Canon EOS 60D Manual page 9

Licensed to: CengageBrain User
No matter how extensive your experience level is, you don't need to fret about wading
through a manual to find out what you must know to take those first few tentative snaps.
I'm going to help you hit the ground running with this chapter, which will help you set
up your camera and begin shooting in minutes. You won't find a lot of detail in this
chapter. Indeed, I'm going to give you the basics, accompanied by some interesting tid-
bits that will help you become acclimated. I'll go into more depth and even repeat some
of what I explain here in later chapters, so you don't have to memorize everything you
see. Because I realize that some of you may already have experience with Canon cam-
eras similar to the 60D, each of the major sections in this chapter will begin with a brief
description of what is covered in that section, so you can easily jump ahead to the next
if you are in a hurry to get started.
First Things First
The Canon EOS 60D comes in an impressive gray-and-red box filled with stuff, includ-
ing connecting cords, booklets, CDs, and lots of paperwork. The most important com-
ponents are the camera and lens (if you purchased your 60D with a lens), battery, battery
charger, and, if you're the nervous type, the neck strap. You'll also need a memory card,
as one is not included. If you purchased your EOS 60D from a camera shop, as I did,
the store personnel probably attached the neck strap for you, ran through some basic
operational advice that you've already forgotten, tried to sell you another memory card,
and then, after they'd given you all the help you could absorb, sent you on your way
with a handshake.
Perhaps you purchased your 60D from one of those mass merchandisers that also sell
washing machines and vacuum cleaners. In that case, you might have been sent on your
way with only the handshake, or, maybe, not even that if you resisted the efforts to sell
you an extended warranty. You save a few bucks, but don't get the personal service a pro-
fessional photo retailer provides. It's your choice. There's a third alternative, of course.
You might have purchased your camera from a mail order or Internet source, and your
60D arrived in a big brown (or purple/red) truck. Your only interaction when you took
possession of your camera was to scrawl your signature on an electronic clipboard.
In all three cases, the first thing to do is carefully unpack the camera and double-check
the contents with the checklist on one end of the box, helpfully designated with a CON-
TENTS heading. At a minimum, the box should include a Digital Camera EOS 60D,
Wide Strap EW-EOS60D, Battery Charger LC-E6/LC-E6E, Battery Pack BP-E6,
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This section helps get you oriented with all the things that come in the box with your
Canon EOS 60D, including what they do. I'll also describe some optional equipment you
might want to have. If you want to get started immediately, skim through this section and
jump ahead to "Initial Set-up" later in the chapter.
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Chapter 1 Canon EOS 60D: Thinking Outside of the Box 7