Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots

I received the Nikon D3100 as a gift for my 50th birthday. The camera was intimating at first. The instructional manual that came with the camera was informative but made me even more nervous. I decided to look online for books that would help me get to know my camera when my search revealed this book. The description and the example pages were very helpful in deciding my purchase. The customer reviews were helpful but were not the deciding factor for me because everyone has different needs and opinions. I also bought the physical book rather then the Kindle version. I have found that instructional books like this one are better in their physical version due to the amount of information. I find is easier to use the physical book and take it with me in my carrying case as a reference guide.This book was outstanding! Jeff Revell has helped this novice learn about her new camera along with feeling comfortable with the camera's functions. The instructions, explanations, and chapter assignments which are in layman's terms, have given me the comfort and ability to enjoy taking photographs. I am more creative now; taking photographs rather then just pointing and shooting to get a picture I am using my imagination to create a more professional looking photograph which is what I have always wanted to do. This easy to follow book along with a lot of practice is the best recommendation I could give for anyone who is upgrading to the Nikon D3100 from an automatic point and shoot camera that does not give you options. Have FUN! I am!!

I downloaded this book to my 6" Kindle.The book itself is great as I am new to the world of SLR cameras and it gave me all the information for the Nikon D3100 camera I will ever need. Whilst new to photography I found the assignments at the end of each chapter very useful as they gave me the confidence to move forward on experimenting with the different settings and seeing how they affected the pictures taken. After reading the book I now have the confidence to move on from the Auto settings and pursue my interest in photography.Only down side to having it on my 6" Kindle was that the photos in the book were not in colour and not of a good quality. As a lot of the book has photos with information regarding settings i.e. aperture, shutter speed, ISO settings. Due to this I ordered a hard copy of the book( which I would seriously recommend ) and found it absolutely great. The other feature of this book for me is that it will be handy as a reference to go back to when needed.As I am new to photography having only used a point and shoot camera I had to read some chapters twice to get a handle on itand this proved very useful.Would recommend this book to any one starting out in SLR cameras.

I recently upgraded from a Kodak EasyShare Z981 14MP Digital Camera to the Nikon D3100. Boy, DSLR's sure can be intimidating when you've never shot with one in your life. I didn't know the difference between aperture and dentures. There are so many options and settings, and all I wanted to do was take some good pictures.This book is great because it starts off immediately with the top 10 things to do with your new camera, everything from the importance of charging your camera to changing the ISO and white balance. Not only does it show you how to make the changes step-by-step, but it also tells why those changes are important. One of the other things I really liked is that the author gives you assignments at the end of each chapter. There's only so much you can really learn from reading this book, but the assignments ensure you play with the camera and learn how each setting affects the quality of your shots.One of the things I wish this book did however is stick with the 18-55 lens that the camera comes with. In the book he uses many different lenses to capture some amazing shots, and it makes me want to buy all those expensive lenses that I can't afford.All in all, I believe this is a must have for any beginner. I read this book over Christmas and it really helped us take some great indoor shots of the family. Greatest thing that this book helped us do...it taught us how to get away from using the "Auto" setting.

Im new to the dslr and amatuer photography "world" and this is exactly the book I was looking for! The first few chapters cover everything you need to know about how to adjust any and all of the settings on the D3100. The rest of the chapters are less camera specific but explain very clearly the basic ideas you need to take different types of great photos. The author uses very easy to understand terminology and includes a ton of color example pictures. I did not have one question about how to properly operate my camera once I finished reading (took less than 3 days). Im so happy I decided to go with this book over those "dummy" books. The only complaint I have is the last 2 "bonus chapters" are pretty weak and you have to create an account with the publishers website (which starts to email you a bunch of annoying newsletters), but its ok because they cover subjects that I really didnt look for in this book.

I purchased this quite a while back when I first wanted to increase my knowledge and competency after purchasing a D3100 having used an Olympus DSLR years earlier but then having a break from DSLR's for a couple of years. This book was a brilliant refresher for some of the basics I had been away from for too long and a fantastic help with specifics to the D3100 - it made my new camera easy to understand and delivered the details in a way that immerses you in your camera and the book simultaneously, so it never felt arduous or confusing and made me feel involved and hands on from the word go.I went back to this book several times over a long period, sometimes to refresh my knowledge on aspects of photography I don't utilize that often and sometimes just for inspiration with certain projects. Well worth the price, I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone just starting out or those looking to increase their basic knowledge. I've just purchased a D3300 and was looking at the equivalent for that camera by the same author, so it seemed the right time to finally review this brilliant book before moving on!

There are lots of Nikon D3100 manuals and guides and I wouldn't like to say this is better than any of the others but I did download samples of the Kindle editions, where they were available, and made my choice based on that.Some of the 'Field guides' look good but who can be bothered lugging a book around with them.Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots doesn't try to be a technical manual but what it does do is relate the D3100's features to real life use and shows you how to get the best from the camera's many options.The book itself is a very good quality paperback with high res images and it is written in a clear but not condescending style. It does assume that if you've coughed up for a relatively expensive camera you are bright enough not to need every tiny point explained in minute detail.If you just want a technical manual stick with the pdf that is on the CD-Rom that came with your camera.Overall I'd say if you want something to help you get a better understanding of how to actually use your D3100 to take better photos you can't go wrong with this book.

The book is well laid out, easy to follow, and goes through things logically, and is much easier to understand than the user manual. Ideal for the improving photographer who’s looking to understand the various settings on the D3100. Enough useful information and tips to interest novice/ intermediate shooters, and a good reference point for those times when things doesn’t work out quite to plan. Recommended

This book is growing the seeds of expression that will be reflected through the lens of my Nikon D3100.I'm really enjoying reading through the chapters of this book.I recently took the plunge into DSLR after my stubborn old point and click refused to open up any more. I've had an SLR before (still have - Mamiya MSX500) but I haven't used it for so long with digital being around (about 10 years). Whilst the DLSR is based on the knowledge and techniques of the SLR (exposure, aperture, etc) the DLSR brings with it many things I couldn't do so easily before, e.g. ISO and white balance.Those extra options are available instantly and altogether the ability of the D3100 can be overwhelming, but reading this book is helping me to overcome the skill gap that's developed. There are so many more variables to take into account and this book is breaking them down successfully. It simplifies the options, explains the difference between all of the modes and it's refreshing my memory for things I learnt about SLR and have forgotten using point & click. I'm developing new skills specific to DSLR, with that I'm developing new ideas and approaches. I love that each of the chapters has a set of challenges at the end of it so you can test the skills and knowledge you've acquired through your reading.

The book was in excellent condition, I would have liked it a little faster, but the content was worth waiting for, as I believe the author has added extra tips and advice to the already comprehensive Nikon D3100 handbook. So I would recommend this book to anyone starting out with the D3100 DSLR camera.