Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D For Dummies [Paperback]

Julie Adair King (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 2008

If you’re as excited as we are about the Rebel XSi/450D, you probably can’t wait to start shooting. Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D For Dummies will show you how to make every shot count! Even if you’re new to digital SLR cameras or are unfamiliar with general photography terms and techniques, this handy guide will show you how to feel comfortable with the controls and start taking beautiful photographs.

Don’t worry if you’ve never heard the words aperture, white balance, or ISO. You’ll soon be switching easily between automatic and manual modes, managing exposure, and using the all-important Quality setting! You’ll learn everything about the lenses, from how to choose the ones you need to how to handle them. You’ll finally know how to push just the right buttons to achieve the results that you desire. In a snap, you will find out how to unleash your creativity by manipulating exposure and lighting. You will find out how to:

• Control picture quality
• Adjust resolution for image quality and size
• Shoot in automatic and manual modes
• Review photos using Playback Mode and the histogram, delete unwanted photos, and protect valuable photos from accidental deletion
• Manipulate exposure, color, focus, and lighting
• Download, organize, archive, print, and share photos with family and friends

Complete with lists of ten fast photo-editing tricks and ten special-purpose features to explore on a rainy day, Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D For Dummies is your one-stop guide to setting up, working with, and making the most of your new Canon digital SLR camera.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Layout is neat, easy to work through and is organised well." (ePhotozine.com, April 16th 2009)

From the Back Cover

Here's how to take control of all your cool camera's features

Your Digital Rebel XSi/450D delivers an exciting new way to take pictures, and this book shows you how to make every shot a winner! Even if you have no clue what aperture, white balance, or ISO mean, you'll soon be switching easily between automatic and manual modes, managing exposure, manipulating focus, and more.

• Master all the bells and whistles — find out how to make the most of every camera feature, from basic to advanced

• Move beyond automatic mode — get creative by taking manual control over aperture, shutter speed, and other camera settings

• Shoot like a pro — discover the secrets to capturing dynamic landscape photos, action shots, portraits, nighttime scenes, and close-ups

• Break through the technical jargon — get easy-to-understand explanations of resolution, pixels, file format, and other digital details

• End computer confusion — download, organize, and archive your pictures with easy-to-follow instructions

Open the book and find:

• When and how to use Live View

• Ways to work with flash and natural light

• Tips for controlling and correcting color

• How to shoot and process Raw files

• Advice on Custom Functions and other advanced features

• Details on picture-playback features

• Step-by-step instructions for using your Canon software

• How to prepare your images for printing or viewing online

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (September 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470385375
• ISBN-13: 978-0470385371
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,514 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #53 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Reference

More About the Author

Julie Adair King is the best-selling author of many books about digital imaging, including Digital Photography For Dummies, Shooting & Sharing Digital Photos For Dummies, and Digital Photography Before & After Makeovers. When not writing, she teaches at various locations, including such noted photography schools as the Palm Beach Photographic Centre in Florida.
A native of Ohio and a graduate of Purdue University, King now resides with her furboy, Mocha the Wacky Wheaten Terrier, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect book for this Dummie, November 5, 2008

By 

K. Hecker "Ken Hecker" (Fullerton, California USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D For Dummies (Paperback)

There are Dummies books, and then there are Dummies books. "Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D for Dummies" is pretty close to perfect. Written specifically for the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D, it's not just a generic manual with a chapter or some added info on a specific camera, but absolutely specific to this particular camera from cover to cover.

And when was the last time you saw a Dummies book with every photo in color? Every single photo in the book is full color - even The 5th Wave by Rich Tennant comics preceding chapters are in brilliant color.

This book covers every imaginable feature of the camera, and all the possible settings, with photo examples of their effects. It discusses connecting the camera to a computer to use the software that comes with the camera, and all the ins and outs of taking photos in RAW format, JPEG format, or both.

The Rebel XSi is a reasonably priced digital SLR with everything but the kitchen sink included. This book completes the set. I may never get to the other two books I bought on the subject. We'll see.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Jumpstart for the XSi!, July 13, 2009

By 

Proud Papa (TX) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D For Dummies (Paperback)

I got this book immediately after ordering my XSi. I was always a point and shoot (P&S) camera person before getting my first digital SRL camera. My wife had been wanting a DSRL for a while and I finally got one about 9 months ago. I became hooked on photography thanks in large part to this book, the XSi's capabilities, and having good subjects to photograph.

This book has everything you need to get up to speed and taking great pictures with your XSi. Let me make a couple of additional comments related to that statement.
1) A lot of the material in this book applies to other Canon cameras (and photography in general) but it is specific to the XSi features and layout. I've used what I learned from this book with my P&S Canon A590IS too. Never before this book had I used any settings other than the fully automatic ones on the P&S cameras.
2) Way better than the manual, which just matter-of-factly lists features. This book EXPLAINS the features and how they relate to one another (very important).
3) If you really get into photography and easily learn by reading a book, this is not the only book you will ever want/need. There are other books that get into the artistic aspects of photography you will likely want once you have mastered your camera, or at least become comfortable in the manual or semi-automatic modes.

What it doesn't cover:
1) Which specific lenses to get with your XSi. Very hard to answer so it's fair to be out of scope of a dummies book. So many reviews are conflicting on the topic anyway.
2) As mentioned, if you really want to get into artistic composition or advanced accessories, those are the topics of other books/websites.
This is definitely the book to jumpstart your DSRL picture taking with the XSi. Well worth the price. If you are going to spend the money on a DSLR, make sure you get your money's worth. It pains me a little to see DSLR owners who use them exactly like they are P&S cameras with only the fully automatic modes of operation. The whole point of DSRL is to unleash the creative aspects offered by the different lenses and modes.

My summary recommendation: I keep this book in my backpack with all my camera gear. I haven't pulled it out in a while but it's good enough to carry around for reference if I want more information on a feature. There will always be another feature/setting you haven't fully explored and should experiment with more. If you get in a routine with your settings, try to add a new one to your bag of tricks. Taking great pictures with a DSRL is not always easy but it is very rewarding when you get those special shots you know you would not get with a P&S. Without this book, it would have taken me a lot longer to get proficient, and I would have missed out on some really memorable pictures along the way.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great guide, January 29, 2009

By 

Tom - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D For Dummies (Paperback)

Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black)This is a great book for the novice as well as the established photographer. The Rebel XSi camera is the first big step from the point and shoot camera. Easy step by step understandable reviews of the camera is given with excellent photo descriptions of what is happening. The flow of the books builds your knowledge in a usefull way that gets you started quickly while enjoying you camera purchase. The review of the accompaning editing software gives the novice more knowledge of what the camera can do as well as enhanse the photographic experience. Read the entire book. Will continue to use as a reference.

Tom