Customer Reviews

Kodak Professional Photoguide (6th edition)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For any serious amatateur photographer (and I can't say about professional photographers, because I'm not one), the Kodak Professional Photoguide is indispensible. It's seven tabbed chapters take one quickly to reference materials on every techinical subject concerning picture-taking to which you would need to refer. For instance, the chapter entitled "exposure" contains detail information on every metering technique except the Zone System, as well as containing handy tables on, for instance, ISO film speeds in 1/3 stop intervals, lighting ratios, exposure correction for leaf shutters, and an existing light dial that gives standard exposure times for a variety of hard to meter situations (i.e. moonlit landscapes). If you don't know what any of the above topic are, then the book is too advanced for you. Order Ansel Adams triology (The Camara, The Negative, The Print) and Hornstein's books, read them, then buy the Kodak Professional Photoguide. The only draw backs to the Photoguide are: (1) the descriptions of film are exclusively for Kodak film. Kodak could be a little more ecumenical on this subject; but they are in the business of selling Kodak film, so this is forgiveable; & (2) the 5th edition dates from 1995 and the film information is in fact getting a bit stale. Kodak has introduced not only its APS line of film since 1995, but several new ektachrome films as well as Royal Gold 200 and discontinued a couple of films described there...this, however, is no reason not to buy this book.

This is the only book I always keep in my photo case. An excellent technical reference. Whenever I find myself scratching my head trying to figure out how to expose for a scene I find the answer in this book. Beside all the usual technical stuff it's full of charts and dials that lets you find out stuff like depth of field and how to expose in near darkness. The best thing I like about this book is that is quiet small (fits perfectly in my photo case) and the inside of the last cover is a Grey card. Neat.

This is a very technical book, those dipping into photography as a beginner will really yawn fast. In short not for learning but as a technical reference.

Excellent information on everything I can think of, data tables, charts, dials, formulas. In fact got me learning new stuff on light metering and exposure.

An initial problem is that the filters are referred in Kodak terms and Wratten, eg 20B, 30R, 20C etc...kinda confusing at times, I still don't quite it much of the time (too lazy perhaps) but minor glitch. One other thing is, read it before you go for the trip! Can really get messy if you need info in a hurry. Really thoughtful that a gray card is included but I prefer the neat idea that the Nat. Geographic Field Guide team did; inside covers acting as gray cards! cool.

Saying it as a field guide would be a bit of overstatement, at least for my purpose. The cover is so thin and binding so flimsy that I wonder what the publisher and author are thinking. I had to reinforce it with tapes and thick cardboard, maybe some wont need it but people like me who carry the camera in a watertight bag in one hand and go backpacking might just need to do these. I wish it's smaller (thicker is not a problem) but alas, one can never please everybody...

Get this book, even if you think you won't need it (like me), you might just learn new tricks never thought of or come across your mind.

I used the 1975 edition of this book throughout my career in photography. There's so much to remember anyway about photography,,, why remember more than you need to! This book with all it's dials and charts, will give you just about all the answers you need to know regarding low light or really bright exposures (you can easily arrive at the correct exposure for uncommon lighting situations), depth of field, film types and film capabilities, etc. etc.

The pages of this book are packed with all the info and tools you need to arrive at the answer to your questions, and those rotating dials are truly "bigtime" problem solvers.

You gotta get this book!!!

When I received this book, I thumbed through it and set it aside to be buried by other things. I think that was an indication of how not unexcited I was about the book. It is intended to be carried as a reference, but didn't fit in my camera bag. Got a new, larger, professional LowePro bag. Didn't fit in there, either.

The book is supposed to be a "professional" photoguide, but much of the information provided would be so fundamental to a pro that a reference wouldn't be needed (e.g., how to use a light meter.). Some topics seem to be too involved for a discussion in a pocket reference and then are neither succinct nor good. Of course, references to film will soon be outdated, and the book didn't have data for Kodak Supra, which I use almost exclusively. Of course, like most Kodak books (which are otherwise typically excellent) the film references are very Kodak-centric.

What is very good are the calculators - one gives you camera settings for unusual situations or ones in case your meter breaks. Another gives filters to correct about any type of light for any type of film. The depth-of-field calculators are useful when I'm shooting 4x5, but they chose to not include them for 35mm, stating that DOF scales are built into the lenses of most 35mm cameras. However, with the rising quality and popularity of zoom lenses, this is a bad oversight, as most zooms do not have DOF scales.

The books does have some good information in it, but left with a sick feeling in my stomach. That is the feeling I get when I feel as though I have wasted my money on something. The cover says $29.95, and it's a few dollars cheaper on-line, but I still feel like I got way too little information for too much money.

There is a smaller, pocketable version that I haven't looked at yet. Perhaps it retains the best info at a lower price, and in a size that fits in my camera bag.

While this book has a wealth of information ranging from f-stop's to shutter speeds, etc . . . it did not provide the guidance that I expected at the beginner level. Two years from now, if I am still trying better my photographic skills this book will act as a great reference.

I think every advance amateur should have a copy of this guide in his/her bag. If for nothing else, the condense film guide and the color conversion/compensation dials alone are worth the money. Yes, you can get the same information somewhere else, but this is the only pocket guide that consolidates everything. Professionals may also benefit from it when they have to change from their routine, such as going to a different film. This book is not for beginners.

I wasn't paying close enough attention when I purchased this guide - it's definitely above my level. I'm sure it's chock-full of useful tidbits for professional or pro-am photographers, but I looked through it with a growing sense of frustration, confusion and futility.

There are sections on film types, film care and storage, exposure, filters, flash, lenses, and other important items, but the level of information presented is rather advanced. There are multiple graphs, calculators, and spinning dials to compute correct values. An 18% gray card in the back is very useful for metering, but not worth the price of the whole book, of course.

The size of Kodak's guide is pretty convenient - small enough to fit into most bags without taking up too much space, but not so small that it's unreadable (though the print size is very small.) The charts are in color, and are easy to read. I can't really comment about the actual content provided - while it *looks* very good, I can't be absolutely sure how useful it will be to a true professional.

My feeling is this: if you're a photographer who has a solid grasp of the complexities of the art, but want to take your skills to the next *technical* level, this may be for you. If you, like me, are a relative beginner, who wants to learn how to take better photos overall, this is definitely not it. Perhaps consider Ansel Adam's series instead - a prominent photo magazine editor recommends beginning with _The Negative_.

An excellent reference for photographers above the "point and shoot" group --and could prove very helpful to this large group of photographers also. It should be in camera bag. This is NOT a text book but it has the needed information that you require to make a good photograph when you snap the shutter.

Some topics might be over your head today, but if you are really serious about being an above the average snapshooter and want to become a good photographer this is for you. You will grow into it and find The Kodak Professional Photoguide is indispensible. The chapters are tabbed and will take you quickly to reference materials on every techinical subject concerning picture-taking to which you would need to refer.

IF you are not into film but go digital, it will not be as useful but has some good information on exposure (existing light, metering in artificial light, lighting ratios for portraits, etc). Information you can adapt for using filters, flash and taking care of your camera lenses. For instance camera lenses are different than eyeglass lenses and can be damaged by using eyeglass cleaning techniques.

I use both digital and film and find this book is indispensible for for the serious amateur photographer using either digital cameras or film cameras.

As for the Pro, I am not one and cannot make any comments concerning this book there, except to say many of the pros that I have met have this book with them in the studio and many carry it in their bags in the field.

And it can be bought "used" for half the price. The "used" copy that I purchased was in fact just as good as "brand new".

The key word on this photoguide is "professional". I'm a professional wannabe, with decent talent and experience, and I found this guide to be a bit over-whelming. But, maybe I'll grow into it and become a better photographer along the way!