Product Review

This book, a complete guide to the operation and features of the Nikon Coolpix P510, is a follow-up to the author's earlier guides to advanced compact digital cameras, including the Coolpix P500, the predecessor to this model, and several cameras from other manufacturers, including, most recently, the Fujifilm X10 and the Canon PowerShot S100. The new book, like the earlier ones, explains all operations, features, menus, and controls of the camera in clear language, providing guidance to beginning and intermediate photographers not only about how to accomplish things with the camera, but when and why to use certain features. The book does not assume any specialized knowledge by the reader as it explains topics such as autofocus, manual focus, depth of field, aperture priority, shutter priority, HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography, and macro photography. The book also includes a detailed discussion of techniques for using the camera's phenomenal zoom lens, with a maximum focal length of 1000mm, to full advantage. The book's more than 200 photographs, almost all in full color, provide illustrations of the camera's controls and menus, and also include examples of the various types of photographs that can be taken using the many creative settings of the camera, including the Picture Control settings, which let the photographer alter the color processing of images; the special Scene and Effects shooting modes, with settings that are optimized for various subjects, including landscapes, portraits, and action shots; and the camera's particularly strong array of features for continuous shooting and interval shooting. In addition, the book goes beyond the realm of everyday photography, and provides introductions to more advanced topics such as infrared photography, street photography, and creating 3D (three-dimensional) images that can be viewed with conventional red and blue 3D glasses. The book also includes a full discussion of the video recording abilities of the Coolpix P510, which can record high-definition (HD) video with stereo sound, and which has special settings for recording short clips of high-speed video at rates up to 4 times normal speed. In three appendices, the book provides information about accessories available for the camera, sets forth a list of useful web sites and other resources for further information, and includes a section with helpful "quick tips" that give particular insights into how to take advantage of the camera's features in the most efficient ways possible.