Learning to use a digital SLR for photography is a lot more complicated than using a point-and-shoot compact camera. It is not something you can just pick up from the shop or borrow from a friend and off you go for a quick snap.
Do get yourself familiarised with the various function and buttons of Digital SLR. It would help to save you time when you need to adjust or change any settings when taking a photograph.
The buttons and position may vary from make and models even from the same manufacturer, some functions remain similar.
The LCD Panel
The LCD Panel will display the various settings of DSLR camera such as ISO settings, aperture f stop settings, shooting speed, drive mode, white balance, image recording quality, etc. Though not all information will be displayed simultaneously but can be quickly access by pressing a button.
The Viewfinder Information
The display in the viewfinder will provide indication of when an object becomes in focus when you press the shutter button halfway; it also provides some information about shutter speed, aperture settings, exposure level indicator.
The LCD Monitor
The LCD monitor provides playback of your photos taken. It is also where you view and modify the menu settings. For those cameras with Live View, you could see a preview of the scene before fully pressing your shutter release button.
The Mode Dial
Most DSLR separates the mode dial into two function zones. In the basic zone there is the fully automatic shooting for general all purpose picture taking. Within the basic zone the manufacturer also has provided some preset settings to capture a specific scene, for example portrait shot, landscape, macro, sports and night portrait. Pictures taken in the basic zone are usually rendered in jpg format.
In the creative zone, you are provided with several mode with more control on the DSLR. Starting with program mode (P), shutter-priority (Tv), aperture-priority (Av), manual exposure, and lastly A-DEP or automatic depth-of-field. Photo quality could be set to capture in RAW, jpg or both.
For more info about the modes:
Other buttons and dials
The shutter button is where you press to release the reflex mirror so that an exposure can be recorded on the image sensor.
The main dial and quick control dial function will depend on which mode you are in. Basically it is used to quickly change the shutter speed and aperture f stop setting.
The flash button is to pop up the built-in flash when you need to use it as fill-in or to illuminate in low light condition. The built-in is not as powerful as an external flash unit but do come in handy when there is no other choice available.
The lens release button is to unlock the lens from the lens mount so that you could change the lens or access the inside of the camera for cleaning.
On the lens itself, there is the switch to change the mode from autofocus to manual focus. There is a focusing ring used for manual focusing when in manual focus mode. If the lens can zoom, another ring is use for adjusting the zoom. If the lens came with a stabilizer button, switching it on will help to stabilize the lens for reduce shake.