Canon® EOS® Rebel T7i/800D For Dummies®
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Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2017945499
ISBN 978-1-119-39977-3 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-39979-7 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-39978-0
In 2003, Canon revolutionized the photography world by introducing the first digital SLR camera (dSLR) to sell for less than $1,000, the EOS Digital Rebel/300D. The camera delivered exceptional performance and picture quality, earning it rave reviews and multiple industry awards. No wonder it quickly became a best seller.
That tradition of excellence and value lives on in the EOS Rebel T7i/800. Like its ancestors, this baby offers advanced controls for experienced photographers as well as features to help beginners be successful from the get-go. Adding to the fun, the camera also offers high-definition video recording and built-in Wi-Fi for easy connections to your computer, smartphone, or tablet.
In fact, the T7i/800D is so feature-packed that sorting out everything can be a challenge. For starters, you may not even know what SLR means, let alone have a clue about all the other terms you encounter in your camera manual — resolution, aperture, and ISO, for example. If you’re like many people, you may be so overwhelmed by all the camera controls that you haven’t yet ventured beyond fully automatic picture-taking mode. That’s a shame because it’s sort of like buying a Porsche Turbo and never pushing it past 35 miles per hour.
Therein lies the point of Canon EOS Rebel T7i/800D For Dummies. In this book, you can discover not only what each bell and whistle on your camera does but also when, where, why, and how to put it to best use. Unlike many photography books, this one doesn’t require any previous knowledge of photography or digital imaging, either. Everything is explained in easy-to-understand language, with lots of illustrations to help clear up any confusion.
In short, what you have in your hands is the paperback version of a photography workshop tailored specifically to your camera. Whether your interests lie in taking family photos, exploring nature and travel photography, or snapping product shots for your business, you’ll get the help you need to capture the images you envision.
This book is organized into four parts, each devoted to a different aspect of using your camera. Although chapters flow in a sequence that takes you from absolute beginner to experienced user, each chapter is designed to be as self-standing as possible so that you can explore topics that interest you in any order.
Here's an overview of each part:
www.dummies.com and enter the name of this book in the search box. You’ll find a link to a cheat sheet, which provides a handy reference to your camera’s buttons, controls, and exposure modes.If this isn’t your first For Dummies book, you may be familiar with the large round icons that decorate its margins. If not, here’s your very own icon-decoder ring:
A Tip icon flags information that saves you time, effort, money, or another valuable resource, including your sanity.
When you see this icon, look alive. It indicates a potential danger zone that can result in much wailing and teeth-gnashing if it’s ignored.
Lots of information in this book is of a technical nature — digital photography is a technical animal, after all. But if we present a detail that’s useful mainly for impressing your geeky friends, we mark it with this icon.
This icon highlights information that’s especially worth storing in your brain’s long-term memory or to remind you of a fact that may have been displaced from that memory by another pressing fact.
Additionally, replicas of some of your camera’s buttons and onscreen graphics appear throughout the book to help you locate the button or setting being discussed.
To wrap up this preamble, I want to stress that if you initially think that digital photography is too confusing or too technical for you, you’re in good company. Everyone finds this stuff mind-boggling at first. Take it slowly, trying just one or two new camera settings or techniques each time you pick up your camera. With time, patience, and practice, you’ll soon wield your camera like a pro, dialing in the necessary settings to capture your creative vision almost instinctively.
So without further ado, I invite you to grab your camera and a cup of whatever you prefer to sip while you read and then start exploring the rest of this book. Your T7i/800D is the perfect partner for your photographic journey, and I thank you for allowing me, through this book, to serve as your tour guide.
Part 1
IN THIS PART …
Familiarize yourself with the basics of using your camera, from attaching lenses to navigating menus.
Select the right exposure mode, shutter-release mode, picture aspect ratio, and image quality.
Discover options available for flash photography.
Enjoy the simplicity of shooting in Basic Zone exposure modes, including Scene Intelligent Auto.
Chapter 1
IN THIS CHAPTER
Preparing the camera for its first outing
Getting acquainted with camera features
Viewing and adjusting camera settings
Setting a few basic preferences
If you’re like many people, shooting for the first time with an SLR (single-lens reflex) camera produces a blend of excitement and anxiety. On one hand, you can’t wait to start using your new equipment, but on the other, you’re a little intimidated by all its buttons, dials, and menu options.
Well, fear not: This chapter provides the information you need to start getting comfortable with your Rebel T7i/800D. The first section walks you through initial camera setup; following that, you can get an overview of camera controls, discover how to view and adjust camera settings, work with lenses and memory cards, and get advice on some basic setup options.
After unpacking your camera, you have to assemble a few parts. In addition to the camera body and the supplied battery (charge it before the first use), you need a lens and a memory card. Later sections in this chapter provide details about lenses and memory cards, but here’s the short story:
With camera, lens, battery, and card within reach, take these steps:
Attach a lens.
First, remove the caps that cover the front of the camera and the back of the lens. Then locate the proper mounting index, which is a mark on the camera’s lens mount that indicates how to align the lens with the camera body. Your camera has two of these markers, one red and one white, as shown in Figure 1-1. Which marker you use depends on the lens type:
Your lens also has a mounting index; align that mark with the matching one on the camera body, as shown in Figure 1-1. Place the lens on the camera mount and rotate the lens toward the side of the camera that sports the red Rebel logo (or, to put it another way, away from the shutter-button side of the camera). You should feel a solid click as the lens locks into place.
Install the battery.
The battery compartment is on the bottom of the camera. When inserting the battery, hold it with the contacts down and the Canon imprint facing the right side of the camera grip. Gently push the battery in until the gray lock clicks into place.
Insert a memory card.
Open the memory card door and orient the card so that the label faces the back of the camera, as shown in Figure 1-2. (If you look closely at the silver panel on the inside of the card door, you see a diagram that indicates the proper card orientation.) Push the card gently into the slot and close the card door.
The memory-card access light, labeled in Figure 1-2, blinks for few seconds to let you know that the camera recognizes the card. (The light appears even when the camera is turned off.)
Rotate the monitor to the desired viewing position.
When you first take the camera out of its box, the monitor is positioned with the screen facing inward, protecting it from scratches and smudges. Gently lift the right side of the monitor up and away from the camera back. You can then rotate the monitor to move it into the traditional position on the camera back, as shown on the left in Figure 1-3, or swing the monitor out to get a different viewing angle, as shown on the right.
Move the On/Off switch to the On position.
Okay, that’s an odd way to say “turn on the camera,” right? Agreed, but there’s good reason for it: This particular On/Off switch, shown in Figure 1-4, has three positions. When you rotate the switch to On, the camera comes to life and is ready to take still photos. If you move the switch one step further, to the movie camera symbol, the camera turns on and sets itself to Movie mode. You can’t take a still photograph in Movie mode; it’s good only for recording video.
It’s easy to accidentally move the On/Off switch all the way to the Movie mode setting when you really want to take regular photos, so pay attention when turning the camera on until you get used to this arrangement. (One clue that you’ve rotated the switch too far is that the camera automatically engages Live View, which disables the viewfinder and presents a live preview of your subject on the camera monitor.)
Set the language, time zone, and date.
When you power up the camera for the first time, the monitor displays a screen asking you to set the date, time, and time zone. The easiest way to adjust these settings is to use the touchscreen, which is enabled by default. Just tap an option to select it and then tap the up/down arrows at the bottom of the screen to set the value for that option. Finally, tap OK to exit the screen.
You also can adjust settings by using the Set button and the four cross keys surrounding it. (These controls live just to the right of the monitor.) Press the left/right keys to highlight a setting, press Set to activate the option, press the up/down keys to change the value, and press Set again to finalize the change.
The date/time information is included as metadata (hidden data) in the picture file. You can view metadata in some playback display modes (see Chapter 9) and in certain photo programs, including Canon Digital Photo Professional. (Refer to Chapter 10.)
Adjust the viewfinder to your eyesight.
This step is critical; if you don’t set the viewfinder to your eyesight, subjects that appear out of focus in the viewfinder might actually be in focus, and vice versa. If you wear glasses while shooting, adjust the viewfinder with your glasses on.
You control viewfinder focus through the dial labeled in Figure 1-5. (In official lingo, it’s called the diopter adjustment dial.) After taking off the lens cap, follow these steps:
Look through the viewfinder, press the shutter button halfway, and then release it.
In dim lighting, the built-in flash may pop up; ignore it for now and concentrate on the lines that appear in the center of the frame and the row of data displayed at the bottom of the frame.
Rotate the adjustment dial until the viewfinder markings and data appear sharpest.
Ignore the scene you see through the lens; that won’t change because you’re not actually focusing the camera. If the markings turn off before you finish making your adjustment, give the shutter button another quick half-press and release to redisplay them.
Can’t get the display sharp enough? You may need an adapter that enables further adjustment of the viewfinder. Look for an E-series dioptric adjustment lens adapter.
Select an exposure mode by rotating the Mode dial, labeled in Figure 1-4.
The exposure mode determines how much control you have over various camera settings as well as whether any special effects are applied. Chapter 2 explains the various exposure modes. For easiest operation, set the dial to Auto, as shown in the figure. Be aware, though, that some camera features are available only in the four advanced shooting modes: P, Tv, Av, and M.
FIGURE 1-1: Align the mounting index on the lens with the one on the camera body.
FIGURE 1-2: Insert the memory card with the label facing the back of the camera.
FIGURE 1-3: Here are two possible monitor positions.
FIGURE 1-4: Rotate the switch to On to shoot photographs; move the switch one step further to set the camera to movie-recording mode.
FIGURE 1-5: Use this dial to adjust the viewfinder focus to your eyesight.
That’s all there is to it — the camera is now ready to go. The rest of this chapter familiarizes you with other major camera features and explains such basics as how to navigate menus, use the touchscreen, and view and adjust camera settings.
Scattered across your camera’s exterior are numerous features that you use to change picture-taking settings, review your photos, and perform various other operations. Later chapters explain how and when to use these tools; the following sections provide a basic “what’s this thing do?” introduction to them. (Don’t worry about memorizing the button names; throughout the book, figures and margin symbols tell you exactly which button or switch to use.)
Your virtual tour begins on the top of the camera, shown in Figure 1-6.
FIGURE 1-6: Here’s a guide to controls found on top of the camera.
The items of note here are
On/Off/Movie mode switch: As outlined in the preceding section, setting the switch to movie-camera icon turns on the camera and sets it to movie-recording mode. Set the switch to On for still photography.
Even when the switch is in the On position, the camera automatically goes to sleep after a period of inactivity to save battery power. To wake the camera up, press the shutter button halfway and release it. See the information related to the Auto Power Off setting, found in the section Setup Menu 2” for help adjusting the timing of the automatic shutoff.
Main dial: As its name implies, this dial is central to many camera functions, from scrolling through menus to changing certain shooting and playback settings.
On some camera screens, you see a symbol that resembles the top half of a dial with notches around the edge. That’s designed to remind you that you use the Main dial to adjust the setting. Similarly, on some screens, a pair of curved arrows is perched above a picture-taking setting. Those arrows also indicate that you can rotate the dial to adjust the setting.
AF Area Selection button: Press this button to access the AF Area Selection setting, which is related to autofocusing. Chapter 5 explains. Focal plane indicator: Should you need to know the exact distance between your subject and the camera, the focal plane indicator labeled in Figure 1-6 is key. This mark indicates the plane at which light coming through the lens is focused onto the camera’s image sensor. Basing your measurement on this mark produces a more accurate camera-to-subject distance than using the end of the lens or some other point on the camera body as your reference point.
Traveling over the top of the camera to its back, you encounter the smorgasbord of controls shown in Figure 1-7.
FIGURE 1-7: Having lots of external buttons makes accessing the camera’s functions easier.
Some buttons have multiple “official” names because they serve multiple purposes depending on whether you’re taking pictures, reviewing images, recording a movie, or performing some other function. This book refers to these buttons by the first label you see in the following list (and in Figure 1-7) to simplify things. Again, though, the margin icons show you exactly which button to press.
Starting at the top-right corner of the camera back and working westward (well, assuming your lens is pointing north, anyway), here’s an introduction to the buttons and other controls on this side of the camera:
AF Point Selection/Magnify button: In certain shooting modes, you press this button to specify which autofocus points or zones you want the camera to use when establishing focus. You can also use it in Live View or Movie mode to magnify the display to check focus. (Chapter 5 tells you about focusing features.) In Playback mode, covered in Chapter 9, you use this button to magnify the image display (thus the plus sign in the button’s magnifying glass icon).
AE Lock/FE Lock/Index/Reduce button: During shooting, press this button to lock autoexposure (AE) settings, as covered in Chapter 4, and to lock flash exposure (FE), a feature detailed in Chapter 2.
This button also serves two image-viewing functions: It switches the display to Index mode, enabling you to see multiple image thumbnails at once. And if you magnify a photo, pressing the button reduces the magnification level.
Live View/Movie button: Press this button to shift to Live View mode, which enables you to compose your pictures using the monitor instead of the viewfinder. When shooting movies, press the button to start and stop recording. (You must first set the On/Off/Movie switch to the Movie position.)
Aperture/Exposure Compensation button: When you shoot in the M (manual) exposure mode, press and hold this button, then rotate the Main dial to choose the aperture setting, also known as the f-stop. In the other advanced exposure modes (P, Tv, and Av), you instead use the button and dial to apply Exposure Compensation, a feature that enables you to adjust the exposure. Chapter 4 discusses both issues.
Q (Quick Control) button: Press this button to shift to Quick Control mode, which enables you to adjust major shooting settings quickly. See “Using Quick Control Mode,” later in this chapter, for help.
Wi-Fi button: Pressing this button enables certain wireless communication features; again, see the appendix for an explanation of Wi-Fi operations.Set button and cross keys: Figure 1-7 points out the Set button and the four surrounding buttons, known as cross keys. These buttons team up to perform several functions, including choosing options from the camera menus. You use the cross keys to navigate through menus and then press the Set button to select a specific menu setting.
In this book, the instruction “Press the left cross key” means to press the one to the left of the Set button, “Press the right cross key” means to press the one to the right of the Set button, and so on.
During viewfinder photography — that is, when you’re using the viewfinder and not the monitor to frame your shots — the cross keys also have individual responsibilities, which are indicated by their labels:
For Live View and Movie shooting, the cross keys perform different actions, all related to autofocusing. See Chapter 5 for help.
Playback button: Press this button to switch the camera into picture-review mode.
Erase button: Sporting a trash can icon, the universal symbol for delete, this button lets you erase pictures from your memory card during playback. Chapter 9 has specifics.Info button: In Live View, Movie, and Playback modes, pressing this button changes the picture-display style.
During viewfinder photography, you can press the Info button to toggle between the Quick Control screen and electronic level. (These displays are explained later in this chapter.)
The remaining external features of note are shown in Figure 1-8 and described in the following list:
Wireless remote-control sensor: This sensor can pick up the signal from the optional Canon wireless remote-control unit. The part number is Canon RC-6 and sells for about $20.
You also have two other wireless remote-control options. If you have a smartphone or tablet that can run the Canon Connect app, you can use that device as a wireless remote; the appendix provides more information. Alternatively, you can buy the Canon Wireless Remote Control BR-E1 (about $50), which connects to your camera via Bluetooth, also detailed in the appendix. I bring them up now because unlike the RC-6 unit, these two tools don’t need to be aimed at the camera’s remote-control sensor to work.
Connection ports: Hidden under two covers on the left side of the camera, you find inputs for connecting the camera to various devices. Open the smaller cover to access the connections for a wired remote control or external microphone. Under the larger door, you find a digital terminal for connecting the camera to your computer via USB and an HDMI out port that sends the signal from your camera to an HDMI-equipped TV. To use either feature, you need to purchase a cable to make the connection. For USB downloading, check the Canon website for the cables that will do the trick. For HDMI output, you can use any HD cable that has a Type-C connection one on end (the end that goes into the camera).
See Chapter 12 for help with displaying images on an HD television; Chapter 9 explains how to connect the camera via USB to download pictures to your computer. (Spoiler alert: Downloading via USB is probably not your cheapest or easiest option; instead, consider using a memory-card reader or taking advantage of wireless transfer.)
FIGURE 1-8: Other important controls reside on the front and left side of the camera.
If you turn the camera over, you find a tripod socket (which enables you to mount the camera on a tripod that uses a ¼-inch screw), the chamber that holds the battery, and a connection port for attaching a Canon power adapter. See the camera manual for specifics on running the camera on AC power.
By default, your camera is set to Guided Display Mode. In this mode, designed for novices, camera screens are simplified and offer explanations and feedback when you adjust certain settings.
For example, when you press the Menu button, you get a description of the contents of the current menu, as shown on the left in Figure 1-9. And when you rotate the Mode dial to choose an exposure mode, the display describes what that mode is designed to do. The right side of Figure 1-9 shows the screen that appears if you select the Tv (shutter-priority autoexposure) exposure mode, for example.
FIGURE 1-9: In Guided Display mode, the camera offers simplified menus and brief details about the feature you’re currently using.
Additionally, after you exit the screen that describes the exposure mode, the camera displays available picture-taking settings along with input on certain options. If you choose OK from the Tv screen shown on the right in Figure 1-9, for example, you see the screen shown on the left in Figure 1-10, explaining that the main setting associated with the TV mode is the shutter speed, which determines whether moving objects appear blurry or sharp. As you change that setting, the screen updates to offer input on how your picture will be affected, as shown on the right in Figure 1-10.
FIGURE 1-10: Here are two guided screens that appear when you use the Tv exposure mode (shutter-priority autoexposure).
Guided mode is fine for users who don’t aspire to master their camera or the ins and outs of photography. But assuming that you bought this book because you don’t fall into that category, Standard mode is a better choice, for several reasons:
For these reasons, figures and instructions from this point forward relate to using the camera in the Standard mode instead of Guided mode. Here’s how to adjust the settings on your camera to swap out the guided screens with the standard versions:
Select the Display Level Settings tab, as shown on the left in Figure 1-11.
You can display the tab by tapping it at the top of the screen or by rotating the Main dial until the tab is highlighted.
Tap OK or press the Set button.
You see the screen shown on the right in Figure 1-11. Each option turns a separate function of the Guided mode system on or off. By default, all four are turned on, as shown in the figure.
Set the Shooting Screen and Menu Display options to Standard.
To change a setting, tap it or use the cross keys to highlight it and then press Set to display the two options available for each setting. Tap Standard or press the up/down cross keys to highlight it. Then tap Set or press the Set button to return to the initial menu screen. The affected screens should now appear as shown in Figure 1-12.
The right screen, which displays shooting information, is labeled Shooting Screen in the menu, but its official name is the Quick Control screen. This screen is the central station for viewfinder photography; see the section “Displaying the Quick Control screen,” later in this chapter, for more information.
(Optional) Disable the Mode Guide and Feature Guide options.
The Mode Guide, when enabled, displays a brief description of your chosen exposure mode for a few seconds after you rotate the Mode dial to select that setting. (Refer to the second screen in Figure 1-9.) Similarly, the Feature Guide provides text hints for some options as you select them. (Refer to the second screen in Figure 1-10; the gray text box is a Feature Guide message.)
I leave it up to you whether to disable these features. After you’re familiar with the various exposure modes and camera settings, they simply slow you down, so I keep them off. But if you find them helpful, by all means leave them set to Enable. Just remember that instructions from here on out won’t mention them.
FIGURE 1-11: Choose the Display Level Settings tab to turn the Guided mode features on or off.
FIGURE 1-12: Here’s how the menu and Quick Control screens appear in Standard mode.
You can return to the Display Level menu at any time to turn the various features on or off as you see fit.