The Canon-sponsored online resource, which explains how to get the best photographic results using a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera, is a must-visit for digital camera enthusiasts.
The content is available for free, and although the Web site is sponsored by Canon, the techniques explained can be used on most DSLR cameras.
On the surface, the Web site is not visually fantastic, especially since the point of the site is photography. However, the site includes some helpful examples of photographs gone wrong, and explains what caused the problems.
The content is broken down into five parts: about a DSLR camera, ways to shoot, quick-and-easy great shots, and using camera features and printing photos, which adds up to just about anything the amateur DSLR camera user needs to know. An A-Z index of DSLR terms is also available.
While the Web site may not be as effective as a formal, hands-on photography course, it does offer the beginner photographer enough practical information to get up and running, as well as giving the more advanced amateur useful hints on special effects and more advanced shooting techniques - like creating blurry backgrounds or freezing running water.
The sheer volume of information could seem off-putting at first, but a determined user will find it worthwhile to plough steadily through all the lessons.
Fortunately, the site is easy to navigate and the content is made more interesting through the use of interactive examples. Clicking on an interactive image starts up a 'mini slideshow` that shows the user different variants of the same image as taken with different camera exposures. This interactivity is what attracted me and kept me surfing the site.
However, I felt the section on printing to be unnecessary, as it doesn`t take a rocket scientist to know that in order to print a picture from a DSLR camera, one should simply plug it into a PictBridge, a home inkjet or photo printer.
The site also lacked either a link to a digital photo-editing site or some tips on editing photographs effectively. Adding this would make the site a one-stop digital photo learning tool.
Alongside the more established photography sites like the Agfa Web site, the Canon site stands up well and is more insightful on the problems specific to DSLR cameras.
All in all, this site, which was launched on 5 July, is a simple yet effective digital photography education tool that will take the average "Joe" beyond the muk-en-druk photograph.
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