Quick Start

A beginners guide to your digital camera -

1. Charge your battery and insert it in the camera
2. Insert your memory card ( digital film )
3. Turn on your camera
4. Select the "P" or "Auto" program mode
5. Point the camera at something interesting
6. Squeeze the shutter button gently
7. View your photo on the LCD screen
   

More Detail -
OK you have taken your new camera from its box and just want to point it at something and take a photo right?
Well by rights you should charge your battery for several hours, BUT if you pop it in the camera there may be some charge to enable you to have a little play for a short while, so if you are too impatient to follow the manufacturers procedures, ignore the next paragraph for a while and come back to it shortly. Go straight to the " locate the battery compartment" line below in bold.

Getting the camera ready -
First things first - your camera manufacturer know best (mostly) so look to see if there is a Quick Start or Getting Started Guide in the box. If there is, follow those instructions, if not the following steps should apply to most cameras.

Put the battery in the battery charger for approximately two hours, there may be a warning lamp to indicate when the battery is fully charged.

Next locate the battery compartment on your camera and drop in your battery, the contacts often go in first.
You will also notice from the photo that the memory card usually lives in the same compartment as the battery, so if you purchased a seperate card with your digital camera, pop it in now and close the cover.( the memory card will only go in one way so dont force it and it will push click in and push click out) Right your ready to go.

Taking your first photo -
Firstly if your camera has a program dial similar to the digital camera controls photo below, turn it to select, "P for program"or "Auto Green Symbol", (the one shown is selecting movie) Then switch on the camera, the on/off switch is on the top of your digital camera, along side the shutter/picture taking button, you should now see an image on your LCD screen of what ever you are pointing the camera at, if you don't see anything,dont panic, read your manual and look for how to turn your LCD screen / display on or off, or look on the back of the camera for a display button, pushing this button several times often scolls through different display options.

Here we go, gently squeeze the shutter button on the top of the camera, you should feel two pressures, the first pressure activates the focus and the digital cameras meter, keep squeezing and you will have taken a photo which should be displayed on your screen. Congratulations you have just taken your first digital photograph.

If the quality is not great don't worry as I'll show you how to take better photos later, and if its really good and you want to print it, read the print a photo section.

Day to Day Photography -
for those that are not concerned about how a digital camera works the Program Modes are for you, allowing simple point and shoot photography.
Some professionals earn their living using just program modes and often refer to using P for Professional, a slightly sarcasitic statement.

However clever modern cameras are, they sometimes need help with scenes which are un-usually dark or very bright, or where the subject is moving or is too close to the camera. So scene modes are there to help the non technical snapper take a better photo by selecting a program symbol which best matches the scene they are photographing.
So if you get poor quality photos and your not using the scene modes, its your fault !

For example, a figure running is for fast moving objects like runners, racing cars etc, a face symbol is for portraits. So please have a quick read of your user manual just to familierise yourself with your camera's programs. If you don't, you may end up reading the trouble shooting section later.

















































View your photos -


Thats It -
If what you have read so far will enable you take every photo you want, and you are happy with the result then don't read on, however as the day will come when you look at your photos and complain about the quality and get fed up with blaming the camera and realise its you that dosn't know how to use a camera properly
Or is it ? -
So you've taken some photos, you may have looked at my print a photo section and produced some prints, you may even have decided to buy a computer to view your photos, so are you happy with the reults?
Do you want to improve your photography ?
turn to the next page link>

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