Read the Dreaded Manual!

I don't know how many times I have dealt with frustrated and exasperated people who ask for advice on how to operate a device or how to fix a problem after it has been messed up - whether the problem deals with amateur radio, computers, cars, cameras or just about any technical issue.  Somehow, I have been pegged as the "guru" of technical advice in my circle of family and friends.  So recently, in order to minimize my frustration of taking on someone else's problem, I will ask a question or two.  When I ask the person if they have read the instruction manual I usually get one of two responses: 1) The person acts like I am insulting their intelligence.  or... 2) The person claims that the manual is "too complicated" for them to understand... and they want a simple explanation of either what went wrong or what they are doing wrong.  I can confidently say that in the majority of these cases, the person has not even attempted to read the manual... not even opened it.  I'll have to confess that I am one of those people who have abandoned the dreaded manual and searched elsewhere for the answers.  Why do we do this?  Maybe there is a mental block... an aversion... something negative about manuals and texts where we tend to shun the manual unless there is absolutely NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE.  I will have to say that I am proud of myself.  When I got my DSLR camera I actually opened up the manual and started reading it.  I've actually read through this several times.

So without further ado: READ YOUR MANUAL!  No... study your manual.  Study all four languages that it came in if it will help you to understand your camera better.  Carry your manual with you wherever you bring your camera.  If there are terms, procedures or words you don't understand, take notes on them and then you can Google them for further answers because it's likely that if you didn't understand something, there are thousands of other people out there that didn't understand as well and some of them have actually gone out on the Internet and posted that question for others to answer or perhaps there is an explanation on Wikipedia that is easier to understand than the way it is presented in your manual.

As you go through your manual, fiddle with the controls on the camera to experience first-hand what they do. Open the menus and make adjustments... take pictures using the different settings.  Compare and contrast how the different settings change and learn why they changed.  Experience these things for yourself with your camera and your manual.  And, if you find yourself in a situation where you think you have changed the settings on your camera to where it is unusable or too weird, there is usually a setting within the menu that will restore your camera to factory settings... just like new.  So don't be too concerned that you are going to do something to it that is going to permanently change the way your camera operates.

Your camera manual is the key that unlocks the features of your camera and helps you to understand your unique camera make and model.  Your camera and manual fit together... like TV... and TV Guide.  Without it, you are just guessing and it's hit-and-miss.  With it, you can use your camera to its fullest extent.  If your camera didn't come with a manual (say, you got it used at a pawnshop or yard sale)... no worries!  With most cameras you can go online and download the manual.  Print up a manual... staple the pages together to make a booklet and take it with you.  It's THAT important.  Really.

One final note: There are some things that you can do that will really mess up a good camera.  A camera is a delicate instrument and certain parts require a degree of care and protection.  All these protective measures and cautionary statements are clearly explained in the instruction manual.  If you do nothing else, don't ignore any of these warnings or you are just asking for trouble.  Trust me on this.