Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots
Reviews (196)
If you have the D3100 this is a book for you
I got D3100 for Dummies when I bought this fine camera about a year or so ago. Since then I've been trying to get more serious about doing really good photography. See my reviews for the Nikon SB-700 Speedlight Flash and the handbooks for that flash. This book gave me many new dimensions for improving my use of the D3100 and the organization of the book is much different from Dummies (which is also very helpful). The author, naturally, is a professional photographer and is generous with his tips and suggestions for getting the best out of this nifty and affordable camera, even while I lust after the D7000 at almost twice the price. Hey, how good does a camera have to be for an 85 year old amateur? I'm retired from college teaching and can't throw my money around without thinking about it. If you bought a D3100 you have a great camera and this book will definitely help you make the most of it.
Definitely a must read for beginner photographers!
Probably one of my favorite photography books! I purchased this book as a beginner photographer who just got my very first DSLR camera and couldn't be happier with it. It broke down every function the camera has, what's its purpose, and how and when to use it. Also included basic photography tips on how to get better photographs. My favorite part about this book are all the photo examples included in it along with the settings used to achieve the look so you can recreate the photo yourself. It was very helpful and definitely set me on the right path being a beginner photographer. I have since upgraded to a Nikon D5500 and still reference this book from time to time.
Nikon D3100 explained!
Best book I have found for learning the D3100. I have just moved from a pint and shoot to my first DSLR, a used Nikon D3100. I have acquired a few books and the Nikon owners manual, and each one tries to be everything featured on the camera. One author practices his comedic side to a fault. This one stands head and shoulders above any of those with excellent descriptions and the reason for including it in the book. I find nothing important missing and it will be a long time before I am ready for obscure features. I am getting rid of the other books, this what I need.
Very Usefull
I downloaded this book to my 6" Kindle. The book itself is great as I am new to the world of SLR cameras and it gave me all the information for the Nikon D3100 camera I will ever need. Whilst new to photography I found the assignments at the end of each chapter very useful as they gave me the confidence to move forward on experimenting with the different settings and seeing how they affected the pictures taken. After reading the book I now have the confidence to move on from the Auto settings and pursue my interest in photography. Only down side to having it on my 6" Kindle was that the photos in the book were not in colour and not of a good quality. As a lot of the book has photos with information regarding settings i.e. aperture, shutter speed, ISO settings. Due to this I ordered a hard copy of the book( which I would seriously recommend ) and found it absolutely great. The other feature of this book for me is that it will be handy as a reference to go back to when needed. As I am new to photography having only used a point and shoot camera I had to read some chapters twice to get a handle on it and this proved very useful. Would recommend this book to any one starting out in SLR cameras.
Definitely Worth The $$$!!!
Im new to the dslr and amatuer photography "world" and this is exactly the book I was looking for! The first few chapters cover everything you need to know about how to adjust any and all of the settings on the D3100. The rest of the chapters are less camera specific but explain very clearly the basic ideas you need to take different types of great photos. The author uses very easy to understand terminology and includes a ton of color example pictures. I did not have one question about how to properly operate my camera once I finished reading (took less than 3 days). Im so happy I decided to go with this book over those "dummy" books. The only complaint I have is the last 2 "bonus chapters" are pretty weak and you have to create an account with the publishers website (which starts to email you a bunch of annoying newsletters), but its ok because they cover subjects that I really didnt look for in this book.
Content Seems Out of Order
I was hoping for a book that approached the basic concepts of DSLR photography (aperture, shutter speed, f-stop, etc) in an organized, logically progression. Instead, I found the author diving head-first into a mixture of these concepts right away in the book. I may be guilty of having the wrong expectation, but if you're looking for a reference-type book that discusses these concepts and how they apply to the Nikon D3100 in an organized way, I would look elsewhere. Don't get me wrong - the author definitely knows his stuff, but I just didn't like the format in which it was presented.
Must have for any beginner
I recently upgraded from a Kodak EasyShare Z981 14MP Digital Camera to the Nikon D3100. Boy, DSLR's sure can be intimidating when you've never shot with one in your life. I didn't know the difference between aperture and dentures. There are so many options and settings, and all I wanted to do was take some good pictures. This book is great because it starts off immediately with the top 10 things to do with your new camera, everything from the importance of charging your camera to changing the ISO and white balance. Not only does it show you how to make the changes step-by-step, but it also tells why those changes are important. One of the other things I really liked is that the author gives you assignments at the end of each chapter. There's only so much you can really learn from reading this book, but the assignments ensure you play with the camera and learn how each setting affects the quality of your shots. One of the things I wish this book did however is stick with the 18-55 lens that the camera comes with. In the book he uses many different lenses to capture some amazing shots, and it makes me want to buy all those expensive lenses that I can't afford. All in all, I believe this is a must have for any beginner. I read this book over Christmas and it really helped us take some great indoor shots of the family. Greatest thing that this book helped us do...it taught us how to get away from using the "Auto" setting.
Informative
The book does provide more detail than the manual that came with the body. I appreciate the authors take on how to shoot, but some of his instructions (how to set up your camera) were more his personal choice. Which is fine, but don't settle for just those settings...experiment for yourself. All in all very informative and handy 'field guide'. As for the delivery of the book, it took a little longer than I had expected...so, don't be in a hurry to get it or opt for the 2 day shipping, etc.
From Snapshots to Great shots......a GREAT book!
As a retired photographer, I have turned from my medium format to the Nikon D3100 and thought I needed a refresher course. I've read other articles, books, etc, but I have to say...."THIS IS THE BEST YET". It helps that I understand Aperture, Shutter speeds, ISO and the basics, but this book is written to lead into all the finer points and features of which I had no clue. Now I'm excited about just doing photography for fun. Thanks for a well written, well thought out, easy to understand book. Milie
Great guide to the camera
I gave this book to my husband along with the camera. It is easy to understand and has a lot of useful information. It's been a great guide to the getting the most out of the camera. There are plenty of visual aids in the book, and chapters on technique as well as the basics. It is well-written and seems to be very thorough.
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