In this lesson, we examine the basic features of the Canon EOS Rebel digital SLR camera and the EF-S 18-55mm zoom lens kit. We will then take you through a basic outdoor portrait using the Rebel and how to get the shots from the camera to the computer.

BATTERIES

The Rebel comes with a rechargeable Lithium-Ion high energy Battery Pack (BP-511/512). Although you can expect to capture and play back many images for each charging, we recommend that you invest in at least one more Lithium-Ion battery so that when you run out of power, you won't have to suspend shooting until your only battery fully charges (figure 1).

To install the Li-Ion Battery Pack to the Rebel body, follow the steps illustrated below (figures 2-6).

The battery access door is located on the bottom of the camera. Push the release to open the battery access door (figure 2). Align the battery with the battery port (figure 3). Insert the battery into the camera (figure 4). The battery is properly installed when the orange retention clip clicks into place (figure 5).

Close the battery access door (figure 6).

To attach the lens, line up the white square on the lens with the white square on the camera, and insert the lens into the mount (figure 9). Then rotate the lens ¼ turn clockwise until the lens “clicks” into place (figure 10).

To remove the lens from the camera, press the lens release button (figure 11). Rotate the lens ¼ turn counterclockwise until the white squares line up and remove the lens (figure 12).

Installing the media

The EOS Rebel uses the CompactFlash memory cards to record and store the images in the camera. Several manufacturers make these cards in sizes up to 8 GB. We have chosen a Lexar 1GB CF card to illustrate this section .

The media access door is located on the right side of the camera. To install the media card, locate and open the door to the card slot (figure 13). Line up the card in its proper orientation (figure 14) and insert the card into the media slot in the camera (figure 15). Be sure the card is seated well in the camera, then close the door and you’re ready for the next step (figure 16).

Powering up the Camera

Now that we have installed the battery, the media card, and a lens, we are ready to power up the camera. The power switch is found on the top of the camera to the right of the Mode dial (figure 17).

To set the resolution on the Rebel, press the MENU button on the left side of the camera to activate the program window, then press the DOWN button to activate the image quality setting in the menu (figures 20 and 21).

From the Quality mode, press the right arrow one time to open the Quality menu. Then press the Up or Down arrows to select the desired quality setting (figure 22).

Press OK when done. The color LCD screen will turn off and the new setting will show in the LCD status window above the color screen.

Large setting - Figure 23 shows the Quality set to large. Figure 24 shows how many more images can be shot with this setting onto the current CompactFlash card.

Medium setting - Figure 25 shows the Quality set to medium. Figure 26 shows how many more images can be shot with this setting onto the current CompactFlash card.

Small setting - Figure 27 shows the Quality set to small. Figure 28 shows how many more images can be shot with this setting onto the current CompactFlash card.

The magnified images on the right (taken with a 4MP camera) illustrate the effects of different ISO settings. Note that the Rebel will outperform these examples for quality and low noise. In this example, notice the noise that appears in the shadow of this remote control unit as the ISO is increased (figure 29).
(Click on image for better view.)

The shipping default ISO setting in the Rebel is set to -A- (Auto), which will allow the camera to make an interpreted setting, depending on the availability of light, from ISO 100 to 1600. We recommend setting the ISO to 100 (its lowest) for most situations, as this renders the best image quality. To adjust this setting, simply press the ISO button and turn the setting dial until the desired ISO setting is displayed (figures 30 and 31).

White Balance
The Rebel offers a variety of White Balance (WB) settings so that you can render natural-looking colors in your photographs.

• Auto
  You can leave the white balance set to AUTO and let the camera interpret the correct color temperature for any given situation. The camera is quite adept at determining the appropriate color temperature in most situations. However, there will be times when you will want to either choose a Preset WB setting or create a Custom WB setting.
  
  
• Preset WB
  There are many different Preset white balance settings from which you can choose that will color balance such situations as sunny days, cloudy days, shade in daylight, and many different artificial lighting conditions. You can experiment with different color tones by selecting different Preset WB settings.
  
  
• Custom WB
  The EOS Rebel allows you to make a custom white balance setting by reading off a photo quality gray card or white subject.
  
  
• Setting to DAYLIGHT/FLASH White Balance
  To set the Rebel to shoot outdoors in sunlight, first press the WB (down arrow) button to activate the white balance preset selection (figure 32). Then use the selection dial on top of the camera to scroll though the presets to the “sun” icon to set up the Rebel for outdoor shooting (figure 33).

Now your camera is calibrated for daylight or flash conditions to capture perfectly color-balanced pictures.

EXPOSURE MODE

In order to control your depth of field and your exposure, you need to manually adjust your aperture and shutter speeds. To be able to manually adjust your aperture and shutter speed settings, first turn the Mode Dial to the M (manual) setting (figure 34).

APERTURE
The most important thing to remember is that your aperture setting controls your depth of field. The smaller your aperture number, or "f/stop", the shorter your depth of field will be. You can adjust the aperture number by pressing and holding the AV +/- button and turning selection dial to find the desired aperture (figures 35 and 36).

SHUTTER SPEED
When the Rebel is on and in the M (manual) exposure mode, the selection dial controls the settings. To select a shutter speed simply scroll through the settings until you find the speed you wish (figures 37 and 38).

SHOOTING PORTRAITS OUTDOORS

Taking good portraits outdoors can be easy if you have some basic light modifiers on hand. A bright sunny day can render beautiful, vibrant colors but can also present a high degree of contrast: a primary concern when shooting portraits. To illustrate more effectively, we set up a typical backyard portrait set-up with our model. Once the camera was dialed in, we took a shot of her in a vertical crop (figures 39 and 40).

Here's the contrast we talked about. Notice how bright the model's forehead is compared to the sharp shadows cast from her nose and chin in this result shot. And since she had the sun in her eyes, she couldn't help but squint into the lens.

To reduce the contrast (and squinting), our assistant held a Photoflex 12" Translucent LiteDisc up to diffuse the sunlight falling on the model's head and shoulders. This eliminated the harsh shadows, but also decreased the overall light level by about 1 f/stop. To adjust for exposure, we simply opened the aperture a full stop from its original setting and took another shot (figures 41 and 42).

In the result shot, notice how much more we can see the model's eyes, and that the shadows have diminished drastically.

For a final touch, we had the model hold a 22" White LiteDisc just under her face to bounce sunlight up into the shadow areas. We took another shot and then viewed it on the playback mode of the camera (figures 43 and 44).

The shadows under the eyes and nose have been eliminated, and the bottom LiteDisc has created a nice "sparkle" in the model's eyes. For a full body shot using this technique, you would simply use larger LiteDiscs.

DOWNLOADING

In order to download your new images onto your computer to manipulate, email, or print them, you'll need to install the Canon software (included with the EOS Rebel) onto your computer. Afterward, you can import the images to your computer.

When you want to transfer the images you've captured from your camera to your computer, you can do so in a couple of different ways. You can connect the camera directly to your computer using the USB 2.0 cable (included with the Rebel) (figure 45 - 47). Also you can use a separate card reader cabled to the computer for downloading the images.

Insert the included USB cable into the camera's USB port, then insert the other end into your computer's USB port. Then you will be ready to save your photos to your computer.

Once you've transferred the images from your camera to your computer, you can use the provided Canon software or optional software like Adobe Photoshop Elements to prepare them for print, email, or web posting.