Magic Lantern Guides: Nikon N70 (Magic Lantern Guides)

This book was a great starting point for me for the following reasons:
1. The author spent some time explaining some of the basics in photography - including some topics I already knew - but it was a good revision.
2. The author went through each of the major feature set for the N70 - and I was pleasantly surprised to find out there were things about my N70 that I did not know, which would help me to take great pictures.
3. The author explain some of the differences between this version and the "higher" ones, for example the N90.

All in all, this is a great book, and a good place to start for all you Nikon N70 owners looking for a great book on photography.


A REPLACEMENT FOR THE MANUAL   February 27, 2001
 4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I AM A LOVER OF PHOTOGRAPHY. I BOUGHT THE N70 AND READ THE MANUAL WHICH WAS LITTLE HELP. ONCE I READ THE MAGIC LANTERN GUIDES, ALL WAS CLEAR. IT'S A THOROUGH BOOK AND I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT TO ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS WITH THIS CAMERA. I WOULD LIKE TO READ THE ONE THEY HAVE ON THE SB 28 FLASH, HOWEVER, I WAS TOLD THAT MAGIC LANTERN GUIDE WAS CONFUSING.


dated, but otherwise a fine supplement to the manual   August 5, 2000
 18 out of 18 found this review helpful

Approximately a third of this book is generic photography stuff, a third is specific to the Nikon N70/F70, and a third is related to accessories.

The coverage is competent and you'll learn a lot more about your camera's specifics by reading the book. (The manual isn't *that* bad.) However, it's not a complete book. For example, while they generally describe the memory function, they really don't tell you when (or if) you'd want to use it.

They also supplement it with "generalized" material showing you how f-stops work and the effects of auto-bracketing.

The accessory section is pretty dated, however. For example, the most recent flash mentioned is the (now discontinued) SB26.

The advice is sound, however. For example, they encourage most people looking for a "primary" lens (usually 50mm) to opt for the 1.8 rather than the 1.4 because the 1.4 is priced about three times as much for a difference 99% of the purchasers won't use.

A possible improvement would be to single out useful non-Nikon lenses and equipment. For example, Tamron has a fine 28-105mmf2.8 lens that would be a great starter for someone who wanted zoom functionality -- it's not really a Nikon item.


Better than the manual   March 17, 2000
 21 out of 22 found this review helpful

I have had some experience with 35mm cameras and I still found the operational manual to be not quite complete. The manual tells you what you have available to use on the camera but doesn't go into much detail in using all of the functions. I appreciate that Magic Lantern Guide for the N-70 uses a text that is relatively easy to understand. I had e-mailed nikon to see if there was any additional manuals to use after I had purchased the camera and got no response. My daughter said that she saw the Magic Lantern Guide and told me about it and I'm glad that she did. Too bad that nikon doesn't know about this book, I highly recommend it for the beginner or intermediate photographer who is investing in this terrific camera.


Very Thorough!   January 26, 2000
 4 out of 5 found this review helpful

The Nikon N70 owners manual was very confusing to me. Sure, it tells you how to execute all of the bells and whistles of this great camera, but it doesn't give you practical advice then to use them. This Magic Lantern Guide to the N70 fills in the gaps. I wish it went into greater depth about lenses, though.