Publisher: Wiley
Authors: David D. Busch
List Price: $19.99
Amazon Price: $12.99
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Reviews:
Summary: Mostly excellent
I did notice a couple errors in several of the figures, but I've read the book carefully, and I'd hardly say that a few mislabeled illustrations, and a couple typos qualify as "riddled." I prefer to have my informational glass 99 percent full, rather than claim it's partly empty, when the rest of the guide is so very good. I'm glad to see that the author accepts valid criticism with such good humor.
This book is extremely well organized. I like the way you're given just the information you need, when you need it, so you don't get overwhelmed with too much data when you're still learning to use a very complex camera. For example, in the brief Quick Tour, the author sums up everything you really must understand to get out and begin shooting with your D200.
Then, in the first chapter, he immerses you in a more complete examination of the camera and its controls, from every angle, top, front, back, and sides. I found the views of the D200 with the careful labeling of individual controls (except for the autofocus settings mixup) to be much more helpful than the coarse black and white drawings in the manual. As you progress through the book, you'll learn about metering, setting up your camera, and choosing from available lenses. (Only Nikon lenses are covered in any depth, but the guidelines apply to any other vendor's products, too.)
The last chapter provides discussions of shooting photos in various situations, with example photos and tips. There's enough detail to get you started, but the author obviously knows that the buyers of this camera won't need extensive hand-holding. The techniques are handy to have, and may even serve as a good reminder for more experienced D200 photographers.
All in all, I think this is a mostly excellent effort, with a surprising amount of information in a fairly brief book. There's a good attention to accuracy that easily makes up for minor lapses here and there. This is definitely a bargain.
Summary: Riddled with Errors
This book sometimes provides a better explanation of the D200's features than the Nikon manual, but it unfortunately is riddled with errors. Most of them are merely annoying, but some are pretty egregious. For example, the picture on p. 24 shows the autofocus area selector but mislabels every one of the settings. If you used this as the guide to selecting your autofocus settings, you'd be led pretty far astray. The obvious lack of care used in putting this book together is pretty appalling.
Summary: Much, much better than the owner's manual
About the only thing this book shares with the modest (but useful) manual furnished with the D200 is that both of them are dedicated to bringing you the facts you need to operate this sophisticated camera. The original manual is terse and basic, is illustrated with only line drawings and NO photos, and reads more like a reference book than an actual camera guidebook. The Nikon D200 Digital Field Guide, on the other hand, brings the camera to life with friendly, meaty explanations of camera functions and settings, all illustrated in full color, and with hundreds of brilliant photos.
Because the D200 isn't an entry-level camera, it justifies more than the just-the-basics treatment that it gets from other sources. That's what I found in this book. The fundamentals are there, but the author also diverges into other areas that will help make you a better photographer. I was particularly impressed that all this information is included in a book that's compact enough to take with you anywhere. If you understand the concept of "Field Guide," you'll know the purpose of this book. There's no fluff about software, padding that tells you how to post your photos on a Web site, and, best of all, like other books from this author that I have reviewed, none of the simplistic, condescending tone you often encounter. This one is a keeper.
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