Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

You can always count on Dummies books to present complicated information in an easy-to-absorb style, and this one is even better than most. New D-SLR owners will find everything they need to know to master their cameras. Veterans will discover new features and new techniques, too. All the illustrations are in full color, so you can see exactly what kind of results you'll get if you follow this book's advice.

There seem to be a lot of D-SLR books on the market now. Many of them concentrate on the technology or spend too much time describing how to "fix" your pictures in Photoshop. This book has exactly the right mix of nuts and bolts, tips on what you can do with image editing, and, throughout the text, lots and lots of photographic techniques of the sort you really won't find in many of the other D-SLR books.

Since I do a lot of my reading on subways, I've always felt a little embarrassed when carrying one of the books in the "For Dummies" line. At the same time, I've always found that the series really does provide a broad spectrum of knowledge for entry into a new field. This book is no exception.

Although Busch expects the reader to have some knowledge of the controls on his or her digital single lens reflex camera (DSLR) and how to operate a computer, he leads the new DSLR owner by the hand to the information necessary to get good photographs. Moreover, he clearly keys this knowledge to the digital side of photography. For example, he spends several pages talking about the use of the camera's histogram (a chart of the distribution of light values in a picture) to improve exposures. He also explains the differences between camera formats like JPG and RAW, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Some of the material, like the discussion of different focal length lenses, may be applicable to film single lens reflexes as well, but if you are coming to a DSLR from a point and shoot camera, this will be useful information.

There is also information about processing your photographs in image editing software with a brief explanation of the different image editing functions. He finishes up with the "Part of Tens" which includes tips for better pictures not covered elsewhere in the book, suggested projects and even useful websites.

For someone who doesn't expect to push his or her photography skills beyond the bare minimum, this may be the only book ever needed (besides the camera manual). But DSLR's have a way of pulling you into the hobby and then this book just won't be enough. For example, even though this book covers image processing software, it's more from the point of knowing the potential. Actual use of Photoshop or other software will require much more information. In addition, there are many other decisions that a serious digital photographer will have to address, like whether to use in-camera sharpening, that aren't even addressed here. Also not mentioned was the use of Adobe Camera Raw, which is the front end of Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.

Another area that I felt was weak was the section on composition which did not even cover some of the basic guidelines like the "rule of thirds." (Busch mentions a "rule of thirds" but only in terms of where to put the horizon in a landscape.)

Finally there are a few mistakes in the book like the perpetuation of the myth that wide-angle lenses have greater depth field than telephotos. It's a rule of optical science that for a given aperture and image size the depth of field is the same whether you use a wide-angle or a telephoto lens.

Notwithstanding these complaints, this book will provide a good introduction to photography with a DSLR.

This book is definitely written with an eye towards those just getting their feet wet with digital SLRs. The technical portions of the book are excellent--you will have a much better understanding of the capabilities of your camera and, more importantly, harnessing those capabilities. Other non-technical sections, such as pointers on composition, are helpful as well. Finally, while not as crisply written as other sections, the book includes a decent discussion on available software and the process of editing images.

If you are buying your first digital SLR, add this book to the order. One hint--READ YOUR CAMERA'S MANUAL FIRST. It makes it much easier to digest the information provided and immediately experiment with your new understanding of your camera's functions.

The Cadillac's of the digital camera world are the Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras. Here is where the camera companies put forth their latest research, the latest components in sensing, image processing and everything else. For the average advanced amateur, the question has to be, what will I get with a dSLR that makes it worth the extra huyndreds of dollars?

This book answers that question. It covers the design of the dSLR camera and uses this to explain the advantages. It will enable you to decide if you need to spend the extra money or if it would suit you just as well to have a high end point and shoot camera. As you might guess, the author is a solid fan of dSLRs, but he is kind enough to point out that they may not be for everyone. He gives the advantages and some of the disadvantages of both the dSLR and what you can expect out of point and shoot.

One point he doesn't mention, the features that you now get in a dSLR such as increased pixel count will move their way downward into the cheaper cameras as time goes on. Of course by then, the dSLRs will have a bevy of new features.

Finally, to round out the story of dSLRs he does cover image processing and printing. Again, he concentrates on the unique features that dSLRs bring such as RAW files, etc.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who doesn't really know much about how digital SLR cameras work. The book provides a general overview of the main areas of interest to beginner photographers, but the book is rather basic though, so unless you are a true beginner, the book is probably not for you. Personally, I think the main value of this book is that I now understand enough about the different terms/principles to seek out more specific books for further reading. For example, I ordered "Understanding Exposure", and I'm probably also going to get a book specifically geared toward low light shooting as well.

I have been into photography much of my life. I found this book to be easy to read, informative, well written, and filled with photographic examples of the points being made. It ends with helpful websites and tips on photo editing using programs i.e. Adobe Photoshop, etc..

"Digital SLR Cameras" is helpful for someone trying to decide whether to upgrade from a point-and-shoot camera to an SLR. Photos comparing the two camera types, as well as illustrating various SLR features are provided throughout the material. Noise, depth of field, lens dust, exposure, histograms, different file storage formats, infrared options, and basic editing were all covered.

The "bad news" is that its coverage of SLR lenses still left areas needing greater treatment. However, overall Busch's book is very informative.