Mastering the Nikon D800
Darrell Young
(Rocky Nook, paperback )
Darrell Young has written so many books about Nikon digital cameras (this is number eight), he is now widely known as “Digital Darrell.”
His latest, written in a friendly style and nicely illustrated, covers the powerful (and, yes, pricey) Nikon D800 and D800E.
“Few photographers will need more power than the Nikon D800/D800E can deliver,” Young contends. “With this camera, you are well equipped for years to come.”
He points out: “At 36.3-megapixel resolution, the D800 [and D800E] moves soundly into medium-format territory.” This Nikon camera “creates a 16×24-inch (40×60 cm) native print at 300 dpi (using FX format)….” And: “with careful post-processing and enlargement, the images can be made, as National Geographic photographer Jim Brandenburg says, ‘as large as a house!’”
Nikon D800/D800E cameras do come with a fairly detailed instruction manual. But Young’s 560-page how-to guide provides expanded coverage and explanations, clear step-by-step instructions, and many illustrations that show features and choices. He takes you literally from unpacking the golden Nikon box to initial set-up, and then all the way through the camera’s photography and video features, built-in flash and Nikon Creative Lighting System capabilities.
D800/800E cameras can offer an intimidating array of choices and settings, particularly if you are new to digital photography and have bought a D800 or D800E to be your first digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera.
But Young calmly states: “There are five specific settings you should configure when you first turn on the camera, before you shoot any pictures. I’ll walk you through the settings. Later chapters will cover virtually all camera settings in detail.”
As you tackle those later chapters and get deeper into the camera’s settings, he recommends that you go through his book “with your camera in hand ready for configuration. There are literally hundreds of things to configure on this advanced HD-SLR,” he writes.
His text includes links to downloadable resources from two websites hosted by Nikonians Press and Rocky Nook. And Digital Darrell promises: “I intend to keep on adding material to Mastering the Nikon D800.”
— Si Dunn
Books, Commentary, & More 