Birthday present: Canon Digital Rebel

[Canlympus]

I just received a birthday card from my mother: she included in it a slip from QVC for an order. She bought a package deal with a Canon Digital Rebel T3 with kit lens and case. I have not seen the camera yet. I have never operated an SLR before.

I was wondering if the JumpStart Guides video tutorial DVDs would be of help in getting me up and running with this camera. Comments?

Which camera cards are best for this camera? I understand this kind of camera has an SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot. Which about compact card readers? I'd like to find a small card reader that kind handle all related SD card types.

Where is the best place to get tutorials about SLR operation and jargon?

What kind of aftermarket is available for the Rebel insofar as lenses, flashes and other accessories goes?

[Canlympus]

Here is the package she bought. QVC sold it during a special sale for $619.96 to members.

[kgosden]

What is your current camera? Does it have any manual modes that you have used? For starters the manual with the Rebel will give you some basics. You can just put it into 'auto' or program mode to get used to the controls and general handling. There are plenty of generic DSLR books that will teach you about the more manual controls. I would probably just hit the book store to find one that suits your reading and reference style. There is one well regarded 'Understanding Exposure' book (Peterson Press I think) that lots of folks have recommended.

[TheWengler]

I would just read through the manual then google things you don't understand. The book kgosden recommended is pretty good. Exposure is the first thing you should try to get a grasp of.

There are plenty of accessories and lenses you can buy for your camera. It can get expensive quick! Typically the stuff that comes in those packages is pretty cheap though.

BTW, that user review on the QVC site is pretty funny

[Canlympus]

Currently, I use three cameras:

Olympus Camedia C-3020Z point-and-shoot, 2001 vintage, 3.2 megapixels, 3x optical zoom, shaped like an SLR, uses SmartMedia card

Canon PowerShot S2 IS ultra-zoom, 2005 vintage, 5.0 MP, 12x zoom w/ IS, also shaped like an SLR, uses SD card

Canon PowerShot A 720 IS, 2008 vintage, 8.0 MP, 6x zoom w/ IS, vaguely shaped like an SLR, uses SD or SDHC cards


At this point, my old multi-card-format reader can only read older SD cards, no SDHC at all. I bought a newer Topram SD card reader that was shaped like a thumb-drive, but it failed on me after a few months. So now I'm forced to use a direct USB conection to each camera, which I find to be a big pain in the rear.

I occasionally use manual settings with the Canons, such as AV (aperture priority mode) for dusk shooting.

[kgosden]

Well, the C-3020Z was a fine high end point and shoot in it's day (I owned a C-2020Z and still have my C-5050Z). It offered a full range of controls that match those found on most DSLR's such as aperture and shutter priority.

[Canlympus]

I found a great little SD/SDHC/SDXC/MiniSD/MicroSD card reader made by Sony at B&H Photo. Has anyone used any of Sony's readers? Are they good quality. I know it's not a huge investment, by the unheard-of Topam really burned me.

[Canlympus]

I also found this JumpStart Guide video tutorial DVD for the Canon Rebel T3 at Amazon. I like JumpStart Guides; I've used them before.

[Csae]

BTW, that user review on the QVC site is pretty funny

No funny review for me

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[Anthony]

The review Csae:

"Received my TSV today. Set the camera up and took some test shots. OMG, makes a clunky noise when the picture shoots. Certainly can't use at a wedding, etc. I thought this would be a great camera. Hopefully, someone can provide a trick to fix the noise. If not, this will be the second noisy camera I've returned to QVC. It sounds like a little kids play camera. Currently, cannot recommend. Very sad!"

I wonder what in a dslr could be making a clunking noise!