Nikon D300 Digital Field Guide | 
 enlarge | Author: J. Dennis Thomas
Brand: Wiley Publishers
Category: Book
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $10.70
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Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 1873
Media: Paperback
Pages: 267
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6 x 0.7
MPN: W0470260920
ISBN: 0470260920
Dewey Decimal Number: 775
EAN: 9780470260920
ASIN: 0470260920
Publication Date: May 12, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW
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Product Description
Citing the Nikon D300's high-ISO performance, sophisticated autofocus system, 6 frames per second shooting speed, and an astoundingly sharp 3-inch LCD screen, all for less than $2,000, PopPhoto declared the Nikon D300 the camera of the year for 2007. Nikon D300 Digital Field Guide is filled with everything you need to know in order to take amazing photographs using your Nikon D300. This full-color portable guide walks you through the essential controls, features, and functions of the Nikon D300 digital SLR using step-by-step instructions and full-color images of each menu screen. This robust guide not only shows you how to adjust white balance, autofocus, exposure, and choose lenses, it also teachesyou when and why you should adjust each of these key settings. The Nikon D300 Digital Field Guide goes beyond camera settings to offer you a refresher guide to the principles of digital photography, covering the essentials of lighting, composition, and exposure. Filled with amazing examples, this book also presents a variety of tips and tricks to capturing portraits, candids,sports, travel, macro photography, and much more.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 Only my opinion July 1, 2008
R. Vazquez (Sunrise, FL)
1 out of 14 found this review helpful
I purchased Thomas' book yesterday and I'm returning it today. Like some of the poorer critiques in here, I must concur with them. This little book, if anything, is suited for beginners who have absolutely no clue about the D300 or photography in general. Here are just a few things I noticed while flipping through the book and reading a few pages:
1. In many cases the photography stinks. Granted, it may just be poor photo reproduction, but if I were buying a D300 and saw the pics this professional photographer took with the camera, I'd probably go Canon. Also, why would this guy shoot with third party lenses that no one, at least not I, have ever heard of? If you are writing a book on a Nikon product, shouldn't you use Nikon products all around? If I were Nikon I'd be a little tiffed at this guy.
2. Errors about the cam and photography in general were found. Too many for me to trust the "guide".
3. The author was too general in many of his suggestions. For example, I was looking up how to use the bulb feature and what I'd need to get, such as a good remote cable release. He said (paraphrasing here a bit), that you could buy some gadgets. Well, what gadgets mister?
4. The title of the book is a little deceiving. I'd say half the book is on general photographic techniques that have nothing to do with how to actually understand the D300. I was hoping to get something similar to ML's D300 guide, but this book fell way, way short.
Well, there you have it. I think I am going to learn the ins and outs of my D300 and write my own book.
 Perfect companion guide for my new D300 June 21, 2008
Cassie (Atlanta, GA)
129 out of 131 found this review helpful
I found this Nikon D300 Digital Field Guide to be a perfect companion to the D300. It's concise, portable and packed full of great advice to help you take great photos.
The first section starts out with the Quick Tour, which gives you a nice overview to get you started. If this isn't your first DSLR you may not find this as helpful as a dSLR rookie would, but it is filled with the right information to get you familiar with the camera quickly.
The next few chapters are the nuts and bolts of the book. These chapters break down what all of the buttons do as well as tell you about all of the modes and other features. The author describes them in good detail and points you to other sections of the book if the option is described in further detail elsewhere. I found this very helpful. Chapter 2 also has a great description of histograms and how to best use them to help you get the best exposure. Personally, this description of histograms really helped me a lot.
The last chapter in the first section deals in depth with all of the menu screens and options. There are a lot of menus and custom settings and they are laid out in the same fashion as they are on the camera, which makes things easy. The section that covers the Custom Settings also gives you advice on when you might want to use or modify these settings.
One section that I really need to point out is part about the AF fine-tuning. The manual does little in the way of clarifying how this works. The author really goes into detail here explaining how to use this. If you need to fine tune any of your lenses this is the book to buy to figure out where to start.
The second section is comparable to taking a short course in digital photography basics. From describing the different types of lenses and which ones to choose to some great information on general photographic concepts and lighting, this section has it all.
The first chapter in the second section deals with lenses. The author describes each type of lens and its practical applications. He also describes ways in which to use the lens, if not practically, artistically. This is a very informative chapter.
The next chapter is an overview of the basic photography concepts, shutter speeds, apertures, ISO, as well as tips on composition. This is a general overview, while interesting and informative for newcomers to photography; advanced users may not find much new here, but the basics are clearly explained with great photos as examples.
The sixth chapter deals with lighting. It's filled with useful information about different types of lighting equipment and suggestions of affordable alternatives that allow you to achieve professional results on a budget. The lion's share of this chapter is dedicated to using the pop-up flash as well as Nikon's other Speedlights. This includes a description of all of the different flash modes in detail and an explanation of when you might want to use them.
The Real World Applications chapter is pretty cool. It gives different scenarios and different types of photography you might encounter and breaks it down, offering tips and suggestions on what lenses to use and which modes, etc. One of the things I found interesting was that the author did not always follow his suggestions to the T. When he does break from his advice he tells you why he did that. This gives you the idea that although there are general guidelines to each type of photography, you know that you don't have to follow them in every situation. I found this honest and refreshing. The Art Photography section was my favorite. It had some very interesting concepts and gadgets that I had never heard about before, such as TtV or Through the Viewfinder photography.
The final chapter in this section deals mostly with the in camera editing menus. Although I myself don't use these options, preferring to use Photoshop, I can see how this chapter would be of great benefit to someone who just wants to print photos straight from the camera. The rest of the book is filled with tidbits of information such as different accessories available and online resources. Nothing groundbreaking, but it's interesting enough.
I found this book to be well written and very easy to get through. It's very informative and well presented. The full color images in this book are all first rate. This book is perfect for a newcomer to photography and even more advanced users. Though I'm not sure I'd recommend this book for a professional as it may be a little too basic for their needs.
Easy to use field guide June 19, 2008
G. Grochau (PORTLAND, OR United States)
89 out of 95 found this review helpful
I found this guide to be easy to read, with concise directions. Especially the intro to the D300.
It leads you through a guide to the camera, which is much easier to follow than the manual. And it directs you to the specific area of the book for details, as you go through it.
I really think it is a worthwhile investment to make using the features of the D300 a lot easier and more fun
Great guide for getting started June 10, 2008
Jasper Latane' (NY, NY)
109 out of 124 found this review helpful
Being new to the D300 and digital photography in general I found this book to be quite informative. The material was easy to understand and presented in a much more interesting manner than the manual or other books out there.
The real world applications are AWESOME! They provide many interesting insights and tips that many people may not know about. The pictures are top notch and appear in wonderful full color.
I also picked up a copy of David Busch's book and found that although other reviewers rated this book highly that it was bloated with too much uninteresting technical jargon and let's just say his pictures are "uninspired" to say the least.
I recommend purchasing the D300 Digital Field Guide book for anyone who wants to learn about the most important features of the D300 as well as learning different techniques for photography that will carry over into using other cameras as well.
On the other hand, if you want to be bored to tears and look at uninteresting photos maybe the Busch D300 guide will help you out.
An easy Read June 9, 2008
BRYDEN D.
111 out of 128 found this review helpful
Nikon D300
Digital Field Guide
By: Bryden D.
I am the owner of a few Nikon digital cameras including the D70,D2H,D200 & now the D300. This being the case I am quite familar with the dry clipped language used in the Nikon Owners Manuals.
The D300 is an advanced camera with many new technical features that can be some what overwhelming to a new user.
Thomas has written this guide in a away that makes it easy to follow these new features. He points out in clear langusge how the D300 can enhance your photography techniques.
Major sections that I found of most interest are the Upgrades from the D200 and the Quick Tour.
Chapters 1-8 go into details of the camera and how they relate to various real world applications.
Overall - a great little book to carry around for quick reference on photo shoots.,
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