Great book, well documented an illustrated. I recommend this book for beginners and intermediate digital photogs.

Just got this book this afternoon and have already read most of it and skimmed through all of it. It is very informative and well written. TONS of pictures showing examples of different techniques used. Overall a great basic book you can always refer to when you need some extra help. I like that it doesn't go too much into Photoshop. I try to take good photos that don't need to be manipulated later and I have no idea how to use my Photoshop anyway...so this is a great book for me! It will explain all you need to know to start taking some great pictures that are more than just snapshots for the photo album.

This is the kind of book that can help someone learn photography without the help of a camera.

Ofcourse if you have a camera then you're in for a much better ride then I was, but to understand the logic behind exposure, shutter speed, aperture and ISO just reading will do fine.

One other great thing about the book is that you are given assignments to see if you can do what the book tells you. So right there you need a camera. I dont have a camera yet...I wanted to see if I can understand photography before buying a camera and boy did this book do well!

All I can say about the book is "get it!"

I researched many books here on Amazon and with the reviews I had read decided to buy this one.
I am so very pleased with it that I have also recommended it to other photographers. It is in language anyone can understand and the way it flows from each subject to the next is very smooth.
I did the lessons and learned many things and understood even better things I thought I had a good grasp on.
This is a perfect addition to any photographer's tool kit.

es un gran libro para comprender la fotografia digital avanzada / si tienes un reflex y ya eras fotografo de rollo te va servir de maravilla \ muchos tips en el libro y en su sitio de internet

This book was more than I expected. I'm aware of technical data with film cameras but this book was a great refresher and had great tips and ideas for the digital SLR. I like this book because it was "geared" for digital cameras. This book also was a great guide for my newly purchased DSLR. I was very pleased and impressed with the purchase.

I purchased this book for a digital photography course that I teach. I wanted to evaluate the book for use as a textbook for my students and it is fantastic. It is written in plain English, is very understandable, has great examples, and I am now using it for a digital photography course I teach. It covers all the fundamentals as well as some advanced techniques and is a guide that will serve the amateur owner of a digital camera well.

This book has helped me quite a bit. Even though, I was expecting it to be a little more technical. But, then, I might not be an absolute beginner either!

What a super book! I have read several books on digital photography and this is the best yet. It explains everything very well. It is very easy to read and the assignments are fun and very helpful. My favorite chapter was on white balance. This is the best explanation yet. This a great read for beginners and intermediate photographers. Who knows, the pros could learn a thing or two.
C. Valdez

Enjoyed reading this book and am looking at other books by this author. I found it easy to follow with good examples and explanations on when and why to use certain settings. It is definitely a beginner book which is exactly what I needed.

I've taken classes and read other books; however, this one is FAR SUPERIOR. It explains EVERYTHING you need to know to take great photographs (not snapshots!) and is written clearly from this photographers years of experience. It's not technical, rather it explains everything step by step. If you are a super advanced photography, this one probably isn't for you -- but even if, like me, you've had classes and some experience this book fills in the gaps.

The pages are quite nice -- glossy, colorful, and has "tip" boxes throughout.

I HIGHLY recommend this book.

This is a good book. There are no bones about it. It is easy to understand, which is important when explaining complex principles. I have been reading and learning about digital photography quite a bit lately, and quite honestly, find the book a bit on the simple side. While, that is not optimum for ME, I do not think it detracts from the quality of the book, one bit. It still teaches tidbits here and there, and quite honestly, his notes on compisition throughout the book, was well worth the price, alone.

All in all, easy to read, easy to understand, good book. If you have a good understanding of compisition and exposure, this book would probably have very limited appeal.

If you've been thinking about digital photography as a hobby, but aren't quite sure where to begin, then this is the book for you! Even if you don't have the camera yet(such as myself) and you're not sure if taking that leap into serious photography is the thing for you, then you can be rest assured that this book will help de-mystify the wonderful world of digital photography.

This book is, for the most part, for those thinking about or just starting to delve into photography as a hobby, be it casual or more serious. It is not a highy technical book that makes you shy away from all that camera jargon, but it does explain everything in easy-to-understand detail . It teaches you how to take photos the right way, so you don't have to spend all your time "doctoring" up your photos on the computer. It is, in the most pleasing form, an informative book that teaches you everything you do need to know about photography without talking down to you nor assuming you already know a lot. A perfect balance of information that is very easy to grasp.

Jim Miotke starts from the beginning, from getting to know your camera to all the basics such as exposure, lighting, and composition. He doesn't just tell you how to take great photos, but actually explains why some photos don't work and what comprises great shots. All the topics are accompanied by photographs to help the reader understand what is being taught. Each and every picture has a purpose and is essential in getting his explanations and points across.

What really impresses me are all the tips and side notes that are throughout the book. It's a perfect blend of enough text and information along with these great tidbits of info that will keep you reading and reading(You may find yourself reading the entire book in only a few sittings!)

Another plus are his "assignments" he has in each chapter. These are practical things that you can actually go out and do to put to test what you just read and learned. He understands that just reading about something doesn't quite make an impact as actually doing it.

In summary, there is a lot to be learned from this book for beginners or soon-to-be beginners. This is a very easy book to get caught up in, and is sure to be a great reference book. It will inspire and encourage you. It shows that with enough passion, patience, and know-how that great shots are not beyond the reach of us beginners and novices.

(For those who are interested in nature photography, you have to get Jim's other book, The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Nature Photography . Written in the same style, it's the perfect companion book, focusing more on landscape, wildlife, and macro photography, also available here on Amazon)

Two Points:

1. Excellent book for those who have just bought a digital SLR and want to know how to use it. The author doesn't patronize or irritate. It's simply, here's how I shoot, this is the result, this is how you can do it too.

2. The author lives in Seattle close to me, so some of his examples are places that I'm going. For me, this book is like the ultimate field guide to the subjects and lighting I come across all the time.

I am an advanced amature who holds a degree in photography and I was looking for a book to use as a basic text for an introduction to photography class that I wanted to teach. I looked at several dozen and I settled on The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography. This is an easy to read, reasonably organized book with exemplar photographs to assist in illustrating the author's topics. For my purposes I wanted a supplimental text that the student could use to help understand basic concepts (exposure, depth of field, shutter speed/motion relationships, with some discussion of the digital aspects of photography such as file types and white balancing)

Any reviewer can find some error, missing information or other criticism of even the best books. When I read reviews, I am interested in the reader's objective for reading the book, because this puts the review in perspective. From the perspective of introducing novice photographers and first time digital users to basic elements of photography, this is about the best I could find that matched my style of teaching.

I found particularly useful the tips and personal assignments scattered throughout the book to encourage experimentation (a very useful learning tool). A small but useful glossery of photographic terms and questions first time digital camera buyers should ask are additional benefits of this book.

My final input comes from my observations of my students. At breaks I found many of them reading the book and refering to the sections as they followed along in the class. I had enthusiastic reports from students that they found the chapters easy to read and they were also quick reading. I incude a text evaluaton question in my class evaluation and the overwelming response was that they found this book very helpful to learn concepts that they had never been introduced to. The book dovetails well with basic class instruction and field assignments.

For the beginner, looking for an easy to follow, simple introduction to the concepts of basic photography, this is a good book. I am very happy I decided on The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography for my class.

Like many other reviewers that have commented on this book ..... I also purchased Scott Kelby's book (vol.2). I think that this book wins hands down between the two excellent books.

I have been interested in photography for many years, but I just recently purchased a higher-end DSLR camera. Thus, I enjoyed the content of both books. I really enjoy the simplicity of this book. This book utilizes very effective teaching tools that result in the readers quickly learning new techniques and methods of achieving better results.

There really should be no debate.... Both books are excellent learning tools. Enjoy,

DPerez

One of the very best books I have read regarding Digital Photography. Ben Long is an expert in his field and is a very good communicator of his acquired knowledge. I have learned many good points from reading his book.I am not a professional photographer but I like knowing how to take great photographs. I am taking a college course in photography and this book is an excellent companion to the concepts being taught.

This book is like a photography 101 class, with a little bit of information on DSLR's , digital file formats, and digital enhancement. If you already understand aperture, ISO, shutter speeds, basic composition principles, depth of field, etc, you do not need this book. I would get this book for a novice photographer who wanted to generally improve their understanding of basic photography principles.

That being said, the book is easy to read with pretty good images to demonstrate the lessons, and it presents all concepts well. I do think it would be beneficial to someone who has n ever used a camera in manual mode. The "assignments" at the end of each lesson would be especially useful for getting more comfortable with the camera.

Just not what I needed; still a good book for the right level of user.

Bought this and his other book on Nature Photography together, which I recommend doing. An excellant deal and both were well worth the investment. You can't get much more clear and easy to understand than this. Very down to earth written and everything is so well explained and simply put. It's almost like your sitting down over a cup off coffee with a good friend. I learned more from these books than any other material that I've read. AND from the first day started to notice a big improvement in my photos. A must read for anyone that is serious about photography! Book also provides a link to his website which is worth looking into.

This book is execellent. I am a digital SLR novice and the book has helped me immensley it has great information that is well set out and logical. It has great pictures to demostrate what is being taught and it provides easy to learn techniques to improve your shooting.

This is a great book for people who are wanting to move beyond 'pointing and clicking' ... very informative, practical advice - with assignments to help reinforce what you are learning each step of the way. Highly recommended!

Lots of good information from selecting equipment into what does RAW, TIFF and JPEG mean and what is the advantage and disadvantage of each, into the creating aspect of seeing and capturing the photos you want. I bought it for a friend and she is enthralled.

I read this along with Scott Kelby's "The Digital Photography Book". They complement each other very well. Kelby's book just tells you what to do without very much about the principles behind the recommendations (which is actually one of its strengths). This book, on the other hand, discusses the fundamentals of photography and the principles of light, exposure, color, composition, etc. The illustrations are informative and high quality, as are the example photographs. There are even little assignments at the end of chapters so you can try to immediately apply what you've (hopefully) learned. It's important to realize that it's a book for beginners. If you know all about f-stops, ISO, aperture, depth of field, rule of thirds, JPEG vs. TIFF, etc then you will likely be disappointed. But if you need a place to start, I don't think you can go wrong with this book. Highly recommended.

The book is easy to read and has assignments for you to do! It will get you out of auto mode and into other modes, such as Program AE and manual. I highly recommend it for those who want to get serious about their photography.

I think this book is really great. It is photography 101. Wonderful for starters in the field.

I had two people (both semi-professional photographers) look at this book and they both agreed that it was an excellent book to help new photographers. Very happy I bought it.

I haven't complete my reading on this book but I have to say that I do not regret at all this purchase. I just got aroound the middle of the book and I've learned alot of things that I had no clue. My pictures have greatly improved. I made some deep research on different books before purchasing and finally decided to buy this one after reading comments and specially after seeing by myself the type of pictures taken by the author on his website www.betterphoto.com. Now, I'm completely decided to go ahead and buy another of this author's books since I'm convince that you really learn from them.

This book was really helpful. I've been into photography for a couple years now. I enjoyed the time spent on composition and technique a lot. He spent some time going over the basics, which was a good review, but the creative side of the book (although smaller) was much more helpful.

Definitely a book I will come back to over the years.

This book is really great for beginners. Very easy to read and follow the instructions!

I bought this book--my first about photography because--because of all the positive reviews. The writing is clear and competently explains the most basic concepts of photography. I think those explanation would make useful primer for someone wanting to exploit the capabilities of a point-and-shoot camera. But for anyone wanting more help understanding the greater potential of a dsrl, or even to do interesting stuff with a point-and-shoot, the book is embarrassingly simple.

On the up side, it includes many photographs illustrating such photographic princles as are covered. On the downside, those photographs are uninspired, dull, predictable, and bland. Implicitly, the photographs Miotke uses show us novices what we can achieve if we apply his principles. But those photographs look like what a lot of people produce with ordinary point-and-shoots and without reading any books, so what does Miotke offer?

Not that these photographic principles are themselves eye-opening. Miotke spends some time, for example, explaining that sometimes to improve the framing of a subject, we should get closer to it. Wow! He illustrates this with a picture of a cowboy putting a saddle on a horse. He points out that that picture is kind of ordinary, so his inspiration is to take a tight shot of one of the studded leather saddle straps. Now, that studded strap did look cool, but a better picture? I'm not so sure about that. They both looked pretty point-and-shooty, pretty daddy-playing-with-the-camera-on-the-family-vacation to me.

So much of the praise for this rather ordinary book is so extravagant and uncritical that my suspicion is that at least some of those 5-point reviewers are shills from the "Betterphoto" enterprise. I mean, the book ain't that great.

This book gives a great introduction to the fundamentals of (digital) photography. Concepts are clearly explained and supported with very useful example photos. The writing is very engaging and "readable". There are even "assignments" after each chapter to get you practicing. I think it's good to read the book BEFORE buying a new camera, as it gives you an idea of what to look for in a camera (however, you'll be itching to try out the techniques you've learned, which is frustrating if you have not bought a camera yet!).

The only suggestion for improvement - I'd like to see a summary of all the concepts ("things to remember" while taking pics) that could be used as a quick reference.

This book had a 5-star average review on Amazon when I was deciding which books to buy, and for that reason (and that reason alone), I bought it. I must say I'm a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong --- this is not a bad book. But it's certainly not a 5-star book. If you want a a really good book on digital photography, try Scott Kelby's Digital Photography book. This one is more pedestrian. It's a valiant effort, but most of what's inside can be found (at no charge) on the Web. It's also a chore to read. I find myself browsing rather than reading (by way of comparison, I read Kelby's book more or less cover to cover in one sitting).

All that having been said, it's a better book than Tom Ang's Digital Photography (published by DK).

I've been shooting for a couple of year with sometimes pretty good results. I have also read what seems like a million books on digital photography...but NONE compare to BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography.

In the first 50 pages I improved my shooting 10 fold by finally understanding my camera and ordinary things like aperture, shutter speed and ISO.

It is my humble opinion, having been a college professor, an IT guy and now a middle aged guy taking pictures, that this book should be used in all photography classes, at all levels, as the standard text.

This book is very well done. I enjoyed his writing style. It contains a lot of examples and has assignments to help reinforce what is being taught. There a good tips and many examples that are easy to follow and understand.

Has great classroom lessons for the photographer.
Easy to understand and follow step by step lessons.
Good pictures before and after examples.

This product was received quickly. Very informative book. Easy to read and understand.

I picked this book and another by Kelby (The Digital Photography Book) based on reviews form this site and recommendations from several photography forums. When the two are compared, it is no contest Miotke's book wins hands down. That's not to say that Kelby's book is terrible, it is, in fact, quite good.

The Betterphoto Guide provides a comprehensive overview of digital photography and explains the foundation on which it's based. Technical elements like exposure and light are clearly explained in an easy to understand and succinct manner. As my understanding of the different components increased, I quickly moved away from the automatic settings on my camera (Canon Powershot A630) and the quality of my pictures soared.

Another important component of the book deals with the artistic elements of photography (Composition). What, how, and why are all discussed and all the suggestions are immediately applicable. After reading this book, I was able to compose better pictures with a tighter focus and, in addition, have gained a greater appreciation and understanding of other's work.

There are also chapters that discuss the particular components of a digital camera. These help the reader become "acquainted" with his/her particular camera. File settings and there importance are also discussed and will help the reader decide which is right for him/her (if one's camera allows that choice). A digital camera Buyer's guide is included at the book's end, which provides invaluable advice.

This book is targeted at beginners and is a great choice for both DSLR and p&s owners. My only caveat is that it will leave you wanting better equipment and more time to pursue your new habit. Er.. I mean hobby (Kelby moment).

Overall, I find this a beautifully illustrated book that provides a solid foundation on which to launch your photographic endeavor.

I wanted to learn how to take better pictures with my digital camera (Canon A620) and it has manual settings I can use. I don't know anything about f/stops or aperture settings or even that you could change the amount of light output on your flash - always used a 35mm film cartridge-type camera before. This book teaches me everything I ever wanted to know about camera settings - and I like it! I love the "assignments" at the end of each chapter. I think this has made it easier for me to really know my camera - and my pictures are great! Buy it! You won't be sorry!!!

If you are a beginger and you were going to buy one book this is the one to get. I started this hobby a few months ago and have never read a book with such detail.

I was getting tired of ordering books on digital photography, only to find out at least half the book was devoted to manipulating your photo on the computer. I've been a hobby photographer for about 10 years, and I wanted an explanation of the differences between 35 mm film cameras and the way a digital works. This book gave me what I was looking for. The side bar hints in each section are great. Now I know why setting my digital the way I would for a film shot is not always getting me the results I expect.

If you want a book that tells you how to use your digital camera when moving from film to digital, this is the best book I've found. It outlines all the basic information you need to make the adjustment.

the book is just to start
Toooo much writing for simple ideas. However, as a first guide is ok.

This is an excellent, well-written introduction to digital photography. Miotke explains the basic principles of photography, and my guess is that he's done a lot of teaching which helps to make the explanations very clear and systematic. I found the chapters on exposure, aperture, shutter speed, ISO particularly helpful since I'd never totally understood how these related to each other. There are lots of photographs illustrating how aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc. affect the image, and lots of tips on what one might consider basic settings, and how one can vary them depending on the circumstances. He also has a long section on composition, again with illustrations. There were a few things which he does not cover which I would have been interested in -- e.g. he doesn't explain what the different kinds of lenses are for a digital SLR camera (e.g., what does 20 mm. vs 30 mm. mean). Each chapter contains assignments designed to help one see what one's camera is capable of. He assumes you either have a compact digital cameras or a digital SLR and tailors his explanations to each kind of camera.

This book is really good for the absolute beginner. It covers the basics without going into too much detail, and there are tons of illustrative pictures. I would highly recommend it as a first book on photography.

If you know nothing about digital cameras, then you will learn a lot. If you know the basics, then you will still learn many things about the art of photography. Uses very helpful and easy to understand examples.

I was looking for a guide that would help me gain a better understanding of both digital and SLR photography. Jim Moitke has put together a great text for anyone wanting to learn digital photography without getting a headache..

I recently took a black & white film photography course at Northern Illinois University. I have learned more about photography in just the first 100 pages of this Jim Miotke book than I did the entire semester at NIU. He approaches difficult ideas from a variety of different angles. He rephrases and gives multiple examples for almost everything, making it very easy to understand difficult concepts. He uses multiple full-color photos to illustrate each concept and his writing style is very engaging. I would recommend this book to any beginner to intermediate photographer.

What I love about the book is its very practical approach to maximize the use of your camera to enjoy photography. There is a balance between teaching photography through words and pictures.

And if you have kids and love your kids dearly, it is obvious that Jim's favorite subject is his family. For me, that;s called passion.

Most books about digital photography start at the beginning -- what to look for in a digital camera. Most books that teach you how to use the functions of a camera -- F stop, shutter speed, etc. -- are geared towards SLR cameras. But what if you're somewhere in the middle -- you already own a digital camera with manual settings but don't know your aperture from your white balance? Then this is the book for you.

This was the only book I really found that shows, step-by-step, the who, what, where, when and why behind the functions of the digital camera. Easy to read (this is not one of those 400-page "bibles"), with accurate photographs to guide you every step of the way and "assignments" at the end of each chapter to give you a hands-on learning experience, you will see improvement in your photographs right away. Once you grasp the freddom and control you actually have over your photographs you will want to take your camera everywhere and apply what you've learned.

I highly recommend this book, even if you just read the highly informative captions that accompany every photograph int the book.

Beautifully illustrated with Jims'photographs it also teaches all of the basics for creating great imagery be it digital or film.I found this book very easy to understand,and extremely helpful,just like his courses at betterphoto.com.I look forward to his next book!

If you are about to buy your first digital photography book or even your new compact digicam
or SLR camera let this book be your first reference. In fact, it can be your only reference as a beginner or even intermediate
photographer.

Why I like it:
--------------
1. Simple language that makes it easy to understand and follow
2. A practical guide that drives you through steps to create your professional photos
3. Covers a variety of aspects concerning photography other than just shooting
4. Full of colorful pictures that clarifies what they are talking about
5. Unbelievable price! A complete photography course in a book that cost no more than $16.47!
6. Written by a great person JIM MIOTKE, he is professional photographer and photography instructor.

Believe me, this book is one of the BEST you could ever read in this area! And the best one to start with!