gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

My D7000 came with a demonstration DVD that really opened my eyes to the power of this camera. I have the manual on my iPad and still refer to it after these past several years.

Bugfan Loc: Toronto, Canada

In the seventies when I started with film everything came with a printed manual and that manual explained why and when you want to use each of the controls. It also defined the photographic words it used so you could really understand. It was amazing what I was able to learn just from the manuals.

Now a few years back point and shoot cameras came without manuals but still had a CD. I happened to buy a Nikon P&S camera at that time to supplement my DSLRs. I wrote Nikon at the time complaining about the lack of a manual and asking them how the hell I'm expected to read the CD when I'm in the middle of the bush. Their reply was interesting. First they said I should just print it out but then there is a copywrite on their manuals so you can't do that. Then they explained that no one reads manuals so there is no point wasting money to print one. These days you also don't even get the CD any more, only a link to the manual which is a real issue for those who don't own a computer.

What also struck me was the differences. The manuals in the seventies explained each function, explained when to use it, and usually explained how to use it. By the time you were done with the manual you had a total understanding of the camera and the photographic theory associated with it. You even learned the language of photography because the manual defined all the terms it used.

Today the manuals are a lot thicker but they are also worse. They tell you what the buttons and menu items do but that's it. There is no definition of the words. There is no discussion on why you want to use a particular function, there is no discussion on how to get the most out of the camera controls. There is simply a shopping list of controls and a brief description of what each does.

The only real exception to this was a manual I got from Nikon a few years back. I bought their close up R1C1 macro flash. That came with a lovely manual that not only described all the functions but also described their value and how to use them. The second half of the manual showed actual examples of what you could do with the options available.

In addition to this I got a colour booklet that had impressive macro shots all done with that flash. By the time you got through that stuff you had an intimate understanding of the product and exactly how to get the most out of it. I have actually downloaded these two documents and have shared them with many friends who had benefited from them since as well.

I think one reason no one reads manuals is that they often aren't in English and they really don't teach you anything at all. If manuals were like these two flash manuals I bet everyone would actually read them and probably more than once. Alas though, that would mean that the maker would have to do some additional work and the cost of the product might have to go up a dollar or two as well. I suppose that's too much to ask.

Instead I can imagine that in another decade there won't be any manuals at all.

Bill Newbe

lol

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

I read the manual for my 1D MkIV when I got it. But I read it with the camera in hand, working through the menu as I went. The problem was, I truly didn't know how I might want things set and some of the items I didn't even know what they were! When I got my 5D, I scanned through the manual, again with the camera in front of me. Not so much confusion this time and things got set the way I wanted them the first time. Of course, it has been a few years now and I frankly don't remember what the manual says. But I carry them with me wherever I go.

al13

For Malarz reference Bob’s post

Indiana Loc: Huntington, Indiana

Shortly after I pre-ordered the 850, I ran off the PDF version of the manual, printed it on 8 1/2 X 11 single sided paper, read the entire manual from cover to cover, and had it bound at Office Depot for $2.25. The 850 took 7 weeks for delivery, so I had plenty of time to read the manual and become familiar with the camera. I printed an extra copy of the index and placed it in the front of the manual for ease of use, rather than rely on thumbing to page 367 for its intended placement. Love the camera, learning the functions by trial & error, and just enjoying the experience.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

As a 13-year-old boy borrowing my mother’s friend’s Canon FX, I read THAT manual cover-to-cover. When I bought my Nikkormat FTn the next year, I did the same. It’s been a rewarding habit ever since. I read the manuals to just about everything I buy.

Most people do not read manuals. They are far too impatient and unstructured in their approach to learning to do that.

Couple that issue with the generally poor quality of most manuals (especially bad translations from Japanese), PLUS the reluctance of manufacturers to print them, and you get just a few percent of customers who will read them.

I WROTE manuals and procedures for much of my career. I always told our IT teams, “Let’s write the manual and design the user interface FIRST. Only then will you know what to code.” I also am fond of telling folks, “If I can’t write the manual, the system doesn’t work!

CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

True, and I wish I also had a manual on where to find the manual which I mislaid shortly after I opened the package and test fired my beauty!

CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

How do you read a manual? They are printed in microscopic gray print on lighter gray paper. I get a headache after trying vainly to decipher a single page!

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

Then you must enjoy making yeast bread and watching it rise for hours. Or maybe reading every page of you insurance policy. :) :) They should at least offer some number Starbucks coupons to get through the reading. All kidding aside, the are ugly reading. I found the one that came with my 5DIII a piece of sh*t. I immediate went to my local Barnes and Noble and bought a digital field guide. And even then I skipped the features that I would not likely use until later.

Indiana Loc: Huntington, Indiana

Several years ago I asked my computer repair guy where he received his education. His reply was "I just read the manuals".

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

I very seldom read the manual first....I am a hands on learner... Camera functions are pretty much the same. Some have more, some have less. So, I start playing and going through the menus.. When I can't figure it out, then I go to the manual... This works for me since I am a hands on learner, and for me is quicker....I do have the manuals on my phone, and always handy, if I need it. Maybe I'm different?

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Actually, I've no interest in watching yeast bread rise. My personal favorite is watching paint peel. It's much more fulfilling and entertaining.
--Bob

kbatschke Loc: Chicagoland-west

You and I are from the same old-new school. Sony gets a bad rap for their manuals but honestly, the Canon manual that came with my 70d was no more help. I think manufacturers manuals are meant to explain the how's but good aftermarket books (I have the Busch manual for the 70d and for my a6500) explain the how's AND the why's.

KLambar Loc: New Jersey

I always read the manual first and charge the battery. When you go from one camera to another ex D60 to D7100 to D810 there are so many features when going from one camera to another.