Schoee Loc: Europe

For a forum about such a high tech thing as photography and usually digital photography and post processing using amazing high powered software the discussion about electronic vs paper manuals has really amused me. I am so surprised that so many want to go back to stone tablets oh I mean paper books. I think if I visited some of the contributors here at their home I would find the horses tied up out the back and buggy under the car port. Certainly no TV but perhaps a valve ‘wireless’ in the parlour for listening to after dinner. One of the couple might be out the back doing the washing on the washboard while the other plots and attack on the weaving machines that are taking their jobs. They will be woken early in the morning by the wake up man tapping their window with a long pole probably before he extinguishes the gas street lights.

rfmaude41 Loc: Lancaster, Texas (DFW area)

Go to:

http://www.otcworld.co.uk/ (about $15)
or
https://www.camera-manual.com/


Owner's name is Jeff

rfmaude41 Loc: Lancaster, Texas (DFW area)

NO, think he wants a copy of the "original" manual.

willy6419

Actually download and your manual is always accessible with no additional weight

How sweet is that!

josquin1 Loc: Massachusetts

My son doesn't look at a manual at all. He just opens the box and starts working it as I stare in shock saying "don't you want to read the manual 1st" He just stares at me like the ancient brain that was.

TallTree

http://www.fullstopbooks.com/ Not sure what the costs is but this site has indepth e-books for several cameras including the Z6 - Z7!

rkaminer Loc: New York, NY

I love third party manuals most are well written and they are worth the cost. These manuals usually explain in better detail many of the features and also go into examples and recommendations; which is something the factory manual never does. I have purchased them for my Sony camera and Nikon.

The Z manual I ordered was from Steve Perry at BCGPhotos, because the Nikon manuals were not the best and I had trouble understanding some of the camera features. No regrets.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

I think all manufacturers are doing the same re manuals. They cost money to print and distribute.

I don't really mind. The online manuals are superior to many ways, the primarily reason is being easy to search and print out a couple pages for easy reference.

bwa

edellington

I prefer online manuals. I'm able to increase font size and search for specific topics quickly.

Bill_de Loc: US

Manuals I have on tablets let you type in the page number you want. You don't have to flip through 300 pages just to get close.

Search functions on digital devices tend to be better.

You mention using two hands with a phone, but I guess you put the 600 page book on a table to flip through 300 pages. If that's an issue, put the phone down next to the book, or just flick through the pages with your thumb. The other hand is free to put the book back on the shelf. -

Seriously, a phone would be a bit small for me to use for manuals. But, an eight or ten inch tablet works wonders.

BTW if you can't highlight, download a sticky note app. Put the books title at the top of the note and the page numbers you want to refer back to. No worries about your highlighter running dry or getting lost.

Or, just keep doing what you are doing. If it's been working for you and you don't mind carrying those six hundred page books around, all is good with the world.

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Sidwalkastronomy Loc: New Jersey Shore

if a manual cost 50 cents x 100,000 units thats $50,000 dollars saved

Murray Loc: New Westminster

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

I don't require comprehensive and detailed manuals for every piece of gear I buy not do I needlessly collect unneeded manuals. This is the last camera a couple of lenses I purchased set me back $17,000. I don't want to look up the manual online, read it off of a phone or a tablet or have to "scroll up or does" weh page references are made in a 250 or 3000-page document.

I will read the manual, at first, thoroughly to make sure I know all the basics and may refer to it intermittently if I run into an issue. I don't want to have to "google it", ask around, call the company when I can usually solve an issue within 3 minutes.

In conjunction with my equipment inventory, I keep a hard copy file on all my major equipment. It takes up only one drawer in a standard file cabinet. In each file has the original bill of sale, the guarantee and warranty information, a record of any major repairs, a shutter count, firmware updates, and the manual. In some cases might collapse and keep the original box. If I decide the trade-up or sell any piece of gear, I can supply the buyer with accurate and honest information, THE MANUAL, and even the box. When I sell stuff, I usually get can ask and get a fair but slightly better price. Hard copies never get corrupted, get accidentally dumped from my hard drive, or become somehow irretrievable. This also helps at tax time when I need to calculate depreciation of assets. This kind of documentation is also importat in case there is an insurance claim due to loss, theft, damage.

Someof this may seem archic to some folks around here, but I do like to make notes in the manual, highlight certain data, and use some of this material for training new staff.

ronpier Loc: Poland Ohio

The sign of the times. Even a $50,000 automobile comes with online manual. No more paper manuals. Plus how do you read and study a 400 page camera or automobile manual on a computer screen? I have always printed the pdf file, punched holes and inserted in a notebook. Easier to read and study. The small paper manuals that come with the cameras are a PITA to read and keep open without losing your place. Good riddance is what I say.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC