What is the best way for an amateur photographer to learn how to use his camera properly???

I just got my very first digital SLR. It's a Nikon D80.

First and foremost is to read the manual. It seems silly or tedious, but manuals give you the basics on which to build on.

I would also recommend picking up some of the K.I.S.S. or Digital Photography for Dummies books they have out there. Often you can even find books on your specific brand or model of camera.

The internet is a great source of information, especially forums, because you can read what other people are having difficulty with and their solutions to those problems. BetterPhoto.com is a good site with articles and a forum as well as courses you can sign up to take.

Finally, experiment with your camera and take notes to figure out what does and doesn't work for you. Everyone's learning style is different.

For the first shots - just try it and have fun!

If you want to improve you photos, make a photo course.

1. Read the Manual
2. Practice
3 Study other materials such as mags or books
4 Keep your eyes open for shots to make

Take a photo course or if you're good with self-directed learning, get a good comprehensive book on it (check your local professional camera store). It may take a while but the basics are easy to learn and it's all logical once you understand. Soon enough, you'll know exactly what to do to get the effect that you want. Or if you have a friend who's a good photographer, go on a shooting outing with them and get him to help you out as you shoot.

Good luck!

seems like you bought a wrong camera for your purpose. Maybe you should have bought a manual camera instead and borrowed some books from your local library on photography. When I learned photography I had a professional photograper friend and I used to go with him on some of his assignment and learn a lot about the use of light, exposure controls, and uses of different lances for different results.

aha me too well ok had it for a while now... but it's a grat camera!

look, i recommend using P or A on widest aperture for most situations, then you can choose whether to have a flash or not, and just keep reading the manual.

the key is the 2 rollers. if you want the flash softer you hold the flash and roll. same for exposure compensation (ev) and all sorts, and they adjust the aperture and shutter as well. next to the screen, the ISO and image quality buttons are a great help too.

Yeah learn the camera via the manual, then go to dpreview or something for tips.

oh and my rule#1: put some tissue paper over the frikkin flash for people, even if its on low setting.

good luck.

if you wanna see what it can do, find me (thelukeandrews) on flickr

What I did to learn how to use my D70 was to buy Thom Hogan's e-book on the D70 at www.bythom.com. It helped me immensely. He also has written an e-book for the D80 that I assume is just as helpful. He's been shooting Nikons for years and writing books on them for years. He goes through the entire manual and explains everything and tells you what he sets his camera to and why. He also tells you that if you set it to other settings what they will do. Extremely helpful.

Big camera for an amateur :-) I would read the owner's manual to make sure you know all the big stuff (dont drop it, etc..LOL)..then, DIVE IN! Try the same shot with different settings...research the internet for others reviews, thoughts, etc (try www.photo.net - excellent site with a forum that has info on this stuff all the time). Also, get some filters (UV is a must, but try red or yellow if youre into black and whites)...there is a plethora of stuff to play with...and the best way to learn is to jump right in! :-)

Have fun! :-)

It may just be me, but I think folks think it's a good idea to read the manual... ;)

I just wanted to add a recommendation for a book that will help you understand some basics. It's called "Understanding Exposure" by Brian Peterson. Very easy to read and very informative. I put the link below.

However, the most important advice I have is to have fun! Don't be afraid to take lots of pictures. It's digital after all and doesn't cost you anything. Take dozens of pictures of the same thing varying the different settings to see what they do.

Good luck!

In your case you have a good little pro-am DSLR to start shooting and since it is digital film is cheap.

There are some good ideas here and if you follow them you should be happy with the results. One thing I would add to all the good advice. Choose a subject you like and are interested in knowing more about. Using the camera to inspect the finer points of the subject will make the learning much easier. Don't be afraid to experiment with camera to subject angles or unusual lighting and most of all have fun.

sweet... try to find classes on it...

Pick up your camera and start taking pictures. Get your hands dirty. Keep a record of the f stops and shutter speeds and see if you are getting what you want. Shoot all your pictures on manual.

It is always best, in my opinion, to start with a film camera, 35mm slr that has no automatic mode in it.