# to learn camera- i dont want to read the entire manual...



## jarg007 (Apr 24, 2015)

Is there a short cut to learning the camera, im more of a hands on learner. I've got a nikon d3300 should be here tomorrow and i've downloaded the manual. Is there a short cut to learning the camera or can anyone recommend the really important parts. It's like pulling my hair out reading that thing.


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## 480sparky (Apr 24, 2015)

There are no shortcuts.


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## Destin (Apr 24, 2015)

While there are no shortcuts and you have to learn everything, the manual is better as a reference source than as something to read cover to cover. 

For learning a camera, or photography in general the internet is your friend. Especially youtube. One of my favorites is Jared Polin from Froknowsphoto.com. I've linked to his youtube video guide to the D3300 below. 

Fro Knows Photo D3300 user guide.


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## tirediron (Apr 24, 2015)

jarg007 said:


> ...can anyone recommend the really important parts...


 Just the bit between the front and back covers.  The rest of it doesn't really matter.

Seriously, it can be a bit of a dry read at times, but it's much easier with the camera in-hand.


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## jarg007 (Apr 24, 2015)

Destin said:


> While there are no shortcuts and you have to learn everything, the manual is better as a reference source than as something to read cover to cover.
> 
> For learning a camera, or photography in general the internet is your friend. Especially youtube. One of my favorites is Jared Polin from Froknowsphoto.com. I've linked to his youtube video guide to the D3300 below.
> 
> Fro Knows Photo D3300 user guide.


thanks really good video will definitely go that route.


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## chris (Apr 24, 2015)

To use your camera to its full capability the options are:
- Read the manual.
- Get a third party users guide which may present the data in a form that you find easier to digest.
- Investigate YouTube videos etc - but be aware that they may not be particularly accurate.
- Enrol in on a photography course, though you may still need to read up on your particular model.
- find someone who is prepared to mentor you, possibly from this forum, though they will probably expect you to put in the time and effort to find out how your camera works.

Apart from learning how the camera operates and what it can do there are also the matters of composition and post processing. Really there is no easy way, you have to decide which method is most suited to you and get on with it unless you will be content to just produce snapshots only using a fraction of the possibilities that even an entry level camera can offer.

As for which bits to leave out, if you don't know what can be achieved with your camera then how do you know what to leave out?


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## sm4him (Apr 24, 2015)

^+1 to everything that's been said so far.

The manual is ALREADY pretty much arranged in a very good order, in terms of where to start. So, start at the beginning…WITH camera in hand. When it tells you what a certain button or dial is for, try it out.
When it gets to the part about actually taking pictures with it…try it! Do some hands-on learning along WITH reading the manual.

If you're going to skip stuff, skip things like fancy special effects, long exposures, that sort of thing. Wait until you have a better handle on the BASICS of operating the camera, THEN read those sections as you are ready to try them.

Mostly…relax.  Just read it a little at a time.
While you're reading and learning how to actually control that camera, you can always put the charged battery in it, add a memory card, turn it on and set it to Auto. That way you can satisfy your need to start taking pictures, while giving yourself as much time as you need to actually LEARN the camera.

I just got a new camera. Even though I've had many, many cameras over the years, and this is my third DSLR, guess what I'm doing?  Yep. Reading the manual!  There really IS no substitute.


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## Buckster (Apr 24, 2015)

I'm one of those people who can learn anything out of a well-written book.  I read the manual on everything I buy that comes with one, before I ever use the thing, while I have the item right in front of me to work with.  

What I've observed over time is that the most important, most fundamental parts, are always in the beginning pages and chapters of the manual.  

As you get deeper into it, it drills down into the weeds that you may not appreciate until later, when you want to do something a bit more off the wall, ask on a forum how, and someone points out that it's in the manual.


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## Designer (Apr 24, 2015)

jarg007 said:


> Is there a short cut to learning the camera or can anyone recommend the really important parts.


I've got good news!  You don't really have to read the manual or even learn the camera either!

You can just take pictures the old-fashioned way; aim and shoot.  Seriously, if book-learning is not your thing, just learn this much:

1. turn it on.
2. set the dial on top to "green auto".
3. point the camera at whatever you wish to take a picture of.
4. plug in the download cable every once in a while to "get rid of" too many photographs in the camera.
5. repeat.


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## gsgary (Apr 24, 2015)

You should be able to book your first wedding shoot after 5 days and charge $2000


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## WayneF (Apr 24, 2015)

Designer said:


> jarg007 said:
> 
> 
> > Is there a short cut to learning the camera or can anyone recommend the really important parts.
> ...





That is exactly the way to NOT LEARN the camera.


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## Derrel (Apr 24, 2015)

Here's the Ken Rockwell D3300 User's Guide:  Nikon D3300 User s Guide

Here's his guide to setting up and using the AF system on the D3300: Nikon D3300 Autofocus Settings

Here are the basics, the most critical controls: Nikon D3300 User s Guide

You will probably find this more informative than the Japanese-English manual that comes with the camera: this is far better-organized, thought out, and summarized, ESPECIALLY with regard to the AF system.


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## Overread (Apr 24, 2015)

Designer said:


> jarg007 said:
> 
> 
> > Is there a short cut to learning the camera or can anyone recommend the really important parts.
> ...



That will take pictures, but it won't teach one how to use the camera. Indeed it won't do much for learning at all because the only choice the user has is the frame composition; everything else is the camera's choice. That's not a conductive way to learn photography from a mechanics point of view. 




To the OP - yes sadly learning is bit dull. 
There is no way around that - however I would say you want to start with the simple bits. 
Aperture - Shutter speed and ISO. 

That is the core of your exposure (same as it was in the film days only ISO was oft known as ASA and you couldn't change it on the fly* since it was tied to the film you use). Indeed I would recommend the book "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. It focuses on these core 3 settings and also includes a good number of case-studies which you can, hands on, try out for yourself. 

I would also recommend reading the links in my signature, one of which details how to get critique and focuses on some key elements in self-critique which can be very helpful in learning how to assess your own work (which will help you learn all the faster - see there are some "short-cuts" if you put the effort in). 

I would recommend either full manual or aperture priority mode as the place to start. Indeed I would make your first target to be able to shoot in manual mode. From there you can learn the auto and semi-auto modes more easily and make an informed choice as to which mode you want to shoot in at a given time. Sometimes manual is the best way; sometimes another mode is more easily used in a given situation. 

Much of the other features in the camera will revolve around auto focusing control - you can leave that mostly alone at the early stages though I would recommend:
1) Setting the camera to single point - setting it on the middle AF point for now. Later you can learn about the different AF modes and also the different Af points. 

2) Auto-editing JPEG shots - many functions and modes revolve around this so you can check the manual and then decide how you want to deal with them (ergo if you're shooting JPEG or RAW mode - another choice for you to make though maybe one to make later ). 


* Unless you had a camera with a removable back and could use different backs for different film types; or use two or three cameras with different films loaded at the same time.


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## vintagesnaps (Apr 24, 2015)

You could try reading the intro., looking at any diagrams that show where various controls are located, etc.

Then start for example with Auto and jpeg settings and do some test shots. As you find something else on the camera to try, go look it up in the manual, try that out and practice it some. (Edit - I'm a longtime film photographer so what worked for me was getting out of auto and using all manual settings. You might have to try different settings and see what is best for you starting out.)

It's not a novel, it probably won't exactly be that interesting to try to read through all at once; nor will you probably be able to take in and remember everything at one time.

Whatever you want to learn next, look up and read that section and go try it out. The shortcut I think really would have been to buy a point 'n shoot that doesn't have many settings that could be learned more quickly; it will most likely take some time to learn everything about the camera.


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## astroNikon (Apr 24, 2015)

When I got my d7000 I was lost from the Users Manual.

I purchased a book called "Mastering the Nikon d7000" by Derrell Young
After I worked with the book for a while then the manual made all the sense in the world.  lol

this book would be similar ==> Amazon.com David Busch s Nikon D3300 Guide to Digital SLR Photography 9781305269781 David D. Busch Books

You may want to buy a book helping you learn about the camera
but in the end, if you want to learn everything, you'll have to read everything. (and understand it, which in of itself can be a problem - thus another book going over each function in detail).


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## jarg007 (Apr 24, 2015)

Designer said:


> jarg007 said:
> 
> 
> > Is there a short cut to learning the camera or can anyone recommend the really important parts.
> ...


its not that i don't want to learn the camera. The I'm asking about the best way to do it, without grinding teeth page by page through the whole manual as that is highly time consuming and painful. I've heard many great suggestions throughout this thread, but your's does not help.


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## 480sparky (Apr 24, 2015)

Start with the basics.

Shutter speed, aperture and ISO.  What does each do, how do you adjust each one, and how does the adjustment affect the final result?

Lenses.  What are the various focal lengths used for?  How does FL affect the final result? Why would you select a given FL for a particular subject?


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## WayneF (Apr 24, 2015)

The first basics of photography is to understand what shutter speed, f/stop, and ISO will do for you.  When and why you use one value instead of another?  This is how the camera should be used.

A very easy step to learn this would be this $18 book .  

This is the very least every beginner needs to learn.   All else is based on this knowledge.  This book is a very easy fast read, and it is the best $18  you can spend on photography, It might be in your public library.

This book is NOT deep, nor is it all you need to know, (it does NOT cover flash), but it is a great start for a beginner wondering how to use a camera with settings on it.

I rate it pretty high for that purpose, but FWIW, I rate the same authors Understanding Flash rather low.


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## Designer (Apr 24, 2015)

jarg007 said:


> .. but your's does not help.


Oh, but you're wrong!  Mine's does help!  In fact, mine is the only suggestion that get's you started taking picture's right away in precisely the manner in which you prefer; without reading a lot of stuff.

Now, if by some chance you wish to actually LEARN your camera, then I'm afraid you'll have to do some serious study; i.e.: read the manual.

Think nothing of it. I'm glad to help.


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## table1349 (Apr 24, 2015)

It might help if you had the prespective of at least one of the members here.  I speak for me here, not everyone.  Besides learning about you camera by reading the manaul, boring as it may be, it serves another purpose.  

Anyone who has ever been involved in education will tell you.  YES THERE ARE STUPID QUESTIONS!!!

Unfortunaltly we get a fair amount of them here that would never have been asked if the OP had just R.T.F.M.
I don't believe that any of us here mind answering questions that have a good basis.  But there have been a good number that were frankly either because the OP was A. Lazy or B. So lazy they didn't R.T.F.M.  


Just my 2 cents on the matter.


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## sm4him (Apr 24, 2015)

Designer said:


> jarg007 said:
> 
> 
> > .. but your's does not help.
> ...



Actually, not quite. Mine also suggested the OP could get going right away in Auto mode…

ANYWAY…OP, what you do need to realize about why Designer may have answered the way he did is that the title of your thread, "I don't want to learn the entire manual" strongly suggests that you're saying you don't want to have to WORK at learning your camera…and learning a new camera, and learning photography in general, IS work.  I don't think that's what you were saying at all, and I believe that the rest of your original post revealed that in fact, it just seems overwhelming, hence why many of us responded as we did.  But I really don't fault Designer for his response either because…believe me, we got a LOT of folks on here who mean PRECISELY that--"Hey, isn't there a better, faster way for me to be an instant master of photography without having to actually, you know, READ about it and stuff?"


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## 480sparky (Apr 24, 2015)

Once you get a leg up on the basics, then you move onto more complicated stuff.  Not extraneous, just more complicated.

Like composition and lighting.


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## DarkShadow (Apr 24, 2015)

Reading the manual is not my favorite part either but not knowing what something does or how it works bothers me more,So I read the manual and I read it while camera is in hand and then try the feature and functions to see how they work. Once you understand and become familiar  with the functions buttons and dials you can change settings on the fly. If I want to capture a bird in flight but don't know how to change my shutter speed or adjust exposure to lighting changes    then I lost that chance of a shot. I have to know where something is or how it works.This is extremely important in all photography.


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## sashbar (Apr 24, 2015)

I know a couple of shortcuts. But using it takes much longer than reading the manual.


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## jarg007 (Apr 24, 2015)

sashbar said:


> I know a couple of shortcuts. But using it takes much longer than reading the manual.


fair enough and to everyone else, point taken. I will definately read through the manual. I was more asking what are the super important parts of the manual that are MUST read that I can work through right away and leave the rest for reading when i need to know that particular part.


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## Designer (Apr 24, 2015)

480sparky said:


> Once you get a leg up on the basics, then you move onto more complicated stuff.  Not extraneous, just more complicated.
> 
> Like composition and lighting.


Hoo, boy!  Talk about reading a lot of stuff!  I wouldn't have any idea of how many books you might have to read in order to get a handle on composition and lighting.  

You'll think the camera user's manual is nothing.


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## jarg007 (Apr 24, 2015)

Designer said:


> 480sparky said:
> 
> 
> > Once you get a leg up on the basics, then you move onto more complicated stuff.  Not extraneous, just more complicated.
> ...


Ha! At least that will be interesting reading!


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## Vtec44 (Apr 24, 2015)

I have never read the entire manual.  #truestory


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## SCraig (Apr 24, 2015)

You don't have to read the manual at all.  Just remember that it was your choice when you ask a question and someone points you to a page in your camera manual, or asks if you have read it, rather than answering your question.


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## table1349 (Apr 24, 2015)

Try this.  At least you can get a laugh from it.  How to Take Better Pictures


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## WayneF (Apr 24, 2015)

The manual just tells you how to run the menus, and which button does what.   Maybe how to select what you want, but it is NOT about what you want, or why you might want it.

The manual is very important, we have to read it, but doesn't tell you anything about learning photography basics.


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## Vtec44 (Apr 24, 2015)

It's 2015!  There's something called Google, yo!


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## jake337 (Apr 24, 2015)

Vtec44 said:


> I have never read the entire manual.  #truestory



I don't think I've ever read a manual.


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## table1349 (Apr 24, 2015)

Vtec44 said:


> It's 2015!  There's something called Google, yo!


Google makes us all dumber The neuroscience of search engines - Salon.com


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## Vtec44 (Apr 24, 2015)

gryphonslair99 said:


> Vtec44 said:
> 
> 
> > It's 2015!  There's something called Google, yo!
> ...



Maybe... but this dumb dude is smart enough to use the right tools to get a lot of things done


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## jarg007 (Apr 24, 2015)

Designer said:


> jarg007 said:
> 
> 
> > .. but your's does not help.
> ...


I'm not sure if your trying to be witty and funny but Im not saying i dont want to read anything or learn the camera ect..  just don't like reading purely dry and boring material. The original title of the post was a little mis-leading and maybe not the best of wordings. 

However, there have been many great suggestions for learning the camera without going through the tedious manual, which is exactly the ideas I was looking for.


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## 480sparky (Apr 24, 2015)

OK.  Don't read the whole manual.

Just read the 'Quick Start' section at the beginning.


Problem solved.

Now let's all calm down and go shoot something.





















With a _camera_, silly!!!!
















.


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## table1349 (Apr 24, 2015)

WayneF said:


> The manual just tells you how to run the menus, and which button does what.   Maybe how to select what you want, but it is NOT about what you want, or why you might want it.
> 
> The manual is very important, we have to read it, but doesn't tell you anything about learning photography basics.


Wayne, I would have to disagree.  How can you learn the basics if you don't know how to use the camera?  That's like trying to drive and not knowing what the round thing on the pole in front of you is, what the little stick things coming out from that pole are foe or what those peddle looking things on the floor do.   You can always tell the newbie that didn't read the manual, because they are driving down the street on a cloudless day with the windshield wipers going.


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## table1349 (Apr 24, 2015)

480sparky said:


> OK.  Don't read the whole manual.
> 
> Just read the 'Quick Start' section at the beginning.
> 
> ...





























> With a _camera_, silly!!!!.





















.


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## Vtec44 (Apr 24, 2015)

Be honest, you won't remember anything a week later from reading the entire manual.


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## WayneF (Apr 24, 2015)

gryphonslair99 said:


> Wayne, I would have to disagree.  How can you learn the basics if you don't know how to use the camera?  That's like trying to drive and not knowing what the round thing on the pole in front of you is, what the little stick things coming out from that pole are foe or what those peddle looking things on the floor do.   You can always tell the newbie that didn't read the manual, because they are driving down the street on a cloudless day with the windshield wipers going.



There are always different opinions, and certainly ours are definitely different.  We might learn how to turn the wipers on/off, but we can't learn to drive by reading the cars manual.   That needs other detailed data, like for example, the rules of the road.... the ideas governing our actions.  Learning to turn the wipers on does not teach driving  - and wipers are not on the drivers test. 

Same as photography also needs the basics.  There is much more than just the buttons.  This needed basic instruction is Not in the equipment manuals.  It probably would be helpful if we had photography tests too.  

I do strongly advocate reading the manuals, that is info we do need to know (how to operate the camera).  But we definitely also need the basic knowledge about how photography works (how to take a picture).  If we cannot understand the manual, then we probably don't understand the basics well enough to know why the camera features are being discussed.  We need to understand about rain to understand the wipers.


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## tecboy (Apr 25, 2015)

Screw the manual!  Go watch YouTube!




But seriously, I find the manual very interesting to learn like TTL and create auto modes.  It is really fun to learn how to convert color to black & white.  Read the manual, bro.  It teaches you how to do these things in your DSLR.


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## tecboy (Apr 25, 2015)

Was there a lady who don't want to read a manual happened long time ago, and she wanted a half professional camera with full automatic to do the job for her because she had a busy life style?  Then, a lot of members in TPF slammed her, and she left.


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## WayneF (Apr 25, 2015)

tecboy said:


> Was there a lady who don't want to read a manual happened long time ago, and she wanted a half professional camera with full automatic to do the job for her because she had a busy life style?  Then, a lot of members in TPF slammed her, and she left.



We all use automation in high degree..    Camera A or S mode is auto exposure.  Auto focus.  In many cases Auto ISO and Auto White Balance.  TTL flash is automation. Often, all of the above (whether we call it Auto mode or not).   And often people claiming to use Manual exposure mean they simply just zero the meter by hand..  And compared to old time cameras, auto film advance and auto shutter cocking.  

But skill and knowledge is the knowing when and how to deviate from that automation to improve the results, or match our goal.


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## KmH (Apr 25, 2015)

The camera users manual tells you what features, capabilities and functions your camera has and how to activate each one
It is not likely you will use all of the features, capabilities and functions your camera has , but it sure is helpful what is available.

Your user manual will not tell you how to make pleasing photos.
If you want to make quality photos you will have to do even more reading so you can learn about how the different exposure settings- shutter speed, lens aperture, ISO - metering, composition, white balance, and exposure compensation all relate when making a photograph.

Books (hard copy or online) and printed reference material have the advantage over Internet searches in that they tend to be organized in a logical progression all in one place.

Internet searches have the advantage of you discovering information you didn't know you want to know by serendipity, but have the disadvantage of not being complete nor in a organized natural progression.


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## soufiej (Apr 25, 2015)

tecboy said:


> Was there a lady who don't want to read a manual happened long time ago, and she wanted a half professional camera with full automatic to do the job for her because she had a busy life style?  Then, a lot of members in TPF slammed her, and she left.




I suppose how much you should read depends first, on how much you already know and, second, how much you think you'll need to know.  

You have an entry level DSLR.  Does that mean you are an entry level user?   

If you generally know your way around a DSLR, then you don't need to go through a repeat of all the boring stuff that comes with an entry level DSLR.  The most boring stuff is the stuff you'll never use.   Plenty of folks buy a DSLR and then never really move the camera off some fully automatic mode.  But they want to take videos and send them to friends and family.  That, in general, isn't the typical forum member here.  For that you should go to the Nikon forum itself.  Not this forum's Nikon section but the real Nikon forum set up by Nikon.  That's where the point and shoot Nikon users hang out and they'll be happy to answer your P & S type questions on your Nikon.

If that's you, a point and shoot type DSLR owner/user,  there's no need to learn how to use the P, A, T and M modes.  Sort of like you'll never need to know the towing capacity of your pick 'em up truck or how to use the hitch if you bought a pick 'em up truck just to look stylin'.  If you are unlikely to use the fully automatic modes, then there's no real need to read much about them.  If you know your way around a full set of kitchen knives and when to use the boning knife and not the paring knife, then you don't need to read the heating directions for a can of soup.  If you know enough to shoot in shutter priority to, say, stop fast action sports, then you don't need to know about the little icon with the runner.  If you're always going out for Thanksgiving dinner, there's no need to read up on just how to roast a turkey.  If you're the one preparing Thanksgiving dinner, no need to find the best restaurants for Thanksgiving dinner.   Make sense?

So look through the manual's Table of Contents and decide which portions are not very useful to you.  I would think anyone would benefit from reading the middle section of the manual, "More on Photography".  It details many of the most used and most useful features of your camera.  Unless you have just traded in last year's model for this year's model, most modern DSLR's are packed with features which change over the course of a few years.  When I upgraded from my ten year old DSLR to a new camera, I looked at the features and how they operate and how to operate them first - and then I came back and read them again after a few weeks of actually using the camera.  They had almost completely changed from ten years prior.  *At the very least, you should know how to make your camera work for you and not against you.  At the very best, you want to control the camera and not have the camera control you and your results.  *

You *REALLY* need to have  handle on the menus.  These are the heart and soul of a modern DSLR and if you can't figure out why features come and go as you change controls or why you're having such a hard time sending images to facebook, then you absolutely need to know the menus.  It doesn't much matter how much you know about photography or your last camera, you need to know the menus for this camera.  Even if you shoot only in the "point and shoot" modes, you still need the menus to set up the camera.  

And, if you don't want to learn that much about your new toy, then you'll definitely need to know how to delete images from the camera.  

If you're not taking movies or doing other fancy stuff a new DSLR can do, don't bother reading the manual for that stuff.  Taking the above into consideration, that should eliminate about half the manual you no longer need to read until you think you want to know what it says.  But particularly with the menus, a "hands on" guy or not needs to have their hands on their camera while they're reading and doing.  While it's fairly intuitive when it comes to setting the date and time or whether you want the camera to use a specific image numbering system, knowing when you want to use certain focusing modes and metering modes and built in assists offered by the camera and controlled through the menus is not so logical.   If you're not using fully automatic shooting modes, you'll need to know what all those icons on the LCD screen are telling you and how to use them to successfully use the camera.  So, at the least, go to the index of the manual and look at what's there.  Then read up on those items which you feel you will particularly need to know out in the field.  

If you've had your camera in your hands during this, that much should get you out taking photos.  

If you don't care to wade through manuals, then I would suggest you buy a "cheat sheet" for your specific camera; PhotoBert Search

That will give you the down and dirty info on your camera that you can carry with you. 

Then, since different people learn in different ways and reading is boring to some, just sit with your camera in your hands and do a search engine for "Nikon D3300 tips and tutorials".  Again, if the tips are for macro photography and you don't have any interest in seeing the eyes of a bug up close and personal, don't bother watching that video.  If you are thinking you might be doing some low light, night photography, there's likely a video just on that for your specific camera.  

Now, if all that sounds too much to deal with, just take your camera out and put the dial on "point and shoot"  and start snapping the shutter.  You'll eventually either get bored with the same ol' same ol' look coming from your more expensive than a point and shoot DSLR and you'll read up on how to take better photos or you'll just keep on doing the same "P & S" thing and getting the same results.  Since you haven't said how much you already know or think you want to know, that's the quickest, least painful method for someone who gets bored with reading manuals way to go about this.  

So, if you don't know anything much about cameras, I'm assuming you don't or you wouldn't even be asking how much of the manual you need to read, how did you decide the Nikon was the camera to buy?


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## Buckster (Apr 25, 2015)

If you've read all the responses here so far, you've already read more than you would have had to read in the first several pages of the manual to get you going with your new camera.

ETA: And you'd know far more if you'd read those pages instead of this thread.


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## tecboy (Apr 25, 2015)

The more you read about your dslr, you will have a lot of fun.  The less you read, you will shoot boring pictures.


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## Designer (Apr 25, 2015)

I still say my answer was the best.  

Seriously.

Dude.


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## Derrel (Apr 25, 2015)

One does not _*need to know*_ how to tear down and then rebuild an engine in order to be a perfectly good driver.
One does not need to hatch the eggs, then raise the chicks to adulthood, then slaughter the chickens, gut and pluck them, and then cut them up, in order to make good fried chicken.


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## 480sparky (Apr 25, 2015)

Derrel said:


> ......
> One does not need to nurse the piglets, then raise them to adulthood, then slaughter the hogs, gut and skin them, and then cut them up, in order to make good bacon.



Jeez, Darrel. If you're going to use parables here, at least use the TPF-correct parables!


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## Derrel (Apr 25, 2015)

480sparky said:


> Derrel said:
> 
> 
> > ......
> ...



Thank you 480farty. I appreciate your continual misspelling of my given name.


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## 480sparky (Apr 25, 2015)

Derrel said:


> 480sparky said:
> 
> 
> > Derrel said:
> ...



You can blame my computer's auto-correct for that.  It's learned to spell it that way by default since I have an uncle named Darrel.


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## raventepes (Apr 25, 2015)

Here's what I suggest you do. Take a skim through the manual and take note of anything important to basic function and then shelf it for any reference. Take out your camera, and familierize yourself with it. Look through all the menus and investigate anything that catches your interest. Take your time with this step. 

Here are some basic settings that I (and my wife) keep on my wife's D3300. 

Metering: Matrix (sensor meters light for the whole scene) Good for landscapes, seascapes
                   Sometimes, she switches to Spot, which meters for the focal point only.  There are the only two I think are important at this                              stage.
                   Center Weight is good for when you want to fill the entire center of the frame. I use it a lot for product photography. 

AF: For most situations, I recommend just using Dynamic. I don't think you're going to need much of the 3D mode, and I try to steer everyone away from Auto, though it can be useful at times.  

Focus Mode: I'd keep it to AF-A to start with. The more you start learning, the more you'll get the feel for when you need which mode. Or, if you're like me, most of the time I just keep it in AF-A. 

White Balance: Auto

Quality: Here's where I can't entirely help you. I don't know what kind of software you intend to run. Personally, I like shooting RAW+JPEG. If you intend to shoot with RAW, that's great! If you just want to shoot JPG, that's fine too, but I do recommend you use Fine JPEG

Picture Control: Another one that's kind of up to you. I'd play with the various settings to find out what you like. One thing to note on this though is that its's only good for shooting JPEG. Any RAW (Nikon calls it NEF) photos you may take, the Picture Control is completely disregarded. 

ISO: Typically 200-400 for well lit areas, up to 1600 for less than idea situations

From there, turn your dial, and stick it in Manual (M). Take a look through your viewfinder and notice your light meter. It's dead center at the bottom. For this, you need a basic grasp of the Light Triangle. It takes 3 things to properly expose a picture. The right shutter speed, the right aperture (f Number), and the right ISO. Your camera is capable of shooting from 1/4000 to 30 full seconds (Or more if you use BULB) frame rates. It's also able to go from ISO 100-12,800 and Hi1. The rule of thumb is to keep your ISO as low as possible. The higher the ISO, the more noise is introduced. 

Your shutter speed is how long you expose your picture. Use a faster shutter speed to freeze, use a slower speed to add fluidity or blur. 

The Aperture adjusts how open or closed your lens is. Think of it like the iris or your eyes, because that's basically what it is. For a lot of images, I keep my aperture at f/8. If I'm looking for subject isolation, I'll take it down to either shoot wide open (f/3.5-5.6 on the kit lens, depending on where the zoom is. This is an important thing to remember. On the kit lens, your maximum f/number (smallest number) is dictated by how far zoomed in or out you are. The number changes wherever you are on your zoom.) The faster your f/number is, the more isolation and background blur (bokeh) you get. There's more to it, of course, and there are ways to over-exaggerate the effect, but that's something left for another time. I don't recommend maxing out your aperture with a high f/number (Like f/32). Simply put, it creates terrible photos with optical imperfections like fringing, unless you want it that way for whatever reason, than by all means... 

Now is where you put it all together. If, say, I was outside shooting my wife and kids on a nice, sun-shiny day at a park, I'd typically use a set up like ISO 400, f/8, and a shutter speed, dictated by the available light. But that's if I wanted a fairly crisp over-all shot. If I wanted to isolate my subject, I'd pull my aperture up to however wide open I could get it for where I have zoom. If it started to get darker out, I'd simply bump up my ISO, which up to ISO 1600 is fairly acceptable, though it does have a small bit of noise. I only lower my shutter speed if I absolutely have to, and by that time, it'd be best to just use your onboard flash, provided you're not trying to light en entire scene. Again though, flash is another topic. 

Now here's the trick. There's really no right or wrong way to expose a picture. Everything in the Exposure Triangle is variable and dependent on a number of factors, which include available light, weather you want to over or under expose, weather you're looking for a specific effect, and so on. There are pretty close to infinite combinations out there. To be honest, you can take the same picture a number of ways by using different combinations. To start with, I'd keep your photos exposed to 0 on your light meter, but if you feel the need to over or under expose (your light meter will dictate with bars on either side of the "0"), that's perfectly fine. Sometimes, it helps! 

I like suggesting people start off working almost purely in Manual from time to time for a couple weeks.  It'll help you understand the exposure triangle and give you a feel for various conditions. I've lost track of how many times I've been out driving or walking, and something catches my attention, but the trick was to not fumble with controls much, or I'd lose the shot. I had to know a rough setting from memory or I'd lose what I was after all together. Sometimes, it's not as simple as throwing your camera into full auto, provided the camera you're using even has it at all! Bodies like the D810, Df, and D4 don't have it, so again...it's good to know, especially with higher end bodies. Thankfully, I don't make too many miscalculations at this point, and if I do make a mistake, it's easily fixed by shooting in RAW and adjusting post-process in Photoshop. 

Photograph everything in sight and from various distances, angles, focal lengths, and settings, and even different focal points. Although it probably wasn't needed, I shot purely in Manual a year and a half or so. Anymore, I'll generally use either Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority semi-automatic modes depending on what I'm taking a picture of. Sometimes, I'll even switch to Auto. I don't recommend taking nearly as long as I did working in only Manual, or even suggest that it would be a good idea to only shoot in it like I did. I will say that it taught me a lot. 

Like I said earlier, kind of use it as a "Time to Time" thing so that you can learn and understand exposures for different situations. I don't entirely recommend shooting exclusively in it, even during your initial couple weeks with your new camera. Play with the different modes available, but at the same time, I can't stress learning Manual mode enough. Each mode have their own strengths and weaknesses for various uses, including full Auto. Learn which mode suits you best and when. 

Most importantly though, have fun with your photography, and I really do wish you all the best of luck. I'll be honest. I'm not a technical shooter. I can't tell you the physics behind photography, but I can tell you what works for me.


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## Designer (Apr 25, 2015)

Geeze!  You think he's going to actually read that hugely-long post?  The whole thing?  

Maybe you missed the OP.


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## Designer (Apr 25, 2015)

Hey, man, if I can't write it on my palm, it's too much.


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## table1349 (Apr 25, 2015)

Designer said:


> Hey, man, if I can't write it on my palm, it's too much.


And in breaking news..............The author of the famous person poem..
"Here I sit all broken hearted,
Came to sh........... Well you know the rest"  has finally been discovered.


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## Designer (Apr 25, 2015)

I would bow, but you know, I'd better not.


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## PhotogWannabe (May 4, 2015)

Designer said:


> Hey, man, if I can't write it on my palm, it's too much.


Thanks for the laugh this morning. I agree that flipping through a long manual is rather daunting but I have never regretted doing just that for any camera I have ever owned. It really is important, for me at least, to know all the ins and outs of a camera I am not familiar with and manual usually helps me get started.


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## astroNikon (May 4, 2015)

Designer said:


> Hey, man, if I can't write it on my palm, it's too much.


I only got half way through your post

what did the other half say ?


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## Designer (May 4, 2015)

My user's manual is dog-eared, sticky-flagged, soiled, and bent, and I'm about half-way through it!


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## kass617 (May 4, 2015)

What works for me with most new products is I'll sit on the couch with the manual and the product.  Throw an old favorite movie on in the background (so it doesn't require your attention, but you can look up every once in a while for a break of the monotony) and just go through it chapter by chapter, making sure to find and test out what's being referenced.  Press the buttons referenced, see what they do, take a shot of the living room, see the result.  Goodfellas is a good movie because it's pretty long, so it gives you plenty of time to get through most of the manual.


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## table1349 (May 4, 2015)

Designer said:


> My user's manual is dog-eared, sticky-flagged, soiled, and bent, and I'm about half-way through it!


So how do you dog ear a computer screen.   As far as the sticky and soiled...........well we don't really want to know.


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## Designer (May 4, 2015)

The paper one.


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## table1349 (May 4, 2015)

Designer said:


> The paper one.


They still make those things in paper???


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## jarg007 (May 4, 2015)

PhotogWannabe said:


> Designer said:
> 
> 
> > Hey, man, if I can't write it on my palm, it's too much.
> ...


i just started shooting (1 week in) with my camera and i've gone through a portion of the manual but not the whole thing. I'm to the point where I feel like I should go back and learn the ins and outs, i would say.


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## jarg007 (May 4, 2015)

kass617 said:


> What works for me with most new products is I'll sit on the couch with the manual and the product.  Throw an old favorite movie on in the background (so it doesn't require your attention, but you can look up every once in a while for a break of the monotony) and just go through it chapter by chapter, making sure to find and test out what's being referenced.  Press the buttons referenced, see what they do, take a shot of the living room, see the result.  Goodfellas is a good movie because it's pretty long, so it gives you plenty of time to get through most of the manual.


thats why i wish i had a physical manual


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## Designer (May 4, 2015)

gryphonslair99 said:


> Designer said:
> 
> 
> > The paper one.
> ...


Well, they did when I bought my camera.


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## otherprof (May 4, 2015)

jarg007 said:


> Is there a short cut to learning the camera, im more of a hands on learner. I've got a nikon d3300 should be here tomorrow and i've downloaded the manual. Is there a short cut to learning the camera or can anyone recommend the really important parts. It's like pulling my hair out reading that thing.


The way I used to learn sophisticated computer programs was suggested to me by a friend and it worked very well. He sat me in front of a computer and had me start working on a document. He then said, "call me when there is something you can't do," and walked away. I think that method works well with manual - when you want to do something and don't know how, look it up. Reading it all the way through will not produce much in the way of results - except that you will probably learn that it is possible to do things you never thought to ask about.


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## Overread (May 4, 2015)

Prof - I think that depends. It depends how much you already know or how much you know about the items potential and the subject or what's pushing you forward. Learning what you need when you need it does work, it can work very well; but you have to have some idea that its possible in the first place or that it even exists. Otherwise what happens is you can quickly end up not using features or not realising that it can do something because you're so green to it - and in a hobby environment you won't get that same push that a job will have (because in a job you'll be tasked to do something - if you can't do that thing then you know  there's something in the software that can do it that you don't know of). 

Flicking through the manual helps because it introduces you to ideas and functions of the camera. Yes at first its a bit overwhelming; but that's why you play with it and practice; and then later you think "hey I'm on a tripod, I can use that mirror-lockup thing that I read about - now what page was it" or "I can use that delay mode, whatever its called" and thus you go look for it. 

If you never flicked through you might never know its there to look for it.



It's a bit like Googling; sometimes you have to know part of the answer in order to be able and to know to ask the question in the first place.


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## table1349 (May 4, 2015)

jarg007 said:


> kass617 said:
> 
> 
> > What works for me with most new products is I'll sit on the couch with the manual and the product.  Throw an old favorite movie on in the background (so it doesn't require your attention, but you can look up every once in a while for a break of the monotony) and just go through it chapter by chapter, making sure to find and test out what's being referenced.  Press the buttons referenced, see what they do, take a shot of the living room, see the result.  Goodfellas is a good movie because it's pretty long, so it gives you plenty of time to get through most of the manual.
> ...


http://download3.nikonimglib.com/archive1/Wywwt00lh46s0109T7E089fAaV06/D3300RM_(En)02.pdf
Download it and print it.  Wallah-Physical manual.


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## pgriz (May 4, 2015)

It's hard to learn something from the manual in one (long) session.  What makes sense is the iterative approach - learn a bit, play with it a bit, go back to the manual and reread, then play some more.   Sooner or later, it'll start making sense.  Then you go to the next chapter.  Rinse, repeat.


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