Just Learning... (Need A Good Book)

[PMPHOTO]

Im just switching over from 35mm. I know absolutly Scwat
about Digital. Can anyone recommend a book or CD that covers things like recording pics on memory cards, transfering them to a computer, printing them, learning photoshop, etc.... Also are there any books On the Nikon
D90? As I understand the magic Lantern book on the camera is not available yet.
Thank You,
Fred

 

[ANDS!]

Wow. Some of those questions are super basic and it would be a crime for you to waste money on it.

1: Recording pictures on a memory card - Your camera will handle this. Theres really nothing you need to know about how they do it. Now, if you're talking about "how well" they do it, that all depends on the media involved. Currently there really are only "two" media formats you'll find on a digital body - SD/SDHC and Compact Flash. What you will be looking for on the D90 is SD or SDHC. Kingston, Transcend and Pny make cheap (cheap does not mean CRAP) cards. Sandisk and Lexar are generally more expensive, and thus "better built" - although all of that is subjective. From my personal use, unless you have a NEED to fire shot after shot after shot, Kingston and Transcends 133x line and Sandisks Extreme III line of cards will suffice. You can google memory card timings for more information about this.

2. Transfering from computer - Most manufacturers will include software with your camera body. On a Nikon D90, it really is as simple as putting your camera in "Media Storage Mode" and drag and dropping your files to your hard drive. I personally use Adobe BRIDGE to capture the files, and then work on them in Photoshop or Capture NX. The "speed" at which you download files depends on both your Memory Cards read speed, and whether or not your computer has the capability to "read" them as fast. More often than not your computer will be a bottleneck, but it rarely takes me more than 10 minutes (that is a SUPER liberal estimate) to download about 4 gigs worth of pictures.

3. Printing - Wow. Well, you need a printer. Depending on what kind of prints you want to make will determine what kind of printer you go for. Is the most you want an 8.5x11 for framing? There are several low cost printers to do this. I use an HP D7360, but its no doubt discountinued by now. Thats a good consumner photo printer. If you want to do large prints the Canon Pixma 9000 is well rated, as if the Epson 1400 and 1800. Farther up the pay scale are the Canon Pixma 9500 and the Epson 2400. Another consideration is whether you want to go with "pigment" or "dye" based ink system. A google search can shed further details on that.

4. Learning Photoshop - Hooboy. Best to hit up Amazon or maybe Photo.net for some recommendations there. [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Real-World-Adobe-Photoshop-CS2/dp/0321334116]Real World Adobe Photoshop[/ame] might be a good place to start although it IS hefty.

 

[PMPHOTO]

WoW.. Thank you... Some good info to get me started. Will those printers print pics as good as the pics comming back from a lab?

 

[AdamBomb]

I bought my Girlfriend an Epson 1400 and it prints AMAZING pictures. The only bad thing about it is the INK! It uses 5 different cartridges I believe, and they're $20 a pop. When one runs out, you cant print till you replace that ONE.

 

[ANDS!]

WoW.. Thank you... Some good info to get me started. Will those printers print pics as good as the pics comming back from a lab?

No clue. I've never had a print from a lab. However, I do print my own **** and they look fantastic. I'm taking possession of a Canon Pixma 9000 tomorrow and I can let you know my findings. Mostly getting it for its ability to do 13x19 prints which I'd like to start framing.

How much would you like to spend on a printer? They have some really incredible printers out there for the home market. If I had the cash, I would grab an R2880 with its dedicated grey/black inks for better B&W's.

And yea. Printer ink is 100% Bull****. Thats why it might be better going for a Canon - I've heard their inks aren't so bad on the pocketbook.

 

[PMPHOTO]

After being use to paying a lab for proofing,processing, enlargements, etc...... Sounds like a bargan to me........

 

[impressme]

I believe I've seen Nikon books in the photography section of barnes and noble that specificallly target certain cameras. There is a magic lantern guide as well
http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=nikon+d90


for Photoshop: the Adobe book is great as well as any of the books by Scott Kelby
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Ad...ok/Adobe-Creative-Team/e/9780321492029/?itm=1

 

[Overread19 7]

For printing my advice is this - you have gone and got a DSLR so quality is something that is clearly important to youl; ergo you are going to be wanting quality prints which means a quality printer - which means cost in both machine and ink. Starting out this might be an inhibative cost so don't rule out printing labs (there are a good few online) since especailly if your just printing for you and not selling they are a cheaper alternative - especailly at the starting out stages.

As for learning photoshop do you have it already or are you looking to buy it?
#This website has some great articles on learning editing and also some which cover specific digital photography:
http://www.ronbigelow.com/articles/articles.htm

As for the more basic info of cards and the like mostly any basic photography book for digital will cover them in simplistic terms - mostly not much more indepth than your own camera manual. The only area you have to consider is if you work with RAW images or JPEG. Starting out I recomend working in either JPEG or RAW+JPEG since RAW requires one to know basic editing skils from the start - the image is not printable until it is edited from a RAW, whilst JPEG is a fully normal image.
You should be able to find a section in your manual detailing how you change save modes for photos from one to the other - note that RAW are much bigger than JPEG so they fill up a memory card quicker