Customer Reviews

Magic Lantern Guides: Nikon D200

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

One of the reasons for this review is to continue to improve the overall rating for this book -- the one-star comments are (in my humble opinion) irresponsible and unfair -- they are based on nothing more than an early mock-up picture and have nothing to do with the content of the book.

I'm an intermediate-level photographer venturing into the world of digital photography for the first time. I agree with a previous reviewer that this is the reference manual Nikon should have included with the camera. It is comprehensive, easy to read and includes some general advice by the author.

If you are in a similar position you cannot go wrong with this book, in fact I would consider it essential reading.

This is, for all intents and purposes, a manual for the camera written in clearer English. It does not include anything along the lines of the Field Guide books that give pointers on which lenses and settings to use for which shooting situations with your D200 -- still, this is a great "manual" replacement and much easier to understand and follow than the manual that comes with camera.

It's a pity the rating of this fine volume is being dragged down by one-star reviews from people who never even saw the book (and couldn't as it they were submitted long before the book was published).

In fact, it's a fine book, focused on the essentials and truly useful info., and with many helpful shooting tips throughout.

With Magic Lantern Guides, I always know exactly what I'm getting. They aren't advanced photography books, so look elsewhere for one of those. Instead, they are basically a much clearer, better-written manual explaining buttons, features, tricks and tips. I found it extremely helpful in learning the camera before investing my own money in one and it works as a fine reference for seldom used functions.

Thom Hogan's E-book is more technical and has a lot more info, but this one will appeal to a wider audience. It also doesn't require reading on a computer, which I find less usable and less portable.

The book is an excellent companion for any D200 owner. It includes a lot of information on how the settings of the camera can be used and what limits its features have. In particular, it gives a lot more information (and explanations) than the Nikon manual does. It is clearly written and easy to understand.

Needless to say: The cover picture is of the real D200!

I have this and the Digital Field Guide. I believe they are written for entirely different people which is why some hate one and love the other. The Magic Lantern is for people who have a reasonable understanding of photography but want a clearer more detailed explanation of the manual. They want to get the most out of a complex camera, they don't need a "how to take pictures" book. The Field Guide is more aimed at people buying their first digital SLR that want to graduate from taking snapshots. Half the book is taken up with basic techniques on picture taking whilst the technical side is very basic.

I love this book because it really explains everything in detail and also gives the reader his opinion on the usefulness of different settings for different scenarious. I have learnt so much from this book and now feel a lot more comfortable with the cameras ins and outs.

My opinion is if you are an advanced amateur or higher then this is the book to get if you want to understand your camera properly. If you are new to photography then maybe go for the Field Guide as you might find this a bit dry.

I found the book was very complete and helpful in providing guidance in some features and applications. The book is essentially the manual that should have come with the D200 to begin with. The illustrations and photographs are average at best. Maybe my eyes are getting bad but I could hardly read some of the icons they refer to. Still I found the guidance and recommendations make sense and are helpful.

I purchased another "D200" guide and was very disappointed. Then I purchased the Magic Lantern Guide for the D200 and think it is one of the best guides available. There's so many options on the D200 and this guide helps to make you understand each. Especially helpful are the hints the author gives for the options. I've tried them and now have my camera set for some favorites Simon Stafford suggested. It is well worth the price, as another reviewer mentioned I will have it in my photo bag all the time.

I wanted to quickly learn how to use the D200. Going area by area, the book explains all the different options, something about what the options do, and why you might want to pick one option over the other. In some areas I could have used more explination. I guess that is an acceptable tradeoff. Too detailed of coverage would have made the book too long. After reading the book I can now operate the D200.

After my experience with the D70 Nikon instructions, I ordered this book at the same time I ordered my D200 camera. I have not yet looked at the Nikon book but relied on this guide to set up my camera for many different photo environments. I carry this book in my camera bag at all times. I heartily recommend it.