First off I will say that I am a pretty technically savvy person. I am the person people hand their digital goodies over to figure out how to make it do something. My secret is I LOVE dummy books. Just give me enough info to be dangerous and I will explore and figure out the rest on my own. I have decided to step out of the realm of point and shoots and bought a Canon Digital Rebel xsi. Now what do I do? Buy a Dummy book of course! However as I am reading this book I quickly realize that the author is tossing out f stops and other lingo like he knows that "I" know what the heck he is talking about. Here is how he explains F-stops: "F-stops use all these weird intermediate numbers that do represent halving and doubling the amount of light passed by the aperture." WTF? How about show me, the "dummy" a single shot using different f-stops? How about the same for shutter speed, and ISO, and how these three relate together to get me to take great photos? It's like the editor took a dull how to book and tried to add in some catchy chapter subtitles and some very weak attempts at humor and called it a dummy book. NOW with that said, there is useful information in the book and I am sure those with a little more technical expertise would benefit. It's just not what I have come to expect from dummy books. This is not for the beginner beginner and is going back to Amazon.

If you are just starting out and need advice on your digital camera - get this book. Lots of easy to understand tips and advice and the book is in laymans terms so you don't have to figure out what you are reading before you can use the manual.

Let me be forthright -- I recently bought the Canon Rebel XT SLR to take pictures of my two month old daughter. I wanted those warm and fuzzy candid shots of her (you know, like the ones they have in those parenting magazines). After fiddling with the settings on the camera and taking tons of pictures, I noticed they were an improvement over my old point-and-shoot camera. However, not enough to justify the big $$$ I spent on the Rebel and the fancy lens. A beginners guide on SLR cameras was definitely in order.

After skimming over the first few chapters of this book, I decided to buy it. After all, I've had good experiences with other books in the "Dummy" series in the past. Once I digged deeper into the book, though, I discovered the book was no help for me at all! For example, the author spends an considerable amount of time writing about the benefits of SLR cameras over point-and-shoot cameras, how to pick the best SLR camera, and the difference between memory storage devices. This was no help for me at all because (1) I wouldn't have bought my Canon if I wasn't already convinced it was better than my old camera and (2) I'm kind of stuck with the memory card the camera is compatible with. I just want to know what buttons to push and which levels to set on my Canon to keep my baby's pictures from being blurry!!!!

This book reads more like an textbook on the inner workings of a camera and the jargon that goes along with it. But, since I just wanted a practical guide on how to take cool pictures, this book was no help for me.

Very good book for beginners in the digital field. Covers all aspects of a new film less era. Shoot and instantly view your shot keep or re shoot. Excellent book.

Don't waste your time or money on this book. This guy spends more time talking about point and shoot cameras and what then can't do and spends very little time on useful instruction for beginners of DSLR cameras

..for the beginner digital SLR photographer. I am sure an expert could take a little something from this book, as well. I used this book as a research tool to help decide which camera to buy. It has enough substance that I keep it handy as a ready reference while taking pics in the field. The author does a great job keeping the attention of the experienced and the inexperienced photographer.

Happy Holidays,
Smacka

..for the beginner digital SLR photographer. I am sure an expert could take a little something from this book, as well. I used this book as a research tool to help decide which camera to buy. It has enough substance that I keep it handy as a ready reference while taking pics in the field. The author does a great job keeping the attention of the experienced and the inexperienced photographer.

Happy Holidays,
Smacka

I took this book out of the library, because I find technology books to be hit or miss. After reading the first chapter, where he explains his assumptions that you understand the concept behind digital photography and want to learn what a dSLR (digital single reflex lens) camera can do, I nearly bought it, because it sounded EXACTLY like what I was looking for. I've been using digital point-and-shoot cameras almost since they came out.

Unfortunately, I ended up finding this book to be less than helpful. I'm glad I read it, because it does give a great sketch of all the things you can do with a dSLR (and also mentions some of the things you can't and why). Unfortunately, I don't feel like there's anything I can do now with my camera that I couldn't have done before. Since using Aperture priority and Shutter speed priority is where most amateurs will end up using a dSLR (once they get off point and shoot mode) I thought there would be more information about how to conquer everyday problems using different settings. For example, you're trying to get pictures of your son on a bike on a cloudy day: suggestions? Instead, I found very little information about dealing with unusual conditions, and even fewer photographic or other examples.

The rest of the book covered things like the composition of a good photo, the structure of a dSLR, and how to edit images on the computer. Frankly, I have my hands full just learning to use my camera and I have no interest right now in advanced image editing on the computer. And while I appreciate that understanding the inner workings of the camera does help explain the concepts of aperture and shutter speed, I also don't think he used those sections in the best way to get people to taking better photos.

In the end, I thought the book was worth glancing at, because it has really helped me better understand what my questions really are, and that is definitely a helpful step. Nevertheless, I mostly found the book to cover too much information in too little detail, and frankly, I do not think this book will help many people take better quality photos than they were taking with the P or Auto modes already.

I am not really a big fan of for dummies books, but my husband is. He has enjoyed it. thanks. Excellent service by the way.

I'm completely new to cameras, whether SLR, film, or digital. So I was hoping for something I could read that would really help be build a foundation without having to spend hours and hours cluelessly playing around, hoping for epiphanies.

The Cons:

1. I can understand how someone who has shot film for a long time might be disappointed in the book, because it seemed to me a lot of the content was photography-centric, not digital-photography-centric. Though usually with dSLR slant.

2. Nothing is ever covered in depth. But hey, it's a Dummies book, it's a primer for the rest of your adventures.

3. I would really have liked to see some tables in there to help with shutter-speeds/f-stops their combinations and effects. I learned a lot, but I am still struggling with f-stops in particular.

The Pros

1. It is simply amazing how many different facets of the photo world (digital or otherwise) are touched.

2. The book does a great job of highlighting all the different tools new people like myself would not really understand, like the differences between file types (JPEG/RAW/TIFF) or filters, and giving you enough information to get started without going overboard.

3. Constantly discussing the differences in grades of equipment, from what a new person would need compared to a professional is very useful. The discussion of what you're getting for your extra dollars between that $100 tripod and the $500 tripod is really helpful when you're just starting and scratching your head going "Isn't a tripod a tripod?".

4. The flow of the book is excellent. You never delve too deeply into a concept nor do you ever really just skip right off the top.

5. There are even a number of goodies in here including websites the author finds useful (which helps given the 1,000 of sites out there) and even how to create your own filters (I'm looking forward to creating a pinhole filter)

****

Bottom-lining it - If you're switching from film to digital, there will be large chunks that you will already know, so you may want to search for a book that specifically discusses the differences between film and digital.

If you're completely new to photography and your first camera is a dSLR, this is a great book. I would recommend it in a heartbeat.

I'm completely new to cameras, whether SLR, film, or digital. So I was hoping for something I could read that would really help be build a foundation without having to spend hours and hours cluelessly playing around, hoping for epiphanies.

The Cons:

1. I can understand how someone who has shot film for a long time might be disappointed in the book, because it seemed to me a lot of the content was photography-centric, not digital-photography-centric. Though usually with dSLR slant.

2. Nothing is ever covered in depth. But hey, it's a Dummies book, it's a primer for the rest of your adventures.

3. I would really have liked to see some tables in there to help with shutter-speeds/f-stops their combinations and effects. I learned a lot, but I am still struggling with f-stops in particular.

The Pros

1. It is simply amazing how many different facets of the photo world (digital or otherwise) are touched.

2. The book does a great job of highlighting all the different tools new people like myself would not really understand, like the differences between file types (JPEG/RAW/TIFF) or filters, and giving you enough information to get started without going overboard.

3. Constantly discussing the differences in grades of equipment, from what a new person would need compared to a professional is very useful. The discussion of what you're getting for your extra dollars between that $100 tripod and the $500 tripod is really helpful when you're just starting and scratching your head going "Isn't a tripod a tripod?".

4. The flow of the book is excellent. You never delve too deeply into a concept nor do you ever really just skip right off the top.

5. There are even a number of goodies in here including websites the author finds useful (which helps given the 1,000 of sites out there) and even how to create your own filters (I'm looking forward to creating a pinhole filter)

****

Bottom-lining it - If you're switching from film to digital, there will be large chunks that you will already know, so you may want to search for a book that specifically discusses the differences between film and digital.

If you're completely new to photography and your first camera is a dSLR, this is a great book. I would recommend it in a heartbeat.

Easy book to read. Good to read for short blurbs or sit and read chapter after chapter. It is detailed and show lots of examples.

This book is perfect for beginner photographers that are making the leap from a point-and-click camera to a DSLR. The author provided clear and concise explanations that helped me understand how my camera functions and he also provided basic photography concepts. The author came across as modest and added a tad of humor, which made for an enjoyable reading experience. I definitely recommend this book as well as thoroughly reading through your owner's manual and you should be taking great pictures in no time!