topic New to canon eos rebel t5 NEED HELP!!!? in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

New to canon eos rebel t5 NEED HELP!!!?

rae1990 — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 04:46:36 GMT

I am confused on how to zoom amd take pix (zoom button on the camera body). When i take a pic, ot doesnt take it zoomed inlike i tried to take it. How do I solve this? How do I set it to et best high quality images and hiw do I focus? Anyone please help! Thanks!

Re: New to canon eos rebel t5 NEED HELP!!!?

TCampbell — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 05:58:26 GMT

The good news is the camera isn't broken -- it's not supposed to zoom an image when you use those buttons.

The camera is zoomed by rotating the zoom ring on the lens (this assumes you have a zoom lens.)

The zoom buttons you see on the camera body let you zoom in when using "live view" - and it's not a real zoom per se. If you take a photo and want to inspect it for focus on the LCD, you may want to "zoom in" to check details. This doesn't zoom the camera lens... it just enlarges what you see on the rear LCD screen.

I'd encourage you to spend some time browsing through the instruction manual to familiarize yourself with the camera and it's controls.

Re: New to canon eos rebel t5 NEED HELP!!!?

ScottyP — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 11:36:02 GMT

We have seen that exact question before from folks just switching to a DSLR, as point & shoot cameras do zoom by button.

One other habit you will want th change is that of shooting pictures with the camera
out at arms length, looking at the LCD screen ("Live View"). Two reasons:
1.) the camera focused slowly that way, and 2.). You cannot hold the camera steady this way.

The focus is slower because Live View bypasses the cameras primary focusing system, the mirror and focus screen. In live view the mirror is locked in the up position and the camera
Is forces to focus with the sensor. For the most part live view is really for shooting movies, though there are exceptions.

Proper shooting position is with your eye to the viewfinder and your elbows against your body or else braces on some solid object. Your face actually helps to steady the camera.

Read the manual for sure. Also Google for vdeos of specific questions. People have made hundreds of free shirt videos on the net and some will even be specific to your exact camera model.

Have fun and good luck!

Re: New to canon eos rebel t5 NEED HELP!!!?

rae1990 — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 19:16:00 GMT

Thanks! I've read the manual, watched the vids and used google searxhch, this forum is the only plave thata clarified things. So is a zoom lens a separate thing? My camera bundle came with an 18-55 mm lens, a macro lens, and a 2.2 hd lens as well as filters. Do i need to purxhase the 200 mm lens in order to get those distance shots I have been trying to get? Also, if I zoom while in live mode, snap the photo, does thag allow me to have the same clariry when i download the image and crop, enlarge and edit it?

Re: New to canon eos rebel t5 NEED HELP!!!?

TCampbell — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 19:54:04 GMT

No lens is ever the "best" lens. That's part of the point of being able to remove one lens and attach another. You have the ability to use lenses which are optimized for the type of shooting you like to do.

The 18-55mm lens that came with the camera is a "zoom" lens. Zoom simply means the focal length of the lens can be varied. There are two rings on the lens that twist... one is the "zoom ring" the other is the "focus ring". Incidentally, don't use the focus ring on the lens unless you switch the lens to manual focus mode first (this disengages the auto-focus motor from the gear so that you don't end up fighting the auto-focus motor. Forcing it to go one way when the motor wants to go the other way can result in damage to the focusing mechanism. There are some high end lenses that allow "full time manual focus" even when auto-focus is engaged because they have a "clutch" that allows the focus ring to slip (on purpose -- so as to avoid damage) -- but the standard 18-55mm lens isn't one of them. There is a newer version of the 18-55 which is usually included with the higher-end Rebel bodies and it has the "STM" focus motors (you would know because the lens would actually say "STM" on it... e.g. "EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM". I'm guessing you have the "EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II". The STM lenses are "focus by wire" meaning there is actually no mechanical linkage from the focus ring to the focus elements in the lens... the computer detects that you are turning the focus ring and it moves the lens elements for you. That STM version of the lens does allow full-time manual focus (even when auto-focus is engaged) but this is probably not the version that was included with your T5.

It sounds like you may have purchased a "bundle". Canon doesn't have any version of a kit that includes a macro lens and I don't know what a "2.2 hd" lens is. True lenses attach directly to the camera body. I've seen some kits that come with thread on "lenses" that really just screw on to the end of the real lens. They are usually very low quality and included to pump up the perceived value of the bundle.

Canon makes some 75+ different lenses that all work with your camera and there are a number of 3rd party lens manufacturers which also make lenses designed to work with Canon EOS cameras.

For "distance" shots, the most common entry lens is the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM or the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II. One lists for $250, the other lists for $300. Get the $300 one! There is a noticeable improvement in the optics as well as several other aspects of the STM version and those difference are well-worth the extra $50.

Canon also makes an EF 75-300mm ... but that probably has the most mediocre image quality of any zoom lens in the lineup. I don't recommend it. They also make a 70-300 which is MUCH better (also considerably more expensive.)

Zooming in in "live view" mode does not affect the image recorded by the camera. It merely enlarges a portion of the image on the screen so you can inspect the details. For example...you may want to inspect the accuracy of your focus.

Re: New to canon eos rebel t5 NEED HELP!!!?

ebiggs1 — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 15:55:55 GMT

rae1990,

It sounds like you got one of the package deals from Amazon or Shopping Network on TV? I am guessing you got "lenses" that screw onto the front of the real lens. The only lens you have is the 18-55mm from Canon.

I hate to say this but the rest is pretty much useless. Sorry. If what I suspect is true. Is it?

You do need to get the real Canon 55-250mm tele zoom for those long shots. But remember even it will be limited to how far.

You do need to read your manual while holding the camera so you can try each feature and control.

Start your new hobby with some easy stuff. Go to the park or some favorite place with good daylight and learn your new camera. Leave the rest of that stuff at home!

Check this out EF-S 55-250mm <--- click here