Keen

Most people are Snapshooters, who could get by as well with a Smartphone, a Tablet, a DSLR, a Mirrorless, or a Point & Shoot. They buy according to: ads they have seen, what a friend / relative recommends, what a sales person suggests, what bestows status, or whatever. They rarely shoot photos....just while on vacation, or at a family wedding, birthday party, or such. It is pointless to encourage them to do more, or switch makes / models, etc. Hobbyists are more than just Snapshooters, and often appreciate advice, and sometimes even follow it.

cmc4214 Loc: S.W. Pennsylvania

I think many people buy with the "intention" of learning more, but just don't get around to it (the manuals can be so confusing)
I also think many are afraid to ask questions for fear of "looking stupid"

Keen

I am happy to let others do as they please. Those who want advice from me get it. The nice things about Point&Shoots, and Smartphones, and Bridge Cameras, is that they: work, are simple to use, and need not cost a lot. The nice things about mores serious DSLRs, and Mirrorless, cameras is that they: allow room for growth, allow more types of photography, and can serve to help you evolve from an amateur into a professional photographer. Whether you plan to email all of your photos to friends, or print them as 3x5", or 4x6" images for your family photo album, or print them as 8x10" headshots for your model portfolio, or print them as 30x40" posters, or wall sized images, or whatever, will help determine what sort of gear you want to use to produce your images. What works well for sharing on your Facebook page won't work so well for selling magazine cover images to National Geographic.

Keen

I read the manuals. I also buy 'dead tree' (paper) books, and e-books, and audible books, on cameras, and photography, and read them. This helped me learn photography. It also helped me decide which cameras / lenses to buy. I have such books on the Nikon D7000, D7100, D7200, D750, D610, D810, D500, and others. I like to know what I am getting, and how to use it. I bought the D7200, and D750. I suspect that I am in the minority in this regard...studying like this. Amazon.com's Kindle Store, and Audible.com, have some great reading / listening of this type. There are also books on general photography, portrait photography, travel photography, portrait lighting, and many more photo related subjects. Those who are interested enough to study a bit will use such sources. Those who are not interested will not use them. Many people consider reading an unbearable chore. Others see it as a favorite pastime, or-at least-something they are willing to do in order to improve their skills. Such is life. The odds of you changing a non-reading snapshooter-by any means, let alone just talking to them-are Slim To None.

Silverman Loc: Michigan

Well, I myself am a 2-3 year old Nikon D3300 Photographer, my 1st DSLR Camera. I have learned about my Camera features and the "Exposure Triangle", have shot a good amount of images. Although, in many instances I have used the "Program mode" (P) just because I guess I trusted the camera to do it's job properly, and 99% of the time, it did. I have also experimented with Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual modes. Sometimes due to location and convienance, I have used my Smartphone to send instant photos to Friends & Family.

GrandmaG Loc: Flat Rock, MI

I was wondering the same thing. The last big trip I took, it seemed like everyone had cell phones and selfie sticks 🤳

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

Ten pages and I still haven't seen any reason at all why it should matter to any of you what some stranger is shooting with or what their skill level is. Other then to stroke your own ego about what an incredibly capable and competent photographer you are, that is.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

You’re a veritable prodigy! When I was 2-3 I could barely work a Kodak Instamatic!

RodeoMan Loc: St Joseph, Missouri

If I were a neophyte seeking information about how to use a complicated electronic optical device and I was met with the words and attitude of "don't waste my time until you read the manual". Don't you know that the answer to your question is right there on page 359. Well to be truthful, the MEGO syndrome (my eyes glaze over) would have set in long before I found what I was looking for. Also sometimes, people don't even know the question. If I were new to the hobby, or merely wanting information so I could record some memories and have a better experience with my camera, this sort of response would not encourage me to continue with photography.
Photography should not only be a priesthood of the proficient but a happy gathering of all skill levels. I suspect some of those people who have the temerity to ask questions about photography have skills of their own that those of us who are annoyed at their inquiries would not even begin to be competent in what they do on a regular day to day basis. It is not as thought they are wasting our time. When you think about it, what are we doing when we become vexed at the queries of those whose skill levels do reach sufficient levels to be worthy of our time? Answer: we are sitting in a chair reading a photography blog.
Instead of being irritated because someone is asking us questions without making what we feel are the proper preliminary efforts to learn the answer, we should see this as an opportunity to encourage others in this activity, hobby or profession we love. I close with this. When you think about all the stories not only here in the UHH, but in all reports throughout the years about how Ansel Adams treated all those who interacted with him, can you name one time when he did not treat them with courtesy and do his best to help them feel welcomed and included. I think we would have to go a long way to find a better model on how to conduct ourselves toward those who may not be as far along with their photography skills as we are.

BebuLamar

There is no substitute for reading the manual. But if you don't want to read it, it's fine just like me I never know how to use my microwave the right way. I wouldn't go ask others either as I know asking won't give me the answer. There is no substitute from learning thing from beginning to end. You can't simply jump in in the middle.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

I’ve gotta disagree on this one. Often the manual just gives the basic knowledge on how to set something without any explanation of why or when you would use that setting. The manual is a good reference when I know what I’m looking for, and if I just sat and read it cover to cover I probably wouldn’t retain much of it. If you’re a neophyte i would recommend spending that time learning about photography in general, then go to the manual as you want to try things you’re learning. Or even better than the manual, see if there’s a good book written for your camera.

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

I started with a KODAK INSTAMATIC at about age 10.

was_a_guru

Agree. The manuals for my D7500 consist of a 300+ page User Manual and a 200+ page Menu Guide.

In the explanations of the camera’s functions there are a lot of tables and references to other pages (basically hyperlinks) so trying to read them from cover to cover (on your computer as a pdf) you can easily get lost. “I linked to page 123 and now I don’t remember where I came form”.

They are very useful for reference but IMHO not for learning from scratch.

As I have mentioned in this forum previously I bought an online course “Quick Start D7500” from Creative Live and it covered 90% of what I needed to know. I also bought David Bush’s book on the D7500 and that has been very useful as well.

scsdesphotography Loc: Southeastern Michigan

BebuLamar

I never think "Good book written for my camera" is of any value. I do agree that one still needs to know the basic photography.