rikhar Loc: Ct. shoreline

After much research on my own and then upon very good advice from some UHH members I made the plunge and ordered a refurb d7200 from Adorama. The camera arrived and it looks amazing ,downloaded the user manual and after looking over the camera and manual I looked in the mirror and said, OH LORD WHAT HAVE YOU DONE. Let me explain. I'm a film guy (actually slides because it was less expensive) from many years ago . I managed to turn out some fairly good ones but then along came life, marriage, kids etc and the camera was put on the shelf and photography was forgotten Then in the late nineties I got the bug again and bought my first digital (an entry level d3000). I thought that was quite a learning curve for me, but going from the d3000 to d7200, for me it is like climbing out of the cockpit of a Piper Cub and into the pilots seat of a B747. To get to the point of this post I NEED HELP and lots of it. So be prepared for lots of stupid and amateurish questions and should you chose to answer any of them, please be gentle for although, technically I'm not a virgin instead I'm old and feeble and bruise easily. Thanks in advance and should I become annoying just tell me and I'll shut up and go buy a book. In fact does anyone have suggestions for a good book to start with.

Rick

Vector

Though a Canon shooter,. I know how you feel. I went from a Canon XSI, to a 7d, and now a 7D Mark II. And believe it or not, going from 7D Mark I to the Mark II is a jump! I do offer you this African Proverb, "... working together, the ants ate the elephant..." Let's just take it a bit at a time and we'll get through!

Happy Shooting!

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Welcome. No such thing as "stupid and amateurish questions", only stupid and amateurish people who do not agree with a novice's attempts to learn.

sloscheider Loc: Minnesota

The 7200 is a great camera and to a certain extent it's just a 3000 with easy access buttons and knobs to get to the features that were berried in the menus of the 3000. I've got D7000 bodies and if there's one thing I would change immediately is to turn off the ability to take a shot with no memory card installed. By default it'll let you do it... bring up the Menu, go down to the Custom Settings menu (the pencil), in that menu look for "f7 Slot empty release lock" and SET IT TO LOCKED

Ernie Misner Loc: Lakewood, WA

I would be a good idea for you to get a D7200 book by Thom Hogan or someone why writes good Nikon camera books. Usually 3rd party books make for easier reading than the Nikon manual. However.... keep your manual handy and it is a great source. You can go right to the appendix with a term and it will give you the pages to check out. And keep the questions coming here; these guys are super knowledgeable.

justhercamera Loc: NW Michigan

I know well the feeling of "oh boy, am I going to really learn this camera?" As someone who played with one of the D3000s for a few minutes, who has owned mid level DX cameras for years, and recently leapt to FF... it is not that big of a deal. You have easier access to controls now, you can customize much... and I suspect you gained some bells and whistles. The advice of a third party book is a great idea, and ask fearlessly here. Granted a few may reply who enjoy bruising, but most are just happy to help.

Bill_de Loc: US

" I looked in the mirror and said, OH LORD WHAT HAVE YOU DONE."

When I first read that I thought you took the body cap off, looked at the mirror and saw a big problem. I'm glad that was not the case. You made a good choice.

The camera has a lot of options, but you don't need to use/learn them all at once. It still comes down to ISO, F-Stop, Shutter Speed, and most important --- your vision. Enjoy as you learn.

--

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

If you don't know the answer, the only way to get one is to ask.

jimcrna Loc: indiana/florida

I have a 7200 and think its a great camera ,. bought darrel Youngs book "mastering the nikon 7200" and it is a great help..I have not quite "mastered" it yet but a really good book..enjoy,jim

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Congratulations on your D7200.
I have a D7200 and it is a great camera. I suggest you purchase "David Busch's Nikon D7200 Guide To Digital SLR Photography" and/or "Mastering the D7200" by Darrell Young. Both books go into greater detail explaining the features and the operation of the D7200 than the manual does.

d3200prime

This link will help you learn the D7200: http://www.nikon-tutorials.com/category/nikon-d7200/. Good shooting to you.

67skylark27 Loc: Fort Atkinson, WI

I just acquired a d7200 after having a d3300 and d5300, I love it so far. I learned most of it
by challenging myself to take certain pictures knowing the features I'd need. Plenty of reading
and then reading "Secrets of the Nikon Autofocusing system". I have a lot more keepers.
The focus system seems to be faster than my previous models. Enjoy it, it's a great camera.

SueScott Loc: Hammondsville, Ohio

The D7200 is a very nice camera - I had one for two years before upgrading to the 7500. I found the owner's manual to be almost unusable and instead, bought the "Nikon D7200 Crash Course" video, "Nikon D7200, From Snapshots to Great Shots", as well as several other books. On-line tutorials were very helpful as well. Have fun with your new camera!

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Although I no longer have my D7200, I still highly recommend it. I don't believe it is anymore difficult to use than any other camera. It just has more bells and whistles. Any of the above-mentioned books are excellent, as is the "Nikon D7200 for Dummies" book. And yes, if other research fails to provide and answer a question, DO ask it here. Lots of great knowledge and experience on UHH.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

My first foray into digital was the D7000 several years ago. Straight out of the box I set it on Program or Auto mode and started taking photos without even reading the manual and got some great ones of the family. My initial impression of the 7000 was of it's vibrant colors. It worked great with the 35-80mm lens I had from my Nikon 6006. The great thing is that digital is not that much different from a film camera. However, I learned how to shoot in aperture and shutter priority next, depending on what the situation called for, setting the ISO to what I thought was appropriate. Work through the settings to learn what they all do. You don't need to learn everything at once, however. Others have recommended Thom Hogan's book. Darrell Young also has a good book, Mastering the Nikon D7200. I would also recommend Steve Perry's book Secrets of the Nikon Autofocus System which will also cover the D7200. This book can be purchase from Backcountrygallery.com. Enjoy your camera, it's a good one.