Anyone else thinks allong these lines about Camera books? (Page 3): Thank You, on replying. Yes I have done that first. already...

howIseeit Loc: Kootenays, BC Canada

BurghByrd wrote:

You can get the original manual as a PDF file from Nikon at the following location:

https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/products/16/D800.html

There is also a Nikon App available for Apple iPhones and presumably for android phones as well that will download manuals to the phone for several cameras & flash systems etc.

Although not printed material than can be handled they are easily read on a PC and are searchable. Pros and cons. I hope this helps.

Thank You, on replying. Yes I have done that first. already,

uhaas2009

I gave up on books. I have David Busch’s for my 810 , what helped me to reset this camera(used). One time I turned on the noise reduction and some days later I didn’t remember what I did, with the book I couldn’t find any answers, but when I googled it I got more answers in the right direction.
The best lesson for me was from Steve perry how to set up camera for birding.

https://photographylife.com/24-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-nikon-d810/amp
I was surprised about this homepage

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

rmalarz wrote:

I'm in the school of why do you need a book. The c... (show quote)

Recently I purchased a new camera and it arrived with the usual accessories, an instruction manual was also included. Small problem, it is a short overview version, only about 30 to 35 pages. I did a search for an operation manual and found a PDF version which is much more inclusive and informative, it has 156 pages. The truly fortunate aspect is that the operation manual is specific for my camera, not for it and closely similar cameras. I believe that is what the OP is searching for and I can't particularly fault him. Learning a mechanical object is much easier and clearer when it is specific to a certain model and not a general group.

BlackRipleyDog

Go to Thom Hogan's site. He does dedicated books for each camera model. Quite comprehensive. If you can't learn it from him; you never will.

no12mo

repleo wrote:

There is only one solution to your dilemma. Buy a D810 as well and use it simultaneously with your D800.

Now there's a solution I can get into.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

rmalarz wrote:

I'm in the school of why do you need a book. The c... (show quote)

Wow. That is EXACTLY the same thing I do. Charge battery, sit back, read manual, insert battery, try all controls and menu selections... Then I do controlled tests to see how it responds.

If you don't know what you're doing after that, you first need a basic book on PHOTOGRAPHY.

General RANT to wannabe photographers:

There is a good reason the acronym, RTFM (Read The *Fine* Manual) exists: You have to want to do this stuff right.

Okay, now I'll hear all the "It's not English. It's JEnglish (English badly translated from Japanese). It just tells me what the controls are, not why I should care. It's too small to read. It won't take pictures for me. It's 550 pages. I'm not technical. Whine, whine, whine…"

Well, to the uninitiated, I say, just dive in and figure out how to swim. What? Don't like that method? Scared fartless? Go to school and take a course, or go to the public library and read some books, or watch a lot of YouTube videos on photography. Just know that the basics are the same for every camera out there. You HAVE to read the device-specific manual for the rest.

Wanna know a little secret? All those third party books are written by — you guessed it — people who Read Their *Fine* Manuals!

The first dSLR manual I read was for a Canon EOS 20D. I probably spent 20 minutes per page, learning precisely how to work it.

My employer's assignment was to learn it, then produce a video and a manual teaching school portrait photographers how to make portraits with it. Along the way, I had to find the JPEG menu settings that resulted in images that looked MOST like what we were getting from Portra 160 film (It was 2005). I succeeded. But it took a few weeks to do all of it, including all the studio and lab testing.

Flash back 52 years to 1968. I was 13 years old, and given the chance to borrow an SLR from a family friend for a few months. It was a Canon FX. My Dad told me I couldn't do it unless I could prove I had read the 46 page manual. (He didn't think I would.) About 90 minutes later, I put a roll of Tri-X in it and went to a football game at my school. I mostly photographed friends on the sidelines.

After the game, I ran the film through a tank of D-76, then fixed, washed, and dried it. The next morning, I made a few prints (I'd asked for an enlarger for my 13th birthday, two months earlier). Dad was dumbfounded at the quality. "I guess RTFM still works," he said. "What's that mean?" I asked. "Read the, uh, friggin' manual!" he said, worrying I'd ask for my own camera, next. "PAUL!!!" My Mom exclaimed in aghast horror upon hearing the word, 'frigging'. I smiled. We didn't know it then, but my career trajectory was set that day.

You have to want to do this stuff to do it right. (Cue The Beatles' "It don't come easy.")

tomcat

billnikon wrote:

Here you go. David Busch's D800 book, just for YOU.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=David+busch+D800+book&_sacat=0

I agree. He is the best of the authors on explaining the different functions. He doesn't just tell you what they are, but actually explains what they do. He makes recommendations for setting up the custom functions. I had that book for a long time and then sold it.

fantom Loc: Colorado

repleo wrote:

There is only one solution to your dilemma. Buy a D810 as well and use it simultaneously with your D800.

Good thinking

aellman Loc: Boston MA

repleo wrote:

There is only one solution to your dilemma. Buy a D810 as well and use it simultaneously with your D800.

Laughing out loud. Excellent solution!

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

PhotogHobbyist wrote:

Recently I purchased a new camera and it arrived w... (show quote)

I believe that the OP did not conduct much of a search. A simple query like "D800 books" produces multiple valid choices within a couple seconds.

Paul Diamond Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA

Hi, I have 2 used D800Es, one stays in the studio. The other does double duty. I had no trouble looking for used books for the D800/D800E. Don't know where you are looking. I found mine on ebay.

The D800 and my new D850 are much more "complicated" cameras than my prior ones. Absolutely EVERY setting including ones I didn't know could be selected are options in these modern computerized image making machines. Frankly, it's too complicated for the people who are not willing to invest in getting 1 or more good books, watching youtube videos, etc. to begin to learn all the great things you can do with them and these custom settings.

I also had to re-learn how to best use a high MP camera that show where my deficits are! I can't hold the camera as well as I thought (age???). Higher shutter speeds, a monopod or tripod are now essentials. The high MP sensor demands I step up my game with better quality/hi res. lenses and better techniques. The results are worth the work.

BebuLamar

burkphoto wrote:

Wow. That is EXACTLY the same thing I do. Charge battery, sit back, read manual, insert battery, try all controls and menu selections... Then I do controlled tests to see how it responds.

If you don't know what you're doing after that, you first need a basic book on PHOTOGRAPHY.

General RANT to wannabe photographers:

There is a good reason the acronym, RTFM (Read The *Fine* Manual) exists: You have to want to do this stuff right.

Okay, now I'll hear all the "It's not English. It's JEnglish (English badly translated from Japanese). It just tells me what the controls are, not why I should care. It's too small to read. It won't take pictures for me. It's 550 pages. I'm not technical. Whine, whine, whine…"

Well, to the uninitiated, I say, just dive in and figure out how to swim. What? Don't like that method? Scared fartless? Go to school and take a course, or go to the public library and read some books, or watch a lot of YouTube videos on photography. Just know that the basics are the same for every camera out there. You HAVE to read the device-specific manual for the rest.

Wanna know a little secret? All those third party books are written by — you guessed it — people who Read Their *Fine* Manuals!

The first dSLR manual I read was for a Canon EOS 20D. I probably spent 20 minutes per page, learning precisely how to work it.

My employer's assignment was to learn it, then produce a video and a manual teaching school portrait photographers how to make portraits with it. Along the way, I had to find the JPEG menu settings that resulted in images that looked MOST like what we were getting from Portra 160 film (It was 2005). I succeeded. But it took a few weeks to do all of it, including all the studio and lab testing.

Flash back 52 years to 1968. I was 13 years old, and given the chance to borrow an SLR from a family friend for a few months. It was a Canon FX. My Dad told me I couldn't do it unless I could prove I had read the 46 page manual. (He didn't think I would.) About 90 minutes later, I put a roll of Tri-X in it and went to a football game at my school. I mostly photographed friends on the sidelines.

After the game, I ran the film through a tank of D-76, then fixed, washed, and dried it. The next morning, I made a few prints (I'd asked for an enlarger for my 13th birthday, two months earlier). Dad was dumbfounded at the quality. "I guess RTFM still works," he said. "What's that mean?" I asked. "Read the, uh, friggin' manual!" he said, worrying I'd ask for my own camera, next. "PAUL!!!" My Mom exclaimed in aghast horror upon hearing the word, 'frigging'. I smiled. We didn't know it then, but my career trajectory was set that day.

You have to want to do this stuff to do it right. (Cue The Beatles' "It don't come easy.")

Wow. That is EXACTLY the same thing I do. Charge b... (show quote)

I do almost the same but in the digital age I would download the manual and read through it first before buying the camera.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

BebuLamar wrote:

I do almost the same but in the digital age I would download the manual and read through it first before buying the camera.

Yep. My camera manuals are all on my iPhone and on my computers. I use them more that way than I used the paper copy before I filed it.

Miwach78

As I understand Nikon marketing, the 800 model is for U.S. distribution and the 810 (the same camera) is for markets outside of the U.S.

BebuLamar

Miwach78 wrote:

As I understand Nikon marketing, the 800 model is for U.S. distribution and the 810 (the same camera) is for markets outside of the U.S.

That is not true. The 810 is the replacement, introduced about 2 years later.