Hi Rod, welcome to the Sony Forums

It can be pretty daunting at first, mostly due to too many choices. The best way is to use the camera in one of the Program modes until you get the hang of the basic non-auto settings. The Busch books are excellent but don't really narrow those choices down..

As a first foray into manual control, try switching the Mode dial on the top of the camera to either 'A', which will let you select an aperture value such as f5.6 or f8 and the camera selects the shutter speed to give a correct exposure, or 'S', which is the same idea, except you pick the shutter speed.

You select the shutter or aperture value by turning the Control dial which is just below the shutter release button, while looking through the viewfinder.

I'd be happy to help you with any questions you might have beyond this, just shout up

Cheers

Mick