Canon EOS Rebel T3i / 600D: From Snapshots to Great Shots

Let me preface this by saying I'm new to DSLR and so have purchased and read about a dozen books in the pursuit of learning the fundamentals of photography and teaching myself how to use my new camera, a Canon Rebel T3i. Some of the books--like this, Jeff Revell's Canon EIS Rebel T3i / 600D--are camera-specific (since--let's face it--the manufacturer product manual that comes with the camera is all too dense, rather light on anything resembling the how or why, and generally just assumes you've already mastered the lexicon of photography), others focus on the fundamentals of photography, and a few are really just collections of tips and recipes for producing specific kinds of shots (i.e., the how, but now why).This book is a great intro to both photography and the T3i, although not the best at either. But if you are looking for just ONE book that helps you learn how to use the T3i AND that also covers the basics of photography and provides some practical guidance for actually shooting--then this is the book for you. In fact, the first chapter is probably my favorite opening chapter for getting to know the T3i, across all the T3i books I've read ("The T3i Top Ten List," which is basically a quickstart to setting up your T3i and some basic but critical menu settings); sure, other T3i books contain this info, but it's buried much more deeply and all too easy to miss. I also really appreciate how each chapter concludes with an "assignment" page--basically a quick list of things to do that help you put what you just read into practice. There's something to be said for ending each chapter with basically a summary of what you learned and how you can put it into practice. Also of note--peppered throughout the book are little call-out boxes that highlight on what pages in the Canon T3i product manual the topic or features at hand are discussed. All said, it's a very practical approach to teaching people new to DSLR how to use their T3i, the basics of photography, and how to pull it all together.So why four stars, and not five? Because there are other books that teach you about the T3i, or about the basics of photography, better. Revell's book does both well--very well, actually--but it's not the best at either. The most comprehensive guide to the T3i, hands down, is  David Busch's Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D Guide ; of course, it's also massive and far less portable than this Revell guide. And, by far, my favorite photography book to date is  Bryan Peterson's Understanding Photography Field Guide ; it's a fantastic book that really teaches you the fundamentals of photography in an easily accessible way, and a fantastic companion to any camera-specific guide.So what would I recommend? If you're budget-conscious, new to the T3i, and can only get ONE book, then get this guide by Revell. If that's not an issue, then my recommendation is the Bryan Peterson Understanding Photography Field Guide in conjunction with either this guide by Revell or the David Busch guide. Which one you prefer depends on your needs; Busch is much more comprehensive, but it's quite hefty and may not be as practical as some people would prefer.

This book was one of my first purchases after getting my Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D. The camera was easy enough to use in auto mode, but to move beyond that was difficult. Jeff Revell's book not only helped me learn how to operate my camera, it has also put me squarely on the path to becoming a photographer.I have read this book cover to cover at least three times, some chapters more. Each time I read a chapter, and experimented with my camera, I learned more, and was able to not only retain more, but actually start picking up the information in the more advanced chapters more easily.Before I read this book, I was afraid to turn the main dial to the settings in the "Creative" zone. Like most other "point and shoot" photographers, I had confined myself to the selections in the "Basic" zone. Now I am quite comfortable using the Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual modes of my camera, and indeed, spend the majority of my time in the Manual mode. While I'm still working my way down the path to becoming a good photographer, I feel that this book has given me a lot of the tools I will need to get there.Bottom line: If you purchase the Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D, and you are fairly new to photography, you need this book. Buy it, read it, practice the lessons at the end of each chapter. I won't guarantee you will become a great photographer, but after reading this book, you will have a solid foundation to build upon.

If you've never had an SLR or DSLR, this book is much more about the basic fundamentals of photography and manual settings and you should derive a lot of good information from it. It's less of an improved camera manual and more of beginers DSLR course--even has exercises like you'd expect from a college textbook. The book is filled with great motivational images.As for myself I was hoping for more of a camera specific manual because I usually find manufacturers manuals to be difficult to read and not helpful. You will find information about the specific controls on your camera here, but you'll most likely still need to reference your Canon manual along with the book--it's more about the craft of photography and technique than anything else.I'm personally past needing to know about what an aperature does, what controls depth of field, and what can be accomplished with various shutter speeds. Frankly I don't agree with the authors asertion and others books like this that you can't get good pictures in auto mode, which I think still has a time and place; but if you want to have more control of your output it's helpful to know the basics and if you've only ever had point and shoot cameras or even just used your cell phone camera, I'm sure you'll find the information in this book useful.

We bought ourselves the Canon 600D as an early Christmas present. Having never owned an SLR camera we stuck to the reliable 'Auto' mode for a week before realising this was a waste of a great camera! Having purchased a few photography books we became increasingly frustrated with author's who told you how to get the best light, when to use f5.6 and when to use f22.... This all meant nothing to us!! However, the manual that comes with the camera is far too technical and didn't tell us WHEN to use these functions! This book marries the 2 perfectly! The author talks you through all the functions of the camera before introducing you to phrases such as 'aperture' 'f-stop' etc in a way that means not only do you understand them...but you also understand how to mange these factors on your camera...AND when you should change them. We have taken the camera out to several locations and have been very impressed with the results versus our week of taking photo on 'auto'. Very much recommended for the amateur photographer!

If you have bought a Canon EOS 600D and you never move it off the AUTO setting it would be like buying a race spec rally car and only ever using it to drive it the three miles to tesco for the weekly shop - yep it will do it but you are missing out on so much fun.So, for those who are moving up from entry level DSLR or perhaps have come from the world of compact cameras and who have not done any formal training in photography, this book is an absolute essential read. The owners manual that comes with the camera will explain what the buttons and menus do, but not how and when and why you would use such a setting. For novice or hobbyist photographers keen to develop their skill and make the most from this exceptional camera a few basics of photography theory will rapidly shift you in terms of the quality of pictures you take.I love this book, in simple, straight forward and patient language the author communicates both a passion for the subject but also a desire to help others enjoy the joy and pleasure of creating truly awesome shots - let me tell you, within just a couple of hours you will start taking noticeably better pictures and by the time you have finished the book the potential of this exceptionally powerful camera will have been opened up to you. Clearly and concisely the author will help you understand the technical language of photography and explain how and when to adjust the "f-stop"; the shutter speed; understand the impact of "focal length", and know which lenses will achieve the shots you imagine in your mind. Digital SLR and especially the Canon EOS 600D make this so much easier than you might imagine.The book is well illustrated and more importantly, all of the pictures are annotated with the settings the author used - this helps you make sense of how the theory relates to practice and it can be entertaining testing yourself by guessing the settings before looking at the annotation. As well as covering the how and why of each of the features the camera offers the author uses the latter part of the book to cover the basics of picture composition.The author encourages the reader to experiment with some guided exercises at the end of each chapter to consolidate the learning - I found myself impatient and rattled through the book in about four hours and went out to play. Suddenly I was producing work in a whole different league and the theory just made so much more sense. This is a book one can revisit of course - the sections are set out so that you can start with your favourite types of shot and then gen up on the theory for the remainder as you grow in confidence.The book gave me everything I hoped for and easily achieves the stated mission - move from snap shots to great shots. It's like having a best mate who is a professional photographer dropping round for a cup of tea and then sitting patiently with you explaining how to use your new toy. This book offers the ultimate in "Does what it says" technology.

Many many years ago I was into photography as a hobby with an old 35mm film SLR. As is so often the case, life demanded that I give up this hobby.Recently I have had more time and have become interested in photography again so I purchased a DSLR and this book to accompany it.This book is excellent at describing what does what on the camera and why it achieves the effect that it does (such as DOF, capturing fast moving subjects etc)with clearly illustrated pictures and I found it the perfect accompaniment to the cameras manual.It covers the kit lens that comes with the camera (18-55mm) but that is fine as that is currently all I have and until I know how to operate the camera and all it's many settings I won't be purchasing any other lenses.It has certainly helped me get the most out of the camera in these early days!Highly recommended if like me you are taking your first steps into the digital photography world with the Canon EOS 600D.

If like me you're a beginner to the world of photography and DSLRs, I couldn't recommend this book enough - it is an excellent way to get started if you've bought a 600D and want to go beyond point-and-shoot photography (this camera can do so much more!)The start of the book explains all the basics (aperture, ISO, shutter speeds) in a very clear and easy to understand way, and relates back to how each function works on the 600D. This makes it easy to experiment with all the different modes and settings as you read along which is a great way to learn.It then goes into more detail about how to approach different types of shot and explains not only what each setting is for, but in what situations you should use them. At the end of each chapter, the author suggests some "assignments" which are a good way to practice and reinforce the concepts as you go along.So in conclusion if you're new to photography and have bought a 600D, this is a must read!

New to digital photography and new to a Canon EOS600. Wading through the manual that came with the camera was tedious, confusing (to newcomers like me) and lacked some guidance for users. This book goes through the tasks required and gives picture examples of outcomes, all of which are quite easy to understand, and certainly helpful to beginners and competent users alike. Limitations? This book will not be of use to anybody wishing to records HD video - but the books introduction makes that absolutely clear. I am glad I bought it.