Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies (For Dummies (Lifestyles Paperback)) [Paperback]

David D. Busch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 8, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0470149272 | ISBN-13: 978-0470149270 | Edition: 2

Understanding exactly how a digital SLR (dSLR) works can help you use its exciting capabilities to their fullest potential. Whether you aim to become a serious photo hobbyist, are interested in turning pro, or want to take advantage of the improved control that dSLRs give you over your photography, this fun and friendly reference will show you how to maximize everything a dSLR has to offer so that you can improve your photography skills, increase your picture-taking and image-editing knowledge, and ultimately, take better photos.

Written with just the right balance of technology and techniques in mind, this guide provides you with the know-how on everything from getting acquainted with the basic key features of the technology (lenses, sensors and image processors, and exposure and focusing systems) to the nuances of various dSLR techniques (setting up speedy continuous-shooting burst modes to capture fast action, applying selective and sharp focus, and shooting under the lowest levels of light). Other topics explored include:

• Composing your shots with an accurate viewfinder
• Deciding how many pixels your camera needs
• Cleaning the sensor yourself
• Choosing between a tripod or monopod
• Adjusting exposure and improving shutter speed
• Creating time-lapse sequences
• Fixing murky or contrasting photos

With so much subject area covered, Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies, 2^nd Edition not only introduces you to the fundamentals of great picture-taking with a dSLR, but goes beyond the basics. Some of the more advanced topics discussed include working with the various formats of digital photos, minimizing shutter lag and first-shot delays, and fixing up your pictures with various image-editing programs. This is just the book you need to progress from getting started with a dSLR to actually improving your dSLR photography!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...simple to understand" (Which Digital Camera, October 2008)

From the Back Cover

Understand your camera and use every cool feature

Capture the action, shoot RAW, make good pictures great, and share!

With a digital SLR camera, you can transform that great image in the viewfinder into a compelling photograph. This guide is packed with tips for taking advantage of all the features in the latest cameras from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, Olympus, and others. Here's the scoop on sensors, pixels, cool accessories, lenses, flash units, the latest image editing software, and more.

• Compare features of the latest cameras

• Utilize creative exposure techniques

• Choose lenses, flash, and storage accessories

• Apply image stabilization, auto dust removal, and noise reduction

• Enhance and improve your images

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 2 edition (October 8, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470149272
• ISBN-13: 978-0470149270
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.7 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #534,183 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

With nearly 1.5 million books in print, David D. Busch is the world's #1 selling author of camera-specific guidebooks, and the originator of popular series like David Busch's Pro Secrets, David Busch's Compact Field Guides, David Busch's Guides to Digital SLR Photography, and David Busch's Quick Snap Guides.

Most of his hugely successful books for Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax, Olympus, and Panasonic digital cameras are the top-selling guidebooks for their respective camera models. His advice has been featured on NPR's "All Tech Considered."

Busch's dozens of other books devoted to digital photography include David Busch's Digital Infrared Pro Secrets and Mastering Digital SLR Photography. As a roving photojournalist for more than 20 years, he has illustrated his books, magazine articles, and newspaper reports with award-winning images. Busch has operated his own commercial studio, suffocated in formal dress while shooting weddings-for-hire, and shot sports for a daily newspaper and upstate New York college. His photographs and articles have been published in magazines as diverse as PhotoGraphic, Popular Photography & Imaging, The Rangefinder, The Professional Photographer, and hundreds of other publications. He's also reviewed digital cameras for CNet Networks and Computer Shopper.

As a writer, photographer, and contributing editor for ten magazines, he has more than 130 books and 2500 articles to his credit. A PR consultant for Eastman Kodak Company's photography divisions for nearly 20 years, Busch has published photography articles under his by-line in Popular Photography & Imaging, PhotoGraphic, The Rangefinder, The Professional Photographer and other photo magazines. His photos have appeared on the covers of magazines, and in both print and television advertising.

The graduate of Kent State University operated his own photo studio and was a principal in CCS/PR, Inc., one of the largest public relations firms based in San Diego, working on press conferences, press kits, media tours, and sponsored photo trade magazine articles. In addition to Kodak, CCS photography clients included Hewlett-Packard. He sold his interest in CCS in 1992 to become a full-time author, photographer, and reporter.

Since then, Busch has become one of the leading photojournalist/authors in the United States. He has had as many as five books appear simultaneously in the Amazon.com Top 25 Digital Photography Books, and when Michael Carr of About.com named the top five digital photography books for beginners, the #1 and #2 choices were his Digital Photography All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies and Mastering Digital Photography. Several of his digital imaging books have sold in excess of 50,000 copies.

Busch was a featured guest speaking on digital photography on Toronto's Breakfast Television show in 2005, was the keynote speaker at the Dayton Computerfest, and has been a call-in guest for 22 different radio shows nationally and in major markets, including WTOP-AM (Washington), KYW-AM (Philadelphia), USA Network (Daybreak USA), WPHM-AM (Detroit), KMJE-FM (Sacramento), CJAD-AM (Montreal), WBIX-AM (Boston), ABC Radio Network (Jonathan & Mary Show).

His work has been translated into Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Bulgarian, German, Italian, French, and other languages. his web site is http://www.dbusch.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

474 of 480 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, but..., September 9, 2006

By 

I. Wan (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies (Paperback)

Having recently decided to move to the DSLR world, I needed to learn how to shoot pictures in mode other than Full Auto.

So I purchased this book as well as
"Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)"

While this book is good, for my specific case (I'm fairly comfortable with the digital world), the "Understanding Exposure" was a far better book for me.

I appreciate the fact that the author is trying to explain about image formats, memory cards, etc... But what I was really looking, was for a book to explain how to shoot great pictures.

I had to learn about exposures, apertures, shutter speed, ISO, etc, and this book covers it slightly, but wasn't enough for me to have a good grasp.

If you're new to the digital photography world, then yeah... go for it and buy this book, but if you've already owned a Digital Camera (and knew what you were doing) but only shot pictures in Auto Mode, then I'd suggest the "Understanding Exposure" book. Not only it explains basic and advanced concepts, but it's full of pictures so you can visually understand how each parameter affects the exposure.

92 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An instant classic for digital SLR owners, November 5, 2005

By 

Dandy Randy (Santa Fe, New Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies (Paperback)

The Dummies people have finally recognized that books about digital photography deserve to be published in full color, and this one amply demonstrates the reason why. It's written by the leading author of DSLR books (I also own his Nikon D70 guide), and is filled from cover to cover with wonderful full color photos and shrewd advice for getting the most from your camera.

If anything, this book is even clearer than the usual Dummies book, taking you through every step in choosing, using, and accessorizing your digital SLR. It's perfect for new DSLR owners who are puzzled by the many options, features, and settings found in these cameras. It's also a good guide for those seeking to improve their skills. I now fully understand things like continuous autofocus and single autofocus, how to select lenses, when to use aperture and shutter priority, and why I should not ever use my D70's full "automatic" mode.

Unlike some other DSLR books I've seen, this one covers both cameras and photography thoroughly, so you'll learn how to use your camera as well as how to take better images.

56 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent - Explains Digital SLRS Fully and Clearly, December 10, 2005

By 

Brion (Salt Lake City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies (Paperback)

Like many snapshooting amateurs, I upgraded from an ordinary point/shoot digital camera to a digital SLR because I wanted to take advantage of the features these new cameras offer. Plus, a camera like my Olympus E-500 doesn't really cost much more than the high-end non-SLR cameras. However, once I got my camera, I didn't know what to do with it.

This book cleared everything up for me. It provided a clear explanation of the advantages of digital SLR cameras, plus it listed some of the drawbacks I was not aware of at first, such as the inability to shoot movies. Then it told me about all the different controls and how to use them. There were great sections in this book on how to take specific kinds of pictures and how to choose an image editor. The editing portion got me started and inspired me to buy a Dummies book on Photoshop Elements so I can learn more.

As I said, this book really told me what I could do with my new camera. There was even a section in the Parts of Tens that listed things you'd never thought of doing with a digital SLR and I certainly hadn't. Thank you for a great introduction to my new camera.