The Digital SLR Guide: Beyond Point-and-Shoot Digital Photography [Paperback]

Jon Canfield (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0321492196 | ISBN-13: 978-0321492197 | Publication Date: November 20, 2006 | Edition: 1

Have you stepped up to a digital single-lens-reflex (dSLR) camera only to find the range of capabilities daunting? Combining features traditionally found on 35mm film cameras — precise shutter speed and exposure settings, interchangeable lenses and accessories, superior image quality — with the ease and storage capacity of digital cameras, a dSLR is a powerful new tool that can create truly great digital pictures. But the learning curve for photographers moving from the point-and-shoot digital world can be formidable. In this book, photo-grapher and industry consultant Jon Canfield shows you how to take full advantage of dSLR photography, illuminating the entire process with nuggets of hard-won expertise. He also shows you how to use popular image-editing software such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Elements to improve your images.The Digital SLR Guide is brimming with tips and tricks for getting the most from your equipment. The book is heavily illustrated with images and provides everything you need to know about choosing and using dSLR cameras and equipment.
You’ll learn how to:
• Get the right stuff. Explore popular digital SLR cameras and compare accessories, such as lenses, flashes, and filters.
• Learn the camera inside and out. Master dSLR camera controls and advanced features for maximum impact.
• shoot like an expert. Cut to the chase with innovative, time-saving, and creative photography techniques.
• Edit your images. Use Photoshop and Photoshop Elements to make your pictures even better.
• Boost quality. Work with high-quality raw capture modes for the best possible photos.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

JON CANFIELD is the author of several popular photography books, including Print Like a Pro: A Digital Photographer’s Guide. He currently writes the “Output Options” column for Shutterbug, and he is a frequent contributor to PC Photo, Outdoor Photographer, and Digital Photo Pro magazines. His images have been published in the America 24/7 book series and featured on the MSN and Kodak Web sites. Jon is also a popular instructor at Betterphoto.com and Lepp Institute, where he teaches workshops on digital imaging, color management, and macro photography. He helped develop digital imaging products such as Picture It! and Digital Image Pro for Microsoft before devoting himself to writing and photography.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press; 1 edition (November 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321492196
• ISBN-13: 978-0321492197
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #796,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Photographer and author living Moses Lake, Washington state. Author of 'RAW 101: Better Images with Photoshop and Photoshop Elements', 'Print Like a Pro: A digital Photographer's Guide', 'The Digital SLR Guide: Beyond Point-and-Shoot Digital Photography', 'Photodex ProShow Visual Quickstart Guide', and co-author of 'Photo Finish: The Digital Photographer's Guide to Printing, Showing, and Selling Images' with Tim Grey.
Frequent contributor to PC Photo, Outdoor Photographer, Digital Photo Pro, and Shutterbug magazines, instructor at PPSOP.NET.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good info for beginner, intermediate shooter., January 3, 2007

By 

M. Rosen (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Digital SLR Guide: Beyond Point-and-Shoot Digital Photography (Paperback)

I've been shooting film for years, and have been using a digital SLR for a couple years, and I was surprised at the amount of things I learned from this book. Canfield gives a basic intro to the aspects of SLR photography in the digital world, and explains how the basics of photography are affected and enhanced with the use of digital SLRs. Some of the stuff is for beginners (focus, exposure, etc) because he does take care to address shooters who are stepping up from a P&S (point & shoot) digital camera. He then takes you through the mechanics and theory of digital imaging and the methods to optimize your photos, both in the camera when shooting and on your computer afterwards. Lots of helpful tips and very up-to-date equipment and software recommendations (as of 2006, anyway). A couple shortcomings: Some photo and caption mistakes. A car described as speeding down the freeway (to illustrate freezing motion with a high shutter speed) is clearly parked and unoccupied, and a few other photos had incorrect or transposed captions. The book is published by a small independent press and these mistakes can happen. I could find no real errors in the main text and I would recommend the book regardless.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Any library appealing to amateur photographers will find it a welcome reference., July 27, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Digital SLR Guide: Beyond Point-and-Shoot Digital Photography (Paperback)

THE DIGITAL SLR GUIDE: BEYOND POINT-AND-SHOOT DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY covers the many options of the latest cameras, which typically combine features from 35mm cameras with a better storage and delivery system. A digital SLR can make for great pictures - but photographers moving from 'point-and-shoot' to this mode are typically confused and lost over all the options and possibilities of both shooting and using popular image-editing software. This guide is the place to begin: it covers all accessories, features, how to adopt expert techniques for shooting the best photos, and how to edit images for maximum results. Any library appealing to amateur photographers will find it a welcome reference.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Guide, May 15, 2008

By 

Halifax Creative User Group "HCUG" (Halifax NS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Digital SLR Guide: Beyond Point-and-Shoot Digital Photography (Paperback)

The book titles itself as a guide. I would label it more as an essential book for anyone who recently purchased a digital SLR. The book lives up to it's promise of taking you beyond point and shoot. After all, if you just doled out for that SLR, you should want to make the most of it. The book divides itself into reasonable chunks of information and is sorted logically, taking you through the camera features, lenses, flash and filters
and on to RAW files and image editing. This book does not act like a classroom book - with tutorials etc, but offers all the basics in a simple and straight forward form. A good example is in the techniques section. Four pages are spent on handling light and dark objects. The dark objects are shown with two types of exposure and the copy explains the whys and the solutions at hand with a digital SLR. The copy explains how the light and dark objects are similar in challenges and shows the typical photos that you
would be challenged with. The photos themselves are not overly grand, but certainly not just snapshots. The main point of this to the reader is that it does not make one
feel that a section is beyond them, just because there are no photos of a place or subject you won't encounter without a big travel budget.

The price is a little high, though it may have dropped now that the CDN dollar is on par with the greenback, but at $50 it is worth the investment if your making the move to something more than a point and shoot camera.