36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good friendly overview - but where were the editors?, February 4, 2010
I recently downloaded this book to my Kindle, and looked forward to reading it with my new Canon EOS 7D in hand. Typical of all of the "for Dummies" books, the content is presented in a very friendly way. Its almost as if the author is sitting with you and presenting the information in person. Whereas the Canon manual is pretty dry and very matter of fact, Canon EOS 7D for Dummies presents the same material in a much easier to understand, practical format.
The author takes you from using the camera in full auto sequentially all the way to operating in full manual modes utilizing every bell and whistle on this amazing camera. Believe me, there's no shortage or bells or whistles that need explanation. I found it a nice touch that the author also has a few simple projects that allow practice of the concepts introduced in the first half of the book.
I really appreciated the inclusion of Canon's photo software. Personally, I use CS3, however I know there are many people who will use the included software exclusively. Even with CS3, I know my wife (a photography novice) will use the Canon software and will be able to turn out an extremely high quality final product without having to learn CS3.
My only gripe with this book is that there are many instance of poor editing. For example: In the first part of the book, the author writes a paragraph about how the camera will select shutter speed, aperture and ISO for you when shooting in the full auto mode. The very next paragraph begins by explaining that when shooting in full auto mode, the camera will select the aperture, ISO, and shutter speed. How this got through the final edit, I don't know. There are other instances of needless information as well. The author describes that there are two types of zoom lenses. There are lenses that you screw in our out to work the zoom, and those that are pulled straight in or out. Then he goes on to describe exactly how to physically do it: Grasp the lens with your hand turn in either direction. Seems a little too basic for someone who just spent $1700 on a camera.
Overall, minor editing gripes aside, the information presented here is complete, organized, and presented in an easy to follow way. I recommend this to any new Canon 7D owner, especially those who have not had experience with high-end SLRs.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It helped this dummy, June 24, 2010
This review is from: Canon EOS 7D For Dummies (Paperback)
This is the first "for dummies" book that I have ever purchased. When I bought the camera I knew that I was getting one that would do above and beyond anything that I could imagine for a beginner/intermediate photographer like myself.
I knew that I wanted a book that was specific to my camera and could explain everything to me that this high end camera could offer. After finishing the book I now feel more comfortable with the camera and familiar with all of its menus and features. If I wouldn't have purchased this book I would still be bumbling around with the owner's manual wishing that the English section would just write the information in just plain English. I'd still be pushing buttons wondering what just happened when I touched that last one.
I would recommend this book to any EOS 7D owner if just to replace the hard to follow and read owner's manual that it comes with. After reading through the book once I find now that whenever I feel stumped when trying to figure out a picture I can just refer back to the dummy book and find my answer.
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect to get you started ..., February 22, 2010
This review is from: Canon EOS 7D For Dummies (Paperback)
I've recently purchased my 7D and wanted something that would make the manual that comes with the camera a little less like I needed a huge amount of assumed knowledge. This book is perfect if you're like me and need to have things explained in simple, but not too simple, terms. I found it easy to read and understand and the examples easy to follow making learning about my camera and enjoyable experience rather than a daunting one. I wouldn't recommend this book if you already know everything there is to know about a DSLR but it's perfect for those making the transition from a point and press version to one that needs some input from the user to make it shine. I highly recommend this book.
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