Skip to main content

Carry you camera manuals the easy way


A couple years ago I posted an article about dusting off your camera's instruction manual in order to pick up a few tips and tricks about your camera's abilities. If it's been a while and you haven't opened up that manual to brush up on some camera functions, I suggest reading up on that post and following the advise.

But I'm not here to discuss what you should or shouldn't do with your camera knowledge. I know you're a smart person and don't need me to tell you to read your manual! I will, however, share a useful tip in how to keep that instruction manual handy for when you really need it. Like at one of my workshops when I ask you to set your camera in a specific way and you can't quite remember how to do it. Don't worry, it happens to many of us. Specially me, who has 'senior moments' more and more often. So what's this tip I mentioned? Read on...

We all know these small instruction manuals really aren't all that small. Specially if you want to carry more than one (additional camera, speed light, radio trigger, etc.) Before you know it they are cluttering your camera bag, getting dog eared and getting in the way. If only there was some way of carrying all those manuals in a compact, secure and convenient manner. The solution is closer at hand than you might think. As close as your smart phone or tablet.

In today's connected world smart phones and tables are common accessories for many of us, and that's a good thing. The computing power of these devices compete at a level with many small personal computers. Plus there is the benefit of having all those wonderful apps to help us navigate our world right at our fingertips. Along with those useful apps your smart phone or tablet can also become a depository for digital documents including, you guessed it, camera manuals.

My tablet, for example, is a tool for work and also a tool for recreation. Along with the various apps I have a copy of all my camera equipment manuals. I own several cameras and lenses, speed lights and Pocket Wizard transceivers. If I had to carry all those manuals I'd have to carry them in a separate bag just for them. Instead I keep them safe and secure on my tablet. I even have extra room for instructional videos and books by some of my favorite photo instructors. Plenty of reading and watching material for my down time. And if I need to find something out about any of my gear, it's only a couple of clicks away.

You can download most instruction manuals as .PDF files from most major manufacturer's web sites. Just visit their website and do a search for the instruction manual for your model, download it to your phone or tablet for later use. You may need to install additional apps in order to open and read a .PDF file.
Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousThursday, October 09, 2014

    Duck -

    Nikon now has an App "Nikon Manual Viewer" which allows you to download all of the manuals for their equipment. Best feature is that there are built in links in the manuals which allow you to quickly locate the relevant information. My guess is Canon offers something similar

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownThursday, October 09, 2014

    Thanks for the info John & Duck... I just got the app!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Post a comment only if it adds to the topic being discussed. Spam, hate or derogatory comments will not be allowed.

Most Popular Posts

Upgrade Merry-go-round

Canon's release of their entry level full framed camera, the 6D, was a heralded event that received its fair share of anticipation, trepidation and arguments. I for one was looking forward to its arrival as I was in the market for a FF sensor but couldn't justify the cost of a 5D or 1D. Plus the fact that they have more features than I really need. When it came out I was one of the early buyers down at Milford Photo and before long I was unwrapping my new toy. Not soon after I discovered one of the hidden pitfalls of buying new gear; compatibility. In particular it was the compatibility with Adobe's Lightroom 3 which did not support the new 6D. " No problem, " I thought, " I'll just upgrade to LR4. " After all, the newest offering from Adobe promised some nice features I would appreciate. And this is where I got on the merry-go-round.
5 comments
Read More »

The Decisive Moment - a brief discussion

Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare, 1932 “Making a photograph means recognising, all at once and in a fraction of a second, an event and the exact organisation of the visually perceived forms that express and signify that event. It means aligning the head, the eye and the heart along the same line of sight. It’s a way of living.” Henri Cartier-Bresson Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) is credited for the expression, the decisive moment . The image at right, Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare , has become one of the most iconic of his images to represent that expression because it succinctly captures, in a single frame, the whole of his teachings. While there have been many discussions both casual and scholarly, like the image at right, his teachings has been oversimplified and distilled down to a short definition that, to me, has lost a lot of its original meaning or, as in some cases, completely missing the mark. Rather than getting into a lengthy dissertation on what Bresson consider...
4 comments
Read More »

Must have non-DIY photo equipment

When building up a collection of equipment for either a professional studio or a serious hobby studio, price is always a consideration. I am a big proponent to DIY equipment, specially if it can be crafted in a way that doesn't look home made. However, some things just can't be home made that a well stocked studio can't do without. Here is a small list of some of those little things you will always find yourself reaching for when doing studio work. Keep in mind that this is by no means an exhaustive list and there are some useable items I'll surely have forgotten to include. Feel free to add to the list in the comments section below.
4 comments
Read More »

Large DIY Diffusion Scrim

One of the most commonly used tools in my photographic arsenal is the all purpose diffusion screen . I use it to soften light, create gradients and light fields or as a background. One of my current favorites is a metal framed 4' x 4' foot scrim with thick white artificial silk made by Matthews. I didn't think I would use it so much, being so large, but having borrowed it from a friend I really came to love it. The downside for me is the price. At just over $100 I couldn't really justify the cost, considering I want at least two of them. Time for a DIY alternative.
2 comments
Read More »