sueyeisert Loc: New Jersey

i agree.

:thumbup: :thumbup:

MikeMck Loc: Southern Maryland on the Bay

:thumbup: :thumbup:

twillsol Loc: St. Louis, MO

I always scan the users manual, but I do purchase one or two books on my camera and read them, cover to cover. Great way to learn how to use your camera. It is time consuming, takes a few days....but well worth it.

Dr.db Loc: Central Point, OR

If I'm really new to something, I'll usually read the manual all the way through (sometimes before even buying the product). For example, when I first got Photoshop (v3), I read the manuals completely, and was very glad that I did. (Now since I'm accustomed to Adobe programs, I usually just start pushing the buttons right away, and use Google if I get stumped. But I do always scan the "new features for this version" pages, to make sure I don't miss any goodies.)

The first DSLRs I ever used were a Olympus, a Nikon, and a Canon, and I was using them at a job where I was expected to be the expert, so I read all the manuals cover to cover and always kept them at hand for reference. More recently, I usually just scan camera manuals for the stuff I don't already know about after pushing all the buttons - always good to have a complete picture of the features at hand.

My latest camera is a Sony, so as anybody familiar with Sonys would probably agree, that manual is an incomplete joke. :roll:

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

I am a dislectic, and have dplobia... wow to read literature is a pain, but to scan read tech stuff I can do quite well and managed to get thru grad school.

At this point in life I do some substitute teaching in High School. I tell the students to zoom thru the text and pick up on key words reading indexes first and then familiarizing them selves with content... but not in exacting detail. Once the get the overall "feel" for the information then pickup on detail. Part of your brain is the slow every word thing... another is lightening fast and you read within at many times the speed... and end up knowing that which you did not consciously read.. the subconscious did see and comprehend.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150217-how-smart-is-your-subconscious

How does that apply to you and me regarding new camera manual. By zooming thru all the pages you will trip across thing that stop you. Some odd feature that you had not imagined the camera would do or in some cases will not do. EG Olympus e-600 requires a Xd Card for panoramas !! The SD card will not work???

Yes, there are 3rd party books but the PSP-X7 manual is 850 pages long... for my Sony DSC HX50v, 290 pages.... can a 3rd party get more detailed... perhaps, perhaps not.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I have always liked to read manuals cover to cover. However, in the past few years manuals have gotten ridiculous. "To perform operation A, turn to page 14 and read, "How to perform operation B." A lot of the language is ridiculous, too. Things aren't explained in a way that makes following the directions possible.

I never read camera manuals cover to cover anymore. Like you, I read the sections I need to change settings. There is some good online and YouTube info, too.

Take a look at CreativeLive and see if they have a video about your camera. I have gotten several from them. They used to be $29, but I think they're $49 now - still a bargain.

ygelman Loc: new -- North of Poughkeepsie!

I just bought the small Olympus OM-D E-M10. There are so many options, and so many screens that lead to them, and so many different options that a single knob controls -- depending on what screen is visible -- that it's impossible to understand them by trial and error. So, I have to go to the manual. And because of all the above, the pdf version of the manual is hopeless (i.e.helpless), so I bought the hard copy for $10.

But even the hardcopy manual has instructions to do something -- without saying how to get to that point from which to do it!

Some UHHers mention David Busch; I've never heard of him. But I guess I have to look him up. Thanks for that.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

My first digital camera is the 7d (after decades of film). I used the manual to learn the basics of the camera, and was taking pictures(not good ones) within about 1 hour. I then loaded the manual to a PDF file, and still use it for specific things I need. Never had the patience to read it in full. The menu is almost useless. I find google is more helpful. At least the manual does not say part A goes into part B

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

I refer to the manual when I'm stuck or trying a feature or new camera that is unfamiliar to me.

All the Nikons I have had are very similar.

Ralloh Loc: Ohio

I'm an avid manual reader for everything, but, that's just me. It always cracks me up how guys think that just because they are guys they were born to know how to use power equipment, or, install something in the house. Not me. I want to read exactly what the experts advise. Might even look it up on YouTube. This applies to cameras and all electronics too.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

I realize that it is an unwritten rule that we as UHH people do not give links but here is a link to David Busch... d--d it ygelman you mentioned him... give a link.
Hint: http://dslrguides.com/
Ygelman, I forgive you ... I would not have know about Busch if you had not mentioned him.

This guy, David Busch, is a heretic... he wrote an article "why I switched to Sony" and we all know the only good camera is Canon or Nikon.... all those Sony Camera of the Year awards are myth..Not. (I have 3 Sonys... great cameras)
http://sonyguides.com/?p=24

His style is conversational and has dry humor. The Sony a77 manual is 400+ pages. He has written 200 books. I looked at the Sony a77 the table of contents is quite detailed which allows quick with little hunting access to information.

His books are reasonably priced available on Amazon of course.

dannac Loc: 60 miles SW of New Orleans

I download the PDF of my camera manual.

Go to the Appendix at back of book to quickly find what I need and it is clickable to bring you to the location.

Bought one of the books written for my D7100 (no need to mention the name) but found it to be lacking in the details... had to go to the manual any way.

No more of those books for me.

Leon S Loc: Minnesota

Most camera brands operate very much the same. Reading their manual is a very good thing to do. But not all people enjoy or can absorb what they read entirely. Everyone comprehends at different levels. Manuals are great if you can figure out how to find what you are looking for. Is it no wonder why people write in to UHH for advice as to how to fix a problem. For a newby, read the manual or buy another book, is not the answer. Sometimes people just need to know enough to get them back into the game.

tomcat

Same here. I also read them, particularly the autofocus sections since this changes with every new model

tomcat

What I find in this forum quite often is that I can tell who is reading their instruction manual and who isn't. Way too many questions are submitted that can be answered if the photog would read the manual first!!