Your Nikon D780 is the latest and greatest digital camera on the market, with a stunning 24.5-megapixel capture, live view, high-definition video, and much more. But all this technology can be a bit daunting, especially if this is your first real digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera or if you’ve upgraded from an earlier Nikon model. When you unboxed your Nikon D780, you graduated to the big leagues. All you have to do is master the power you hold in your hands!

I’ve been using DSLR cameras since 2000. In fact, my first digital camera was a Nikon. But my earliest forays into photography were with film cameras, cameras that didn’t give you instant gratification by showing you the resulting image on an LCD monitor. I learned the hard way (and wasted a lot of film), but I loved photography, so I persevered and created images whenever I had the time. I’ve photographed weddings and sporting events for hire, and I’ve written several books about digital photography. In this book, I share my experience and knowledge with you. I don’t get too technical in this book, even though your camera is very technical. I also do my best to keep it lively. So, if you want to master your Nikon D780, you have the right book in your hands.

About This Book

If you find the buttons and menus on your shiny new D780 a tad intimidating, this book is for you. Here, I take you from novice point-and-shoot photographer to one who can utilize all the bells and whistles your camera offers. You’ll find information about the camera menus and every button on your camera, as well as when to use them, and what settings to use for specific picture-taking situations.

This book is a reference, which means you don’t have to commit it to memory or read it from beginning to end. Instead, you can return to it again and again, using the Table of Contents and Index to find the information you need.

Throughout the book, you’ll see sidebars (text in gray boxes), as well as Technical Stuff icons. All this text is interesting, but if you’re short on time or just need to know the basics, you can safely skip these pieces without missing anything critical.

Within this book, you may note that some web addresses break across two lines of text. If you’re reading this book in print and want to visit one of these web pages, simply key in the web address exactly as it’s noted in the text, pretending as though the line break doesn’t exist. If you’re reading this as an e-book, you’ve got it easy — just click the web address to be taken directly to the web page.

Foolish Assumptions

As I wrote this book, I made some assumptions about you, the reader:

• You own, or have on order, a Nikon D780. If you own one of those cute little point-and-shoot Nikon cameras, or shoot images with your smartphone, good for you, but this book won’t help you with those cameras.
• You have a computer on which to download your images and preferably a program with which to edit your images. This program may be something like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Lightroom, the Photos application that comes with macOS, or Nikon’s Capture NX-D, which is available for Windows and Mac.
• A basic knowledge of photography is also helpful. If you’re totally new to photography and want more information about things like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, and how they combine to make a properly exposed image, check out Digital SLR Photography All-in-One For Dummies, 3rd Edition, by Robert Correll (Wiley).

Icons Used in This Book

Every For Dummies book has icons in the margin that draw your attention to important bits of information, and this book is no different. Here’s what the various icons mean:

Whenever you see the Tip icon, you’re sure to find information designed to save you time and make your life easier (well, at least your life with your Nikon D780 — I can’t promise anything beyond that).

The Warning icon warns you about something you should not do — something your fearless author has likely already done and wants to warn you off from. Think of these as headache prevention.

The Remember icon is the equivalent of a virtual piece of string tied around your finger. This is information you want to commit to memory.

The Technical Stuff icon is for the geeks in the group who like to know all manner of technical stuff. If that’s you, great! If not, you can skip anything marked with this icon without missing anything essential to your understanding of the topic at hand.

Beyond This Book

In addition to what you’re reading right now, this product comes with a free access-anywhere Cheat Sheet that includes the Nikon D780 shooting modes and metering modes, a post-shoot checklist, and more. To get this Cheat Sheet, go to www.dummies.com and type Nikon D780 For Dummies Cheat Sheet in the Search box.

Where to Go from Here

If you’ve had a chance to dip your toe into the shallow end of the Nikon D780 pool, you probably know the camera pretty well, so feel free to skip the first four chapters of the book, and pick and choose which sections contain the information you need to become even better acquainted with your camera.

If you bought this book before getting your camera, or your friendly retailer suggested you buy a copy to get up to speed quickly, I’ve got you covered. In Chapters 1 through 4, I familiarize you with the basic things you need to know to create great pictures in a short period of time. In Chapters 5 and 6, I show you how to specify image size and image quality and get down to brass tacks with the tilting monitor. No matter where you start, feel free to create your own buffet of information from the remaining chapters in the book. When you’re just getting started, consider keeping a copy of the book in your camera bag for ready reference.

Finally, when you go on a photo shoot with your D780, take your time. If you rush a photo shoot, you miss the point of photography, which in my opinion is to observe, imagine, and create.