I have been retained to do a shoot and my camera will not quite meet the minimum size requirements of the final image.  So, thanks to the enormous kindness of a friend, I have been loaned a Canon EOS 6.3MP Digital Rebel.  I have to take a crash course on this camera and am looking for any tips that may help me get going.  Also, if anyone knows where I can get a copy of the manual on-line, please put a link up.

I'll be shooting the lighting system at a small stadium at dusk, as well as some detaiil of the event being lit.

No DSLR experience, but I do have a grasp of the basics.  I am mostly wondering if anyone knows of a "sweet spot" to set this camera to under those conditions, as I will not have the opportunity to pre-try or to learn alot about this camera.

I appreciate any input!

Just wondering, how difficult is it to keep microstocking without owning a camera thats at least 6.3MP or a dSLR at all?

Good luck though with your project

The Canon 300D Rebel is still my old favourite. It made me thousands from stock sales. I sold it yesterday with a stack of stuff to a young girl doing photography at uni for $300AUD.

There are stacks of 300D fan sites around.

For best results, shoot RAW. Try to keep ISO at 100.

Tell us more about the shoot? What do you mean by "shooting the lighting system"? If you are going to be able to use a tripod and longer exposure time, then stick to ISO 100. Use a cable release or if you don't have it, use the timer.

The Digital Rebel is good at ISO 200 and quite all right up to ISO 400 with some processing as long as you don't underexpose. ISO 800 isn't all that good, and you'll loose quite a bit of detail trying to clean the noise. Don't bother with JPGs, use RAW as Litifeta said.

What lens are you going to be using? If the kit lens then test it beforehand. Some were very nice, and some just plain bad. As a rule stop it down to F8/F11 if the conditions allow for it.

Good luck! Despite its age it is still a very nice camera, but don't count on it if you are planning to take any in-game action shots at night

like j2k said,
i too am still unclear about what you're shooting , riffmax.
you said stadium lighting. and dressage. are you saying you are "using existing light of the stadium lighting", and the subject is "dressage"?

what type of light is the stadium using? what kelvin/mired  (ie colour temperature) , do you know?
 you don't say much about the lighting other than it being stadium.
the hallway of the stadium or the reception room is lit differently from the actual stadium where the sports are being lit. so you have to find out the colour temperature .

Thanks - I will ask that information if I don't find it here:
http://www.qualite.com/Design.html

That is the company for whom I am shooting.  It is the actual stadium where the event, which is dressage,  is being lit.  The equestrian arena is not nearly as large as a ball field, so that's why I am describing it as a "small stadium"

This is one type of photo they have asked for.


Then they have asked for some photos of the actual competitors in the arena, showing how well lit they are.  Ideally, they'd like to have nearly a full frame of a horse and rider with a light tower showing in the distance.  I don't know if I can do that, but I'm sure I can come up with something.

nice shot. it looks like you won't have any colour temperature problems. it looks naturally in that light.
as for the horse closeup and the light tower.
why don't you shoot a set of closeups of the horse and rider.
and another set of the stadium lights , from more or less the same viewpoint.
with different zoom distance of the stadium lights, so it gives you and the client more
variations. more variations, more photos, more sales.

then use layers in photoshop to merge them realistically.
with a little post-editing, and good placement , you should be able to do that.
shoot both at the same time, so you don't have to colour correct the lighting too much.
bracket for more choices to get the best exposure, if you have no time to take a proper light reading .

you could try a few shots of the horse and rider with the lights in the same frame, if you can move the subjects to include the lights. then be careful with the exposure since the lights will create an UE. you can use a reflectors to bounce back some light onto the horse and rider to fill the shadows, if needed.
or use a fill-flash.  it could be tricky , even if you're using a spot meter setting
(not sure if the camera has one, but i am sure it should);
unless the lighting is uniform from all sides.
definitely keep an eye on the shadows, and get someone to hold a reflective board if possible. easier to eyeball the shadow detail this way, instead of using fill flash and guessing the effects.
reduce the variables, at all cost. i like reflectors as i can see the shadow fill before i shoot.  and they look more natural. fill-flash, like any flash can create ugly shadows if you're not careful.

hope this helps.
lucky you, it sounds like an interesting and challenging project.
good luck.

I bought my Rebel when they first came out... got a lot of high and brutal mileage on the thing and it still serves me well. I've used the thing in snowstorms at temps below zero, I've used it out on the Arizona desert in temps well over one hundred. In some of the dirtiest conditions too. Like the Energizer bunny, it just keeps on going.
    I'm only going 5D for the larger image for macros and....the cropping ability it will allow me in my freelance work.

I swear by Canon. Been the workhorse of my camera stable since 1972.  I have a Canon ftbn that still shoots a fantastic image after over 30 years of use!! That thing's been dropped off cliffs and took a swim in the Delaware River...

If I could get my hands on another new one,  I'd buy it.

No, I dont work for Canon... but I'd do a testimony commercial for them any day.  LOL  =tom