A Short Course in Nikon D80 Photography book/ebook [Spiral-bound]

Dennis Curtin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 2006

This book/eBook package is your guide to getting more interesting and creative photos with the 10.2 megapixel Nikon D80 digital SLR. (The book also has links to 50 or so animations BUT you need broadband Internet access to play them. They will not play over a dial-up connection.) If you want to learn more about the concepts of photography, this book/ebook is for you. It discusses every camera setting on this professional-quality camera in a clear, well-illustrated style, but it also does much more. You'll see why and when you use specific settings, not just how to set them. You ll find that this guide helps you quickly master your camera so you ll be getting the kinds of photos you hope for. The book is printed in black & white and has a well-liked spiral binding that lets the book lie flat or be folded back. The accompanying eBook on a CD disc is a printable and searchable full-color version of the same book in Adobe's popular PDF format. It can be read on a PC or Mac using the free Acrobat Reader or any current Web browser. Just some of the things you'll learn are how to take pictures in fully automatic point and shoot mode and how your camera captures digital images; how to play back and manage your images; use buttons, dials, and menus; control image size and quality; shoot continuously, use all of the camera s exposure modes and exposure controls to get photos that show the scene exactly as it is, or as you want to interpret it; using histograms and the RAW format for the highest possible quality; how to control sharpness in your photographs; and how to use focus, depth-of-field, sharpness, softness, and blur creatively. Learn all about light and color and how to use them creatively. Understand how they change throughout the day and seasons, how they re affected by the weather, and how light s direction and quality affects highlights and shadows. See how to set white balance to capture colors the way you see them. Learn how to use lenses creatively when photogr

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

For the past three decades Dennis Curtin has been an editor, author, and publisher in photography and computing. His latest books on digital cameras and digital photography have been widely praised for their quality and simplicity. They have been used by most of the armed services, many police departments, and even some camera companies to train specialists in photography. On the publishing side, Dennis was editor-in-chief of one of Time-Warner's educational divisions and also held similar positions in Prentice-Hall's technology and engineering program and Prentice-Hall International. In those roles, he has worked extensively with Ansel Adams and other leading photographers of our generation. In his roles as publisher, editor, and author Dennis has been fortunate to publish or write many best-selling books in photography and computing.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 162 pages
• Publisher: ShortCourses.com; 1 edition (October 13, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 192887374X
• ISBN-13: 978-1928873747
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #687,773 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful Nikon D80 book and CD, January 4, 2007

By 

P. Newton "AZ Minis" (PAYSON, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Short Course in Nikon D80 Photography book/ebook (Spiral-bound)

I was a little disappointed in the book when I first got it because it looked like something hot off the copy machine. But once I plugged in the CD and started reading it, it really came to life for me and I've learned a tremendous amount about my D80 in a very short time. That I got so much useful information out of it is why I gave it a 5 instead of a 4.

The material in the book and on the CD are the same. The CD shows it in color (book is in black and white), is very easy to navigate and has hot buttons that take you to animations on the internet illustrating some of the material. Very well put together.

What I really like about the book is the additional information about when you might want to use a feature, such as double exposure, or different white balance etc., not just that the feature is on your camera. I've always been confused about shooting snow/white scenes using the +/- button. But in no time I had my black miniature horse, black on white snow. Now I'll always remember to use + with snow and - with black.

I'd bet people who use other cameras would find this book/cd useful and interesting, not just Nikon users. Great book and a reasonable price.

52 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Happily Surprised, February 22, 2007

By 

David A. Porter (Scottsdale, Arizona) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Short Course in Nikon D80 Photography book/ebook (Spiral-bound)

I received my copy of A Short Course in Nikon D80 Photography book/ebook today. I was a bit concerned as some here were complaining about the books appearance and first impression.

I must admit, the first impression is not spectacular. However as I begin to delve into the book, I find myself quite impressed.

I was looking for a book that could teach me how to use my new Nikon D80 AND teach me about digital photography.

I am very pleased to say that this book is doing both very well. It is very easy to read and understand. It also comes with a CD with the completed book in .pdf format (and in color).

I am also enjoying the many animations that help to visualize the concepts that are being taught in the book.

When I bought my Nikon D80 I was VERY frustrated because I could see that the manual wasn't going to teach me what I wanted to know.

In my humble opinion, if you are a novice and own a Nikon D80 you must buy this book.

I am a happy camper!

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book, April 14, 2007

By 

Raymond J. Alstrom (Victoria, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Short Course in Nikon D80 Photography book/ebook (Spiral-bound)

I own a double DVD set on learning the D80. It's much easier for me to sit and watch someone explain the camera visually. However, I don't always have a DVD player at my side. The large format, lay-flat feature of this book really appeals to me. Each feature of the D80 is explained in layman's terms and amply illustrated. Ok, the illustrations are in B&W. This was not even a consideration to me. There's a nice CD tucked inside the book with the identical book in Adobe PDF format... in color. I put more emphasis on the content of the book versus the quality. I bought this book to learn about my Nikon D80 and it did this very well. In my opinion - putting subject matter first, this is one of the better Nikon D80 learning manuals.