Customer Reviews

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS/1000D: Focal Digital Camera Guides

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The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS/1000D: Focal Digital Camera Guides is one of two photography guides I recently read for the Canon Rebel XS Digital SLR Camera, also known as the 1000D. The other guide, the O'Reilly Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS/1000D Companion, is a similarly comprehensive camera guide that also includes a smattering of photography basics. Each book has its strengths. In some ways they can complement each other, but some may have to decide which of the two is better for their needs and choose one.

The XS comes with it's own manual, which covers many of the basics. But there are two audiences for these books. The first audience is the beginner to the DSLR who wants a little more guidance and context to the controls and instructions laid out in the manual. The second audience is the more experienced "pro-sumer" or amateur photographer who wants a primer in the specific controls of the XS because he / she is either moving over to Canon's from a Nikon or Sony background or has to pick up the XS every once in a while when handed somebody else's camera. Indeed, both books will also apply to the big brother Canon Digital Rebel XSi Digital SLR Camera as well, which shares many similar controls, as well as other DSLRs since both books contain so much general photography information.

It's difficult to verify a technical book without at least some experience. You also have to keep in mind whether the book is designed to meet your needs. Both books are geared towards beginner to intermediate DSLR amateur photographers who need some reinforcement of the basics as well as additional info on the controls and menus of the Canon XS. This book is perhaps better used as a quick guide and subsequent reference that you can read in sections as needed. The O'Reilly book is more of a "crash course" photography primer and there the XS overview is spread throughout.

AN OVERVIEW

After a ten page quick-start picture guide to setting up the XS, there is a run-down of photography basics. Part 1 then jumps into the camera, briefly explaining each dial mode and when to use it. There's a short section on how to view the images and a longer picture guide of all the key menus within the camera. Part 1 ends with a brief description of memory cards and batteries. Both books cover memory cards lightly, so you'll need to research them more with either book.

Part 2 covers the software used to load and organize images, and here once again there are additional pictures and a more explicit treatment of software options and the EOS utility than the O'Reilly book.

But then Part 3 begins with a strangely theoretical treatment of light (flash, setups) that seems like it would have made more sense had it been incorporated with the photography basics section in the beginning. Similarly, Part 5 covers "Subjects" and just seems to slightly break up the flow of the book.

Part 6 has a very light treatment of flash accessories, including multi-stroboscopic flash, speed-lights and macro twin-lights. This is more than what is in the O'Reilly book, but will probably be more a reference for beginners. When they get some experience they may decide to invest in that equipment. Finally there are some related links to websites.


LENSES

Part 4 returns to the no-nonsense style of Parts 1 and 2 with a lengthy coverage of lenses. 15 lenses are covered here, where the O'Reilly book focuses on six. Lenses are extremely important for beginners, but the context of the discussion here seems less geared to beginners with a limited budget. It doesn't really communicate which lenses are must-own and which should be purchased down the road. In that sense, the O'Reilly book's six lens recommendations are actually more useful than the larger coverage of lenses here. The lenses that both books mention are:

1. The Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye, which is probably more a luxury than a must own
2. The EF 50 mm f 2.5 compact macro, though not every beginner will do macro photography
3. The Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM, which is a good quality value wide-angle lens
4. The EF-S 18-55mm f 3.5 - 5.6 IS USM, which is the standard included kit lens

Out of those 3, the third is the one which is most likely to have the widest appeal as an add-on purchase, particularly those who want to do landscapes. Most users will be getting the standard kit lens with their purchase of the XS.

They seem to differ in which telephoto lens to get, with the O'Reilly book recommending the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS and the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM and the Focus book recommending the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM. The O'Reilly book also recommends the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II as a prime lens.

CONCLUSION

The Focus book is organized much better to get beginners off the ground a little faster. Conversely, the O'Reilly book will give beginners a stronger foundation in theory, and act as a good refresher for intermediate amateurs. So the book that is best for your needs will depend. You will not do any harm in buying both books, but intermediate photographers may want to lean more in the direction of the O'Reilly book.

Enjoy.

I have owned Canon XS for more than half year. This book does have the advantage of having everything you need to know in one place. But by trying to have everything you need to know in one place, it actually leaves out a lot of things you want to know after owning the camera for a while.

Pros:
It has all the basic information you need to know to get started. It also touches the basics of photography in general.

Cons:
1. Lack of instructions for more advanced functions: I assume that even DSLR beginners have basic understanding of how a digital camera works. The "Part I" (about 100 pages) is pretty much useless. You know all these if you have ever used a point-and-shoot camera.

2. Lack of depth in photography basics: Again this is the problem of trying to have everything in one tiny book.

3. Lens review: I am very surprised that it does not cover two of the most popular lenses for Canon Rebel series: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II and Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS . Most people who have Canon XS instead of more advanced models are DSLR beginners. They will appreciate the reviews of basic and popular entry level lenses like those.

4. Print Quality: They should find a better printing company. The print quality is not good. In several places, I cannot see the differences in comparison photos with different settings.

As a DSLR beginner and a person going through the learning process, I will suggest you read the Canon manuals multiple times and keep it with you all the time. For photographing basics and techniques, go get a look like "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson (one of the most popular photography books of all time. Check Amazon for that). You will be much better off that way.

I got this book for my wife. I bought her the Canon XS for our anniversary earlier this year. I was looking for a book that was canon specific that would show her how to use her camera to do some more advanced things.

While this book teaches some photography fundamentals, it does not give enough examples, or lead you through step by step (do this, now do this, now do this).

The book assumes you have read the manual and know the camera fairly well, so don't buy this as a book to become aquainted with your camera.

I don't know what else to say. I don't think the book is worth $15. Maybe look for it used?

For the novice SLR-er in you, this guide is an excellent addition to the user manual, mostly due to its detailed discussion of the type of potential lenses and their uses. Other books such as Canon EOS Rebel XS/1000D For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) provide more detailed, step-by-step instructions for some of the features, the discussion on lenses is often lacking. This book clearly addresses that issue, while providing an relatively superficial overview of photography fundamentals such as picture composition, exposure time, etc. Though the discussion on lenses is good, it is probably geared for those who are looking for something in addition to the more commonly used Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras etc. Overall, it is a good investment for the price, but dont expect this book to be the only one you will need to completly understand how best to use your XS/1000D. Buy this for the discussion on lenses, use the manual for the set up and most basic functions, and the Dummies book for more details on focusing, etc. For a XS/1000D owner, this is a must-have.

I think this is a good beginners guide for the Canon XS/1000D which is an entry level Digital SLR. If you are in the market for a new DSLR and have read a lot of reviews on it, then I would purchase a book like this as the last step before purchase. If you can learn from the book easily then you've got a good chance of using your new camera effectively and being able to capture that spontaneous shot when you need to be fast and proficient with your camera. I think this a great entry level book that has lots of great pictures, helpful tips and tricks. It is written very well and conveys information cohesively. True it doesn't cover every aspect of photography, but I don't think it was every intended to. This book is more for a beginner to intermediate level camera user. In that respect I think it is a very good book. I found it entertaining to read.

If you want to learn the basics on how to use your camera and some basics on photography in general this is a good book. There are a lot of images in the book which helps to illustrate the concept the author is explaining. I would agree with an earlier reviewer in that the print quality of some of the images is poor. Overall this is a convenient book to have since it covers the following:

1) Basic Principles of Good Photography
2) The Camera
3) The Software
4) Light
5) Lenses
6) The Subjects
7) Accessories

I really liked this book, and found it to be an interesting and easy read. However, I didn't learn as much from it as I'd hoped - primarily because it tries to cover too much ground in too few pages.

The net result is a whirlwind tour of photography basics; the Rebel XS body; optional lenses and accessories; and the packaged software - all in a slim 200 pages. While it does a reasonable job in each area, it doesn't quite make it to the top of the pile in any one of these areas.

For instance, for those who want to know exactly how to use their new XS, there is no explanation for the Depth of Field Preview button (sits right below the Lens release button).

I was also disappointed that many of the photographs (the author is quite an artist) didn't specify any metadata, not even the lens that was used to take the picture. To me, the most egregious example was on page 74, where I particularly liked his description of "tonal merger", but the example photographs didn't hold much meaning for me.

I'm a Photoshop user myself, so I skipped the Digital Photo Professional chapter. The little I've used of that software left me underwhelmed, and I don't know that I'd have missed it if it wasn't present. However, I can understand the reasons for its inclusion.

For those wishing to get an answer to the eternal question 24-70mm f2.8 or 24-105mm f4 IS, you won't find the answer here. The author considers the former "indispensable for wedding and event photographers" and the latter has "become almost indispensable to me for everyday work." The 24-105mm is also recommended for use with the 580EX II on page 222, but the 24-70mm makes it to his recommended list of lenses on page 187.

[I actually found it rather amusing that the author recommends a "starter kit" of lenses that includes the 24-70mm f2.8L as well as the 70-200mm f2.8L. Considering that each of these lenses costs almost twice what the Rebel XS does, the term "starter" has just been redefined.]

The treatment of the 580EX flash unit is unfortunately pretty cursory - there's a lot to this flash unit, and not much detail is presented. For instance, he states that in order to get the most controllable results, I should "learn and note the power output in Manual mode". That's it. No explanation as to how I might get started with doing this.

In conclusion, this is a reasonable introduction to all aspects of photography in a compact package. If nothing else it provides you with enough information to start you on your journey.

Happy Clicking!
-Damodar

Geared more towards the beginner this book gives a good orientation to the camera. If you are coming from a point and shoot camera this book provides the basics on the fundamental aspects of using the camera. Following the guide will improve your pictures and show you details about the camera and software you may not find on your own. The extensive use of photos helps tremendously understand camera features and techniques. The book also covers the line of Canon accessories which can help you decide what else to get. There is no point having a DSLR unless you add lenses and an external flash. The material may be too simplistic for the advanced amateur but the numerous illustrations may help even the experienced photographer.

this is a great guide to a great camera. the Canon Digital Rebel is practically a miracle in my opinion, and this book does a very nice job of guiding you through use of the camera and digital photography in general. just be prepared to spend a while to let all the info sink in.

I purchased a older canon XSI rebel for my daughter online, as well as ordering a new multi lenses, filters, a full spectrum kit for a rebel camera. That camera was her first real full spectrum camera, but it never came with a manuel, so her exploration with that camera was somewhat limited. I purchased this book with the thought that she could see more possibilities of her old rebel and possibly foster a want to grow on to a more updated model for Christmas.

This book worked fabulously! We have gained a full understanding of the amazing capabilities of The canon rebel series and can now use both the older and xs/1000 camera's quite proficiently! My daughter wants to study photography when she graduates, and this book was a great beginner's eye opening window to the endless possibilities!