Customer Reviews

PC Magazine Guide to Digital Photography

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Just a year or two ago, photography passed a tipping point. Digital photography usage has increased amazingly, and traditional film is fading fast. Why? Well, this book offers some (actually many) reasons. It goes through what you should know about this new way.

Of necessity, there are sections of the book common to both methods. A chapter on the principles of taking good photos, that could have been written a century ago. Some ideas in photography are timeless.

But the bulk of the book deals with the unique aspects of digital photography. Like different file formats. At least it is easy to convert between these. Plus, with digital, you now have a tradeoff between higher resolution and being able to store fewer photos as a consequence.

A key chapter is devoted to camera phones. Ubiquitous cameras, that can easily transmit their messages wirelessly to anywhere in the world. Ultimately, this may be the most radical upheaval in the entire arena of photography. It means that in cities, from now on, there may often be someone watching and recording you. Even if this is not so, you should assume it. The changes in our expectations of privacy have only begun.

As a professional film photographer for years, now venturting into digital, this book is perfect. It offers basic information on the difference between film and digital, but is written at a level that speaks to professionals. It's full of good tips. I recommend it highly.

I'm new to digital photography, and a big question I had before buying my camera was "which one to buy". I'm pretty technical, but photography jargon was beyond me. I felt like I was making a decision in the dark. I lucked out by asking friends who did know about photography, but it made me uncomfortable. It's hard to find a single source who can explain everything succinctly.

I chanced across this book in a bargain bin at Fry's; what a deal. This book answered every question I've had about digital cameras , traditional 35mm, and it compares and contrasts them. It is well written, explains all of the camera settings and how to use them get better photographs.

While published in 2004, it remains current. I bought a camera released in the fall of 2006, and this book is still extremely helpful. It even has a chapter on buying the right camera, and the organization of the book is perfect to build your knowledge before you buy. I definitely recommend this book.