I've been meaning to do this for awhile. I figure since a lot of people probably got new DSLRs under the Christmas tree, now is as good of time as any to give some basic, but useful tips.
These will hopefully help new DSLR photographers get better, sharper images quicker.
As far as I know, these should work with the entire Digital Rebel line: 300D, 350 (XT) and 400D (XTi) Some are applicable to all DSLR.

I've been meaning to do this for awhile. I figure since a lot of people probably got new DSLRs under the Christmas tree, now is as good of time as any to give some basic, but useful tips.
These will hopefully help new DSLR photographers get better, sharper images quicker.
As far as I know, these should work with the entire Digital Rebel line: 300D, 350 (XT) and 400D (XTi) Some are applicable to all DSLR.

#1 Turn off ‘Shoot w/o Card’ option
This will prevent you from doing the digital equivalent of shooting without film.
Press the ‘menu’ button, and it should be on the first screen.
Now, if you don’t have a memory card in your camera, it won’t shoot pictures.
And no, the Rebel cameras don’t have internal memory, so if you shoot without a card, the images are gone, gone, gone.

#2 Get off ‘Auto’ mode
A DSLR can be used like an expensive point and shoot camera, but that’s not what it’s good at.
The most compelling argument to get off ‘auto’ mode is when you’re shooting in low light. Almost all the auto modes limit the camera to ISO 400 – which could make you lose shots if there’s enough light. In auto, the camera can’t go up to ISO 800 or 1600. (You will get more noise or grain in your image, but you also can introduce ugly noise if you underexpose a shot too much.)
The cure? Set your camera to P mode. The camera is still doing the heavy lifting, but you now control when to use the flash and the ISO.
Just remember to turn the ISO back down when you’re shooting in well lit situations, otherwise you’ll get overexposed images.

#3 Use the center focus point
Now that you’re off ‘auto, help your images more by picking the center focus point. (On the XTi, hit the plus icon in the upper right hand corner of the back of the camera. You can select any focus point. Using the center point generally results in sharper images than just letting the camera pick where to focus for you.
If you can't compose a shot w/ the center point, you can manually move the point to a more appropriate spot. But of all the focus points, the center one is usually the sharpest.

#4 Learn how to hold your camera
If you’re holding the camera with your hands on both sides, you’re begging for some blurry pics. And to look like a tourist.
Put one hand under your camera and cradle the lens and use your other hand to work the dials and hit the shutter button. Your arm gives the camera a little extra stability, reducing shake. Hold your breath when you press the shutter, and you’ll hold the camera that much more steady.
And look cooler.

#5 Invest in a card reader
If you're hooking your camera directly to your computer to download images, you’re been doing things the hard, slow way.
A multipurpose card reader that reads Compact Flash cards costs $10-$20, but it saves you lots of time. It also reduces the chance that your camera will die during the transfer.
Don’t worry about ruining the card or the pins in your camera. Be careful and don’t force the card in to either the card reader or the camera, and you should be fine.

If something doesn't make sense or you have questions -- feel free to ask!

by Buicksrock  

Last update: 10-01-2008 15:56