Thomas - Nikon D3100 digital field guide Description based on print version record. - Includes index

Nikon D3100 Digital Field Guide

J. Dennis Thomas

Nikon D3100 Digital Field Guide

Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com

Copyright 2011 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2010929411

ISBN: 978-0-470-64865-0

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

About the Author

J. Dennis Thomas is a freelance photographer and author based out of Austin, Texas. He has nearly 25 years of experience behind the lenses of Nikon cameras. His work has been published in regional, national, and international publications including Rolling Stone, SPIN, Country Music Weekly, and SXSW World magazines. He has written ten highly successful Digital Field Guides for Wiley Publishing with more in the works.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to everyone at Wiley, especially Courtney and Carol, for all their help.

Credits

Acquisitions Editor

Courtney Allen

Project Editor

Cricket Krengel

Technical Editor

Alan Hess

Editorial Director

Robyn Siesky

Editorial Manager

Rosemarie Graham

Business Manager

Amy Knies

Senior Marketing Manager

Sandy Smith

Vice President and Executive Group Publisher

Richard Swadley

Vice President and Executive Publisher

Barry Pruett

Project Coordinator

Kristie Rees

Graphics and Production Specialists

Samantha Cherolis

Jennifer Henry

Andrea Hornberger

Nikki Gately

Proofreading and Indexing

Melissa D. Buddendeck

Valerie Haynes Perry

Introduction

Welcome to the Nikon D3100 Digital Field Guide. This book is a handy reference for you to get started learning about all of the features and functions of your Nikon D3100 dSLR camera.

This Digital Field Guide isnt meant to replace the users manual but to be an adjunct to it, explaining things more simply and in more detail than in the manual. The guide is aimed at D3100 owners who are just beginning in the world of digital SLRs up to advanced users with more hands-on knowledge of photography.

The Nikon D3100 Digital Field Guide covers not only the specifics of the D3100 but also many other facets of digital photography, from the basics of exposure to lighting and composition. Theres also a chapter to help you get started with Nikons Creative Lighting System and all of the possibilities that Nikons Speedlights offer.

About This Book

The first few chapters cover the basics of the camera: the buttons and switches, the menu options, and the different settings. These are all described in detail with some tips on how to effectively use them.

Other chapters include information on lenses, how they work, and what applications specific lenses are best for. Theres a primer on working with different lighting types as well as a chapter that teaches you how to take on different photographic tasks.

To put it simply, theres a lot of information in this book. Theres a good bit of information for everyone, from the new photographer to the advanced hobbyist.

About the D3100

The D3100 is Nikons newest and possibly its most innovative camera released since the D90. Nikon has finally included full 1080p HD video in a dSLR and, in addition, they have added a full time autofocus feature that no other camera manufacturer offers. Nikon took the small size of the D3000 camera body and built on it. The D3100 has many useful features to allow the beginning photographer to grow with the camera while also appealing to those more advanced photographers who have become accustomed to cameras that have buttons to adjust the setting rather than doing everything through the menu mode. If you are stepping up from the D3000 or similar camera, such as a D40, you will surely appreciate these added buttons. And, you will definitely notice that changing the settings is much quicker with a simple flick of a switch or press of a button.

One big step up from the D3000 is the addition of a 14.2 megapixel CMOS sensor with the brand new EXPEED 2 image processor. This is the highest resolution camera Nikon offers with the exception of the top-of-the-line D3X. The EXPEED 2 image processor promises to deliver low noise images even at higher ISO settings.

The D3100 has also inherited the Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus (AF) module that was introduced with Nikons semiprofessional D200. This is a very fast and accurate AF module that allows precise control of focus points. The D3100 also has 3D-tracking focus, which makes it a snap for shooting pictures of moving subjects without worrying about focus.