Canon EOS 40D Digital Field Guide
by Charlotte K. Lowrie
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.66 You Save: $15.33 (77%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $1.87 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Canon EOS 40D Digital Field Guide
Book Review: Canon 40D Field Guide
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an excellent technical manual and guide to the Canon 40D DSLR for both the enthusiast and the professional photographer. In addition to being an accomplished photographer, the author is also a highly trained and experienced technical writer. These facts are clearly evidenced by the full-color charts, tables, illustrations, and sample photos placed throughout the text of this logically organized and well-laid out book.
I have read all the currently available books on the 40D and this one is by far the best organized and written, in my opinion. A positive aspect, for me, is that the book avoids dwelling upon the elementary aspects of how to operated a camera - what is an f-stop? what is an aperture? She assumes that the reader has or can access such basics somewhere else and in a more thorough and appropriate manner. The field guide is not watered-down with such out of scope topics, as almost all the other currently available 40D books are to one degree or another.
Thus, this is a field guide for a specific advanced camera, the 40D, and not a course on general photography. As a result, every page is dedicated to how to use specific Canon 40D controls, settings, and custom functions in an appropriate and comprehensive professional manner. There is no wasted space or words - each page is concentrated with essential camera information, including helpful hints in using the setting groups in example photo shoots. Most of the detailed informaton is laid out in color charts and tables specific to a given topic for rapid reference in the field, as the title says.
In summary, this book is not for the beginner that has never operated an advanced camera before and who knows nothing to very little about photography. This book is for intermediate to experienced photographers - those who would find themselves using such an advanced camera as the 40D in the first place. Such readers want to be able to quickly refer to the guide, efficiently glean the essential control and settings information so as to get up to speed rapidly, and then refer back while shooting in the field using their own techniques, as appropriate.
I highly recommend it and give it the highest rating.
Book Review: Best Book To Learn The Secrets of Canon 40D
Summary: 4 Stars
The Digital Field Guide by Charlotte Lowrie is the best book to learn how to shoot the Canon 40 D at the highest and most efficient levels. Four months ago I took a big leap and went from a Kodak point and shoot camera to a Canon 40 D with four very good (and expensive) lenses. I was initially very disappointed with my images compared to ones I had shot with my Kodak camera; they weren't very sharp and the colors seemed washed out. So what did I do: I bought three books on the 40D, a DVD guide to the 40D, and took an on-line course with a professional instructor on the 40D. I bought the Digital Field Guide last, half-way through my on-line course, and only then did I really learn the secrets of the 40D.
Here is what the Digital Field Guide revealed to me: 1. The importance of Picture Styles and how/why each owner of a 40 D should explore modifying the default style settings. 2. A detailed review of the 40 D's Custom Functions with suggestions from an experienced 40 D user. 3. How to set up Camera User Settings (C1, C2, and C3 on the Mode dial). 4. Some real practical insights to using the 40 D in the field and some further insights to the 40 D and Canon lenses by listing the lenses and settings for the photos contained in the book.
The key is setting modified Picture Styles and then taking advantage of Camera User Settings. Lowrie says her modified preference is Neutral Picture Style with revised settings. That approach did not work for me, as I do not shoot in RAW, but I now have found revised Portrait, Faithful( Macro shots) and Landscape Styles for my C1-3 settings.
If this book is so good, why do I give it only a four star rating? The format and layout is confusing. In this regard, the Canon EOS 40 D Guide by David Busch is much better. His book is much easier read, but it does not get into customized Picture styles in enough detail and failed to discuss Camera User Settings at all. If you are buying just one book on the 40 D get Lowrie's, but I am glad that I have both. By the way, until I read one of the reviews posted here I did not pick-up on religious references in the book, still do not find anything that bothers me.
Book Review: This book is more about Christianity than Canon 40D
Summary: 2 Stars
This review might seem to be about Christianity - not about an instructional book on a camera. That is because the Canon EOS 40D Digital Field Guide should be called The Digital Field Guide for Christians Only! While informative on the new Canon 40D's many functions, this book is nauseatingly riddled with references to the writer's religion - from example photos of christian churches, crosses, crucifixes, to indoor stage performances listed as "Christian Rock."
The book begins with a dedication to someone that gets muddled with "faith, god, jesus, the son..." and this theme continues throughout the book.
I am still reading through the book and do appreciate the information about the functions that can be set, though I would not use many of the writer's suggested setting. I cringe every time "god" is mentioned or a religious photo is used to demonstrate a camera setting, because I feel like I was tricked into going to sunday school. If you tell me this is a camera book with emphasis on christianity, or an emphasis on golfing photography or bird watching photography - fine - I can decide to buy it or keep looking. I am fully expecting to turn the page and see a photo of that holy grilled cheese sandwich sold on ebay as an example of the "christian portrait setting" on the camera (which is not listed in the Canon's manual).
I find out now that the writer (Charlotte K. Lowrie) uses her photos on various religious sites, and I wish she would stick to writing for them. Either write a book of inspirational photos and sell it to your own kind, or write an instructional manual and stick to the subject - the camera! This mixed up theme of technical and subliminal religious messages is exclusionary to other religions and non-religious people.
I am sorry I bought this book (maybe proceeds go to her church and I can write it off) - shame on the publisher. I would recommend to anyone looking for straightforward information about this great Canon camera to look elsewhere - especially if you happen to be Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Atheist, etc. I am giving a gracious 2 starts for the information on the menu setting.
Book Review: Not for the novice!
Summary: 3 Stars
I would have to give this book a 3-star rating, not due specifically to the content but more to the organization and level of difficulty. I approached this reading with no film background, a newly acquired passion for digital photography, and my very first D-SLR, the Canon EOS 40D. Fortunately I had read other 40D books so I had a basis for comparison. Had this been the first one I had read on this camera, I might have just put the setting on "Automatic" and left it there. I would not recommend this book for a beginning photographer.
This Digital Field Guide is literally PACKED with information, tables, cross reference notations and subjects that go way beyond my level of absorption at this time. Though I feel the book has a "busy" visual appearance, it might appeal to the Canon EOS 40D owners who either come from a film background, previous D-SLR's, or both and understand the basic language of exposure settings, focus, shutter speed, etc. I didn't have a solid footing in these areas and found the book to be overwhelming and somewhat discouraging.
If you are a more experienced photographer who has a new Canon EOS 40D, I encourage you to give this book a read. If you know all the content when you finish, you're in good shape! The book provides a number of in-the-field tips dealing with different types of shooting. There is a chapter on RAW capture for those of you who are leaning in that direction, and a very impressive appendix covering topics such as camera specifications, a glossary of photography terminology, and a list of professional websites and resources. For you lens aficionados there is a whole section of the book devoted to various lenses and what they do. You just need lots of money!
Happy Reading!
Book Review: Canon EOS 40D Digital Field Guide
Summary: 4 Stars
Written for Ann Friedenreich SCG Photos
In general, the field guide genre of photography/camera books is an amazing way to get lots of info in a book small enough to tote. The Wiley edition of the "Canon EOS 40D Digital Field Guide" at first flip seemed like it would be a verbose little guy, but then I found the table of contents...and it was love at first sight! That old adage, a picture can say a thousand words, was as true now as ever. I stopped at the tomatoes, on the 2nd page of the table (chapters 2&3),thinking that it might be about color, before I even read the topic line. And yes; it was was about color. It was also about balance, color spaces and picture styles, but it was about color too...which is what I wanted to read about. I couldn't say that the other photos in the table of contents were as right on as the tomatoes, but having photos mark the different topics was helpful.
There were ample notes/tips/cross-reference spots, charts and tables, photos and illustrations throughout the book. Having said that, I would like to offer that, I'd like to have seen more color throughout the book...all of the black print made it a bit tedious for me, and bold face type is boring. Maybe the direction, step by step, list paragraphs/sections could have been printed on a color background or have different color type just to break up the black type. It would not take up more space or make any drastic change, just a little eye candy to keep the reader on a high note.
Overall the book is a great little helper that packs lots of info. I also appreciated the glossary and appendices at the end which had lots of internet hot spots to visit. I'd give this book 4.5 stars out of 5!