126 of 127 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a 5 star book as long as you know what you're buying!, October 21, 2005
This review is from: Canon EOS 20D (Magic Lantern Guides) (Paperback)
I read the reviews of this book from other members. And they hovered around the, "this book is a rehash of what you already know" or, "a wordy version of the owner's manual." Maybe so, and this is precisely why I have to give this book 5 stars.
I had a very nice 35mm SLR about 20 years ago (I'm 37 as of this review). I long since sold it and have not held anything other than some form of point-and-shoot for nearly two decades. But now I am getting back into photography again. I did a LOT of research and ended up on the EOS 20D.
After reading the instruction manual that came with the book I realized I had more questions than answers. The instruction manual reads as though you already know everything it's mentioning. It's a large reference guide, but hardly a well-written instruction book for the EOS 20D.
So, despite the reviews, I bought the book. And am VERY happy I did. I suspect the negative reviews are written by people who didn't really need to read this book in the first place. But if you're like me, and you're fairly green to all of this and are a virgin to the digial SLR world, then this book is a must for you if you have a 20D.
The book is NOT an instruction book on how to take better photos. But it explains in very plain English how every single feature works, what it might be used for, and in a few cases, how to utilize some of the camera's features.
I personally found this book to be invaluable. And without it I would have remained lost. Trying to decipher the hard-to-read instruction booklet that comes with the camera.
After reading the book front to back I was confident in adjusting the camera's settings, using the 20D's onboard menus and screen-controlled settings.
The book is written as though you're completely new to the 20D. And in the case of some professionals I can see how this almost might be condescending. But if you use the book for it's intended purpose (a more easily understood instruction manual) instead of what it isn't (How to get the best results from your 20D) then you'll be happy with the book.
Hope this helps. I see 1-star bashes about this book and I am left to assume it's from people who never needed to read it in the first place.
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A rehash BUT..., June 22, 2005
This review is from: Canon EOS 20D (Magic Lantern Guides) (Paperback)
True, it is a rehash basically of the manual, but it's presented in a much clearer and more interesting manner, by explaining a lot of the basics of digital photography. I'm rather new to digital photography, so I found it much easier to uderstand Rob Sheppards explanations, then the bland and sometimes confusing way the manual presents the same thing. I wouldn't reommend this book though, to a professional or expert in digital photography.
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105 of 124 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
A glossy version of the owners manual--Skip It, March 14, 2005
This review is from: Canon EOS 20D (Magic Lantern Guides) (Paperback)
I had high hopes for the Magic Lantern guide to the EOS-20D, after having purchased the Magic Lantern guide for my Canon film SLR (EOS-5) many years ago.
The EOS-20D guide proved to be a big disappointment. It's basically just a re-write of the Canon owners manual, with a few amateur tips on photography, i.e. "a sturdy tripod will eliminate camera movement," and computer imaging, i.e. "a card reader can be purchased at most electronics stores."
Save your money.
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