Nikon D300 Made Easy Training DVD's 1 & 2

Based on the content of these discs I would have rated them 5 stars, but I had to drop it a notch because the production lacks a degree of polish. That being said, I am amazed that it's done as well as it is considering the short time Elite Video had to gather all the information about the D300 and put the DVDs into deliverable form. Based on the time stamps on some of the photos in the video, the DVDs were taped just a few weeks after the camera was released.There were a few notable faux pas. In the introductory section, we are warned not to remove the memory card from the camera when it's turned "on." The instructor then violates this at least twice. In the section on Auto Focus Trim, the instructor says that values for about twenty lenses can be memorized. The Nikon manual says the limit is actually twelve. These are minor items, but perhaps they can be corrected if there are any retakes.Some reviewers have raised issues about problems with the discs. I had no problems other than just a few areas where there was some digital "blocking." I had no skips or hang-ups.The content of these videos is really great. It is so much easier to learn when someone is talking about a feature and then pointing it out directly on the camera rather than trying to read about it and decipher tiny diagrams in the manual. The D300 is a complex camera with lots of capabilities. These DVDs do a great job of comprehensively covering the capabilities. I would highly recommend this DVD set to anyone acquiring a D300 or even just thinking about getting one. An added bonus is the fact that you can contact the instructors with questions and they periodically add items on a web site.While I have been doing SLR photography for over forty years, I just took the Nikon School Basic Digital SLR course and viewed these videos within less than a week. In spit a feeling a little "information overload," I now feel much better prepared to enjoy the investment in the fantastic new D300.

The video is well-done and I learned a great deal about the D300 from it. On the basis of content alone, this item should have four or five stars. However, I have tried two shipments and both disks of both sets have been faulty in some way. In some cases, a small section simply won't play on either of my DVD players and in other cases, one DVD player simply balks and will not play a section (or even start a disk) while the other will (but displays screen aberrations at the bad site). In both shipments, the same problems occurred at the same places.So...if you order this, be sure to check both disks completely. By the way, I have played around 200 different movies from Netflix on one DVD player and never had a single problem and so I don't think that my players are at fault.

These two guys are in sorry need of a manicurist -- or at least a better video editor, if they are gonna share close-ups of their very unmanicured nails flipping dials and switches.This is an ok guide to learning the D300, but it borrows heavily from their earlier Nikon product videos. And they are so haphazard in filming and editing, it looks more like a fractured fairy tale version rather than a serious explanation of a very sophisticated camera.And the owner (the one prone to wearing funny hats and making hysterically inappropriate analogies,) should stick to the back office and leave the 'esplaining' to the bearded guy.Thom Hogan's guides for Nikon are much more informative, and also cheaper!

You will learn more from this video than from any book ever written. They show you where every button and switch is located and then they show you how it actually works in real life. Why bother with the 450 page manual that came with the camera. This is Great!!

Since I was an early adopter, no guides for the D300 were yet available. I find that I do much better with video training being a visual person. One can hold the camera and stop the DVD and repeat if needed. Both presenters were clear and helpful, complementary to each other. I come back to this DVD from time to time, refreshing knowledge about certain features. Well worth the money!

Never mind the manual - this dvd does an outstanding job of covering all aspects of the camera. it didnt cover some of the sub menu choices like using flash/commander mode like i wish it did but it was mean to be an overview of the basic controls.I highly endorse this product. I didnt not experience any technical difficulties as some of the other reviewers have mentioned.

Unfortunately, the return window has passed for this product, no one to blame but myself. This product is unreadable and does not play on ;my laptop drive. Total waste of money.I should have just taken a moment to put it in the drive and check it when I received the item but who would have thought that a DVD would have been bad.

These two camera nerds go over all of the controls and menu items on the camera with clear and understandable comments. The two disc set is very useful and more enjoyable than a book on the subject.