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

[soufiej]

Was there a lady who don't want to read a manual happened long time ago, and she wanted a half professional camera with full automatic to do the job for her because she had a busy life style? Then, a lot of members in TPF slammed her, and she left.

I suppose how much you should read depends first, on how much you already know and, second, how much you think you'll need to know.

You have an entry level DSLR. Does that mean you are an entry level user?

If you generally know your way around a DSLR, then you don't need to go through a repeat of all the boring stuff that comes with an entry level DSLR. The most boring stuff is the stuff you'll never use. Plenty of folks buy a DSLR and then never really move the camera off some fully automatic mode. But they want to take videos and send them to friends and family. That, in general, isn't the typical forum member here. For that you should go to the Nikon forum itself. Not this forum's Nikon section but the real Nikon forum set up by Nikon. That's where the point and shoot Nikon users hang out and they'll be happy to answer your P & S type questions on your Nikon.

If that's you, a point and shoot type DSLR owner/user, there's no need to learn how to use the P, A, T and M modes. Sort of like you'll never need to know the towing capacity of your pick 'em up truck or how to use the hitch if you bought a pick 'em up truck just to look stylin'. If you are unlikely to use the fully automatic modes, then there's no real need to read much about them. If you know your way around a full set of kitchen knives and when to use the boning knife and not the paring knife, then you don't need to read the heating directions for a can of soup. If you know enough to shoot in shutter priority to, say, stop fast action sports, then you don't need to know about the little icon with the runner. If you're always going out for Thanksgiving dinner, there's no need to read up on just how to roast a turkey. If you're the one preparing Thanksgiving dinner, no need to find the best restaurants for Thanksgiving dinner. Make sense?

So look through the manual's Table of Contents and decide which portions are not very useful to you. I would think anyone would benefit from reading the middle section of the manual, "More on Photography". It details many of the most used and most useful features of your camera. Unless you have just traded in last year's model for this year's model, most modern DSLR's are packed with features which change over the course of a few years. When I upgraded from my ten year old DSLR to a new camera, I looked at the features and how they operate and how to operate them first - and then I came back and read them again after a few weeks of actually using the camera. They had almost completely changed from ten years prior. At the very least, you should know how to make your camera work for you and not against you. At the very best, you want to control the camera and not have the camera control you and your results.

You REALLY need to have handle on the menus. These are the heart and soul of a modern DSLR and if you can't figure out why features come and go as you change controls or why you're having such a hard time sending images to facebook, then you absolutely need to know the menus. It doesn't much matter how much you know about photography or your last camera, you need to know the menus for this camera. Even if you shoot only in the "point and shoot" modes, you still need the menus to set up the camera.

And, if you don't want to learn that much about your new toy, then you'll definitely need to know how to delete images from the camera.

If you're not taking movies or doing other fancy stuff a new DSLR can do, don't bother reading the manual for that stuff. Taking the above into consideration, that should eliminate about half the manual you no longer need to read until you think you want to know what it says. But particularly with the menus, a "hands on" guy or not needs to have their hands on their camera while they're reading and doing. While it's fairly intuitive when it comes to setting the date and time or whether you want the camera to use a specific image numbering system, knowing when you want to use certain focusing modes and metering modes and built in assists offered by the camera and controlled through the menus is not so logical. If you're not using fully automatic shooting modes, you'll need to know what all those icons on the LCD screen are telling you and how to use them to successfully use the camera. So, at the least, go to the index of the manual and look at what's there. Then read up on those items which you feel you will particularly need to know out in the field.

If you've had your camera in your hands during this, that much should get you out taking photos.

If you don't care to wade through manuals, then I would suggest you buy a "cheat sheet" for your specific camera; PhotoBert Search

That will give you the down and dirty info on your camera that you can carry with you.

Then, since different people learn in different ways and reading is boring to some, just sit with your camera in your hands and do a search engine for "Nikon D3300 tips and tutorials". Again, if the tips are for macro photography and you don't have any interest in seeing the eyes of a bug up close and personal, don't bother watching that video. If you are thinking you might be doing some low light, night photography, there's likely a video just on that for your specific camera.

Now, if all that sounds too much to deal with, just take your camera out and put the dial on "point and shoot" and start snapping the shutter. You'll eventually either get bored with the same ol' same ol' look coming from your more expensive than a point and shoot DSLR and you'll read up on how to take better photos or you'll just keep on doing the same "P & S" thing and getting the same results. Since you haven't said how much you already know or think you want to know, that's the quickest, least painful method for someone who gets bored with reading manuals way to go about this.

So, if you don't know anything much about cameras, I'm assuming you don't or you wouldn't even be asking how much of the manual you need to read, how did you decide the Nikon was the camera to buy?

 

[Buckster]

If you've read all the responses here so far, you've already read more than you would have had to read in the first several pages of the manual to get you going with your new camera.

ETA: And you'd know far more if you'd read those pages instead of this thread.

 

[tecboy]

The more you read about your dslr, you will have a lot of fun. The less you read, you will shoot boring pictures.

 

[Designer]

I still say my answer was the best.

Seriously.

Dude.

 

[Derrel]

One does not need to know how to tear down and then rebuild an engine in order to be a perfectly good driver.
One does not need to hatch the eggs, then raise the chicks to adulthood, then slaughter the chickens, gut and pluck them, and then cut them up, in order to make good fried chicken.

 

[480sparky]

......
One does not need to nurse the piglets, then raise them to adulthood, then slaughter the hogs, gut and skin them, and then cut them up, in order to make good bacon.

Jeez, Darrel. If you're going to use parables here, at least use the TPF-correct parables!

 

[Derrel]

......
One does not need to nurse the piglets, then raise them to adulthood, then slaughter the hogs, gut and skin them, and then cut them up, in order to make good bacon.

Jeez, Darrel. If you're going to use parables here, at least use the TPF-correct parables!

Thank you 480farty. I appreciate your continual misspelling of my given name.

 

[480sparky]

......
One does not need to nurse the piglets, then raise them to adulthood, then slaughter the hogs, gut and skin them, and then cut them up, in order to make good bacon.

Jeez, Darrel. If you're going to use parables here, at least use the TPF-correct parables!

Thank you 480farty. I appreciate your continual misspelling of my given name.

You can blame my computer's auto-correct for that. It's learned to spell it that way by default since I have an uncle named Darrel.

 

[raventepes]

Here's what I suggest you do. Take a skim through the manual and take note of anything important to basic function and then shelf it for any reference. Take out your camera, and familierize yourself with it. Look through all the menus and investigate anything that catches your interest. Take your time with this step.

Here are some basic settings that I (and my wife) keep on my wife's D3300.

Metering: Matrix (sensor meters light for the whole scene) Good for landscapes, seascapes
Sometimes, she switches to Spot, which meters for the focal point only. There are the only two I think are important at this stage.
Center Weight is good for when you want to fill the entire center of the frame. I use it a lot for product photography.

AF: For most situations, I recommend just using Dynamic. I don't think you're going to need much of the 3D mode, and I try to steer everyone away from Auto, though it can be useful at times.

Focus Mode: I'd keep it to AF-A to start with. The more you start learning, the more you'll get the feel for when you need which mode. Or, if you're like me, most of the time I just keep it in AF-A.

White Balance: Auto

Quality: Here's where I can't entirely help you. I don't know what kind of software you intend to run. Personally, I like shooting RAW+JPEG. If you intend to shoot with RAW, that's great! If you just want to shoot JPG, that's fine too, but I do recommend you use Fine JPEG

Picture Control: Another one that's kind of up to you. I'd play with the various settings to find out what you like. One thing to note on this though is that its's only good for shooting JPEG. Any RAW (Nikon calls it NEF) photos you may take, the Picture Control is completely disregarded.

ISO: Typically 200-400 for well lit areas, up to 1600 for less than idea situations

From there, turn your dial, and stick it in Manual (M). Take a look through your viewfinder and notice your light meter. It's dead center at the bottom. For this, you need a basic grasp of the Light Triangle. It takes 3 things to properly expose a picture. The right shutter speed, the right aperture (f Number), and the right ISO. Your camera is capable of shooting from 1/4000 to 30 full seconds (Or more if you use BULB) frame rates. It's also able to go from ISO 100-12,800 and Hi1. The rule of thumb is to keep your ISO as low as possible. The higher the ISO, the more noise is introduced.

Your shutter speed is how long you expose your picture. Use a faster shutter speed to freeze, use a slower speed to add fluidity or blur.

The Aperture adjusts how open or closed your lens is. Think of it like the iris or your eyes, because that's basically what it is. For a lot of images, I keep my aperture at f/8. If I'm looking for subject isolation, I'll take it down to either shoot wide open (f/3.5-5.6 on the kit lens, depending on where the zoom is. This is an important thing to remember. On the kit lens, your maximum f/number (smallest number) is dictated by how far zoomed in or out you are. The number changes wherever you are on your zoom.) The faster your f/number is, the more isolation and background blur (bokeh) you get. There's more to it, of course, and there are ways to over-exaggerate the effect, but that's something left for another time. I don't recommend maxing out your aperture with a high f/number (Like f/32). Simply put, it creates terrible photos with optical imperfections like fringing, unless you want it that way for whatever reason, than by all means...

Now is where you put it all together. If, say, I was outside shooting my wife and kids on a nice, sun-shiny day at a park, I'd typically use a set up like ISO 400, f/8, and a shutter speed, dictated by the available light. But that's if I wanted a fairly crisp over-all shot. If I wanted to isolate my subject, I'd pull my aperture up to however wide open I could get it for where I have zoom. If it started to get darker out, I'd simply bump up my ISO, which up to ISO 1600 is fairly acceptable, though it does have a small bit of noise. I only lower my shutter speed if I absolutely have to, and by that time, it'd be best to just use your onboard flash, provided you're not trying to light en entire scene. Again though, flash is another topic.

Now here's the trick. There's really no right or wrong way to expose a picture. Everything in the Exposure Triangle is variable and dependent on a number of factors, which include available light, weather you want to over or under expose, weather you're looking for a specific effect, and so on. There are pretty close to infinite combinations out there. To be honest, you can take the same picture a number of ways by using different combinations. To start with, I'd keep your photos exposed to 0 on your light meter, but if you feel the need to over or under expose (your light meter will dictate with bars on either side of the "0"), that's perfectly fine. Sometimes, it helps!

I like suggesting people start off working almost purely in Manual from time to time for a couple weeks. It'll help you understand the exposure triangle and give you a feel for various conditions. I've lost track of how many times I've been out driving or walking, and something catches my attention, but the trick was to not fumble with controls much, or I'd lose the shot. I had to know a rough setting from memory or I'd lose what I was after all together. Sometimes, it's not as simple as throwing your camera into full auto, provided the camera you're using even has it at all! Bodies like the D810, Df, and D4 don't have it, so again...it's good to know, especially with higher end bodies. Thankfully, I don't make too many miscalculations at this point, and if I do make a mistake, it's easily fixed by shooting in RAW and adjusting post-process in Photoshop.

Photograph everything in sight and from various distances, angles, focal lengths, and settings, and even different focal points. Although it probably wasn't needed, I shot purely in Manual a year and a half or so. Anymore, I'll generally use either Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority semi-automatic modes depending on what I'm taking a picture of. Sometimes, I'll even switch to Auto. I don't recommend taking nearly as long as I did working in only Manual, or even suggest that it would be a good idea to only shoot in it like I did. I will say that it taught me a lot.

Like I said earlier, kind of use it as a "Time to Time" thing so that you can learn and understand exposures for different situations. I don't entirely recommend shooting exclusively in it, even during your initial couple weeks with your new camera. Play with the different modes available, but at the same time, I can't stress learning Manual mode enough. Each mode have their own strengths and weaknesses for various uses, including full Auto. Learn which mode suits you best and when.

Most importantly though, have fun with your photography, and I really do wish you all the best of luck. I'll be honest. I'm not a technical shooter. I can't tell you the physics behind photography, but I can tell you what works for me.

 

[Designer]

Geeze! You think he's going to actually read that hugely-long post? The whole thing?

Maybe you missed the OP.

 

[Designer]

Hey, man, if I can't write it on my palm, it's too much.

 

[table1349]

Hey, man, if I can't write it on my palm, it's too much.

And in breaking news..............The author of the famous person poem..
"Here I sit all broken hearted,
Came to sh........... Well you know the rest" has finally been discovered.

 

[Designer]

I would bow, but you know, I'd better not.

 

[PhotogWannabe]

Hey, man, if I can't write it on my palm, it's too much.

Thanks for the laugh this morning. I agree that flipping through a long manual is rather daunting but I have never regretted doing just that for any camera I have ever owned. It really is important, for me at least, to know all the ins and outs of a camera I am not familiar with and manual usually helps me get started.

 

[astroNikon]

Hey, man, if I can't write it on my palm, it's too much.

I only got half way through your post

what did the other half say ?