Manual camera Nikon discussion

xenfirm · Joined: 05 Feb 2023 Posts: 1

Hello, I own the Nikon z 50 mirrorless camera, and just received my Nikon z 6 11. I wonder why Nikon could give you a better manual, at least to tell you what the controls do and how to understand to use the controls. I know you can download a better reference manual, but I prefer if they could print and send you one. The one that they give you looks cheap. Just a thought.

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4748 Location: Cheshire, England

I found one online, all 576 pages of it within ten seconds of googling 'manual for Nikon Z 50'

Ken Rockwell has a useful feature on it too where he goes through the basics

titrisol70 · Joined: 14 Dec 2021 Posts: 149 Location: State of Denial

visualopsins · Expire: 2025-04-11

Welcome xenfirm

I heartily agree books are the best random access medium for reading; electronic readers lack the functionality.

For me looking at the camera settings menus on the camera itself is the best way to learn about the options.

You'd probably probably use the cheapest way to print a million or more copies to bundle with your camera although an illuminated manuscript might be a good selling point. LOL

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 3754 Location: Switzerland

Doc Sharptail · Joined: 23 Nov 2020 Posts: 993 Location: Winnipeg Canada

It may be worth it to ask nikon about a hard copy manual.
My latest nikon D-810 came with a 502 page manual.

There are a couple of non-nikon books about the Z series mirrorless cameras around.

As to the D-810 manual, parts of it seem to be worded a little strangely- I suspect a google type translator here.
It is not the equal of the old film camera manuals like the nikon F2 manual, but it covers a ton of features that the F2 never had.

Stephan mentioned books on photography. I agree camera manuals should try to cover enough of the basics to get someone started and off the ground so to speak. There are other books on general photography that will help with honing skills.

If you can find these film era books, they will help a lot with the basics.
Here are a couple I found useful:

Focal Press version of the Ilford manual of photography.
The copy I am now using has dropped the Ilford from the title and it is simply "The Manual Of Photography".
It is the one to look for as it seems to be the latest version.

The 35mm Handbook by Michael Freeman.

While both are film era books, they cover much of the basics that any manual focus lens user SHOULD know.

-D.S.

ZuikosHexanonsandVivitars · Joined: 03 Nov 2021 Posts: 223 Location: Austria

Hello xenfirm, and welcome. Here´s probably what you´re looking for. Some of the manuals offered there are ring binders, some are bound books. Probably the original Nikon content, but not an original manual from Nikon.

https://www.camera-manual.com/nikon-z-6-ii-manual-30440

My D7100 from 2014 came with a full reference manual in paper. Kind of useful and handy in size, a bit abstract though just in the way Doc Sharptail describes it in his post above.

So it´s a new camera that came without full manual? Looks irritating at first, but Nikon probably realized that few people actually read them and decided to do someting good for the environment. Or so. I´d rather go for a good aftermarket camera guide that in most cases covers all functions you´d ever need anyway, plus shows practical appliations and is a more entertaining read on top of it. If there´s really a situation where that book fails, there´s still the pdf manual on the computer.