Julie Adair King Author of Digital Photography For Dummies Learn to: • Take advantage of all your camera’s functions and modes • Get results from the exposure, focus, and color settings • Download images to your PC and retouch, print, and share them IN FULL COLOR! Nikon ® D3000 Making Everything Easier! ™ Open the book and find: • Details about every camera option • Answers to common photography questions • Secrets for capturing great action shots • Pro techniques for photographing people and pets • Ways to avoid red-eye and other photo problems • Fun effects you can add with your camera • When to use JPEG and when to use RAW • Simple explanations of f-stops, shutter speed, ISO, and other photo terms Julie Adair King has been writing about digital cameras and photography for more than a decade. She is the author of several books on various Nikon and Canon cameras as well as Digital Photography For Dummies, and she teaches beginning digital photographers at the Palm Beach Photographic Centre. PHOTOGRAPHY/Techniques/Digital $29.99 US / $35.99 CN / £21.99 UK ISBN 978-0-470-57894-0 Go to Dummies.com ® for videos, step-by-step examples, how-to articles, or to shop the store! Congratulations — you’ve chosen to take greater control over your photos with a dSLR camera! Now get expert advice on making the most of your Nikon D3000. Learn how to use its many settings, how to get the best results in automatic mode, when to use the built-in flash, how to produce prints that look as good as they do on your monitor, and more. • Lenses, modes, and more — learn to attach and remove lenses, set the focus mode, and use all the controls • Quality control — discover how to get the best picture quality and solve common image problems • Cultivate creativity — explore automatic Scene modes and then step up to full control with manual exposure modes • Processing your pictures — download your images to your computer, process RAW files, and organize your photos • Share — find out how to get perfect prints, optimize photos for e-mailing, and create a digital slide show Explore your camera’s creative options and learn to get great shots with your dSLR! In Color Nikon ® D3000 Nikon ® D3000 King spine=.67” Start with FREE Cheat Sheets Cheat Sheets include • Checklists • Charts • Common Instructions • And Other Good Stuff! Get Smart at Dummies.com Dummies.com makes your life easier with 1,000s of answers on everything from removing wallpaper to using the latest version of Windows. Check out our • Videos • Illustrated Articles • Step-by-Step instructions Plus, each month you can win valuable prizes by entering our Dummies.com sweepstakes. * Want a weekly dose of Dummies? Sign up for Newsletters on • Digital Photography • Microsoft Windows & Office • Personal Finance & Investing • Health & Wellness • Computing, iPods & Cell Phones • eBay • Internet • Food, Home & Garden Find out “HOW” at Dummies.com *Sweepstakes not currently available in all countries, visit Dummies.com for official rules. Get More and Do More at Dummies.com ® To access the Cheat Sheet created specifically for this book, go to dummies.com/cheatsheet/nikonD3000 spine=.67” by Julie Adair King Nikon ® D3000 FOR DUMmIES ‰ 01_578940-ffirs.indd i01_578940-ffirs.indd i 10/28/09 2:40 PM10/28/09 2:40 PM Nikon ® D3000 For Dummies ® Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River Street Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permit- ted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http:// www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its af liates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. Nikon is a registered trademark of Nikon Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITH- OUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. 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Library of Congress Control Number: 2009939783 ISBN: 978-0-470-57894-0 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 01_578940-ffirs.indd ii01_578940-ffirs.indd ii 10/28/09 2:40 PM10/28/09 2:40 PM About the Author Julie Adair King is the author of many books about digital photography and imaging, including the best-selling Digital Photography For Dummies. Her most recent titles include a series of For Dummies guides to popular digital SLR cameras, including the Nikon D5000, D300s, D90, D60, and D40/D40x. Other works include Digital Photography Before & After Makeovers, Digital Photo Projects For Dummies, Julie King’s Everyday Photoshop For Photographers, Julie King’s Everyday Photoshop Elements, and Shoot Like a Pro!: Digital Photography Techniques. When not writing, King teaches digital photography at such locations as the Palm Beach Photographic Center. A graduate of Purdue University, she resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. Author’s Acknowledgments I am grateful beyond measure to the team of talented professionals at John Wiley & Sons for all their efforts in putting together this book. Special thanks go to editors Kim Darosett and Heidi Unger, for whom the adjective awesome is an understatement; I am so, so fortunate to have you on my team. I also owe much to many other folks in both the editorial and art departments, including Rashell Smith, Shelley Lea, Steve Hayes, Andy Cummings, and Mary Bednarek. Last but not least, I am also indebted to technical editor Chuck Pace, without whose insights and expertise this book would not have been the same. 01_578940-ffirs.indd iii01_578940-ffirs.indd iii 10/28/09 2:40 PM10/28/09 2:40 PM Publisher’s Acknowledgments We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following: Acquisitions and Editorial Project Editor: Kim Darosett Executive Editor: Steven Hayes Copy Editor: Heidi Unger Technical Editor: Chuck Pace Editorial Manager: Leah Cameron Editorial Assistant: Amanda Graham Sr. Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com) Composition Services Project Coordinator: Patrick Redmond Layout and Graphics: Claudia Bell, Samantha K. Cherolis Proofreader: Susan Hobbs Indexer: Slivoskey Indexing Services Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies Richard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group Publisher Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher Mary Bednarek, Executive Acquisitions Director Mary C. Corder, Editorial Director Publishing for Consumer Dummies Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher Composition Services Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services 01_578940-ffirs.indd iv01_578940-ffirs.indd iv 10/28/09 2:40 PM10/28/09 2:40 PM Contents at a Glance Introduction 1 Part I: Fast Track to Super Snaps 7 Chapter 1: Getting the Lay of the Land 9 Chapter 2: Taking Great Pictures, Automatically 45 Chapter 3: Controlling Picture Quality and Size 65 Chapter 4: Reviewing Your Photos 87 Part II: Taking Creative Control 115 Chapter 5: Getting Creative with Exposure and Lighting 117 Chapter 6: Manipulating Focus and Color 157 Chapter 7: Putting It All Together 193 Part III: Working with Picture Files 213 Chapter 8: Downloading, Organizing, and Archiving Your Picture Files 215 Chapter 9: Printing and Sharing Your Pictures 243 Part IV: The Part of Tens 265 Chapter 10: Ten Fun and Practical Retouch Menu Features 267 Chapter 11: Ten Special-Purpose Features to Explore on a Rainy Day 287 Index 313 02_578940-ftoc.indd v02_578940-ftoc.indd v 10/28/09 2:41 PM10/28/09 2:41 PM 02_578940-ftoc.indd vi02_578940-ftoc.indd vi 10/28/09 2:41 PM10/28/09 2:41 PM Table of Contents Introduction 1 A Quick Look at What’s Ahead 2 Part I: Fast Track to Super Snaps 2 Part II: Taking Creative Control 2 Part III: Working with Picture Files 3 Part IV: The Part of Tens 3 Icons and Other Stuff to Note 4 About the Software Shown in This Book 5 eCheat Sheet 5 Practice, Be Patient, and Have Fun! 5 Part I: Fast Track to Super Snaps 7 Chapter 1: Getting the Lay of the Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Getting Comfortable with Your Lens 10 Attaching a lens 10 Removing a lens 12 Using a VR (vibration reduction) lens 12 Setting the focus mode (auto or manual) 13 Zooming in and out 14 Adjusting the View nder Focus 15 Working with Memory Cards 16 Exploring External Camera Controls 19 Topside controls 19 Back-of-the-body controls 20 Front-left buttons 22 Ordering from Camera Menus 24 Using the guided menus 24 Ordering off the main menus 29 Monitoring Shooting Settings 31 Using the Quick Settings Screen 32 Displaying Help Screens 34 Customizing Your Camera 34 Restoring Default Settings 42 02_578940-ftoc.indd vii02_578940-ftoc.indd vii 10/28/09 2:41 PM10/28/09 2:41 PM viii Nikon D3000 For Dummies Chapter 2: Taking Great Pictures, Automatically. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Getting Good Point-and-Shoot Results 46 Using Flash in Automatic Exposure Modes 50 Exploring Your Automatic Exposure Options 52 Auto mode 52 Scene modes 54 Changing the (Shutter Button) Release Mode 61 Chapter 3: Controlling Picture Quality and Size. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Diagnosing Quality Problems 66 Considering Resolution (Image Size) 68 Pixels and print quality 69 Pixels and screen display size 70 Pixels and le size 71 Resolution recommendations 72 Understanding the Image Quality Options 74 JPEG: The imaging (and Web) standard 75 NEF (RAW): The purist’s choice 79 My take: Choose JPEG Fine or NEF (RAW) 82 Setting Image Size and Quality 83 Chapter 4: Reviewing Your Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Setting Playback Timing Preferences 88 Adjusting playback timing 88 Adjusting and disabling instant review 90 Enabling Automatic Picture Rotation 91 Viewing Images in Playback Mode 92 Viewing multiple images at a time 94 Displaying photos in Calendar view 96 Zooming in for a closer view 97 Viewing Picture Data 98 File Information mode 100 RGB Histogram mode 102 Highlight display mode 104 Shooting Data display mode 105 Overview Data mode 106 Deleting Photos 108 Deleting images one at a time 108 Deleting all photos 109 Deleting a batch of selected photos 110 Protecting Photos 112 02_578940-ftoc.indd viii02_578940-ftoc.indd viii 10/28/09 2:41 PM10/28/09 2:41 PM [...]... things, either In classic For Dummies style, everything is explained in easy-to-understand language, with lots of illustrations to help clear up any confusion In short, what you have in your hands is the paperback version of an in-depth photography workshop tailored specifically to your Nikon picture-taking powerhouse 03_578940-intro.indd 1 10/28/09 2:33 PM 2 Nikon D3000 For Dummies A Quick Look at What’s... Combining Two Photos with Image Overlay 299 Turning Still Photos into a Stop-Motion Movie 303 Creating a Miniature Effect 309 Index 313 02_578940-ftoc.indd xi 10/28/09 2:41 PM xii Nikon D3000 For Dummies 02_578940-ftoc.indd xii 10/28/09 2:41 PM Introduction O nce upon a time, making the move from a point-and-shoot digital camera to an SLR model required boatloads of cash and the... read your software manual for details And of course, there are For Dummies books on all the major image editing applications, and you can use them if you find the manual a tad — ahem — boring.) eCheat Sheet As a little added bonus, you can find an electronic version of the famous For Dummies Cheat Sheet at www .dummies. com/cheatsheet/nikond3000 The Cheat Sheet contains a quick-reference guide to all the... occasion, or a bit of both 03_578940-intro.indd 3 10/28/09 2:33 PM 4 Nikon D3000 For Dummies Icons and Other Stuff to Note If this isn’t your first For Dummies book, you may be familiar with the large, round icons that decorate its margins If not, here’s your very own icondecoder ring: A Tip icon flags information that will save you time, effort, money, or some other valuable resource, including your sanity... you’re informed that all images will be deleted, and you’re asked to confirm your decision to format the card Highlight Yes and press the OK button to go forward If you insert a memory card and see the letters For in the viewfinder, you must format the card before you can do anything else You also see a message requesting formatting on the camera monitor Some computer programs enable you to format cards... external controls plus a quick introduction to each One note before you move on: Many of the buttons perform multiple functions and so have multiple “official” names The AE-L/AF-L button, for example, is also known as the Protect button In the camera manual, Nikon s instructions refer to these multi-tasking buttons by the name that’s relevant for the current function I think that’s a little confusing,... otherwise annoying, you can disable it via the AF-assist option on the Shooting menu Chapter 6 provides more help with this feature and autofocusing in general The AF-assist lamp also shoots out light when you use red-eye reduction flash and the self-timer shutter release mode, both covered in Chapter 2 You can’t disable the lamp for these two functions Back-of-the-body controls Traveling over the top of the... 193 Recapping Basic Picture Settings 194 Setting Up for Specific Scenes 194 Shooting still portraits 195 Capturing action 201 02_578940-ftoc.indd ix 10/28/09 2:41 PM x Nikon D3000 For Dummies Capturing scenic vistas 205 Capturing dynamic close-ups 208 Coping with Special Situations 210 Part III: Working with Picture... pictures for online sharing, create digital slide shows, and, for times when you have the neighbors over, display your pictures on a television screen Part IV: The Part of Tens In famous For Dummies tradition, the book concludes with two “top ten” lists containing additional bits of information and advice ✓ Chapter 10, “Ten Fun and Practical Retouch Menu Features,” shows you how to fix less-than-perfect... can see the markings in question in Figure 1-1 05_578940-ch01.indd 10 10/28/09 2:34 PM Chapter 1: Getting the Lay of the Land Note that the figure (and others in this book) shows the D3000 with its so-called “kit lens” — the 18–55mm AF-S Vibration Reduction (VR) zoom lens that Nikon sells as a unit with the body If you buy a lens from a manufacturer other than Nikon, your dot may be red or some other . to dummies. com/cheatsheet/nikonD3000 spine=.67” by Julie Adair King Nikon ® D3000 FOR DUMmIES ‰ 01_578940-ffirs.indd i01_578940-ffirs.indd i 10/28/09 2:40 PM10/28/09 2:40 PM Nikon ® D3000 For. Centre. PHOTOGRAPHY/Techniques/Digital $29.99 US / $35.99 CN / £21.99 UK ISBN 97 8-0 -4 7 0-5 789 4-0 Go to Dummies. com ® for videos, step-by-step examples, how-to articles, or to shop the store! Congratulations — you’ve. READ. For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 87 7-7 6 2-2 974, outside the U.S. at 31 7-5 7 2-3 993, or fax 31 7-5 7 2-4 002. For