Conceited

 
 Although these writings are meant for newbies' (beginners), I assumed that my reader would have at least some rudimentary knowledge about the camera.

1. I assumed you would know how to charge the camera battery (not more than 4 hours),
2. How to format and insert the memory card (the storage medium that stores your images until you delete them, also what those numbers on the cards mean?) into the housing and
3. How to switch on the camera.

These maybe simple to a seasoned shooter but they can be baffling to a newbie.  The Chinese has a saying for this, 'A new daughter-in-law in the house is just like a baby taking his first steps'!  In this case the daughter-in-law is the the newbie with the camera.

I remember how a simple task like switching on the camera had me befuddled for weeks.  The on/off switch of the Canon 40D has three positions instead two.  The front and back dials will only work in tandem if you put the switch onto the third position.  It took me two weeks before I figured out the reason why the camera was not doing what I wanted it to do!  I was too conceited and never referred to the manual.

The Manual, the map to your camera.

 

The objective of buying a camera is to take pictures. The camera is just the mean to an end. However during the picture taking you will face many challenges. The 'end' is just not folders filled with pictures in your PC. Surely you would like something more than that.

To get good results we need a good tool. Needless to say to use the tool properly, you must have some ideas how it works. The working of simple is pretty straight forward. But a DSLR is a complex electro mechanical tool. Normally it comes with an array of buttons and dials. Some of these work independently, some in combination to perform functions. In the beginning this is all very confusing. Remember when you first learn to drive? After a period of time, the dashboard controls will become second nature. You will know what to do in an instance and most of it instinctive.

It's the same with the camera. There is really no short cut in learning about your camera. The more you handle the camera the better you will become. That is wy you will always hear laments of the drawers' shooter. You know, the type who will only bring out the camera from the drawer when the occasion arises. I really hope you are not one of them.

When I am in a foreign place, the first thing I do is to look for a map. I always like to have a bearing of my location in relation to my journey. This is also true with the camera. The manual is the map of your camera. It is always a great source of information that I can go back repeatedly. Eventually it will be inside my head. Manual are normally printed in the form of a small book. It is very portable and so no excuse for me not to bring it along during shoot. I find that every time when I handle the camera, that's when I come up with the questions!

P.S. do not despair if you forgot your manual. Most of them are available in the net!