Welcome to the Canon EOS Rebel T1i/500D Digital Field Guide. Now that you have the newest and most advanced Rebel, the creative world of photography is at your fingertips promising hours of personal and professional enjoyment and beautiful images. Only a few years ago, the idea of an affordable 15.1-megapixel camera was unheard of; but today, you have not only 15.1 megapixels of resolution but also the ability to instantly switch from still shooting to shooting high-definition video clips, all using a single camera. Clearly, the Rebel T1i/500D opens the door to great creative expression for photographers, and this book is written to help you use the Rebel to its full capability.

Like its predecessors, the Rebel T1i/500D is very approachable with easy-to-use controls and camera menus, a big 3-inch high-resolution LCD, and a small, lightweight footprint. Under the hood, Canon has packed the latest technology including its DIGIC 4 image processor with 14-bit processing for smooth tonal gradations and rich color, an expanded ISO range up to ISO 12800, Live View and Movie shooting, customizable menus and Picture Styles, and the new Creative Auto shooting mode to help you get professional-looking results without needing in-depth knowledge about exposure controls. So regardless of your skill level, the Rebel makes getting great images — and videos — easy and fun.

The automatic modes of the camera replicate those on point-and-shoot cameras so that you can get started shooting with the Rebel just as soon as the battery is charged. But from my experience teaching photography courses, most Rebel photographers already know how to point and shoot. Rather, they are anxious to begin using the creative modes and controls of the camera. And that's what this book is designed to help you do.

In this book, you'll first learn to navigate and use the Rebel camera controls and menus, and then you'll explore photographic exposure, including what to look for in a good exposure and how to use the Rebel to get it. The Rebel also has several controls to help you get great color, and those controls are detailed in Chapter 3. From there you'll learn how to shoot in Live View and Movie modes, and how to customize the camera for different scenes and uses.

Then we move to using the built-in and an accessory flash in Chapter 7. Part of the advantage of shooting with the Rebel is that you can use more than 60 Canon lenses, and Chapter 8 discusses different types of lenses and what to expect from them. In Chapter 9, readers who are new to photography can get an overview of the basics of photographic exposure including an introduction to ISO, aperture, shutter speed, and how they work together. In addition, this chapter includes an introduction to classic composition techniques.

Finally in Chapter 10, you'll learn how to use multiple controls and options on the Rebel in specific shooting scenarios. Five types of common shooting areas are detailed with sample images, camera setup and exposure information, as well as tips for shooting on your own. Also, be sure to explore the appendixes for additional helpful information.

I hope that this book not only helps you master using the Rebel T1i/500D, but that the learning process will be a rewarding and enjoyable journey for you. The editor, the staff at Wiley, and I hope that you enjoy reading and using this book as much as we enjoyed creating it for you.