Nikon D50 Digital Field Guide
by David D. Busch
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Book Reviews of Nikon D50 Digital Field Guide
Book Review: I can't figure out who this book is for.
Summary: 2 Stars
Unlike many reviewers, I did not like this book. I found Nikon's D50 manual a little sparse so I bought this book thinking it would go into more detail about the D50 and it's features. The first part of the book shows you where the knobs and switches are and gives a brief description, then it goes on to explain the menus. It's completely USELESS if you already own the manual. It gives the same information as the manual with no eloboration whatsoever. In fact, the book tells you to reference the manual for more detail in some sections! So, this book can't be for some one who already owns the manual!
The book then goes into some basics for photography so it can't be for experienced users. Later it offers tips on how to take certain types of pictures, like landscapes, portraits, night shots, etc. and gives you some suggested settings but doesn't tell you how to set those settings on your D50 and assumes you know how to do this. It's not explained in these sections or previous sections, so, this book isn't beginners either!
I was very disapointed in this book. I can't figure out who it's supposed to be for or what the point of the book is. I put it on my shelf and got the Magic Lantern Guides book for the D50. While not perfect, it's better than this book.
Book Review: We needed this!
Summary: 5 Stars
The manual that comes with the Nikon D50 has good basic information, and it certainly is the authoritative source for reference information about the camera's menus and settings and controls. However, this book does a much better job of explaining how to use the camera within the greater context of SLR photography.
I recently purchased a Nikon D50 for my high-school-age son, who has a budding interest in photography. At the same time I got him this book as well as Busch's other digital SLR book, "Digital SLR Cameras and Photography for Dummies." They are complementary books. This one won't teach you photography, although it has some good basic information on fundamentals such as exposure and composition. It does show how to use the key controls of the camera, and it does that quickly in a few chapters with well-labeled photos.
The Nikon D50 Digital Field Guide also provides basic tips on common types of shooting situations, and is compact enough to go along with my son in his backpack. As he's ready to learn photography with a digital SLR from the ground up, he's got the information he needs for that in Busch's Dummies book. These two books cover all the bases, and I recommend them highly.
Book Review: All camera manuals should be like this
Summary: 5 Stars
I don't know why camera manufacturers don't include manuals this good with their cameras. I realize that it's necessary to include every single feature and every single menu item and every single specification in the "official" manual, but what a new user really wants to know is how to make the basic settings needed to take good pictures right out of the box. This book does that for you. There is a quick start chapter that tells you just the things needed to start taking pictures, and nothing more, and will be useful for anyone who is new to digital cameras or just new to digital SLR cameras. Then, a few chapters lead you through the features of the camera and its menus.
After that, it's off to the races! The author introduces basic photographic techniques, and then devotes a very long chapter to each of the most popular kinds of photography, with tips on how to set the camera, choose an appropriate lens, and arrange your subject. A book this portable can't include everything within it's pages, but the most important thing is that it has enough to serve you well in just about any situation. I really learned how to use my Nikon D50 from this book.
Book Review: This book is for any new D50 owner!
Summary: 5 Stars
Like most reviewers, I loved this book! It makes the perfect complement to the manual, because it doesn't duplicate the manual. Instead of listing every possible setting (you can get that from the manual if you need to), it goes into much greater detail about how and why you'd want to use various features and settings, making it quite useful as an adjunct to the skimpy book furnished with the camera. For example, you'll learn why you want to use continuous or single autofocus, and the best situations in which to apply them.
The book's instructions in the basics of photography are especially helpful for inexperienced users, who are typically the most frequent buyers of this entry-level Nikon DSLR. Then, it offers tips on how to take certain kinds of photos, such as landscapes, portraits, night shots, etc. and gives you advice on the suggested settings introduced in the first chapters of the book. Unlike the Magic Lantern Guide to the D50, which uses black and white illustrations exclusively, this one is printed in full color, so you can see exactly how the techniques described will work out. Any new D50 owner will find lots to learn in this book.
Book Review: Video Tutorials are better
Summary: 3 Stars
The Nikon D50 is such an incredible camera that I wanted to master to the full. Though the manual is not really bad, I wanted something differently. I thought this Digital Field Guide would be a good addition to master the D50's features. While the Guide makes much more clear, it's still not going in-depth. The settings are listed in Chapter 2, but not explained to the full. I miss an explanation of why, when to select and what are the consequences selecting a certain option in a certain way. E.g. CSM 13 Metering chooses among matrix, center-weighted or spot metering. Why not explaining what these features do (or why not refering to the pages that explain more on this)? Another example: Image optimization settings are not well explained.
Interesting is chapter 6 in which the author gives some interesting tips on different photo subjects (from candid shots to night photography, travel photography etc.). There are typos in this Field Guide and the images are mediocre. If you want to learn how to use your D50 I only recommend instructional videos. The Quickpro Camera Guide for the Nikon D50 is my first reference.