Nikon D5000: From Snapshots to Great Shots

If you have moved to a Nikon D5000 camera from a point and shoot compact camera, then this book could be all that you need to see you through your photographic journey. The heart of this book addresses the very heart of photography; that is exposure, and the application of aperture control, shutter speed control, and sensitivity. On this fundamental topic Jeff Revell will take you by the hand, and through clear explanation and good photographic examples, he will explain these concepts in superb detail. Of course, the key thing is that he does so with the Nikon D5000 firmly placed as the tool to be be used to fulfil this understanding. For this aspect, the book deserves all of the praise it is receiving - well done Jeff. However, if you already know a bit about aperture control; shutter speed; depth of field and sensitvity, then you may need a book which offers more than this one does. In fact, I would suggest that if you have a reasonable grasp of these concepts then stick with the Nikon Manual and get a general photographic book which offers the level of technique you need.I've knocked one star off of the rating, because in my view it offers some contradictions in advice which may not be helpful to its audience. If you are moving into SLR photography without the understanding of exposure that this book implies, then I really don't understand the advice given to shoot in RAW format. Yes RAW is 'better', but only in the sense that a Ferrari or Dodge Viper is 'better'. If your photographs are never going to see anything bigger than your computer screen or a 10*8 print, then stick to JPEG - every photo package under the sun handles JPEG, and you can email them off to Aunt Mary in Cincinatti without a care. The other advice given right up front to generally switch off all things automatic (white balance, etc), may be sound, but if you really need to understand about aperture and shutter speed, then manual white balance at Chapter 1 may be a step too far at this stage!I'm going to knock off one more star. Jeff, why oh why have you decided to offer two more 'free chapters' for the book which need to be downloaded, but can only be accessed after registration at the accompanying web site? That's not free, that's ripping off us consumers. If the chapters were ready in time, which they were since you refer to them in the printed edition of the book, then put them in the book. It's simple! Also 'free' in my mind doesn't just mean $0, it means free of hinderance, free of the need to register,it means FREE.In summary, a good book, and for some a very good book. Jeff, please revisit your thinking on 'Free'.

I have purchased many books on photography and I can unequivocally state Jeff's book is one of the best! I frequently refer to it. I don't know Jeff personally but after reading his book I almost feel as though he was by my side in the field sharing his knowledge with me.If you have the D5000 OR the D5100 I highly recommend this resource. This book is BOTH an excellent tutorial and and excellent reference; a difficult combination to get right in any book. Every page is worth something; no filler material you might find in larger books. The book is a pleasure to read and you can see many places where the author does not diverge on every technical detail so he can maintain a decent flow to the material (you don't get bogged down on the way). What I like about the author's presentation and format is you are actually learning something about photography AND your camera simultaneously. And not just the basics; there's enough here for you to become very proficient at BOTH (your camera and photography) and really take your skills to that of a really decent amateur level if you also put in the effort at learning from this book and ALSO practicing.If you are just starting out I can think of no other book I would recommended more! If you have had your DSLR for a while and find yourself taking average pictures using mostly the "auto" setting (basically using your DSLR as a big Point & Shoot) and you want to move onto the next level or two, then this book will do that.The color photographs within, their quality, the page format and the book format, corresponds nicely with the quality of the content of this book. Jeff's tone is pleasant and that of a patient teacher or tutor. He is never condescending or arrogant.Whenever I discuss photography with anyone I always mention Jeff's books since I owe him for making me a better photographer.Thank's Jeff!

I just got a D5000 for Christmas, and while I'm not a novice, I'm not a professional either. I fall in the middle of the road category. I have a good amount of general photography knowledge, but can stand to learn more specifics and techniques, especially tailored for this model. I'm also getting my feet wet again, since I haven't used a SLR in a number of years.It starts off with a run down, most of which I'd picked up via the user manual that came with the camera. But this is where it differs: it's all in color with lots of photo examples.I personally am a very visual person. I'll pick up double the amount of information if you let me read it(vs. listening), and probably three times the info if it has visual photographic examples. This book was made for me!Beyond the basics in the beginning, it delves into each setting on the camera(manual, shutter priority, etc as well as all the pre-programmed settings like sports and portraits). After covering the ins-and-outs of your camera, it has nice chapters on moving targets, portraits, landscape photography, mood lighting and creative composition.I recommend it 100%, and is a great gift to a D5000 owner, or as an automatic companion when purchasing this camera. It's right down the middle: won't baffle the newbie but has some useful information for a seasoned photographer. I rarely buy books(or keep them) as I will check them out at the library, but I will have this for many years to come as an excellent read. A must have!Update: I still use this book often to reference it when I have a specific setting or shot in mind. It answers my question 95% of the time. There's so many different setting on the camera, this book is perfect to give even more descriptive explanations for their uses.

Good book. There are supposedly two extra chapters available on-line, but it seems they are no longer available. I bought it for photographing a specific subject, but unfortunately it is not covered in this book. However, it is a good reference book.

I love this book, it is written in a light occasionally humorous style. It takes you through the camera controls step by step, with good examples of when and why you would want to alter the various settings. At the end of each chapter is a photographic assignment for you to put into practice what you have learned.Provided you read the first 5 very short chapters, you can and are encouraged by the author to just dip into this book as the need or fancy takes you, just like you would use the original manual, but this manual is much, much easier to read. Hence the title of my review "Nikon D5000 - the manual that should have been".This book / manual works for beginners and those with a few years photography experience. It strikes that difficult balance of explaining things in enough detail for the novice without patronising those with more expertise.I can't recommend this highly enough.Thanks are also due to my mobile phone supplier o2 for giving me an Amazon voucher for completing a 5 minute online survey, without that I doubt I would have ever come across this brilliant alternative to the original D5000 manual.Thanks guys.PS. For those who buy this book there is are also further chapters that are only available online, so don't forget to check those out too.

If you're new to DSLR photography you'll probably find that the manual which comes with the camera isn't a great starting guide. Whilst it will tell you about the *features* on your camera, it won't go into any detail about the 'art' of photography and how to compose shots under various conditions.I think for the money, you can't go wrong with this book - it'll tell you how to set up your camera out of the box and get shooting asap. Then as you read on, you can learn about how and when to use the non-auto modes.A worthwhile companion to your new camera and not too hard to digest for newcomers (like me)

I used to take photos with an slr over 20 years ago and knew my way around a camera, but a dslr has taken photography to a much higher level. The manual that came with the camera is 220 pages and seemed daunting at first so I decided to buy this book. I've found it such a good buy. Jeff helps you set the camera up and gives many helpfull tips throughout.I recommend this book to anyone who has bought the D5000

Easy to read and understand. This book is a useful addition to the camera manual as it explains what all the settings are for and when to use them.There are assignments to complete at the end of each chapter which help you to learn all the tips and techniques covered in the book.There are also 2 additional chapters covering accessories and video which are available for downloading for free from the publishers web site.