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New Canon Rebel t6... what do I need to know???/

williamchaudary
Apprentice

I'm a (very) amateur photographer who has been doing photography for a year now with my DJI Mavic Pro. For aerial shots, it's great, but I've been wanting something for ground level that isn't my cell phone. Two friends who do a lot of photography strongly recommended the Canon Rebel t6 since it's on sale and I have zero camera experience.

The camera will arrive in a few days but in the meanwhile I'm trying to learn as much as I can. Who do you trust for comments, reviews, information, etc. What should I learn first? I feel really overwhelmed but excited as well. Thanks!

17 REPLIES 17

In order to do many of the things you can do in Elements 2019, you will need BOTH Lightroom AND Photoshop.

 

For example, Elements has an image organizer, sort of a "lite" version of Lightroom. Photoshop has "Bridge", but it's not as good an organizer.

 

And Elements can work in layers and masks, like Photoshop can... but Lightroom can't. The clone tool is much better in Photoshop and Elements, too.

 

Elements also has built in support for new users. You can choose between highlyu guided "Beginner" mode, or more advanced and less guided "Intermediate" or "Expert". Neither Lightroom nor Photoshop have this sort of support. Photoshop, in particular, has a much steeper learning curve (plan to buy books and take classes, to learn to use it well).

 

In other words.... Elements it more of a single program to handle most of your image processing needs as easily as possible. It has a few drawbacks, but most are minor and aren't a concern for the majority of users. Lightroom and Photoshop, on the other hand, are designed to complement each other. Some people get by using just one or the other (though if you buy into the "CC" or "creative cloud" subscription, you're paying for both). People who only shoot small number of images and/or have some other means of organizing and archiving their images might only work with Photoshop. Others who only lightly correct their images... such as for online display only... might only work with Lightroom. But most need both (though they may not realize it).

 

Like Wadizzle, rather than "rent" the current  Photoshop/Lightroom CC (now only offered by subscription: $120 a year) I work with older, perpetually licensed versions: Photoshop CS6 and Lightroom 6.14. These are no longer being updated and so cannot work with some of the newer cameras, but are fine for my purposes.  I don't currently use Elements, but might install it on a laptop I sometimes use on location (right now I've only got Lightroom installed on it).

 

***********


Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7DII (x2), 7D(x2) some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & ZENFOLIO 


@amfoto1 wrote:

 

I don't currently use Elements, but might install it on a laptop I sometimes use on location (right now I've only got Lightroom installed on it).

 

***********


Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7DII (x2), 7D(x2) some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & ZENFOLIO 


“It’’s a TRAP!”

 

I do not recommend installing PSE if you already have a standalone license for LR.  The installation will break ACR, and LR will no longer perform lens correction.  Some menu selections will disappear, and others will become greed out.

If you want PSE, then do not install it on the same machine with a LR or ACR.

--------------------------------------------------------
"The right mouse button is your friend."

With all respect to everyone, I think we have strayed away from the original poster's inquiry and I am concerned that we are both confusing and overloading the poor fellow.   He has just got a camera, and it seems a logical priority to me that before he does anything else he needs to get to know the camera's controls and learn about exposure and its application to aperture, shutter speed and ISO - using the camera's manual, other books and videos. Those are the BASICS of using a camera and he should start there - and there is plenty to work on at that point.

 

Applying the KISS philosophy, while I agree PP will be useful when he has gained some familiarity and skill with the image capture part, as a priority PP would not be high on my list at this stage in his learning path, and debating the details of what PP package is good value or not is confusing the issue for them AT THIS STAGE!  It will certainly be relevent later.

 

I would suggest he works on his control of the camera and image capture, save his images as RAW and JPG and then he can go back to them when he has got some competence and can then focus on PP.


cheers, TREVOR

"All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow", Leo Tolstoy;
"Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase" Percy W. Harris

"I think we have strayed away from the original poster's inquiry ..."

 

On the contrary, my friend, a post editor is not an option it is mandatory.  It falls directly in the query of, "... what do I need to know???/"

 

For the average beginning photographer learning a program like PSE is required if you expect the best from the new Rebel T6.  Might as well start it from the get go.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!


@ebiggs1 wrote:

"I think we have strayed away from the original poster's inquiry ..."

 

On the contrary, my friend, a post editor is not an option it is mandatory.  It falls directly in the query of, "... what do I need to know???/"

 

For the average beginning photographer learning a program like PSE is required if you expect the best from the new Rebel T6.  Might as well start it from the get go.


Hmmm.  I take your point, I KNOW what you're saying and I can see the argument, I just don't want to confuse and overload the poor chap with too many things all at once.  Learning photography is like eating an elephant, best done in bites! Smiley Wink  I am not saying wait a l-o-n-g time, but maybe prioritize the camera side first for a while...

 

To ME, IMHO, he needs to get the camera side of things sorted first so he can produce a decent image, remembring that the software has controls that assume you know SOMETHING about photogrphy, and I get the impressions he is a serious newby..


cheers, TREVOR

"All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow", Leo Tolstoy;
"Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase" Percy W. Harris

"...he needs to get the camera side of things sorted first so he can produce a decent image,..."

 

Yes, I agree but how does he view the "decent image"?  The two have to go hand in hand.  Of course the OP isn't going to be the guru of PS at first either both have a starting point and a goal. I don't care which, DPP4, Gimp, PSE or PS, etc, he chooses but it needs to be a companion to the T6.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!


@ebiggs1 wrote:

"...he needs to get the camera side of things sorted first so he can produce a decent image,..."

 

Yes, I agree but how does he view the "decent image"?  The two have to go hand in hand.  Of course the OP isn't going to be the guru of PS at first either both have a starting point and a goal. I don't care which, DPP4, Gimp, PSE or PS, etc, he chooses but it needs to be a companion to the T6.


Viewing of course is absolutely mandatory, but you don't need PS, LR, Gimp etc. which are photo editing programs to view an image.  I use Windows and Mac I can use the built-in photo viewers of those OS to see every image I make if it is in JPG - and you will recall I suggested that the OP save in BOTH JPG (for viewing) and RAW (for if and when he is ready to edit).

 

This is rather akin to learning photography in the film days when you sent your images off to a processor and got back the negative and the print.  The print will let you see how you formed the image, but the negative could be used later if you decides to learn PP.   I would absolutely expect that if the OP is serious (and we don't really know his intent) he would move on to a PP, but he will do so having hopefully got a decent grounding in taking the image.


cheers, TREVOR

"All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow", Leo Tolstoy;
"Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase" Percy W. Harris

"Photoshop has "Bridge", but it's not as good an organizer."

 

I am not a big user of Bridge because I have LR. However, I do use it.   Bridge will everything that LR can do when it is coupled with PS. I don't see any limitations it has compared to LR.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!
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