizing Your Images
      9. After You’ve Transferred Your Images
  7. Chapter 5: Photography 101
    1. The fundamental theory of exposure
      1. Over- and Underexposure
      2. Exposure Mechanisms
        1. ISO: The Third Exposure Parameter
        2. Shutter Speed
        3. Aperture
      3. Why There Are Two Ways to Control Light (1/2)
      4. Why There Are Two Ways to Control Light (2/2)
        1. How Shutter Speed Choice Affects Your Image
        2. How Aperture Choice Affects Your Image
        3. Shutter Speed/Aperture Balance
        4. Reciprocity
        5. Fractional Stops
      5. Thinking Again About Full Auto Mode
      6. Summing Up
  8. Chapter 6: Program Mode
    1. Taking control and understanding more about exposure
      1. Switching to Program Mode
      2. Focusing Revisited
        1. Understanding Focus Points
      3. Focus Modes (1/2)
      4. Focus Modes (2/2)
        1. AI Servo
        2. AI Focus
        3. What To Do When Autofocus Doesn’t
        4. Manual Focus
      5. Getting Creative with Program Shift
      6. Handheld Shooting and Shutter Speed
        1. Image Stabilization
      7. Changing ISO
        1. Setting ISO
        2. A Real-World ISO Change
      8. White Balance (1/2)
      9. White Balance (2/2)
        1. Custom White Balance
        2. White Balance Shift
        3. White Balance Bracketing
      10. Drive Mode and the Self-timer
        1. Using the Self-Timer
      11. Choosing an Image Size and Format
      12. Summing Up Program Mode
        1. Some Things to Try
  9. Chapter 7: Advanced Exposure
    1. learning more about the XSi light meter and exposure controls
      1. The Light Meter Revisited (1/2)
      2. The Light Meter Revisited (2/2)
        1. Metering Modes
        2. What Your Light Meter Actually Meters
        3. Exposing So That Black Looks Black
      3. Using Exposure Compensation to Over- or Underexpose
        1. Exposure Compensation and Program Shift
        2. Controlling Color Tone with Exposure Compensation
      4. Using The Histogram (1/2)
      5. Using The Histogram (2/2)
        1. Recognizing Over- and Underexposure in the Histogram
        2. Recognizing Contrast in the Histogram
        3. The Three-Channel Histogram
      6. Using Priority Modes to Control Exposure
        1. Aperture Priority
        2. Shutter Priority
      7. Manual Mode
      8. Exposure Bracketing
        1. Auto Bracketing
      9. Scene Modes Revisited
      10. Picture Styles (1/2)
      11. Picture Styles (2/2)
        1. Selecting a Picture Style
        2. Adjusting Predefined Picture Styles
      12. Creating a Better Exposure with Fill Flash
      13. A Word About Dynamic Range
  10. Chapter 8: Finding and Composing a Photo
    1. exploring the art of photography
      1. Learning to See Again
        1. Seeing Exercises
      2. How to Make a Photo (1/4)
      3. How to Make a Photo (2/4)
      4. How to Make a Photo (3/4)
      5. How to Make a Photo (4/4)
        1. Recognizing a Potential Photo
        2. Working Your Subject
        3. Choosing a Camera Position and Focal Length
        4. Composing Your Shot
        5. Art and Craft
      6. Practice
  11. Chapter 9: Specialty Shooting
    1. Using special features for shooting in specific conditions
      1. Live View (1/2)
      2. Live View (2/2)
        1. Enabling Live View
        2. Activating Live View
        3. Focusing in Live View
        4. What You Don’t See in Live View
      3. Shooting Panoramas (1/2)
      4. Shooting Panoramas (2/2)
        1. Choosing a Focal Length for Panoramas
        2. Panoramic Exposure
        3. Shooting Panoramic Frames
        4. Stitching a Panorama
      5. Low-Light Shooting (1/2)
      6. Low-Light Shooting (2/2)
        1. When to Use Flash in Low Light
        2. Shooting in Low Light at High ISO
        3. Low-Light Techniques
        4. Shooting Sports or Stage Performances
        5. Low-Light White Balance
  12. Chapter 10: Flash Shooting
    1. Using a flash and other tools for better control of the lighting in your scene
      1. Controlling Existing Light
      2. Using the XSi’s On-Camera Flash
        1. Flash Exposure
      3. Red-Eye Reduction
      4. Using an External Flash
        1. Bouncing a Flash
  13. Chapter 11: Raw Shooting
    1. Using raw format to gain more control and better image quality
      1. What Is Raw?
      2. Why Use Raw?
        1. Changing White Balance
        2. Highlight Recovery
        3. More Editing Latitude
        4. A True Digital Negative
        5. Easy Batch Processing
      3. Raw Hassles (the Disadvantages)
      4. Shooting Raw with the Rebel XSi
        1. Picture Styles, White Balance, and Raw
      5. Processing Your Raw Files
  14. Chapter 12: Customizing the XSi
    1. Configuring custom settings and adding lenses and accesories
      1. My Menu
        1. Building My Menu
        2. Organizing My Menu
        3. Make My Menu the Default
      2. Changing Screen Color
      3. Custom Functions
      4. Lenses (1/2)
      5. Lenses (2/2)
        1. Choosing a Lens
        2. Some Lens Suggestions
        3. Evaluating a Lens
  15. Index (1/3)
  16. Index (2/3)
  17. Index (3/3)

Product information

  • Title: The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D Companion
  • Author(s): Ben Long
  • Release date: September 2008
  • Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
  • ISBN: 9780596520861