I remembered seeing an interactive demo from Canon that explained the basic principles of aperture, shutter and ISO. It seems to be online still here: http://www.canonoutsideofauto.ca/play/

Once you understand the basics and why you would choose aperture over shutter, you won't bother with auto ever again, and you'll get far more engaging photos.

I tend to use my Tamron F2.8 lens on my Canon 550D mostly, it's great in low light, and I can even take handheld photos of fireworks.

My new Nikon D3200 has a training mode built in which has been really helpful but you need to use it when not actually after specific pics as it can be slow and clunky switching between training and actual.

Tony (2)