Customer Reviews

A Short Course in Nikon Coolpix 5700 Photography (Book & CD-ROM)

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

 

 

This is an excellent book that is suited for beginners. It explains the workings of the CP5700 more clearly than the manual, which can at times, be a little confusing. Related how-tos and tips are neatly grouped together for easy reference.

The book is not a regurgitation of the CP5700 manual. It covers broad subjects like lighting, exposure metering, focusing, and flash techniques, and introduces each topic fittingly. Dennis discusses the merits of using certain functions of the CP5700 and suggests ways to best make use of them. For example, he talks about how to read the histogram and provides sample photos with tips on applying exposure compensation based on the histogram readings. Another example includes controlling depth-of-field combining the various functions of the CP5700, using focus lock, aperture priority, zoom length and understanding the hyperfocal distance.

This book is strewn with tips like those; coupled with loads of good photos that explain scene situations, it becomes an indispensable handbook.

Since I bought the book and cd-rom version, I'd say the cd-rom is well worth it because: -

- It contains the coloured version of the paperback :D
- There are two .pdf files, one for print quality, and the other for screen viewing
- There are several software included: -
> Picture windows (an image editing tool)
> Poster (creates huge prints)
> Screensaver toolkit (creates shareable screensavers)
> ThumbsPlus (graphic viewer)
- You can do keyword searches on the pdf files.

However, it's overpriced I think. The book is b&w and paper quality is below average. The CD is better if you don't mind reading off your computer.

All in all, I'm very happy with this book. Recommended.

I reviewed this book shortly after I purchased it. I have quoted the text of the previous review:
____________
Recently, my wife and I made the investment of a Nikon 5700. We are happy with the investment. We also invested in this book, and we are definately less happy in this one. I'm going to run down a list of pros and cons and you make the decision. In the end, I'm glad I bought it. It taught me some tricks I may never have figured out otherwise, but still I can't believe how much they charge for how little you get.

PROS:
1. Better than the manual
2. Gives examples of the techniques discussed.
3. It's the only one that exists.

CONS
1. WAY too expensive. This book should cost about five bucks. It looks like a guy printed it on his computer and took it to the copy shop.
2. Some of the examples are too simplistic and assume too many steps. If a little bit more detail were given, it would have saved me hours of stress and frustration only to realize that he didn't mention a certain setting that had to be changed.

It's your call. If you have the camera and want to learn some more tricks and have a lot of extra money, buy it. But, if you already have a pretty good feel for the camera and don't have much money left after the investment, I'd suggest waiting for a better book or just learning by goofing around with your camera.
__________

Since that time, I have used my Coolpix 5700 to take the photojournalistic shots at weddings as my wife takes portraits using her Canon EOS 10D. The techniques that I learned because of this book have proven invaluable. There are many improvements that can be made--indeed, that need to be made--to the book. The writing is poor, the examples are simplistic and not clearly explained, yet I don't know of anything better. The time that you will save and the features that you will discover by using this book will make the purchase worth it.

Not a bad book, but not a great one either. Does simplify the rather dense instructions for using the camera given in the user's manual that comes with the Nikon 5700 and offers in six of the eight chapters a primer on photography touching upon such topics as exposure, light & color, lenses, and close-up photography. Spiral binding makes the book easy to handle. CD included was of no interest to me, although it does reproduce the book as an e-book in a colored version. Would have preferred to have the book I bought in color and skip the CD.

Recently, my wife and I made the investment of a Nikon 5700. We are happy with the investment. We also invested in this book, and we are definately less happy in this one. I'm going to run down a list of pros and cons and you make the decision. In the end, I'm glad I bought it. It taught me some tricks I may never have figured out otherwise, but still I can't believe how much they charge for how little you get.

PROS:
1. Better than the manual
2. Gives examples of the techniques discussed.
3. It's the only one that exists.

CONS
1. WAY too expensive. This book should cost about five bucks. It looks like a guy printed it on his computer and took it to the copy shop.
2. Some of the examples are too simplistic and assume too many steps. If a little bit more detail were given, it would have saved me hours of stress and frustration only to realize that he didn't mention a certain setting that had to be changed.

It's your call. If you have the camera and want to learn some more tricks and have a lot of extra money, buy it. But, if you already have a pretty good feel for the camera and don't have much money left after the investment, I'd suggest waiting for a better book or just learning by goofing around with your camera.

This is sort of a "Nikon 5700 for Dummies" kind of book, and is FAR better than the confusing Nikon owners manual. Why is it that computer and camera manufacturers can rarely produce decent documentation, while others can make the same info clear?

I found the physical quality of the book to be just fine. The CD included in the book will allow one to print the entire manual in color [.pdf file] if that's of interest, and also will allow one to print 14 pages of "cheat sheets" that GREATLY simplify the otherwise confusing array of dials and knobs and buttons and gizmos that allow one to access the potential in this great camera.

I haven't tried the included software programs, but the manual is well worth the cost in helping a digital newbie climb the steep learning curve of this complex but capable camera. To fully utilize the potential of this camera, I will keep the book with the camera at all times.

If you find that the instruction book included with the Coolpix 5700 is totally incomprehensible, this Short Course will remove the mystery. It contains a concise description of the camera's capabilities, and then tells you where to look for instructions to use those capabilities.

Years ago I was a technical writer in the aerospace industry. In the good old days, we wrote manuals that contained real instructions that could be used by real human beings. This book does just that; one of the few modern manuals that is actually readable and usuable.

Most modern manuals look as if they were translated from a foreign language via another foreign language. This one started in English and is readable in English.

Yes, it's a little expensive, and you may have to print parts of it (the pocket guide) that you want to carry around, but if you get it, and follow the instructions, you can actually use your camera.

It's a good thing.

In my opinion, a poor quality product overall. Content is inadequate (and repetitive). Monochrome print version is cheap. CD color version is garish and poorly illustrated. It is not a course at all. Even these days, US$30 can still buy you a nicely laid out, edited and produced book on photography with good quality content and illustrations. Not this one!

I am a beginning photographer and I read all the reviews on this page before I purchased this book. I noticed that some of the reviews were mainly concerned with the overall aesthetic publishing and said very little about the actual content. I was not interested in having a 'coffee table book' but was more concerned with having a manual that allowed me to get the most out of my Nikon 5700. I have found the manual very helpful and well worth the money. As far as the publishing of this manual. . . I was well pleased.

I am looking forward to receiving this product but as of 11-9-06 it hasn't arrived.