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| Nikon D300 Digital Field Guide | 
 enlarge | Author: J. Dennis Thomas
Brand: Wiley Publishers
Category: Book
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $8.00
You Save: $11.99 (60%)
New (45) Used (14) from $8.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  24 reviews
Sales Rank: 29177
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
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
Condition: Brand new, never opened, in stock and ships today!
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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.
Amazon.com Review
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 teaches you 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. |
| Customer Reviews: Read 19 more reviews...
 Perfect companion guide for my new D300 June 21, 2008
132 out of 133 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.
 'Riddled with errors' is an understatement! May 10, 2008
120 out of 140 found this review helpful
The reviewer who said this book was packed with errors was being kind. Some sort of technical fact-checking should have been done to fix the multiple errors, goofs, and obvious typos that appear in every chapter of this misguided guidebook.
Some of the errors provide the wrong information, or leave out a crucial fact. For example:
Page 7: Figure QT.4 is labeled wrong. Center weighted mode is labeled as 3D Color Matrix II, Matrix is labeled as center weighted mode.
Page 18: "Press this button and rotate the Main Command dial to change the white balance (WB) setting." No mention is made of rotating the sub command dial to change the bias.
Page 18: Incorrect description of focus over-ride with AF-S lenses. Manual adjustment is possible only if the lens has M/A-M switch.
Page 18: "Reflected through a series of mirrors..." Wrong. Although some Nikon cameras do use a series of mirrors, the D300 uses a single front-silvered mirror and a pentaprism. A "series of mirrors" involves a different technology called pentamirror.
Page 27: In the description of the electronic analog exposure display, the author says, "When the bars are to the left you are underexposed; when the bars are to the right, you are overexposing your image." Wrong. It's the exact opposite. There are even plus and minus signs in the viewfinder to tip you off.
Page 28: In explaining exposure compensation value, the author mis-states: "When pressing the Exposure Compensation button and rotating the Sub-command dial, the EV compensation is displayed." Wrong. Just press the button to display the EV compensation. Or press the button and rotate the main dial to change it. The Sub-command dial has no function or use here.
Page 43: White balance bracketing. The author fails to mention that, unlike exposure bracketing, only one shot is taken per bracket set during white balance bracketing. The D300 saves multiple JPEG copies of that shot using different white balances. A rather important distinction, I think.
Page 45: "The focus indicator light in the viewfinder displays when the camera is in focus." Wrong. Actually, it stops -blinking- when the lens is in focus. It does appear when the "camera" (lens, actually) is out of focus.
Page 69: "Image quality, size, and JPEG compression can also be changed by pressing the QUAL button and rotating the Main Command dial." Wrong. You need to rotate the sub command dial to change the image size.
Page 70: The author states about 14 bit depth that "there is much more color information for smoother color transitions in your images." Here, and in Chapter 2, the author seems to have the notion that 14-bit files do nothing but provide extra colors for gradations. Dynamic range means a lot more than that, especially with the D300, where 14 bit provides extra "headroom" in the shadows (but not in the highlights) compared to 12-bit depth.
Page 82: "e4 Modeling Flash When using the optional SB-600 or SB-800 Speedlight, pressing the Depth of Field preview button fires a series of..." Wrong again. Surprise. This feature, of course, also works with the built-in flash, which is not mentioned.
Page 82: "e7" Ignores that bracketing order also functions for WB bracketing, in a way different from the exposure bracketing described. This is one of the pesky details not copied from the OEM manual.
Pages 83, 84, 85. Incorrectly describes setting of function, preview, and AE-L/AF-L buttons. Readers will be terribly confused when they discover (on their own) that setting certain functions locks out other settings. This is explained on page 304 of the Nikon factory manual.
Page 87: "I recommend taking your camera to an authorized Nikon service center for cleaning." I don't know whether to laugh or cry over this one. Of course readers will be terrified of this simple procedure if the author doesn't know how to do it, either, or provides any instructions. This is a D300 we're talking about, not a D40. Non-snapshooters need to learn how to clean their sensors from time to time, even if automatic sensor cleaning is included in the camera.
Most of the descriptive material about setting up and using the camera appears to be condensed from what is provided in the Nikon manual, with many important options, details, and warnings left out to save space. The Dust off ref photo menu entry description doesn't give you a clue as to when or why you might want to use it. The terrific wireless transmitter or GPS capabilities? Not a clue as to what they do. There's no mention of the absolutely wonderful improvement in handling of non-CPU lens data compared to the D200. Why not?
There are dozens of important, but less-serious errors that will probably confuse D300 owners even if they don't lead to faulty photos. Readers directed to incorrect URLs like "nikonions" (sic) can probably find the correct address (nikonians) by themselves.
Others display a serious lack of familiarity with the camera. The author tends to use "a number of" or "special", or recommends going to the Nikon web site to find information you'd expect to find in this book rather than bother to research the correct answer. For example, about LiveView, the author says, "Nikon has installed special focus detectors to allow the camera to focus and shoot while the camera is in LiveView mode." Nonsense. The D300 uses the exact same focus sensors in both normal and LiveView modes when using phase detection. In Tripod mode, only the CMOS sensor itself is used to gauge contrast/sharpness. There are no new "special" sensors. No mention of a third LiveView focusing option -- manual focus -- is made at all.
I can't imagine that Nikon D300 users would be looking for a "field" guide that is a summary with less information than is found in the user manual, especially since some important distinctions are ignored or left out, and replaced with downright incorrect advice. Avoid this one.
 OK for Beginners May 13, 2008
103 out of 117 found this review helpful
In his introduction, J. Dennis Thomas acknowledges that his book covers much of the same ground as the "D300 User's Manual" from Nikon, but in a manner that's easier to comprehend and more interesting to read. It seemed to me that Thomas didn't quite reach his goal.
Part I of the book starts out with a quick tour of the camera which describes how to set the most basic functions necessary to use the D300, followed by a physical description of each of the controls on the camera. The author then follows up with a slightly longer discussion of the camera's functions, followed by a line-by-line description of each of the camera's menu items. In Part II, the author provides generic discussions of Nikon's family of lenses, photography essentials like exposure and composition, the use of light, a long chapter devoted to snippets on different kinds of photography, like architectural or landscape photography, and then a chapter on viewing and editing images in-camera. There is an appendix which describes a few accessories in the broadest possible terms.
Every equipment guide has to aim at a broad range of users from beginners to professionals, although the Nikon D300 is such a sophisticated machine that it is more likely to be used by more experienced photographers. I suppose that a beginner might find new information here, but only if he didn't want to go through the small print, black-and-white only, manual that comes with the camera. On the other hand, a lot of essential information was not discussed. For example, although the author often refers to options offered by the camera relating to the differences between the JPEG and RAW formats, he never gives a full explanation of the benefits of one format over the other. Another example is in his description of the number of focusing points available in dynamic area mode. Although he describes the difference between 9, 21 and 51 point modes (more points--duh!), he doesn't explain why it doesn't make sense to just use the most points for any occasion. The author doesn't tell you that the more points you select, the slower the camera focuses because it must sample each point for changes in the scene.
There were even a few cases where Thomas included less material then the Nikon manual. He describes a menu item called "Print set (DPOF)" which did not even seem to appear on my D300's menu! After frantically trying to figure out what was wrong with my camera, I looked in the "D300 User's Manual" where I found that this is a menu setting that probably isn't even available until certain other conditions have been set up. (I eventually found the item by scrolling backwards through the playback menu.)
Most of the material in part II is just too broadly brushed to be very useful. A new photographer might learn that there is such a thing as a soft box, but never learn how to use one with the D300.
Some material provided is misleading as in the image that's included with the explanation of histograms that shows the histogram divided into five sections while the D300's histogram is divided into four sections. In other cases, illustrations that would help one understand the discussion were not available, as in the failure to include a screen capture in the discussion of picture controls.
Although this volume may be enough for beginners who don't want to go through the tiny print, flimsy paged "D300 User's Manual" provided with the camera, more serious users would be better off with "David Busch's Nikon D300 Guide to Digital SLR Photography" (even though I must acknowledge that Thomas does provide a better explanation of fine-tuning auto focus lenses).
Best field guide out there for the Nikon D300 May 2, 2008
100 out of 110 found this review helpful
This is my 2nd book I have purchased from the Digital Field Guide series. I previously bought Creative Lighting System and it helped me get pass a lot of hurdles and frustration. This was written with quality and care.
Now J. Dennis Thomas has written the guide for the D300 and WOW, how does this guy know so much about the gear he writes about. He must seriously take hundreds of hours out of his life to really get in and learn the nuts and bolts of any piece of equipment he lays his hands on.
Not only are these books from this author in depth, but they are NOT dry text book reads. You can tell a lot of life experience goes into these field guides so enjoy.
If you want to do more with your Nikon gear, then you really need to read what J. Dennis Thomas has provided out there. He provides the tools to operate quality equipment so do yourself a favor and read the Nikon Digital Field Guides.
Great D300 book for on the go May 21, 2008
96 out of 99 found this review helpful
This book is perfect for use in the field. I bought this book specifically because it was a small format book I could take along with me for guidance. When I am unsure what menu settings to use, I take this book out of my bag, look up the options, and make adjustments quickly. When I see an opportunity for a great shot, I can look up specifics about shooting different objects in different environments and read three or four pages of advice, illustrated with awesome full color pictures. This book covers all the digital photography basics. It does include all the settings you need for the practice photos, including aperture, shutter speed, ISO setting, etc. Plus the lens used is listed. This book was a great investment - it's helped me get more comfortable with my D300 and I expect that my pictures are just going to keep getting better as I keep using the book to build my knowledge of the camera and of photography in general.
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