Learn Photography Tips Blog

Canon EOS Rebel T2i / 550D Digital Field Guide Review

// July 19th, 2010 // Photography Book Reviews

If you’ve just splashed out on the brilliant Canon T2i (knows as the 550D in Europe), then you may be a little bewildered with all the controls and functions your new camera has to offer. If you’re anything like me, and you devour any reading material to do with photography, then you might want to look into getting the Digital Field Guide for the T2i, available at Amazon US and UK.

What You’ll Learn

One of the best things about buying a book made specifically for your camera model, is that everything the book talks about is designed just for you – there are no ‘general’ settings and exposure talk,  instead each feature, such as aperture and shutter speed, is explained according to the T2i’s buttons and dials.

Indeed, the first chapter, entitled ‘Setting Up the EOS Rebel T2i/550D’, contains a large diagram showing you your way around the camera, pointing out just where and what everything is. On of the best ways to improve your photography is getting to know just what your camera can do, so this first chapter is vitally important to take in.

Once the basics are out of the way, the rest of the nearly 300 pages include in-depth guides on the following features:

Controlling Exposure and Focus

Getting Great Color

Customizing the Rebel T2i / 550D

Shooting in Live View and Tethered

Using Movie Mode

Using Flash

Exploring Canon Lenses and Accessories

The Elements of Exposure and Composition

Event and Action Photography

Nature and Landscape Photography

Portrait Photography

Exploring RAW Capture

View the video above for a small introduction to the book, as well as an example tutorial for ‘Auto Exposure Bracketing’, a feature that is explained in more depth within the book.

Will It Make Me A Better Photographer?

Well, although it doesn’t come with an Ansel Adams guarantee, I can safely say that, if you own a T2i, buying this book will definitely enable you to take better photos. It’s not just the amount of specific T2i / 550D tips and tricks covered in the book, it’s also the excellent information on all aspects of photography – such as exposure, composition, flash, night photography and more – that will definitely help you advance your photographic knowledge, and thus your shots.

You can buy the T2i / 550D Digital Field guide at Amazon US or UK.

Seeing as you’re interested in the T2i, you may also like a feature I did called ’15 Great Photos Shot With A Canon Rebel T2i / 550D (And How They Were Taken)’.