Customer Reviews

A Short Course in Nikon Coolpix 990 Photography

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A Short Course in Coolpix 990 Photography

I have to admit that when I first thumbed through this skinny book, I was a bit disappointed. It covers a lot of basic photography concepts, like depth of field, that I didn't really feel the need to go over. It seemed like a real beginner's book. But, once I started reading it, I found it to be extremely well written and informative.

The author has a gift for explaining technical concepts very clearly and concisely. This is a very information dense book, and a clever beginner might not need any other books. Every concept is precisely explained and illustrated through photographic examples or diagrams. It is a beginner's book, but swallowing my pride, I have to admit that it has been a good review for me.

More important for my needs, after using a 990 for 2 months, and then reading this, it has helped clear up several confusing areas in camera operation, and brought several features to my attention that I hadn't noticed when I first read Nikon's manual. A typical gem of knowledge is the explanation that the brightness control, unlike exposure compensation, adjusts midtones, which can save detail in shadow or highlights. I wouldn't have known if I didn't have this book.

Complete beginners should probably read a lengthier generic book on photography, but I never expect any single book to suffice for learning a new discipline. This would be a very good second book on photography, reinforcing the lessons from the first book with specific instructions on how to apply those lessons on this camera. Experienced photographers will probably wish for a more detailed and in-depth book. I do, but there doesn't seem to be one available. Given that this is the only supplemental book on the Nikon 990 , I think it is worth the money.

This is a nice book for those who will not read the Nikon user's guide. There is nothing technical here that is not in the user's manual, and no special tips or tricks. Any general photographic advice can often be found in better, free tutorials on the Internet. (e.g. see Luminous Landscape) A much better guide is Mastering Nikon Digital Cameras, an e-book (CD) by Peter iNova. His e-book should be recommended accessory #1. I bought the Short Course based upon advice from Steve's Digicams, and was disappointed in his recommendation. I looked at Short Course once, and put it away, to sell whenever I sell my CP 990. I have referred to iNova's book repeatedly, and keep finding new tips, from which I derive new thoughts and ideas.

It is fine for the novice trying to understand general photography, but if you are new to digital photography this "manual" makes it hard to understand the Nikon Coolpix 990.I was not impressed with this "manual" The owners manual is much better for explaining, through photos & diagrams, (which this "manual" has few of for the camera) the workings of this digital camera. NO index makes it very inconvenient. Stick with the owners manual till a better book on this camera comes out.

My first impression lasted with me - cheap black and white pages and not many quality pictures. For the pictures that were in the book, they could not have been taken with the Coolpix, because the quality was not great. The spiral binding was cheap and you could not flip the pages without fooling with the binding.

As far as content, the book was good for general and generic photography tips. A beginner would learn from this book, although there are much better general photogarphy books (in color too) for the same price. References were made to the Coolpix, but no more than you would get than from reading the owners manual. They could very easily be talking about any other camera. You are much better to read the owners manual and not buy this book.

Pass on this book. Certainly not worth the price. I will be returning it today.

Does not compare with Mastering Nikon Compact Digital Cameras (CP950/990), an e-book (on CD-Rom) authored by Peter iNova. That e-book has high resolution photos, full coverage of the Nikon Coolpix Cameras, explanations of digital photgraphy,and many tips, tricks, and digital darkroom aids which are all lacking in the Curtin book. INova's digitalsecrets.net also provides full support for the e-book something you don't get with the really "short course" by Curtin!!

I learned more about my CoolPix 990 in a few hours by reading this book than in the past 2 weeks of pouring over Nikon's Guide to Digital Photograpgy that came with the camera. The book is a great value and well worth the price and the time you invest in reading it.

This is a fabulous book for beginning or intermediate photographers using a Nikon Coolpix 990. A very easy read, this book teaches the novice photographer, like myself, to customize camera settings in order to take more professional pictures. It goes beyond the automatic, pre-set modes without getting too technical. It explains very understandable language how different settings, apertures, and flash modes can affect the outcome of each image. If you use this camera (or wish to use it) for more complicated photographs such as sunsets, night scenes, fireworks, etc., this is the book to have.

When I bought my Nikon 990, I needed more information about the camera than was included in the box. The book begins with a tour of the camera controls and features. Following that, the book gets into information fundamental to those not familiar with manual photography as it relates specifically to your Nikon digital camera. My previous camera had been all automatic, so I found this information very valuable. While other reviews have complained about the production value of the book, I've found that the pages are loaded with information. A great book to get you started with your new camera.

I found this book to contain a clear and orderly presentation of basic photographic methods and considerations. At no point does the author's explanation become too complex to understand and follow.
Perhaps more to point, again and again I have had to leave the official manufacuter's manual and go to this book to understand the camera's many features.
Because Coolpix 990s were manufactured for such a short time, this book would seem to have a limited audience; however, as far as I can see, Nikon simply replaced it with the 995 with a 4x optical zoom, a popup flash and --------- a proprietary battery. It is a blessing that the 990 uses readily available and relatively affordable AA batteries ( and readily rechargable ).
In short, the 990 book by Mr. Curtin should apply to the vast majority of the settings and features on the 995.
It was through this book I learned of the use of the Command Dial while in the Play mode - allowing you to review dozens of conditions and settings in place when each photo was taken. Having trouble taking a photo? Simply go back and Play a photo you previously took under similar conditions in order to review your settings - this has saved much frustration, helped me learn a lot about the camera and lead to learning about photography (digital) under various light conditions.
A definite thumbs up for this author. Worth every penny and then some.

I found Dennis P. Curtin's book to be an invaluable aid to exploiting the features on my Coolpix 990. Recognition plays a minor role in the capture of a great picture. The photographer also needs to execute the "whys" and the "hows".

The "whys" are the fundamental photographic principles that universally apply to taking pictures. They include primers on exposure and sharpness. The "hows" are instructions on setting the camera's features to achieve the effects you desire.

The book is organized around digital photography's basic concepts. The author leads the reader into discussions of scene, subject, color, tone, highlights, shadow, sharpness and softness. He introduces you to the photographic concept and then how to exploit it using the features on the Coolpix 990.

The time spent reading and studying this book will result in your capturing more effect, interesting and creative images.