Customer Reviews

How to Do Everything: Digital Camera

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I found this book ideal as it is written for the amateur photographer that is new to digital photography, which basically describe my status. There is a lot of useful information in its 376 pages. It is well indexed and organized so that topics are easy to find.

The book is an easy read and is well illustrated, but suffers from a lack of colour. Obviously by eliminating colour and binding with a soft cover the publisher has been able to meet a price point. It's too bad the author does not published colour plates on his website to compensate for this lack of colour.

While I own a Kodak DC4800 3.1 Digital Camera and therefore would like to see more information on my specific camera, the author balances that desire by covering digital photography without being too camera brand specific.

I have read Dennis Curtin's A Short Course in Nikon Coolpix 950 Photography and would rate Dave Johnson's book as a more instructive book. I think Johnson's book will remain a good reference work for some years.

As a person experienced with technology but not knowledgeable about photography, I found this book to be a great resource. I bought my first digital camera, but didn't know how to get its features to "work for me" to take the pictures I wanted. So once I got the book I skipped straight to the chapters on basic photography -- including exposure, composition, and lighting -- which were invaluable. The author has a casual style (humorous on occasion, but the book is not burdened with quips), and he explains concepts in a way that's accomodating to novices, yet with enough detail to satisfy the technically oriented. After reading the chapters through once, I felt as if I had completed a basic photography class.

However, while I think the photography info itself merits 5 stars, the book as a whole fell a bit short. First, there are a few blatant errors, such as incorrectly referenced figures and wrong pictures, that were irksome (although they didn't much hinder the learning experience). Second, the large portion on image editing doesn't provide much new info for those already familiar with popular photo editing software -- it's strictly for newbies. Third, the black and white photos were poorly suited to illustrate certain concepts, especially those involving color. A color insert containing all the photos as they were originally shot would have helped.

In summary, this is definitely a worthwhile book for the overall digital photography novice. Those who are also new to computer hardware and software will likely reap the greatest return for their investment. Computer "geeks" may need to supplement this book with something more advanced on software.

This book delivered exactly what I was looking for. I have had a digital camera for three years, and realized that my lack of knowledge in the basic principals of photography was holding me back. Not only did this book explain clearly and effectively the basics of photography, but it taught me to get the most out of my digital camera's capabilities. I was getting frustrated and now I am enjoying my camera again.

I also wanted to learn what to look for in a higher-end camera down the line, and this was covered as well. I understand how to weigh the different features against the kind of pictures I want to take.

Well written and useful. I recommend it.

I was very surprised by the quality of this book. I had seen other books on the subject which were to broad. The author did a superb job in helping out inexperienced photographers (or photographers to be) get a grasp on "how" to shoot good pictures and how to manipulate them. His examples are very realistic and appropriate to the audience--things we may actually want to shoot or repair. It was very inspirational and helpful. I was intimidated by taking panoramic photos, but after reading this book, I went out and took some and they turned out great. The other area that was really helpful for me was the discussion on camera lens with links to companies that sell them for the digital cameras. I went to the sites and learned a lot of what was available with sample photos. For digital camera users who do not come from a background of using a traditional camera professionally, these are topics that many don't understand. Kudos to the author.

I bought this book when I started researching digital camera's to find one of my liking. I had no knowledge about photography, nothing to help me out anyway. It really has a lot of info on subjects ranging from technical workings of the (digital) camera, how to compose a good picture to using and editing images on the PC.

Since I am a more advanced computer user the part about the use of the PC in digital photography didn't tell me a lot of new things (though I haven't really dived into it yet), which is why I gave it four stars instead of five. There is a reasonable large portion of the book on PC work, which was not the reason I bought the book - to find out as much as I could about digital camera's and photography so I could make a well informed decision. It did fulfill that goal though.

An earlier review stated a number of errors, with a low rating for the book because of this. This applies to the first edition of the book and most or all of those errors seem to be corrected. So I assume they paid special attention to the errors made in the book before. Plus of course the technology hasnt stood still (and is already somewhat more ahead then in the 2nd edition) so the 2nd edition is more up to date. (it even mentions my camera choice, the canon powershot G2)

This book is basically has two parts. The first talks about your camera, and the second shows you how to modify your digital pictures on your computer. In my opinion, too many chapters are dedicated to the second part, and not enough to the first.

As the owner of a new and expensive digital camera, I knew I needed help in using it. The manual showed me what the camera could do, but not what I should do. This book doesn't help me enough. I need to find another book.

The discussion on photography is too sparse. I think part of the problem is that the book is old. Lots of features on my camera are not even discussed, presumably because they were not common when the book came out. In addition, some topics are only glossed over.

The chapters on using your computer to modify the images was of no use to me, even though it's more than half the book. If I had known that, I wouldn't have purchased it.

Bought this today ... :the following is based upon the first 120 pages (~1/3rd of the book).

When the author stays on generalities (higher f-stop number means smaller aperture opening, for example) the text is acceptable. As soon as real numbers appear, however, the text becomes erroneous. There is also one glaring problem which carries throughout the text, beginning in Chapter 1, page 9.

C1P9: Non-SLR cameras are defined as having a "rangefinder" viewing system. The only camera I recall that is still in production with a rangefinder view is the Leica M-series 35mm. Rangefinders were a focusing aid using beam splitters (prisms or mirrors) and TWO subject lens windows positioned a few inches apart, projecting double images onto the viewfinder image. The operator focused the camera by adjusting the system so that the double images merged into a single image for the desired subject -- hence, "range finder" as you have now determined (by the lens distance markings) the range to the focused subject. Most digital cameras are simple point-and-shoot direct view finders.

C2P25: in describing the change in shutter speed relative to ASA rating (pardon the obsolete term, but when ISO ratings first came out the definition was <asa>/<din> -- not just the ASA term) the example runs something like: 1/30 @ 100ASA, 1/60 @ 200ASA, and then jumps to 1/250 @ 400ASA! The last should be 1/125 @ 400ASA.
On the same page, reference is made to a one stop change increasing or decreasing the light hitting the "film" by 100%. A 100% decrease in light would be NO light.

C3P63: The illustration with the three owls is quite misleading as changing from a 35mm to a 100mm lens would also have narrowed the angular field of view such that the top/bottom of the owls would also be outside of the image UNLESS... one backs up far enough to maintain the same subject area. As the next section mentions though, moving further away from the subject shifts the focal point toward a position in which the depth of field is larger -- so it is quite likely that all three owls would again be within the depth of field.

C3P70: Auto (and Program) shutter speed/aperture controls. The author states that cameras tend to favor fast shutter speeds to minimize shake. While I've not seen the program for a digital camera, the traditional 35mm "program" favors a diagonal trying to keep shutter speed fast (minimize shake) AND aperture small (wider depth of field). The program would look like (assuming an f2.8 - f16 lens, the actual cameras have half or third stop points so the jumps aren't this extreme): 1/1000@f16, 1/500@f11, 1/250@f8, 1/125@f5.6, 1/60@f4, 1/30@f2.8, 1/15@f2.8 ... A literal reading of the author's statement would imply a camera that went: 1/1000@f16, 1/1000@f11, 1/1000@f8, 1/1000@f5.6, 1/1000@f4, 1/1000@f2.8, 1/500@f2.8, 1/250@f2.8 ... In other words, most shooting would have very short depth of field.

C4P91: the author states that most camera meters are designed to render 18% grey as full white. This is directly opposite of what is normal photographic standard. Light meters assume the typical image averages to 18% grey, and sets the exposure for that. This is why scenes of predominantly white objects look underexposed -- the camera sees all this white and says "this is supposed to be 18% grey, reduce the light during exposure".

C4P96: The Moon. The author missed the simplest instructions for photographing the moon, regardless of magnification level.
The Moon is an object illuminated by the sun. To properly expose for the lit side of the Moon, apply the "Sunny-16" rule. There is no need to guess at "fairly fast shutter speeds".

C5P115: In the discussion of flash blockage during close-up shots, reference is made to figure 5-10. The correct figure is 5-11. This error could be simple proof-reading failure which can not be blamed on the author.

This is as far as I've gotten in the book at this time.

I was a beginner to the digital camera world and found this book to be very , very helpful. It is easy to understand and Johnson takes you thur everything step by step. A friend was reading it with me and was going to order the book. It is complete, precise and easy to follow.

How to Do Everything with Your Digital Camera, Fourth Edition( 2005)will change every beginner into an effective digital camera user. 424 pages divided into 4 parts : part I on Your Camera from pages 1 to 170 covers the history of digital camera and then goes into the process of shooting a photo( exposure, composition,etc); part II from page 171 to 234 covers the act of Transferring Images to the Computer( file formats, organizing); part III from pages 235 to 370 goes into Editing Images and finally part IV talks about Using Your Images from page 371 to page 428.

So, about 40% of the text is devoted to the process of shooting a photo and about 31% to Editing. A good proportion to my mind.

There is a Detailed table of contents per chapter that takes a little more than 6 pages and an 8-page Index for zeroing quickly on a particular piece of information.

At the center of the book , there are 8 pages of color photos to explain corresponding techniques. Almost every page is illustrated with black and white photos to show as well as explain a technique.

To illustrate the clarity of the language used , here is a sample :
" what the heck is a 9.3mm lens ? If this digital camera were a 35mm camera its 9.3mm lens would give you the same picture as a 50mm camera, for instance.Many photographers know that 20-35mm is considered wide angle, while 50-90mm is thought to be "normal" - great for portraits, for instance. " Pages 10 and 11.

In the Introduction , the author invites readers to write and send him questions and comments at his indicated e-mail address; he also mentions his website.

A great book for Digital Photography beginners !

So far I'm finding this book helpful. I've only used point and shoot cameras so far and I just purchased my first DSLR and have no experience with SLRs to begin with. I needed a book that DIDN'T assume previous photography (not snapshot) experience. This is it. I foudn the explanations helpful and am not worried about any technical errors mentioned in the previous reviews. Once I'm ready for more srious picture taking, I'll find other sources to make up for any of the mistakes there may be in this book. All in all I think this is a good beginner basics book that covers quite a bit of material.