Congratulations on getting a new camera, and welcome to the world of photography! You are going to love it. Before you go out shooting, take a look at these 10 things you should do first with your brand-new camera.
1. Charge the Battery
Being fresh out of the box, your camera’s battery is unlikely to be fully charged. Plus, manufacturers usually recommend a full charge cycle before you go out shooting for the first time. So, throw it on the charger and fill 'er up!
Also, we highly recommend having a second battery on hand because, with electronic cameras, a dead battery means no photos.
2. Read the Manual/Quick Start Guide
Always read the manual. Just do it. Or at least go through the quick start guide bundled with your camera. These days your camera probably doesn’t come with a thick printed manual and refers you instead to a PDF version available online. Even if you are an experienced shooter, your new camera likely has some quirks and hidden functions you might not otherwise be aware of. I leave the paper manual at home but save the PDF copy on my phone in case I need to reference it in the field.
3. Set the Time
After charging the battery, you’ll turn your camera on for the first time and see a prompt that tells you to set the time and date on the camera, and an option to skip it. In the digital world, files are date/time stamped, including your photos. Even if you do not organize your images by date, you’ll want to tell your camera what time it is. When traveling, try to remember to update for time zone changes. What is my secret (never shared publicly before)? Set your camera for the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and date and don’t worry about silly things like Daylight Saving Time or crossing time zones.
4. Update the Firmware
Believe it or not, your brand-new camera might not be running the latest firmware. Head to your camera manufacturer’s website and check for updates, or you can head back to the B&H product page and in the right-hand column there will be a box labeled Firmware Updates that will provide all the information you may need (if there are any updates available).
5. Format Your Memory Card
If you don’t have a memory card, you’ll want to jump on that ASAP since it’s a necessary accessory. Assuming you do have one on hand, you should format it inside your camera before you start shooting. There are a couple of reasons for this: (a) You’ll want to have a full memory card to play with; (b) sometimes a camera will not read or write to a memory card that has been formatted in another type of camera; and (c) formatting resets the file structure and helps prevent data errors.
6. Do an Initial Inspection
Now that everything should be working, you’ll want to test it. Take a couple of quick sample photos just to make sure everything is functioning properly. It’s rare, but sometimes manufacturing issues find their way to customers and now is the time to take advantage of return policies to make sure your camera is perfect.
7. Attach the Strap
Cameras come with great, effective straps. Some aren’t fans of camera straps, but mine luckily saved my camera from a fall one night off the top of a tripod. I suggest using a camera strap. There are also plenty of third-party straps that feature quick releases if you don’t want it on your camera all the time.
8. Configure Your Settings
It is time to get to the meat of setting up your camera. We aren’t going to get into too much detail here, but feel free to follow the links for more information on a particular subject.
- Set Your Diopter. If your camera has a viewfinder, it should have an optical adjustment called a diopter. It allows people with different visual acuity to see the viewfinder image clearly. If your viewfinder looks blurry, it is likely because you need to set your diopter to suit your eye, or have your vision checked.
- Select Image Quality. If you are planning on post-processing your images, you might want to set your camera to capture images in the camera’s raw format. If you aren’t into processing, or prefer smaller files, I recommend you set your camera to the highest-resolution JPEG that your camera can capture. One thing you do not want to do is go on your first outing and take the greatest picture in the history of photography with your camera set to less-than-full resolution.
- Familiarize Yourself with Metering Modes. This is how the camera measures the light coming into the frame.
- Learn your Camera’s Shooting/Exposure Modes. This controls how much of the camera settings will be automated or be left in your control.
- Determine White Balance. For raw images, feel free to leave in auto and change later, but for JPEG you might want to get used to switching between the major options (daylight, shade, fluorescent, etc.).
- Choose Autofocus Options. AF makes life a lot easier, but it isn’t foolproof. Learn how to control and change focus points to better achieve your goals.
- Experiment with Drive Modes. Most cameras have multiple “drive” modes. For your first shoot we would say to stick with single shot for now. Sports like continuous shooting, and tripod shooting or selfies might benefit from the delayed-release timers.
- Set Color Space. Often overlooked is the color space setting. To avoid getting into a discussion that feels like a graduate-level thesis, we are going to recommend some options. For post-processing you may want to opt for Adobe RGB, but if you are skipping post you can just leave it in sRGB.
- Explore Picture Modes. There are now lots of specialty modes built into cameras, such as Toy Mode or Macro Mode. These might unlock hidden functions or simply give a cool look to your image. Other options include balancing the color to a particular subject, such as a landscape or portrait. It’s worth checking out and might make you a lot happier with what you see on the back of the camera.
- “The Beep.” To beep or not to beep? Many of today’s digital cameras sound like robots from your favorite sci-fi movie series; beeping when they are turned on, take a photo, or simply feel like beeping. If you want to be stealthy when shooting—or just really hate it—find the menu option and silence your camera.
9. Attach Remaining Accessories
If you were lucky enough to get a bundle of accessories with your camera purchase, now is the time to attach them. This could include filters, screen protectors, battery grips, brackets, tripod plates, and more. The sky is the limit. You might also want to start thinking about saving up for future purchases, such as a tripod, editing software, remote shutter release, or flash.
10. Read More on Explora!
We certainly don’t want to get in the way of your going out and taking your first photos, but we would highly recommend you spend a few more minutes here at B&H Explora. We have plenty of educational articles being published and excellent overviews of beginner subject matter to give you the best tools to make your next masterpiece.
Battery charged? Card formatted? Time to get off the Internet and away from your computer and go out and make photographs! Oh, and don’t forget to have fun doing that!
Got questions about your new camera? Or do you have tips for those who just unboxed their new pride and joy? Ask or share in the Comments section, below!
