Customer Reviews

Quick Snap Guide to Digital SLR Photography: An Instant Start-Up Manual for New dSLR Owners

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Always eager for something to read in English, I picked up several of this author's books on a recent visit to New York. This one I actually got for a friend of mine back home, but I found myself totally absorbed in it on the plane ride. What a great idea this is!

You'd think that digital SLRs are too "advanced" a topic for a simple book like this one, but Busch obviously recognizes that many DSLRs are going to be purchased by people who have never held such a camera in their hands before. They are so affordable now that it just makes sense to get one and gain all the flexibility and expandability they offer, rather than invest in an expensive compact digital camera with far fewer features.

But what do you do when you're confronted with all those buttons and dials, and, even, a lens that comes right off the camera and can be replaced with another one? I'd say you should read this book. It starts at a very basic level, never talks down to you, and provides exactly the kind of information that new DSLR users need to begin taking pictures. I wouldn't recommend this book to experienced DSLR owners. It's really too basic for them. But that's a good thing for everybody else.

Digital SLRs have become so affordable that many point-and-shoot photographers are rushing to upgrade from their snapshot camera to a DSLR. Hold your horses! As a long-time DSLR user, I can tell you that there is a LOT to learn about using these wonderful, complex cameras. Before you start out on the wrong foot and encounter disappointment, you should read this book first.

It's not an advanced or even intermediate DSLR guidebook. It's best for those who are just starting out and feeling their way, and need a quick introductory course in topics like the basic controls of a DSLR, using aperture priority or shutter priority, continuous or single autofocus, what different lenses do, and so forth. All those questions you're too embarrassed to ask your experienced friends are answered here.

The topics are divided into bite-sized pieces that can be explained in two pages, so all you need to do is leaf through the book to find what you want to know, and read just the essential information. I really liked that this book is not specific to a particular camera model, making it more useful to those who own SLRs from Pentax, Konica Minolta, Olympus, Samsung, and other manufacturers who aren't "honored" with books dedicated to their cameras alone. This book works with all brands.

The Quick Snap Guide won't replace your camera manual. It won't even replace more advanced photography books. It's what you need to get the understanding you require to begin using your digital SLR camera properly. I'm recommending this book to all my friends who need a jump start.

It's always a pleasure to review one of this author's books, because he seems to have a knack for combining the visual and textual aspects of learning photography. In this case, Busch tackles the tricky subject of learning to use a dSLR through a unique approach that combines large images with brief, but surprisingly complete summaries of what you really must know about a given topic. The information is arranged into two-page and four-page spreads, with the key photos, captions, and explanations facing each other so that everything is laid out for you in a nice chunk.

I see this book as a kind of prequel that you'd want to absorb before studying digital SLR photography in depth. Buy this book right off the bat, perhaps even before you acquire your dSLR, and pick up the basics and jargon immediately. Use it to familiarize yourself with your camera and its functions. Then, you'll be much better equipped to use the photographic techniques included and, even, to understand your camera's confusing manual.

This really is an instant startup book for those who are new to digital SLRs. On one level, it provides just the basics that you must know when you begin using your DSLR. Each of the two page sections provides a brief description of various camera controls, features, and techniques, with large illustrations. But you'll also find numerous sidebars and inserts that go deeper to provide the background you need to have a deeper understanding of your camera. All the knowledge is condensed into an easy to absorb form. So, you can quickly get up to speed with your DSLR just by reading this well organized book.

If you're the type who is looking for a fast tutorial on using digital SLRs, this book is the real deal.

We've needed a book like this for a long time. I've been mystified by most of the introductory digital photography books I've seen, because most of them don't deal with digital SLRs, or, at least, the basics you need to know before you can actually begin using your new camera. This book is a true starter manual for those who have never used a digital SLR before. It presents the basic concepts, such as viewfinders, various types of autofocus, the difference between matrix, centerweighted, and spot metering, the selection of the right lenses, and so forth.

Best of all, it manages to do all this in about two pages per topic, with all the text and illustrations grouped together on facing pages. I didn't even need the table of contents or index. I just paged through the book until I found a topic I wanted to learn about, and then read everything I really needed to know (with no confusing excess detail) in a couple minutes.

If you're a seasoned user of d-SLR cameras you probably know everything in this book. But you might still want to own a copy to loan to a friend who comes to you with a lot of questions. And if you're a beginner d-SLR owner, you'll find this book is worth its weight in gold.

I really like the approach taken in this book. It's really one you can browse through, looking at the fine photos and scanning the titles at the top of each page until you find a topic that interests you. You can discover more about how memory cards work, how to use automatic focus, and the best way to set up your camera. If you already have some knowledge of digital SLR cameras, you can read the information in any order.

Or, if you're really new to DSLRs, you can start at the beginning and get an education real fast. It really should take no more than an hour or two to read all the best nuggets in this Quick Snap Guide. Then, you can keep it at hand for reference. If your are looking for more depth and have more time to spend, this author's Mastering Digital SLR Photography covers this same information and more in a lot of additional detail.

I readlly wanted a D-SLR, but my Pentax DL had so many more features than my last digital camera (even though they cost about the same!) that I didn't know where to start. This book is where you should start. It doesn't throw you out of the rowboat and expect you to learn to swim on your own. Instead, it begins with two-page explanations of camera features and controls, and then takes you through everything you need to know to use your camera. It shows you exactly how each feature works and how to use it, with large illustrations. I didn't even understand my Pentax's manual before I read this book; now I understand how to take pictures! Those of us who have camera that don't have lots of books written specifically for them appreciate the approach of this book. Why wasn't there a book like this before?

The "Quick Snap Guide..." is a very fine reference tool for using the new SLR cameras. I am waiting to receive my camera and have been able to puruse the book at my leasure. What I most like about it is that it is oranganized in a user-friendly way. The topic discussions are as well. Worth the few bucks it cost to have it ready when my camera arrives.

I would describe myself as a committed amature or a prosumer photographer. In the next few months, I will be upgrading to a digital SLR in the 6-10 MP range. But which one? I consider myself knowlegeable about photography, but the array of features of dSLR cameras was overwhelming. Which are going to be important to me, given my typical needs?

This reference was just what I needed! Using a generic composite illustration created (through the magic of Photoshop) from three or four different popular dSLR cameras, this book walked me through common features located on the camera body, as well as typical menu options. It explained what each feature does, in what situations you'd typically use/need that feature, and the advantages and disadvantages of "tweaking" that particular adjustment. Then, it moved on to different popular flash options, including different kinds of flashes, common settings, and how each works with the camera.

Finally, this book discussed various types of lenses, advantages and disadvantages of each, which are typically most (and least) expensive, and situations in which it does and doesn't make sense to purchase that lens. It also discusses ways in which a dSLR can work with lenses and flashes you might already own - even manual ones from film days.

This is not a book on how to compose a photograph, but rather, on the mechanics of actually setting the camera to capture your shot. It doesn't dumb things down, but it doesn't get into anything too mechanically or scientifically technical. (I don't want to BUILD a camera - just USE it!) It explains options in language that should be easily understandable to anyone who is a sophisticated enough photographer to want a dSLR in the first place.

I still don't know what model dSLR I want to buy, but, with this reference, I am now equipped to comparison shop. BUY THIS BOOK!

Any who have a new digital SLR camera will appreciate this quick start-up manual covering all the basics common to these cameras. Plenty of illustration and color photos pack pages that survey DSLR-specific techniques, setting up lighting, using lenses, and more. The color photo examples include all technical specs for reproducing effects, while quick sections on texture, histograms, and more offer plenty of depth. A top pick for any DSLR new owner, no matter what model they've chosen.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch