Canon EOS 1100D: tips for using your digital camera

jmeyer — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 05:00:47 +0000

So you think you know how to use your Canon 1100D? Like many of us, you may have a DSLR or compact system camera but tend to use only a handful of your its features.

In our ongoing review of some of the more popular current and ‘out of date’ Canon cameras, we want to help you better harness the creative potential of your camera.

Call them camera tips, or call it a user’s guide to your favourite Canon camera. The advice below comes from experts who have used the Canon 1100D and know this DSLR inside and out.

If you have your own Canon 1100D tips you’d like to share, post them in the comments below. What we want to build is an ever-growing user’s guide for the Canon 1100D that comes not from a press release or a lab test, but from the photographers who shoot with this DSLR (read more DSLR tips or read about another Canon DSLR).

We want to inspire you to twist the mode dial and move beyond your favourite settings and functions and get more out of your Canon 1100D starting today!

Tip 1: RAW+JPEG
The 1100D might be the beginner body in the EOS line but it still features plenty of advanced features, such as shooting a RAW file and a JPEG at the same time. This allows you to share a picture quickly, and the flexibility for editing a shot later.

Tip 2: SET button
As with more advanced Canon cameras, the 1100D’s SET button can be customised with a frequently used function. It’s disabled by default, but you can change it to provide quick access to useful features like depth-of-field preview or flash exposure compensation.

Tip 3: Cross-type AF point
If the camera’s struggling to focus, select the central AF point manually. This is a ‘cross-type’ AF point, meaning that it’s sensitive to both horizontal and vertical lines, and is more likely lock on to a subject.

Tip 4: Creative Auto
Not quite ready for the Priority or Manual modes? Try Creative Auto mode. This is a step up from the green full auto mode, allowing you to take more control over ‘background blur’, flash, brightness and other settings.

Tip 5: What is this?
If you’re wondering what this little mark on your 1100D is, it’s the Focal Plane Indicator. The front of the imaging sensor lies along this line, allowing you to measure the distance to the subject precisely (which is useful for critical focusing in macro photography).

Digital Camera World » Canon 1100D

Canon EOS 1100D: tips for using your digital camera