Customer Reviews

Magic Lantern Guides: Nikon D5000

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This will be short and sweet. The book does an excellent job at explaining all the features inside of the D5000, especially for a newcomer to the DSLR world. The handy little laminated wallet guide was an added bonus, I carry that around in my camera bag.

This book claims to "cut through the clutter" but in fact it does exactly the opposite. If you are looking for a technical explanation of the D5000 then this book might be of some use, but if you are relatively new to the world of DSLR (which most owners of the D5000 likely are, given that it is an entry level DSLR) then this book will confuse you almost as much as the manual that came with the camera. In the first chapter the author mentions a number of technical terms - Bracketing, Metering and Ev without going to the trouble of explaining what these are. Also, do we really care that the camera is made in Thailand or that the shutter blades are made from Kevlar TM? How many newcomers to digital photography even know what a shutter blade is? It seems this book has been written for the author himself, or at best someone who knows the ins and outs of digital photography and camera technology but who wants to explore the D5000. I don't fall into that category. I know some photography basics, and was hoping that this book would help expand my knowledge of the subject using layman's terms. And why use lengthy text to explain how to access a menu when two or three diagrams would be much better? In short this book fails to deliver what I thought it would - a practical, step-by-step guide on how to use the D5000. Too much text, too much technical jargon, too little consideration for who is likely to be reading this book. I'd give it no stars, but had to select at least one.

This is a very basic book about digital photography and not about the Nikon D5000. Even the pictures of the featured camera (see page 7) in the book is not of a D5000. Have not watched the CD's yet because they are formatted as Region 0 which is the UK and not compatible in my PC. The first copy I bought did not include the CD's inside the sealed plastic sleeve it was sold in and had to return it.