I feel bad!

[orb9220]

Yep start on just A aperture mode. Easy peasy dial in aperture you want and camera will pick shutter and iso for you. And many shoot aperture mode for the majority of their shooting unless subject requires S shutter mode for fast motion and panning and such.

I'm no snob and wouldn't look down my nose at using any setting that gets the shot. I shoot manual about 99% of the time as like total control over iso and shutter vs. aperture for a particular subject or scene. And ability to fine tune exposure vs. Dof and shutter speed. Using the metering inside the viewfinder.

As recommended. Consume the manual in bite size digestible chunks. No more than 10-20 mins reading at a moment. Manual next to computer so can look up things you read about in forums. Join flickr and join the D7000 & Nikon learning groups there. A lot of info and answers to all your questions.

Take it slow but do go out and shoot everyday. Let your mind & hands learn the feel and use of the controls slowly over time. Patience is the key. As it isn't a Race but a ongoing experience of joy and passion!
.

 

[rokvi]

Everyone has their own pace they go at. If this is just a hobby, take all the time you need. You need to start somewhere its not like you can pick up a camera with no knowledge and expect to use manual correctly. Start with Auto to get a feel for the camera. Then move in to (A)Aperture and (S)Shutter Priority to get a feel for how the camera adjusts its setting to compensate for the settings you picked in the A or S mode.

Understanding the exposure triangle will be the first big step to figuring out what you are doing. Not sure what your previous experiences are or how knowledgeable you are about exposure. If you are just starting out picking up a few books would help. The Scott Kelby: Digital Photography series is great for just starting out for general knowledge. Bryan Peterson: Understanding Exposures makes it very easy to understand exposure and how the exposure triangle works.

I have no knowledge of the 'exposure triangle' .. lol acutally I am a newb when it comes to exposure. before I got my camera I did most of my research on iso and appature but compltely forgot about exsposure! now I feel like an idiot lol off to do that now!

One thing you will learn is that ISO and aperture directly relate to your exposure. Once you have your exposure correct then you can learn how to edit in PP.

 

[cgipson1]

I don't use full manual unless I'm working with off camera flash. I use Aperture Priority for probably 70% of what I shoot and Shutter Priority for subjects that I know will be moving fast.

^^^ Ditto... the whole "Manual is sacred" thing is goofy.. kind of like the whole " Primes are sacred" thing! You use what you need, when you need it... whatever gets the job done!

 

[markj]

Question? It's obvious your a beginner, what was your attraction to a camera that costs over a grand when you admit you know nothing about it? Did you research it at all?

 

[Alex_B]

All you really need to know: where are the ISO, aperture, shutter speed, focus mode, and metering mode buttons. The rest are optional IMHO.

Right so!
I use those and the switch for manual, shutter priority or aperture priority ... all the rest I ignore totally .. for years!

My advice: Explore your own potential, not that of your camera

 

[c.cloudwalker]

I FEEL GOOD!

James Brown - I feel good - YouTube

 

[MiiLovely]

Thank you all for the replies I guess I thought most people who where passionate about photography made it a priority t o figure out how to use the manual mode, but it seems I came to a conclusion without actually asking around

Question? It's obvious your a beginner, what was your attraction to a camera that costs over a grand when you admit you know nothing about it? Did you research it at all?

I will answer this in short as I feel slightly put down by it. Yes I am a beginner, I knew it would be the right camera for me to learn and grow with and keep for more then just a couple of years(ie I wont want to get a new body in 3 years or something because I know the D7000 will satisfy my needs for longer) Yes I did my research but researching and having the actually equitment in your hands are to completely different things (In my experiance anyways) I am a very hands on person, but like I mentiond before, impatient. I know I will get to know my camera better over time and am not rushing myself nor feeling pressured into learning it in only a few days. And last but not least, why did I get a camera over a grand? Because I worked hard and saved up my money for months and it was the camera of my choice. (this really isnt as short as an answer as I was expecting to write but Its an answer none the less.) Yes it is slightly difficult to get the hang of this cameras manual settings, no I might not be an inermediate photographer but so what? I bought this camera to grow into it and thats what I will do. I hope this answers your questions! <3

 

[MiiLovely]

All you really need to know: where are the ISO, aperture, shutter speed, focus mode, and metering mode buttons. The rest are optional IMHO.

Right so!
I use those and the switch for manual, shutter priority or aperture priority ... all the rest I ignore totally .. for years!

My advice: Explore your own potential, not that of your camera

Thank you I think that is great advice

 

[Alex_B]

I am a very hands on person, but like I mentiond before, impatient. I know I will get to know my camera better over time and am not rushing myself nor feeling pressured into learning it in only a few days.

Don't let impatience put you down ... that is also a danger!

 

[Alex_B]

All you really need to know: where are the ISO, aperture, shutter speed, focus mode, and metering mode buttons. The rest are optional IMHO.

Right so!
I use those and the switch for manual, shutter priority or aperture priority ... all the rest I ignore totally .. for years!

My advice: Explore your own potential, not that of your camera

Thank you I think that is great advice

Well of course that was a polarising statement, of course exploring your camera is also important! But I guess you know what I meant

 

[Patrice]

Question? It's obvious your a beginner, what was your attraction to a camera that costs over a grand when you admit you know nothing about it? Did you research it at all?

I will answer this in short as I feel slightly put down by it. Yes I am a beginner, I knew it would be the right camera for me to learn and grow with and keep for more then just a couple of years(ie I wont want to get a new body in 3 years or something because I know the D7000 will satisfy my needs for longer) Yes I did my research but researching and having the actually equitment in your hands are to completely different things (In my experiance anyways) I am a very hands on person, but like I mentiond before, impatient. I know I will get to know my camera better over time and am not rushing myself nor feeling pressured into learning it in only a few days. And last but not least, why did I get a camera over a grand? Because I worked hard and saved up my money for months and it was the camera of my choice. (this really isnt as short as an answer as I was expecting to write but Its an answer none the less.) Yes it is slightly difficult to get the hang of this cameras manual settings, no I might not be an inermediate photographer but so what? I bought this camera to grow into it and thats what I will do. I hope this answers your questions!


Great answer to what I, as well, thought was a poorly posed question. None of his business really.

I personally don't think buying a bottom shelf camera is good advice for anybody with an interest in learning photography. A camera with a full set of features in a well built body is a much better option. A D7000 is not any harder to learn and master than a D40, or whatever the current cheap Nikon is. Furthermore, if the 'beginner' develops his skill set then the camera won't get in the way and the need to upgrade won't be as soon, however if the new photographer decides that creating photographic images is not worth pursuing it will be a lot easier to sell a top of the range camera than an entry level body with a limited feature set.

My opinion, your mileage may vary.

 

[harleystudios]

I have this camera I love it ! Best thing to do is sit down in a comfy chair and have a play and then take it out and shoot enjoy it

 

[MK3Brent]

Maybe I am out of the loop here, but what is there to know really. (besides where the buttons/dials are for what you need.)
When I pick up a camera (usually lower end ones) I have to ask where my aperture selector, ISO, and shutter speed settings are. The rest is up to the photographer.
Other things like focus mode, and other nifty technology tracking systems are useful to me maybe 5% of the time I shoot.

I say, once you can find your ISO, aperture, and shutter selections by heart... you're good to go. (Apparently, other people have a hard time zooming in and out in the review LCD's sometime... so I'll add that in for essential.)

Am I saying the rest of the features in the menus are cabbage? No. Just saying, there's not really a lot to it when it comes to handling the camera.

 

[LizardKing]

@MiiLovely: Take this from another overwhelmed D7000 user who's learning it's way through photography and camera handling. It is my first DSLR and I don't regret it one bit, the complete opposite actually. It's a great body and I'm really happy with it, because so far there's nothing I wanted to do that the D7000 couldn't deliver. And I know this will remain true for a looong time.

So, of course you need to know how to use your tool but, the way I see it, there's no point in worrying too much about that at the beginning. You worry about learning photography, how light behaves on different conditions, how exposure works, understanding depth of field and how to achieve sharp focus, how to compose an image and all the different elements you can use to take stronger photos... And, as you do all this (and more) you'll be learning how to use your tool (camera) without even noticing it.

Regards,
Martin

 

[MiiLovely]

Question? It's obvious your a beginner, what was your attraction to a camera that costs over a grand when you admit you know nothing about it? Did you research it at all?

I will answer this in short as I feel slightly put down by it. Yes I am a beginner, I knew it would be the right camera for me to learn and grow with and keep for more then just a couple of years(ie I wont want to get a new body in 3 years or something because I know the D7000 will satisfy my needs for longer) Yes I did my research but researching and having the actually equitment in your hands are to completely different things (In my experiance anyways) I am a very hands on person, but like I mentiond before, impatient. I know I will get to know my camera better over time and am not rushing myself nor feeling pressured into learning it in only a few days. And last but not least, why did I get a camera over a grand? Because I worked hard and saved up my money for months and it was the camera of my choice. (this really isnt as short as an answer as I was expecting to write but Its an answer none the less.) Yes it is slightly difficult to get the hang of this cameras manual settings, no I might not be an inermediate photographer but so what? I bought this camera to grow into it and thats what I will do. I hope this answers your questions!


Great answer to what I, as well, thought was a poorly posed question. None of his business really.

I personally don't think buying a bottom shelf camera is good advice for anybody with an interest in learning photography. A camera with a full set of features in a well built body is a much better option. A D7000 is not any harder to learn and master than a D40, or whatever the current cheap Nikon is. Furthermore, if the 'beginner' develops his skill set then the camera won't get in the way and the need to upgrade won't be as soon, however if the new photographer decides that creating photographic images is not worth pursuing it will be a lot easier to sell a top of the range camera than an entry level body with a limited feature set.

My opinion, your mileage may vary.

This is Exactly why I bough it. I love technology (though it confesses me to hell sometimes, I love that its a challange and my mind is stimulated to figure out problems and find solutions. I mean when I was doing research for what camera to buy I came across the D5100 but after doing my research I found it to not be challang enough (and I do not want to spend anymore money on a body for my photography for at lease another 5+ years lol ) and I know the D7000 (as soon as I held it in the store I knew lol) that it was the perfect camera for me.

Harleystudios@ I love it too! I am still learning but so far I love it ! Honestly getting this camera had just sparked my passion for photography and modeling all over again and I cant wait to really start taking some nice photoshoots (also sitting down and tinkering/taking test shots is the only thing Ive been doing in the last 2 days haha


MK3@ not out of the loop at all! lol I was just saying how in the camera menu there are A LOT of settings I wasnt expecting an I felt bad that I probably wasnt going to be using all the settings the camera had to offer (at least not until I learn more about them)