Nikon D5500 For Dummies

Julie Adair King

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9781119102113
• eBook ISBN: 9781119101925
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Digital Media
• Index: Computer Science

Jump into photography and the Nikon D5500 with this easy-to-read guide

Armed with the new Nikon D5500 digital camera, but don't know where to start? No problem! Nikon D5500 For Dummies is the definitive guide to helping newbies and aspiring photographers get up and running with this great DSLR camera. You'll dive right in to using your camera in automatic mode, then build on this basic knowledge by learning about manual settings, exposure, and more advanced techniques that will have you taking great photographs in a flash. This easy-to-use guide combines the tips and tricks of a basic photography course with camera-specific guidance that will help you with the Nikon D5500's basic settings, manual mode, WiFi connectivity, touchscreen interface, and so much more!

The Nikon D5500 is the perfect camera for a connected generation — it offers the features of a DSLR with the connectivity of a smart phone and, but its high-quality photos go well beyond what you can snap from your phone. With this fun guide, you'll take your photography to the next level!

• Get started with a roadmap of the Nikon D5500 controls and options for taking photos in automatic mode, with preset shooting modes, or in manual mode.
• Take a crash course on exposure and how to control it, along with lens and flash options of your camera
• Find out how to adjust color and focus, use manual settings, and take photos in scene mode and priority mode
• Pull all your newfound photography chops together to take better portraits, action shots, night photos, and outdoor shots

Nikon D5500 For Dummies is the guide you need to get up and running quickly and easily with your great new DSLR camera.

Part 1

Fast Track to Super Snaps

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In this part …

Familiarize yourself with the basics of using your camera, from attaching lenses to navigating menus.

Find step-by-step instructions for point-and-shoot photography in Auto mode.

Try out Live View shooting and customize the Live View display.

Find out how to select the shutter-release mode, exposure mode, Image Size (picture resolution), and Image Quality (file type, JPEG or Raw).

Discover options available for flash photography in different exposure modes.

1

First Steps, First Shots

In This Chapter

Preparing the camera for its first outing

Getting acquainted with the touchscreen and other camera features

Viewing and adjusting camera settings

Setting a few basic preferences

Taking a picture in Auto mode

Shooting for the first time with a camera as sophisticated as the Nikon D5500 can produce a blend of excitement and anxiety. On one hand, you can't wait to start using your new equipment, but on the other, you're a little intimidated by all its buttons, dials, and menu options.

Well, fear not: This chapter provides the information you need to start getting comfortable with your D5500. The first section walks you through initial camera setup; following that, you can discover how to view and adjust picture settings and get my take on some basic setup options. At the end of the chapter, I walk you step-by-step through taking your first pictures using Auto mode, which offers point-and-shoot simplicity until you're ready to step up to more advanced options.

Preparing the Camera for Initial Use

After unpacking your camera, you have to assemble a few parts. In addition to the camera body and the supplied battery (be sure to charge it before the first use), you need a lens and a memory card. Later sections in this chapter provide details about working with lenses and memory cards, but here's what you need to know up front:

• Lens: You can mount a wide range of lenses on your D5500, but some aren't compatible with all camera features. For example, to enjoy autofocusing, you need an AF-S or AF-I lens. (The 18–55mm and 18–140mm lenses available as a kit with the D5500 body are both AF-S lenses.) Your camera manual offers details about lens compatibility.
  

  The AF in AF-S stands for autofocus, and the S stands for silent wave, a Nikon autofocus technology. AF-I lenses are older, professional-grade (expensive) lenses that are no longer made but may be available on the secondhand market.
• SD (Secure Digital) memory card: Your camera accepts only this type of card. Most SD cards carry the designation SDHC (for High Capacity) or SDXC (for eXtended Capacity), depending on how many gigabytes (GB) of data they hold. SDHC cards hold from 4GB to 32GB of data; the SDXC moniker is assigned to cards with capacities greater than 32GB.

With camera, lens, battery, and card within reach, take these steps:

1. Turn the camera off.
2. Install the battery into the compartment on the bottom of the camera.
3. Attach a lens.
   First, remove the caps that cover the front of the camera and the back of the lens. Then align the mounting index (white dot) on the lens with the one on the camera body, as shown in Figure 1-1. After placing the lens on the camera mount, rotate the lens toward the shutter-button side of the camera. You should feel a solid click as the lens locks into place.
4. Insert a memory card.
   Open the card-slot cover on the right side of the camera and orient the card as shown in Figure 1-2 (the label faces the back of the camera). Push the card gently into the slot and close the cover. The memory-card access light, labeled in the figure, illuminates briefly to let you know that the camera recognizes the card.
5. Rotate the monitor to the desired viewing position.
   When you first take the camera out of its box, the monitor is positioned with the screen facing inward, protecting it from scratches and smudges. Gently lift the right side of the monitor up and away from the camera back. You can then rotate the monitor to move it into the traditional position on the camera back, as shown on the left in Figure 1-3, or swing the monitor out to get a different viewing angle, as shown on the right.
6. Turn the camera on.
7. Set the language, time zone, and date.
   When you power up the camera for the first time, you can't do anything until you respond to onscreen prompts asking you to select your language, time zone, date, and time. The date/time information is included as metadata (hidden data) in the picture file. You can view metadata in some playback display modes (see Chapter 8) and in certain photo programs, including Nikon ViewNX 2. (Refer to Chapter 9.)
   

   The easiest way to adjust the settings is to use the touchscreen: Just tap an option to select it. On the final screen (date/time), tap OK to finalize your choices. You also can do things the old-fashioned way, using the Multi Selector and OK button, both labeled in Figure 1-3. Press the edge of the Multi Selector up and down to scroll the highlight cursor vertically; press right/left to travel horizontally. Again, press OK after making your selections on a screen.
   (You can find more details about using the touchscreen and adjusting camera settings later in this chapter.)
8. Adjust the viewfinder to your eyesight.
   

   This step is critical; if you don't set the viewfinder to your eyesight, subjects that appear out of focus in the viewfind...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Part I: Fast Track to Super Snaps
• Part II: Taking Creative Control
• Part III: After the Shot
• Part IV: The Part of Tens
• About the Author
• Cheat Sheet
• Connect with Dummies
• End User License Agreement