In An Effort To Be Of Assistance (Page 7): Most manuals are written by ESL/Tech Writers. Eventually you will discover what they mean to write, but it may take a few trials.

Waltm Loc: Fredericksburg, VA

Most manuals are written by ESL/Tech Writers. Eventually you will discover what they mean to write, but it may take a few trials.

therwol Loc: USA

Waltm wrote:

Most manuals are written by ESL/Tech Writers. Eventually you will discover what they mean to write, but it may take a few trials.

I don't see this as a problem as much as it used to be, especially with the large, mainstream manufacturers. Every once in awhile, though.... The worst is when you finally figure out what they're saying, and it doesn't seem to apply to what you bought.

YeloCab1

My dad always emphasised that the companies that sell the products put thousands or even millions of dollars into research before they offer their product to the public. They want their product to work the best it can. It doesn't make sense not to read the information they give you on that product before you use it - and then claim it didn't work as advertised. Read the directions!! Read the manual!!

rmalarz wrote:

Someone on this forum asked a rather remedial ques... (show quote)

latebloomer Loc: Topeka, KS

LFingar wrote:

Read the manual before using the camera (or new car ,TV, hand grenade, etc)? Seriously? Everybody knows that manuals only exist so that you can use them to find out what you did wrong after you screw-up!

BebuLamar

YeloCab1 wrote:

My dad always emphasised that the companies that sell the products put thousands or even millions of dollars into research before they offer their product to the public. They want their product to work the best it can. It doesn't make sense not to read the information they give you on that product before you use it - and then claim it didn't work as advertised. Read the directions!! Read the manual!!

Another point about this is that many seems to think that the company that makes the camera doesn't know as much about the camera as a third party writer. For me I always use the camera manual and not any third party book.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Manuals can come in a variety of flavors. Some are bare bones just the facts and some are downright preachy with all the others in between. Each person has their own tolerance limit. I wish there were a manual review page that graded them on some 'nitty gritty facts' to a 'me me me' scale.

AzYooper Loc: Sun Lakes AZ (Almost Phoenix)

Nice idea, but some folks do have a real problem following the manual. When I got my first real Nikon digital after years away from real cameras, I had a hard time making sense of it. Found third party books or other sources easier to comprehend. Now several bodies later, I find the D850 manual understandable. Not because they did a better job, but I now know what they are talking about. I think we need to understand, that whether people come to UHH for D850 help or D3400 help, they probably need it. Even the D850 has stuff in the manual that is tough to digest when you get into some features. I think when people come to UHH with a question, that READ THE MANUAL is not a proper answer. You don't know the skill level or comprehension of the writer. We did not all get A's in school. We were all photo dumb once and now we can share our knowledge rather than scare folks off. I thought that was what UHH was for, not to tell people to go find the answer elsewhere. Locally in our camera club, if new people have a question, we don't tell them to go read a book.

jackinkc Loc: Kansas City

TheShoe wrote:

No, they are not brand related. Sometimes they can be amusing, even if not particularly helpful. The owner's manual for one car started their instruction for the radio with, "Do not water to the unit when washing the car, careful for the speaker."

Was this, by chance, a Japanese car?

thephotoman Loc: Rochester, NY

Bob, I do the same thing. Cameras have so many features, some that intertwine with others. I may not remember everything, but I know there is something in the manual about the issue.

Dannj

Like others have said, manuals provided by the manufacturer are good for telling you where the various buttons/functions are located but not for finding out what you might want to use them for. For that, I need to rely on the camera-specific guides available. Using those guides I hope to get to the point some day when the manual alone will suffice.

jcboy3

rmalarz wrote:

Someone on this forum asked a rather remedial ques... (show quote)

Instead of a charger, you give them the charge card. While they are out charging, read the past 12 issues of Cosmopolitan.

The rest is, as they say, hysterical.

BebuLamar

Dannj wrote:

Like others have said, manuals provided by the manufacturer are good for telling you where the various buttons/functions are located but not for finding out what you might want to use them for. For that, I need to rely on the camera-specific guides available. Using those guides I hope to get to the point some day when the manual alone will suffice.

Because what you want to use them for are up to you to decide.

augieg27 Loc: Central California

Take a look at Tony Northtrup tutorials at https://northrup.photo/tutorials/
He has complete tutorials for most of the cameras in video format.

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

rmalarz wrote:

Someone on this forum asked a rather remedial ques... (show quote)

I can do one better than you :) I download the manual after I buy the camera and read it through before the camera arrives so I have some idea of what I am getting myself in for! Then I read it again with camera in hand.

Jacksonville Loc: Australia

At one time or another I have had to resort to reading the Spanish or French versions of some manuals to make sense of the mangled English text. This applies to all sorts of manuals, not just camera manuals.