I am not completely understanding all the functions of the canon lenses.....for instance I get the depth function of zooming in and out, obviously....but then there is the other part that has ft or mm to infinity.....I don't know why I would use that or when and there is a switch under the AF-MF of distance range....I read the manuel, and it says what it is, but I guess I just don't get it :rolleyes: does it make a difference if its changed?
I think I need to take a class :eek:

but then there is the other part that has ft or mm to infinity.....I don't know why I would use that or when and there is a switch under the AF-MF of distance range..

I would use the MF (manual focus) when i take a macro photo because if i switch to AF(auto focus)the lens could be out of focus easily at a so close distance,thus i switch to MF and turn the part of the lens that has mm with my hand and then i would go back and forth until i find the right focus and then shoot.
I would do the same (ok i will not go back and forth here LOL) at the low light conditions and night photos as the lens can't focus well
Also when i use the tripod i switch the AF and when the lens focus,i would switch the lens to the MF because the photo turns out sharp and better at MF,some people take action photos using the MF,but it's a bit hard for me,it needs practice :)

Thanks again Sophia, I'll try the MF and see how it works... :)

I think I need to take a class :eek:
You might want to get a ebook like the one at http://www.digitalsecrets.net/ItsCanon/350DeBook.html
I had the one about the Coolpix 5000 and it was very well explained :)

Olly

ooooh, that looks helpful....I will check into that!...thanks....there is a DVD also on the rebel XT....I was going to check into that too, I like someone speaking and showing...:p Thanks Olly

Sophia that helped me too! the movie on the rebel isn't very good, IMO. The ebook sounds great! I was going to get a book for dummies :)

I like your photos,they are very good.Did you see how nice the Macro lens is?not only for macro photography,but also it's a very good lens for portraits,the photo of your dogs is very nice!

Thanks Sophia, it did make a huge difference using the MF.....I really do love the Macro lens too!!!!..and your right, it is good with portraits too :) .Now that I have it, the weather is starting to cool, barely, but enough that the butterflies, dragonflies, bugs, etc. are pretty much gone....my husband laughs at me cuz I am out searching for something to take a picture of....lol :D

Thanks Sophia, it did make a huge difference using the MF

Also try to shoot setting AF and the center focus point only,and you would take very good photos,i think that the 9 point focus system is abit annoying

Now that I have it, the weather is starting to cool, barely, but enough that the butterflies, dragonflies, bugs, etc. are pretty much gone.
It's time for inside photos,you need a tripod :)

It's time for inside photos,you need a tripod

yes, time to get creative...:D ...last night it was a full moon and cloudy, but the moon was really bright and the clouds were bubbly......I got the tripod out (first time using one) tried many different settings....the clouds were moving pretty fast so a lot of the pictures were blurry...I must have taken 30-40 pics.....so before I was going to down load them, I was trying to figure out how to make them smaller I hit a wrong button, not knowing what it was and of course not getting the manuel out :rolleyes: and hit ok for format....lol...and lost them all!!!...I couldn't believe I did that, I was sooo excited to see if any of them turned out!!!

i think that the 9 point focus system is abit annoying

I do too...the 70 200 4L lens is hard for me to focus correctly, it seems like it fucuses on the outer focus points easier than the center one...last night I put it on AF to focus, then switched it to MF....I have off tomorrow, hopefully it will be a nice day :)

I must have taken 30-40 pics.....so before I was going to down load them, I was trying to figure out how to make them smaller I hit a wrong button, not knowing what it was and of course not getting the manuel out and hit ok for format....lol...and lost them all!
I'm so sorry!:( Tonight and all nights this week the moon would be bright,so you will have another opportunity


I do too...the 70 200 4L lens is hard for me to focus correctly, it seems like it fucuses on the outer focus points easier than the center one...last night I put it on AF to focus, then switched it to MF

The other way is to select manually the center focus point instead of 9 focus points.I have selected the center focus permanently

I tried last night to take pictures of the moon and about 20 picturs I took all came out just a big white ball:) I need more practice I guess.

The other way is to select manually the center focus point instead of 9 focus points.I have selected the center focus permanently

I see what your saying now, I'll try that :)

I tried last night to take pictures of the moon and about 20 picturs I took all came out just a big white ball I need more practice I guess.

mine too, I tried again last night....at all different settings and using the timer...covering the eye piece....I don't know how to get rid of that glare....in some the moon showed fully but there was still a huge wht ball....I'll post and maybe someone can see what it is.

If the moon appeared as a white ball i suppose that it was a cloudy sky and you couldn't see the details,barely with the naked eye or the expose was too long
Did you have the EXIF of the photos?

Did you have the EXIF of the photos?

:p I'm not sure I know what that is......I did just recently post them here and I was just waiting till they are approved to show you....I haven't posted on a web page, like yahoo etc. to give you a link....I might look into that though.

here are the links.....then you can see...

http://www.megapixelworld.com/photography/showphoto.php?photo=1707&cat=500&ppuser=58

see, you can see the moon below not quiete in focus, but then the light is above it. here is the other one

http://www.megapixelworld.com/photography/showphoto.php?photo=1706&cat=500&ppuser=58

I like very much this excellent photo!http://www.megapixelworld.com/photography/showphoto.php?photo=1706&limit=recent
You can't take the details of the moon and the silhouette of the trees using the same expose,at leash i have never seen one without montage or double expose.Taking a night photo you would take the moon with the details and the rest photo black or the details of the surrounding and the moon white.
Here this photo is http://www.megapixelworld.com/photography/showphoto.php?photo=1094&cat=500&ppuser=3 double expose,i took one photo of the moon and one photo of the surrounding and pieced together the two photos on photoshop
I don't believe there is any other way to do this

EXIF is the file info,if you have the photoshop go file>file info>exif and there you could see all the info...f number,ISO,expose time ect

well that makes sense!....I will try again without any back round, just the sky and see how that works.....I didn't realize you pieced those two pictures together!!! wow! :D

I don't have adobe photoshop, my husband just bought photo impact, it has a lot you can do, but I haven't had much time to play on it......I'll look for that info though. Thanks Sophia!!

I didn't realize you pieced those two pictures together!!! wow! :D

On my photo with the boat the moon was a white bright ball too :D

Maggie, nice pictures. Sophia whenI took mine, looking through the view finder the picture was great but when I looked at it after I took it it was just a white ball, guess I have the settings wrong.

Maggie, nice pictures. Sophia whenI took mine, looking through the view finder the picture was great but when I looked at it after I took it it was just a white ball, guess I have the settings wrong.

You have to select the center focus point only.
Probably you focused rightly and as you pressed the button again another focus point out of 9 was selected and the photos was out of focus or the expose was too long
Try selecting only the center focus point

I find the other focuses useless also. I always use the center focus but I find it hard to see when its dark:confused: have to look for the fatter one:D I also wish that when you looked in the eye piece for your settings that it was bigger. I can see them fine but they are small. Eye sight here is getting bad.:D Poor Sophia! we need a forum for beginners(or dummies) so I can learn all this stuff:D you have a lot of patience.

I find it hard to see when its dark:confused: have to look for the fatter one:D
Yes it's hard,if you like the night photography you could buy a laser point (many times i said to myself that i need a laser point and i always forget to buy one :rolleyes: )so you would point the laser at the subject and focus with the camera and when the carema is in the right focus,switch the lens from AF to M,turn the laser off and take the photo :)

Poor Sophia! we need a forum for beginners(or dummies) so I can learn all this stuff:D you have a lot of patience
Don't worry i love to communicate with people that like photography,it gives me pleasure :D