In all three cases, the first thing to do is to carefully unpack the camera and double-
check the contents with the checklist on one end of the box, helpfully designated under
a “This package includes” listing. While this level of setup detail may seem as superflu-
ous as the instructions on a bottle of shampoo, checking the contents first is always a
good idea. No matter who sells a camera, it’s common to open boxes, use a particular
camera for a demonstration, and then repack the box without replacing all the pieces
and parts afterwards. Someone might actually have helpfully checked out your camera
on your behalf—and then mispacked the box. It’s better to know nowthat something
is missing so you can seek redress immediately, rather than discover two months from
now that the video cable you thought you’d never use (but now musthave) was never
in the box. I once purchased a brand-new Nikon dSLR kit that was supposed to include
a second focusing screen; it wasn’t in the box, but because I discovered the deficiency
right away, the dealer ordered a replacement for me post haste.
At a minimum, the box should have the following:
■Nikon D7000 digital camera.It almost goes without saying that you should check
out the camera immediately, making sure the back- and top-panel LCDs aren’t
scratched or cracked, the memory and battery doors open properly, and, when a
charged battery is inserted and lens mounted, the camera powers up and reports for
duty. Out-of-the-box defects like these are rare, but they can happen. It’s probably
more common that your dealer played with the camera or, perhaps, it was a cus-
tomer return. That’s why it’s best to buy your D7000 from a retailer you trust to
supply a factory-fresh camera.
■Rechargeable Li-ion battery EN-EL15. You’ll need to charge this 7.0V, 1900mAh
(milliampere hour) battery before use, and then navigate immediately to the Setup
menu’s Battery Info Entry to make sure the battery accepted the juice and is show-
ing a 100% charge. (You’ll find more on accessing this menu item in Chapter 10.)
You’ll want a second EN-EL15 battery as a spare (trust me), so buy one as soon as
possible.
■Quick charger MH-25. This charger comes with both a power cable and a power
adapter that can be used instead of the cable to plug the charger directly into a wall
outlet.
■EG-D2 audio/video cable. Use this supplied cable to connect your D7000 to a
standard definition (analog) television through the set’s yellow RCA video jack when
you want to view the camera’s output on a larger screen. Although the D7000 can
be connected to a high-definition television, you’ll need to buy a high-definition
multimedia interface (HDMI) cable to do that. No HDMI cable is included with
the camera.
David Busch’s Nikon D7000 Guide to Digital SLR Photography8