Digital SLR Pro Secrets [Paperback]

David D. Busch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 20, 2005 | ISBN-10: 1598630199 | ISBN-13: 978-1598630190 | Edition: 1

This book is aimed at providing more advanced techniques to digital camera buffs as well as business people using the new breed of digital SLR in their work environment. For anyone who has learned most of a digital camera's basic capabilities and who now wonders what to do with the enhanced features found in digital SLR cameras, this is a dream guide to pixel proficiency. It is packed not only with tips, tricks, and sophisticated techniques, but also easy-to-complete, useful projects that will allow readers to do more with their cameras. Although the techniques are more advanced, there will be enough grounding in basics that any serious photographer can benefit from this book. More than just a general digital camera book, this is a book about digital SLR photography: how to take great pictures with the newest cameras and make great images that leverage the strengths of computer technology, while taking into account the special needs of digital cameras.

Product Details

• Paperback: 313 pages
• Publisher: Course Technology PTR; 1 edition (December 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598630199
• ISBN-13: 978-1598630190
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #170,301 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

105 of 108 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Busch's best yet!, January 15, 2006

By 

Relentless "skepticalbeliever" (Gainesville, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digital SLR Pro Secrets (Paperback)

I've read several of Busch's plethora of books about digital imaging; however I think this one is his best hitherto. Great all around discourse, excellent tips, excellent explanations, great examples, very resourceful (and funny) "secrets."

What I like the most is the level of detail he gives and further, as a reader I feel the author really wants me to comprehend and understand the concepts at hand. I know there are more tips/"secrets" that can be covered in ANY book; however, the ones "exposed" (pun intended) in this primer are the most commonly used and necessesary to take better advantage of whatever DSLR and glass you might own. Also, I really enjoyed and learned quite a bit from the equipment testing section which I think is necessary in order to have a better understanding about the limitations (or lack thereof) of your DSLR.

If the above sounds like it's over your head, I then refer you to Busch's other book "Mastering Digital DSLR Photography," for a proper introduction to the subject.

72 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb photos, superb information, February 23, 2006

By 

kenny (kennywood) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digital SLR Pro Secrets (Paperback)

It is very good to see a book that doesn't talk down to experienced photographers. This one provides the exact sort of information you need to take better pictures with your D-SLR. It has good technical information about topics you don't frequently see in digital camera books such as infrared photography, macros, and other types. All is described in a way that is easy to understand and will be of value to those who have a great deal of experience in photography and also for those who are intermediate photographers. Most of the other books just say the same old things as before. This one is different. The photos are superb and the text is, too. All around a good addition to your book shelf.

82 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ignore ignorant reviewers -- this is a great book!, May 23, 2006

By 

Colm "El Profesor" (Phoenix) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digital SLR Pro Secrets (Paperback)

I have to admit that I had to laugh at the comments from the "spotlit" reviewer who opined that this book held no secrets for him -- despite the numerous technical errors in his own review! You have to smile at the misguided notions of someone who feels that the greater depth-of-field of wide angle lenses is a "myth." (The scientific fact is that for practical purposes the DOF of a wide angle lens is the same as a telephoto lens only if you enlarge a portion of the wide angle view enormously so that a subject is the same size as the telephoto picture. Who would do something crazy like that?)

I do happen to know a bit about photography (I've even heard of the well-known Harris Shutter), and was pleased to see the inside information on this and other techniques in this book. There is lots of good, solid information here for intermediate and advanced photographers, and plenty for beginners to chew on as they progress in their skills.

I think the author's most important contribution is the well-thought-out organization of the ideas he presents. For example, the chapter on Raising The Bar on Quality covers ALL the factors that affect image quality, one after another, with tips on making improvements, and tests that you can run to make sure you are getting the kind of quality you expect from your digital SLR camera. I know of no other book that covers all the bases of this topic so clearly and comprehensively.

Each of the other chapters explore their topics (such as use of lenses, and build-it-yourself gadgets that can improve your photography) with a depth of detail I really haven't found in any other DSLR book.

I find it quite easy to recommend this book to anyone seeking advanced techniques -- whether you already think you know it all, or not.