Customer Reviews

David Busch's Nikon D90 Guide to Digital SLR Photography

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm only halfway through reading this 392 page book, and I've already learned twice as much about my D90 as I did from the other guide I foolishly bought while waiting for this one. It's filled with information I couldn't find anywhere else, including wise advice on using all the features of this great camera.

I bought my Nikon D90 primarily as a backup to my D300, and it remained in that role for several months because I didn't really know how to use it. The other book I got explained all the buttons and dials, but didn't provide the kind of in depth information I wanted on using the D90's features. I was very pleased with Busch's D300 book, and so got this one when it became available. What an eye-opener. After reading through Chapter 4 I can hardly wait to get out shooting again, as I didn't realize just how much I can do with this camera. I've learned that it's a lot like my D300 in many ways, but with some nice new features that I can apply to my work.

The author devotes the first three chapters to introducing the camera, its controls, and menus, explaining how and why you should make each setting. Later chapters describe techniques for optimizing exposure, using the D90's autofocus features, and how to work with electronic flash. This book had the best explanation of using the Nikon GP-1 geotagging unit that I've seen. While it doesn't spell out all the ways you can actually use GPS information, it provides enough detail that you can get a feel for it and decide for yourself whether you want to invest in this accessory.

I found the 30-page updated explanation and evaluation of Nikon brand lenses extremely valuable. No other book goes into so much detail on this important topic. Despite the Nikon D90's bargain price, it's a fairly advanced camera, and really deserves a book like this one, which starts off simply and then digs deep to offer the kind of information we really need to take better pictures.

I wanted a book that explained in depth how to use my new Nikon D90. David Busch's Nikon D90 Guide to Digital SLR Photographydid exactly that. It's well organized and describes everything in a logical way, so you can familiarize yourself with your camera, and then go on and master every control and option. There are nine chapters.

-Chapter 1: This is a quick start to using the camera, from initial setup to an introduction to drive modes, exposure modes, metering, and focus options.
-Chapter 2: Nikon D90 Roadmap. This chapter is a 35-page guided tour of every single feature and control of the camera. It shows you how to use each button and dial, and how they affect your pictures.
-Chapter 3: This chapter is worth the price of the book alone. It is 90 pages long, about three or four times as large as similar chapters in other books, listing each menu option and telling you why each is important. That's what I needed. Don't just tell me what choices I have, tell me why I need to choose one over the other!
-Chapter 4: This book is about exposure, histograms, etc. I have an entire book on this topic, but this chapter explains it better.
-Chapter 5: Advanced shooting. The author has an exhaustive section on autofocus, which I have found to be one of the trickiest aspects of this camera to master. I finally understand exactly how phase detection and contrast detection and Live View work.
-Chapter 6: Wow. A big chapter just on the various Nikon lenses available. I couldn't live without this.
-Chapter 7: This one covers the mysteries of light and has an introduction to the Nikon Creative Lighting System.
-Chapter 8: This chapter is an introduction to the software available for the Nikon D90. It does not provide step-by-step instructions on using Nikon Capture NX2 for example, but it provides enough of the flavor for me to know I am going to stick with Photoshop Elements.
-Chapter 9: More books need a chapter on troubleshooting. If you were afraid to clean your own sensor (the built-in sensor cleaning isn't perfect) you'll be confident after you read this chapter.

All in all this is the dream guide to using the Nikon D90. I recommend it to anyone who really wants to understand their camera in more detail than the small camera manual provides.

The other camera guidebooks don't seem to "get it." This one does. It provides exactly what a new Nikon D90 owner needs to get up to speed quickly with this great camera, with exactly the right explanations and exactly the right level of detail. For example one of the other books I checked out had a total of 30 pages devoted to the menus and setup options that I found most confusing. David Busch's guide has a comprehensive chapter with a whopping 95 pages on the same material. He list's every menu option and explains how to use it and why to make a particular setting. Then, if you want to know more, he provides a reference to a later chapter that explains the photography concepts behind his recommendations in more detail.

I like that approach much better -- give me just what I need to know first, with as much detail as needed to let me understand it, then move on to the next topic. This approach lets me learn at my own pace, while still providing the background that helps me master a subject.

I've purchased four books by this author, including his guidebook for my previous camera, a Nikon D60, and was pleased with every one of them. He has a knack for explaining complex things in a very clear way, and certainly has pulled it off with this one.

[I am new to this camera, as I assume most who buy this book are. If you find errors in the review of this book, kindly leave a comment so I can learn.]

I bought this book hoping to easily find and use information I need to take pictures and to speed me through the learning curve. I have used film SLRs and digital point-and-shoots (two Nikons), but the D90 is my first digital SLR.

The book has a similar organization as the user manual - it describes the camera. It would be a better book if it described tasks and how to do them, thus complementing the user manual with a different organization and a thorough index.

After skimming the first half, I came up with three things I needed to know quickly to use my camera. The book did not help in the way I had hoped.

Problem 1: First-time Setup

Chapter 3 covers the setup and options for this complex camera. Some are things many people won't use (arcane features, or the "retouch" features which are like Photoshop-lite inside the camera, or "Pictmotion" to make camera-based slideshows). Some are things you might want to play with after you get to know the basic things to optimize for your use, such as customization.

There are also a few key things that many people will want to change from the first time they use the camera.

For example, by default, every time you remove the memory card to transfer pictures to a computer, they would reset the sequence numbers to zero. I think I am in the majority of users who would prefer that each picture have a unique sequence number that continues to the next number when you return the memory card to the camera. It's hard to understand why Nikon thinks that reseting each time should be the default, but at least they gave us an option to change it to how I expected it to work.

The book should have a brief guide of the top 5 settings that new owners may want to consider changing for their first use of the camera in Chapter 1. Google on "Ken Rockwell D90 Camera Settings" (without quotes) and you'll find a longer list like I have in mind.

Chapter 3, which is the D90 menu in exhaustive detail, is the longest chapter by far in the book, and includes picture editing and slide-show features. It belongs later in the book, following the chapters that go into detail on exposure, advanced tips, lenses, lighting, etc, and it might be useful to have separate chapters for setup for shooting vs post-processing.

Problem 2: Learning to use Aperture Priority

During a shoot, I needed to learn Aperture Priority mode to maximize depth of field for macro shots. Having read the book, I set the mode dial to A, and proceeded to change the aperture on the lens; the result was a flashing "FEE" error in the camera. I have learned, not from this book, that this happens when the aperture ring is not locked - in other words, you can't use the aperture ring to adjust the aperture. I consulted the book to learn what the camera wanted me to do to change aperture settings.

Aperture Priorty Mode is not listed in the index, even though using the mode knob is fundamental to using the camera.

I went to the table of contents. There is no major heading there for Exposure Modes, but after scanning a lot of entries I eventually found the section. In Chapter 4, Fine-Tuning Exposure, he tells you why you would use Aperture Priority Mode, and when to adust the aperture... but does not tell you HOW to actually set the aperture! In the brief description of Chapter 1 "Advanced Modes" (which should be called "Exposure Modes"), he gives a brief explanation of the four exposure modes, but nothing about adjusting aperture or shutter speed.

I guessed that maybe I should use the Command wheel, which he says is used to adjust settings for various modes. No dice.

Eventually I found my answer by googling on "d90 aperture priority mode" (don't use quotes). It turns out that the SUBcommand wheel, the one in the front, is used to adjust the aperture, and the Command wheel for shutter speed. Why don't they use the same one? Because in Manual mode, you need to use both, and it is less confusing to have the SUBcommand wheel behave the same for M and A modes. By the way, you cannot adjust the aperture without the light meter enabled. To do that, you press and release the +/- button, the AF button, the AE button, or the metering mode; or press the shutter button half way and release. THEN you can adjust the aperture.

Back to the book. Does he cover this when describing subcommand wheel? Yes and no. If you look under the details for the subcommand wheel in Chapter 1, he gives setting the aperture as an example of when the subcommand wheel is used, but does not mention pressing a button to enable it. In the explanation for Manual Exposure Mode in Chapter 4 (which is AFTER the section on Aperture Mode), he does mention the roles of Command and Subcommand wheels, but does not explain that they only work when the light meter is active, or that you must press one of a few buttons to activate it. None this is listed in the index under "aperture"; none of it is explained in the Aperture Mode section.

It's the same problem for Shutter Priority Mode: in that section in Chapter 4, he tells you when you want to use this mode, and when to adjust the shutter speed, but not HOW to adjust the shutter speed (using the command wheel), or that you need to press a button first.

Problem 3: Making HD Movies

D90 gets a lot of buzz for being able to create HD (720p) movies. I wanted to try it out. In the index, there are entries for HDTV and for movies, but they talk about the five minute limitation of movie clips, and settings for movie resolution. I have heard of "LiveView" (a meaningless term that serves to hide some potentially useful features), and figured that he would have a subsection in the LiveView section to walk you through making a movie.

He has a section on continuous shooting, but if there is any place that outlines how to actually shoot a movie with the D90, I still have not found it. FYI: the D90 user manual (English version) outlines the process on page 50. I expected more discussion on this feature - not in the user manual, but in the book on the D90.

Bottom Line

I am disappointed by the book. The organization does not help me with the tasks at hand. The index is incomplete. The table of contents is not a good alternative, because it is organized by camera features rather than by task. Vital information is missing in the in-depth section. And it has a lot of stuff I don't need for field use (like picture editing), making it heavier to carry.

Amazon defines two stars as "I don't like it". I think it is OK for some people.

Because the Busch book claimed it was so much better than the owner's manual, I decided to actually start with the Busch when I got my new camera. After becoming thoroughly confused, however, I went back to the owner's manual (the thicker one plus the little quick guide) and everything was vastly clearer and easier. The Busch book just doesn't get the newbie taking pics quickly at all.

Busch's structure--spending a HUGE hunk on "setting up" the camera, while constantly referring to later sections of the book--just didn't work well for me. Busch's book is also not good for just picking it up and perusing parts and segments...It needs to be read straight through in a concentrated way. Which isn't bad--just not what I was looking for necessarily.


That said, there are of course parts which are informative and the pics are nice. Not a bad book to have, but not great for the newbie.

The Nikon D90 Guide is outstanding in its clarity and level of detail. It is the perfect accompaniment to a D90. The pictures and diagrams are remarkably clear. There is also a bunch of "extra credit" material dealing with photographic technique and camera accessories. While they do not specifically apply to the D90 they too are well presented and add to the potential value of the book. Finally, the book is easy to read and as much as possible for something of this sort quite entertaining.

The book fell short of perfection in two areas. First, Mr Busch provides a few preferences regarding his configuration choices. I would have preferred if he presented his choice for every one. I realize in many cases it is a subjective decision. However, for a D90 newcomer it would be helpful to have a starting point and, if possible, a justification for it.

Another welcome addition would have been a clear indication of what gets reset when you push... reset. I've seen other authors who provide a very nice process for getting your camera from whatever state it's in back to a known state.

So, how do these shortcomings benefit you? Make your own table that lists the settings, defaults, and preferred values. This book, more than any I've seen, will provide you with the inside information which will allow you to do that. When you're done you'll know your camera better and have a handy "field guide" in the bargain. That's what I plan on doing. (If you're interested, drop me an email through my Amazon profile and let me know your desired format, something common and Windows-ish. I'll send you a copy when it's done.)

All the info that you need is in the manual that comes with the camera; but it is difficult to read and digest. This guide helps you understand what the manual is all about. The only reason that I did not give it 5 stars, is that there seems to be a bunch of info on lenses, flashes, acces. that does not need to be included.

I have three books by this author, and have found him to be the most authoritative expert on Nikon photography. He seems to understand that those who purchase an advanced camera like the Nikon D90 need both an introduction that is easier to understand and more direct than the manual Nikon supplies, and a more advanced guidebook that explains how to get the most from the D90. This book does both. The other books I examined seem to be re-hashes of the manual packed into the box with the camera, just explaining the same things with more words. The Busch book does go over the same material as the Nikon manual, but in a lot more detail and with plenty of advice on why to use each settings option. But that's only the first third of this book. Other chapters tell about exposure, lenses, electronic flash, and so forth as they relate precisely to the D90. Not general and generic like other books. I am very glad I got this book.

Having just purchased a Nikon D90 I elected to get Busch's book to try and learn as much as I could about this versatile SLR. I was not disappointed. The book explains in some detail most of the functions available to the photographer. The only carp I have is that not all functions are addressed or fully explained. The interaction between the different camera elements can be complex. However, Busch does preface his tutorials with the assumption that the reader has a basic understanding of SLR and camera principles. Overall the book has helped me get a grasp of how to use the D90 and get great results. I would recommend this book to anyone acquiring a D90 as it is well organized and written to be understood as long as you have a grasp of photography and camera basics.

I disagree with the reviewer who apparently didn't read this excellent book very carefully. I received David Busch's Nikon D90 Guide to Digital SLR Photography last week and have just finished it. I dropped by today to leave a favorable review and was surprised to see comments that don't reflect a careful reading of the book. Busch most certainly does not claim that the D90 can't command remote (wireless) flashes without the aid of a SB-900 or SU-800. In fact, the book states the exact opposite:

"WORKING WITH WIRELESS COMMANDER MODE
The D90's built-in flash can be set to Commander mode (as described in Chapter 4) and used to control other compatible flash units. The Nikon SB-900 can also be a flash "Commander" to communicate with and trigger other flash units. Nikon offers a unit called the SU-800, which is a commander unit that has no built-in visible flash, and which controls other units using infrared signals."

The pages cited in the review, 286 and 287, then proceed to describe exactly how use the built-in flash as a commander, with step-by-step instructions, such as "To use the D90 to control other flash units...if you want the built-in flash as the commander, you need to set it to that mode using CSM #e2, described next." The picture showing the setup screen isn't ironic -- it accompanies the text that explains how to use that screen.

I'm not sure what the motive is for inventing an "error" of this type. Perhaps the reviewer was mixed up by the note that the SB-900 and SU-800 are required by cameras such as the D3 and D2xs, which are entirely different cameras from the D90, and which don't have a built-in flash. While I did find a few typos, they in no way detracted from the more than 400 pages of solid information in this thick book, available nowhere else. I, for one, found the comprehensive 100-page chapter of detailed and invaluable setup information, which told me exactly what each and every option did, and outlined the circumstances when I might want to use every feature, of much more interest than whether the camera was referred to as a D60 instead of D90 once or twice. (Actually, I could not find that error in my copy; it's likely that most typos were corrected in the later printing that I received.) Obviously, the 27 out of 31 reviewers who rated this book at four or five stars agree with me.

The original review I had in mind to write was going to praise this book for its clear writing style, abundant full-color illustrations, and the depth of the author's expertise, which offers a friendly, helping hand to anyone who has purchased the Nikon D90 and wants to learn how to use the camera to its fullest while mastering digital SLR photography. On reflection, that's probably all that needs to be said. I recommend this book without reservation.