to learn camera- i dont want to read the entire manual...

[jarg007]

Is there a short cut to learning the camera, im more of a hands on learner. I've got a nikon d3300 should be here tomorrow and i've downloaded the manual. Is there a short cut to learning the camera or can anyone recommend the really important parts. It's like pulling my hair out reading that thing.

 

[480sparky]

There are no shortcuts.

 

[Destin]

While there are no shortcuts and you have to learn everything, the manual is better as a reference source than as something to read cover to cover.

For learning a camera, or photography in general the internet is your friend. Especially youtube. One of my favorites is Jared Polin from Froknowsphoto.com. I've linked to his youtube video guide to the D3300 below.

Fro Knows Photo D3300 user guide.

 

[tirediron]

...can anyone recommend the really important parts...

Just the bit between the front and back covers. The rest of it doesn't really matter.

Seriously, it can be a bit of a dry read at times, but it's much easier with the camera in-hand.

 

[jarg007]

While there are no shortcuts and you have to learn everything, the manual is better as a reference source than as something to read cover to cover.

For learning a camera, or photography in general the internet is your friend. Especially youtube. One of my favorites is Jared Polin from Froknowsphoto.com. I've linked to his youtube video guide to the D3300 below.

Fro Knows Photo D3300 user guide.

thanks really good video will definitely go that route.

 

[chris]

To use your camera to its full capability the options are:
- Read the manual.
- Get a third party users guide which may present the data in a form that you find easier to digest.
- Investigate YouTube videos etc - but be aware that they may not be particularly accurate.
- Enrol in on a photography course, though you may still need to read up on your particular model.
- find someone who is prepared to mentor you, possibly from this forum, though they will probably expect you to put in the time and effort to find out how your camera works.

Apart from learning how the camera operates and what it can do there are also the matters of composition and post processing. Really there is no easy way, you have to decide which method is most suited to you and get on with it unless you will be content to just produce snapshots only using a fraction of the possibilities that even an entry level camera can offer.

As for which bits to leave out, if you don't know what can be achieved with your camera then how do you know what to leave out?

 

[sm4him]

^+1 to everything that's been said so far.

The manual is ALREADY pretty much arranged in a very good order, in terms of where to start. So, start at the beginning…WITH camera in hand. When it tells you what a certain button or dial is for, try it out.
When it gets to the part about actually taking pictures with it…try it! Do some hands-on learning along WITH reading the manual.

If you're going to skip stuff, skip things like fancy special effects, long exposures, that sort of thing. Wait until you have a better handle on the BASICS of operating the camera, THEN read those sections as you are ready to try them.

Mostly…relax. Just read it a little at a time.
While you're reading and learning how to actually control that camera, you can always put the charged battery in it, add a memory card, turn it on and set it to Auto. That way you can satisfy your need to start taking pictures, while giving yourself as much time as you need to actually LEARN the camera.

I just got a new camera. Even though I've had many, many cameras over the years, and this is my third DSLR, guess what I'm doing? Yep. Reading the manual! There really IS no substitute.

 

[Buckster]

I'm one of those people who can learn anything out of a well-written book. I read the manual on everything I buy that comes with one, before I ever use the thing, while I have the item right in front of me to work with.

What I've observed over time is that the most important, most fundamental parts, are always in the beginning pages and chapters of the manual.

As you get deeper into it, it drills down into the weeds that you may not appreciate until later, when you want to do something a bit more off the wall, ask on a forum how, and someone points out that it's in the manual.

 

[Designer]

Is there a short cut to learning the camera or can anyone recommend the really important parts.

I've got good news! You don't really have to read the manual or even learn the camera either!

You can just take pictures the old-fashioned way; aim and shoot. Seriously, if book-learning is not your thing, just learn this much:

1. turn it on.
2. set the dial on top to "green auto".
3. point the camera at whatever you wish to take a picture of.
4. plug in the download cable every once in a while to "get rid of" too many photographs in the camera.
5. repeat.

 

[gsgary]

You should be able to book your first wedding shoot after 5 days and charge $2000

 

[WayneF]

Is there a short cut to learning the camera or can anyone recommend the really important parts.

I've got good news! You don't really have to read the manual or even learn the camera either!

You can just take pictures the old-fashioned way; aim and shoot. Seriously, if book-learning is not your thing, just learn this much:

1. turn it on.
2. set the dial on top to "green auto".
3. point the camera at whatever you wish to take a picture of.
4. plug in the download cable every once in a while to "get rid of" too many photographs in the camera.
5. repeat.

That is exactly the way to NOT LEARN the camera.

 

[Derrel]

Here's the Ken Rockwell D3300 User's Guide: Nikon D3300 User s Guide

Here's his guide to setting up and using the AF system on the D3300: Nikon D3300 Autofocus Settings

Here are the basics, the most critical controls: Nikon D3300 User s Guide

You will probably find this more informative than the Japanese-English manual that comes with the camera: this is far better-organized, thought out, and summarized, ESPECIALLY with regard to the AF system.

 

[Overread]

Is there a short cut to learning the camera or can anyone recommend the really important parts.

I've got good news! You don't really have to read the manual or even learn the camera either!

You can just take pictures the old-fashioned way; aim and shoot. Seriously, if book-learning is not your thing, just learn this much:

1. turn it on.
2. set the dial on top to "green auto".
3. point the camera at whatever you wish to take a picture of.
4. plug in the download cable every once in a while to "get rid of" too many photographs in the camera.
5. repeat.

That will take pictures, but it won't teach one how to use the camera. Indeed it won't do much for learning at all because the only choice the user has is the frame composition; everything else is the camera's choice. That's not a conductive way to learn photography from a mechanics point of view.




To the OP - yes sadly learning is bit dull.
There is no way around that - however I would say you want to start with the simple bits.
Aperture - Shutter speed and ISO.

That is the core of your exposure (same as it was in the film days only ISO was oft known as ASA and you couldn't change it on the fly* since it was tied to the film you use). Indeed I would recommend the book "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. It focuses on these core 3 settings and also includes a good number of case-studies which you can, hands on, try out for yourself.

I would also recommend reading the links in my signature, one of which details how to get critique and focuses on some key elements in self-critique which can be very helpful in learning how to assess your own work (which will help you learn all the faster - see there are some "short-cuts" if you put the effort in).

I would recommend either full manual or aperture priority mode as the place to start. Indeed I would make your first target to be able to shoot in manual mode. From there you can learn the auto and semi-auto modes more easily and make an informed choice as to which mode you want to shoot in at a given time. Sometimes manual is the best way; sometimes another mode is more easily used in a given situation.

Much of the other features in the camera will revolve around auto focusing control - you can leave that mostly alone at the early stages though I would recommend:
1) Setting the camera to single point - setting it on the middle AF point for now. Later you can learn about the different AF modes and also the different Af points.

2) Auto-editing JPEG shots - many functions and modes revolve around this so you can check the manual and then decide how you want to deal with them (ergo if you're shooting JPEG or RAW mode - another choice for you to make though maybe one to make later ).


* Unless you had a camera with a removable back and could use different backs for different film types; or use two or three cameras with different films loaded at the same time.

 

[vintagesnaps]

You could try reading the intro., looking at any diagrams that show where various controls are located, etc.

Then start for example with Auto and jpeg settings and do some test shots. As you find something else on the camera to try, go look it up in the manual, try that out and practice it some. (Edit - I'm a longtime film photographer so what worked for me was getting out of auto and using all manual settings. You might have to try different settings and see what is best for you starting out.)

It's not a novel, it probably won't exactly be that interesting to try to read through all at once; nor will you probably be able to take in and remember everything at one time.

Whatever you want to learn next, look up and read that section and go try it out. The shortcut I think really would have been to buy a point 'n shoot that doesn't have many settings that could be learned more quickly; it will most likely take some time to learn everything about the camera.

 

[astroNikon]

When I got my d7000 I was lost from the Users Manual.

I purchased a book called "Mastering the Nikon d7000" by Derrell Young
After I worked with the book for a while then the manual made all the sense in the world. lol

this book would be similar ==> Amazon.com David Busch s Nikon D3300 Guide to Digital SLR Photography 9781305269781 David D. Busch Books

You may want to buy a book helping you learn about the camera
but in the end, if you want to learn everything, you'll have to read everything. (and understand it, which in of itself can be a problem - thus another book going over each function in detail).