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 📸 About This Episode 

You’ve just got a new camera. The excitement is real — but most cameras come out of the box in a state that will cause you problems at exactly the moment you most want to take photos. In this episode, Rick walks you through seven quick setup steps — about twenty minutes in total — that get your camera properly ready before you take a single shot. Perfect for anyone who’s just unboxed their first camera, or who wants to start things off the right way. 

✅ The 7 Setup Steps 

1.    Charge the battery fully before your first shoot — and order a spare battery today. One battery is never enough. 

2.    Format the memory card inside the camera using the camera’s own menu — not your computer, not by deleting files. It sets the card up in exactly the right way for your specific camera. 

3.    Set the date and time correctly in the camera settings. Every photo is stamped with the date and time it was taken — that stamp is how you find photos later. 

4.    Set image format to RAW and JPEG. Start working with JPEG files straight away, and have those RAW files ready for when you’re ready to edit them. 

5.    Set image quality to the highest setting your camera offers — Fine, Large, or equivalent. Storage is cheap. Quality matters. 

6.    Spend ten minutes with the first chapter of the manual. Just ten minutes. Know where the controls are before you go out. 

7.    Put it in Auto mode and go and take some photos. Build confidence. Build enthusiasm. That takes you further. 

📝 Full Show Notes and Blog Post 

Read the full episode notes and transcript: Episode 230 — Shiny New Camera? Calm Down and Do This First 

🔗 Related Episodes 

Episode 225 — I Just Got My First Camera — What Do I Do in the First Week? 

Episode 228 — How to Know If You’re Ready to Move from Phone to Camera 

Episode 229 — What Can an Entry Level Camera Really Do? 

🗃️ Next Episode 

Episode 231 — Camera. Check. Something to Photograph. Check. Now How Do You Actually Take the Photo? — publishes Friday 24 April 2026. 

🎦 Support the Podcast 

Get the video version of every episode on Patreon: patreon.com/c/rickphoto 

🌐 Find Rick 

Website: r

 My brand new course Photography for Beginners: Sunrise in Mexico, will teach you exactly how to get out at sunrise and come back with photos you love  all told in plain English. it includes real footage of me photographing an actual sunrise in Mexico with an entry level camera. Find out more at rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses.

 If you want to start taking stunning sunrise photos, and why wouldn't you,  check out my Photography for Beginners: Sunrise in Mexico course at rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses.

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Cheers from me Rick