David Busch's Nikon D60 Guide to Digital SLR Photography

After trying to make sense of the owners manual that came with my Nikon D60, I decided to buy David Busch's Guide. I have learned more from this book than I ever could have with the owners manual. Busch's guide goes way beyond just telling you what all the buttons and settings are for. With his guide you find out how to take beautiful photographs using those same settings and buttons! If you have a Nikon D60, get this book! The camera isn't as complicated as it looks. And taking beauitful professional quality photographs with it isn't complicated either, once you read Busch's book!

Written by a Nikon expert, this book clarifies not only the functions of D-60 but also explains the general concepts of photography. D60 is an entry-level DSLR and most of its users are either amateurs or new photography enthusiasts who are graduating from a point-and-shoot camera to real photography. And Dave Busch has kept this fact in mind while writing this guide. This is literally a complete guide. It starts right from opening that camera box to connecting the cable to computer, and what not. You can skip over these details and come to the chapters detailing the photography concepts and how to best use them in your D60. Remember, it is NOT a Field-Guide. Chapters are NOT divided by settings for Macros, sport mode, nature etc. Rather it is very well divided into Understanding the Menu, Getting Right Exposure, Advanced tips, Lenses, Lighting etc. Initially I was a bit disappointed by the book, since it is not a field-guide, but later I realized that this approach has helped me to get a good hold of the concepts and now I am able to play around with my camera and its settings, rather than just memorizing them. There are also suggestions for buying the accessories, lenses, troubleshooting and preventative maintenance. Everything is well-explained using lots of pictures, which helps a lot. After all, it is a guide for a DSLR..!!!!

I was familiar with Busch's work from his many articles in Popular Photography and other photo magazines, as well as books like Digital SLR Pro Secrets,so I grabbed this huge introduction to photography as soon as it became available. I was not disappointed. His expertise really shows in this huge introduction to photography with the Nikon D60. Virtually everything you need to know about this camera is included between the covers. The level of detail and clarity of explanations far exceeds that of the traditional camera guide. He devotes 65 pages to a thorough explanation of each control and feature of the D60, and how to use them, illustrated with large color photos. Then, beginners and more advanced photogs alike are treated to 81 pages that clear up the mysteries of the D60's menus, and when to use particular options. There are 40 pages of advice on exposure and advanced shooting with the D60, and 30 wonderful pages describing Nikon lenses and the author's extensive experience with each of them. There's 30 pages of tips on using Nikon's CLS flash system that should be enough for any strobe shooter. Only 10 pages are devoted to introducing Nikon software, but I wouldn't want more than that, anyway. I'm glad that nearly all of this book directly relates to photography with the D60. Who wants a book padded with general photo advice, software descriptions, etc.? Heck, the 20 page trouble shooting chapter alone was worth the price of the book, as it includes instructions for cleaning the sensor, which I discovered is sometimes required even with a camera that has built in sensor cleaning. All in all this book showed me why when I want the last word in Nikon expertise, David Busch provides all the answers.

The Nikon D60 is an entry-level camera that deserves more than an entry-level guide book. Unlike hip pocket guides that simply rephrase and condense the instructions in the manual Nikon packs with the camera, this one digs much deeper. It's an excellent introduction to the D60. There are 85 pages explaining the menus alone, with three to four times as much detail than you'll find in other guides, including every option possible, and descriptions of why you'd want to use each setting, all from the beginner's perspective. After you outgrow this setup material, you'll refer to it only as a reference guide. At that point, you'll be ready for the book's real meat, which helps you grow as a photographer with clear explanations of exposure with the D60, using its histograms, and 32 pages on choosing and using Nikon lenses. There's a very useful chapter on using the Nikon electronic speedlights. The author makes more advanced topics understandable and doesn't talk down to you. He seems to know that new Nikon D60 owners, like me, need a lot of hand-holding, but don't want to be held back. We want to learn as much as possible about photography. Having this book is like having a conversation with a patient mentor at your side who gently shows you the wonderful things you can do with this camera. David Busch's Nikon D60 Guide to Digital SLR Photography is unlike any other camera guide I've ever seen. Nikon should have shipped this in the box with the camera.

I think Busch is onto something here, taking an entirely new approach to turn the tired old "camera guide" genre on its ear. I was very impressed with his Nikon D300 guide, and this new Nikon D60 book uses the same format, but is written at a completely different level. Where many Nikon D300 owners are likely to have some experience as they upgrade to a more advanced camera, those who purchase the D60 are probably less experienced, even if they are no less avid in their love of photography. This book is the perfect companion for these fledgling photographers. The differences between this book and the typical guide are easy to see. For example, Busch's easy to understand, but exhaustive analysis of the Custom Setting Menu options alone spans 21 pages, which is more than what some other guides devote to all five of the D60's confusing menus. Yet, the explanations of the Custom Setting Menu are clear and concise enough for a beginner to quickly grasp, and with enough "why" and "how" to satisfy more advanced photographers. Following the same format as his D300 guide, Busch teaches you how to fine-tune exposure, choose a metering method, master autofocus, and use the built-in flash, all written at the level of a typical D60 owner. For example, the chapter on lenses, like the one in the D300 guide, "decodes" the Nikon lens nomenclature system, tells you how to choose among wide angle and telephoto focal lengths, and provides reviews and descriptions of the most popular Nikon lenses. But where his D300 guide includes more expensive and "pro" lenses likely to be of interest to owners of the more advanced camera, Busch here concentrates on the more modest Nikon optics best suited for the Nikon D60. Throughout the book you'll find examples of coverage that has been down-shifted to make it easier for D60 owners to absorb. Finally, note that the title of this book isn't "The Nikon D60 Guide" or some such. It's "David Busch's Nikon D60 Guide to Digital SLR Photography." It's more than a camera guide. It's an introduction to photography aimed at Nikon D60 owners.