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Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies
The big attraction of this series of "for Dummies" books is that we who buy these products have little respect for our own knowledge and plenty of respect for those who do and are able to write books like this.I am currently converting from film photography to digital photography and some aspects are quite daunting. I have, therefore, purchased several books and tutorial DVDs on the subject and am working my way through them all. The title of this product suggests it is the right place to start and, on reflection, is exactly where I should have started. For those of you, who like me, are converting to digital for the first time, grab your camera and a copy of this book and work your way through from cover to cover until you are conversant with the new technology. It really will give you a good grounding.That, however, will only work very well if you are already conversant with photography. If you are new to photography altogether and a digital SLR camera is your very first camera, you may have to learn a few basic lessons of, for example, the correlation between film speeds, shutter speeds and aperture settings - which really do need to be understood, before you study this book.David Busch clearly knows what he is talking about and is able to put that knowledge into an easy-to-follow format for us Dummies to read and, as I say, I wish I had read this book before getting into some of the more technical tomes I also purchased.NM
Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies
I read "Exposure for Dummies" and found it very helpful. This book was by a different author but I thought it might be of same quality as the Exposure book. Unfortunately, it's wasn't. Anyone that has ever owned a camera probably already knows the basics that this book has to offer. When the book goes beyond the basics, it merely mentions more advanced features without a helpful explanation of why the photographer might want to use them. And it is repetitive, as if the author had a page requirement to fill. There were a few bright spots, but on the whole, the basics were too basic, and the advanced features, too poorly covered to be of any help to anyone that isn't already familiar with them. There are better books for beginners, and for intermediate photographers, this book has little to offer.
Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies
I'm completely new to cameras, whether SLR, film, or digital. So I was hoping for something I could read that would really help be build a foundation without having to spend hours and hours cluelessly playing around, hoping for epiphanies.The Cons:1. I can understand how someone who has shot film for a long time might be disappointed in the book, because it seemed to me a lot of the content was photography-centric, not digital-photography-centric. Though usually with dSLR slant.2. Nothing is ever covered in depth. But hey, it's a Dummies book, it's a primer for the rest of your adventures.3. I would really have liked to see some tables in there to help with shutter-speeds/f-stops their combinations and effects. I learned a lot, but I am still struggling with f-stops in particular.The Pros1. It is simply amazing how many different facets of the photo world (digital or otherwise) are touched.2. The book does a great job of highlighting all the different tools new people like myself would not really understand, like the differences between file types (JPEG/RAW/TIFF) or filters, and giving you enough information to get started without going overboard.3. Constantly discussing the differences in grades of equipment, from what a new person would need compared to a professional is very useful. The discussion of what you're getting for your extra dollars between that $100 tripod and the $500 tripod is really helpful when you're just starting and scratching your head going "Isn't a tripod a tripod?".4. The flow of the book is excellent. You never delve too deeply into a concept nor do you ever really just skip right off the top.5. There are even a number of goodies in here including websites the author finds useful (which helps given the 1,000 of sites out there) and even how to create your own filters (I'm looking forward to creating a pinhole filter)****Bottom-lining it - If you're switching from film to digital, there will be large chunks that you will already know, so you may want to search for a book that specifically discusses the differences between film and digital.If you're completely new to photography and your first camera is a dSLR, this is a great book. I would recommend it in a heartbeat.
Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies
This is the second edition regarding digiral photography I've purchased. The "Dummie" series are great reference tools.
Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies
The book for me was OK. I'm a beginner with digital cameras so this was all I needed to get me started.
Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies
I'm pretty much new to the DSLR world, in fact, after reading this book I realized I didn't really know much at all about cameras in general. This book gave me a great introduction into how DSLR's work, all the proper terms I should know, and showed techniques on improving my photography.I could see how this book can kind of drag on for the more experienced photographers, since it does go over a lot of topics. But as a newbie to this area, I greatly appreciated all the information.Some other things: The author does seem to go out of his way to say that DSLR's are vastly superior to Point and Shoot's. Yes, I get it, DSLR's take a greater quality picture and also gives you more control; however, a DSLR won't fit in your pants pocket.Also, I wish I read this book BEFORE I bought my camera as the beginning of the book tells you what to look for when buying a camera. So if you haven't purchased your first DSLR and are new to serious photography, I would have to say to buy this book before you choose a camera.Some of the things I liked:An explanation of all the lens and other accessories that might be useful to you.All the advice on shooting... pictures.The author's serious but not too serious tone. He also offered a realistic perspective on what to do in certain situations.Post-processing advice.