Do not use the camera in the shower
By Robert de Gast

I just bought another single-lens-reflex digital camera and I’m delighted with the purchase. It feels exactly like the 35mm film cameras I have been using for the past four decades. The instruction booklet, however, didn’t make me very happy. There are some 206 pages and I was daunted. But as I tried to make my way through this morass, I found that things weren’t as bad as they seemed.

To begin with, the “Table of Contents” occupied a few pages. Some other pages simply stated the “Specifications.” And then there was an “Index” and something called “Notices for Customers in the USA and Canada.” And there appeared the “How to Read This Manual.” This I could handle and then forget. We were now down to190 pages. I was feeling better. I read “First Steps” and I got to know how to attach the strap to the camera and that I should hold the camera steady when taking pictures. “Inserting Batteries” and “Attaching Lenses” got things down to 185 pages. The “Tutorial” was a piece of cake as was “Using the Remote Control” and “Optional Accessories.” There were only 170 pages left.

And then there was a section called “Warnings!” subtitled “For Your Safety.” Allow me to quote a few paragraphs worthy of our litigious society:

“Placing the camera strap around your neck could result in strangulation.”

“Do not fire the flash at vehicle operators. It may cause a distraction or temporary blindness, which may lead to an accident.”

“Do not expose the camera and batteries to excessive heat such as sunshine or fire.”

“Do not use the camera in the bathroom or shower.”

“Avoid contact with garbage, mud, sand, dust, water, toxic gases, or salts. These could cause a camera breakdown.”

“Do not allow liquids to enter the interior. The camera has not been waterproofed.”

“Do not store the camera in a closet with mothballs or in an area where chemicals are handled.”

“Do not touch any part of the camera during a thunderstorm. This can cause an electric shock due to induced current from the lightning discharge.”

“Do not spray insecticide or volatile chemicals onto the camera.”

“Stop operating the equipment immediately if it emits smoke or noxious fumes.”

“The rim of the lens hood can cause injury. Take care not to accidentally strike anyone with the camera when the lens hood is attached.”

“Do not drop the camera.”

“When operating the diopter adjustment control with your eye to the viewfinder, care should be taken not to put your finger in your eye accidentally.”


“Viewing the sun or other strong light source through the viewfinder could cause permanent visual impairment.” 

And so on. I got the information down to 168 pages, a 20-percent reduction. It’ll take me a while to absorb the rest. I know that the way to do it is poco a poco. Don’t be intimidated by all that verbiage. You don’t need to figure it out all at once. Maybe you don’t need to figure it out at all. A page or a spread at a time will be just fine. In the meantime, I hope you’ll keep making pictures. It’s hard to go wrong with our modern, almost automatic gear. Your pictures will be great. No kidding. Stop worrying about the manual. Just don’t use the camera in the shower!

Robert de Gast has been a professional magazine photographer for nearly 50 years. He has published nine books and offers short photography tutorials. He can be reached at 152-7396 or by email at robertdegast@hotmail.com.