Darrell Young - Mastering the Nikon D7100

Darrell Young (Digital Darrell) is an information technology engineer by trade. Hes been an avid photographer since 1968 when his mother gave him a Brownie Hawkeye camera.

Darrell has used Nikon cameras and Nikkor lenses since 1980. He has an incurable case of Nikon Acquisition Syndrome (NAS) and delights in working with Nikons newest digital cameras.

Living near Great Smoky Mountains National Park has given him a real concern for the natural environment and a deep interest in nature photography.

He loves to write, as you can see in the Resources area of the Nikonians Online community (www.Nikonians.org). He joined the community in the year 2000, and his literary contributions led to his invitation to become a Founding Member of the Nikonians Writers Guild.

Darrell Young

Darrell Young (aka Digital Darrell)

Editor: Jocelyn Howell

Copyeditor: Jeanne Hansen

Layout: Petra Strauch

Cover Design: Helmut Kraus, www.exclam.de

Printer: Sheridan Books, Inc.

Printed in USA

ISBN 978-1-937538-32-3

1st Edition

2013 Darrell Young

Rocky Nook, Inc.

802 E. Cota Street, 3rd Floor

Santa Barbara, CA 93103

www.rockynook.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Young, Darrell, 1958
Mastering the Nikon D7100 / by Darrell Young. -- 1st edition.
pages cm
ISBN 978-1-937538-32-3 (softcover: alk. paper)
1. Nikon digital cameras--Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Single-lens reflex cameras--Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Photography--Digital techniques--Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title.
TR263.N5Y688 2013
771.3--dc23
2013023238

Distributed by OReilly Media

1005 Gravenstein Highway North

Sebastopol, CA 95472

All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the publisher.

Many of the designations in this book used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks of their respective companies. Where those designations appear in this book, and Rocky Nook was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in caps or initial caps. All product names and services identified throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention of infringement of the trademark. They are not intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book. Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

While reasonable care has been exercised in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author(s) assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein or from the use of the discs or programs that may accompany it.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

This book is dedicated to:

My wife of many years, Brenda; the love of my life and best friend...

My children, Autumn, David, Emily, Hannah, and Ethan, five priceless gifts ...

My mother and father, Barbara and Vaughn, who brought me into this world and guided my early life, teaching me sound principles to live by ...

My Nikonians editor, Tom Bon, without whose assistance I could not possibly write books ...

My friends J. Ramon Palacios and Bo Stahlbrandt, who make it possible to belong to Nikonians.org, the worlds best Nikon Users Community ...

The wonderful staff of Rocky Nook, including Gerhard Rossbach, Joan Dixon, Jocelyn Howell, and Matthias Rossmanith ...

My copyeditor, Jeanne Hansen (www.hansenedits.com), whose eye for detail and knowledge of the English language made this book much nicer for its readers ...

And, finally, to Nikon, who makes the worlds best cameras and lenses.

Special Thanks to:

Brad Berger of www.Berger-Bros.com (800-542-8811) for helping me obtain a Nikon D7100 early in its production cycle so that I could write this book. I personally buy from and recommend Berger-Bros.com for Nikon cameras, lenses, and accessories. They offer old-time service and classes for your photographic educational needs too!

Steve Wise of www.atomos.com (503-388-3236) for allowing me to use a powerful Atomos Ninja-2 external HDMI video recorder. The revolutionary Ninja-2 is the go-to Smart Production Weapon for Nikon HD-SLR camera owners who want to record the highest quality, uncompressed video their camera can output.

Michael Tapes of mtapesdesign.com (321-752-9700) for providing samples of their excellent products: WhiBal for white balance ambient light (PRE) readings and accurate white balance control; LensAlign and FocusTune for calibrating and fine-tuning autofocus in Nikon DSLRs.

Several years ago the Nikonians community decided to add Nikonians Academy workshops and NikoniansPress books as photography educational tools for its many members. The intent of these additions was to help you become a better photographer as fast and enjoyably as possible.

This joint venture between Nikonians and Rocky Nook has developed a strong following in the camera instruction genre, and Darrell Youngs fastidious attention to detail has been a key ingredient in that trend. Mastering the Nikon D7100 is the 10th book in the Mastering the Nikon DSLR series, which explains how to best use many of Nikons premium DSLR and HD-SLR cameras.

When working with a new camera, Darrells first step is to read the Nikon Users Manual as many times as it takes to understand important concepts. Once he grasps the concepts and basic directions available in the manual, he takes those concepts and directions into the field, making sure he understands how each camera feature can be applied to basic photography and specialty applications such as landscapes, weddings, events, and portraits. After he is satisfied that he has mastered each new feature, he translates his experience into a simple-to-understand sequence of profusely illustrated steps, recommending the best initial settings and shooting techniques to match.

Darrell Youngs unique ability to mix highly specific camera instruction with solid photography basics has been his pathway to success. He merges his friendly advice with layout and graphics improvements suggested by readers of previous books. This book is an excellent example of Darrells penchant for perfection. It also clearly shows his enthusiasm for the Nikon D7100. As you read the pages that follow, you will be the beneficiary of diligence and painstaking attention to detail. By reading this bookwith camera in handyour photography is bound to improve.