Canon EOS 50D Digital Field Guide
by Charlotte K. Lowrie
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Book Reviews of Canon EOS 50D Digital Field Guide
Book Review: Must have book for the 50D
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a must have for the 50D owner. I read it cover-to-cover when first getting my 50D, skimming sections which were not of immediate importance to me as newcomer to both the 50D and SLRs. That first time through, I closely read sections which contained the basics.
Then, over time, after familiarizing myself with the 50D's basics, I would review this book as needed. For example, when getting more into using a flash, I read the flash section which I'd previously skimmed. This worked out great.
The book contains great high-level introductions, but drills down in a manner which makes it easy to get more detail as needed. This made it easy to get the high-levels first, seeking more esoteric details as needed.
The author seems to have a good relationship with Canon, yet shares professional preferences and experiences which may differ from the company's recommendations. This is nice because I was getting both Canon's recommendations coupled with at least one professional's advice based on her real-world experiences with the 50D and digital photography in general.
As mentioned, this book is truly a must have to accompany the 50D.
About a year after using the 50D, I added Magic Lantern Guides: Canon EOS 50D Multimedia Workshop to my library. The additional perspective from that other book was a nice compliment, getting yet another professional's tips/experience. I think Lowrie's "Canon EOS 50D Digital Field Guide" (being reviewed here) should be the first choice if both cannot be obtained, adding other books as desired.
Book Review: Terrific Book!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a must for beginner to intermediate photographers. The author covers topics related to photography in general and how to apply the concepts in the camera specifically. From the very first chapter, I learned something that I didn't already know and I've been using a 20D for years! The chapters on general setup and on customizing the camera were very helpful. Not only were the options clearly explained, she also stated the implications and recommendations for the particular choice. By applying some of the recommended settings, it makes using the camera quicker and easier to use!
This book talks about many general photography concepts. Exposure is something that I've struggled to learn. It is explained in a easily understood manner. The details are restated in different ways to help the reader understand the concepts.
It is evident that she has used the 50D in the field, shooting in different conditions. Throughout the book she offers tips from her own photography experience and from using the 50D. She gives excellent advice for what to bring on a specific type of shoot and the camera settings that are most effective in the particular situation. Reading this book seems like you have an expert right alongside of you!
Book Review: A must have accessory for your camera bag if you have 50D!
Summary: 5 Stars
I wanted a 50D book that would help me make better use of my Canon 50D now--and that would be useful to me a year or more from now. I think the 50D Field Guide will do both. The author clearly has used the 50D extensively. The explanations are thorough, understandable, and helpful. While the book printing isn't coffee-table quality, the pictures are professional, and they cover the range of subjects that many photographers most often shoot.
This is the first book I've seen that doesn't just tell you what the camera feature or button is, but it also offers practical suggestions on when to use the options and how to combine multiple options for different subjects. The author explains C modes thoroughly and gives useful examples on setting them up in advance for different shooting situations. Ditto for explaining everything you want to know about getting great color in images.
The writing is professional and engaging, and Ms. Lowrie explains technical concepts well. This book has already shown me things about my 50D that I hadn't discovered and maybe would not have tried without her encouragement. This book is already helping me get the most from the 50D--and that's exactly what I wanted.
Book Review: Better than the Magic Lantern series
Summary: 5 Stars
I actually picked up this book based on the reviews here, and I must say, I was not disappointed. I had previously used the Magic Lantern series of guides on an earlier model, and this book is FAR more informative. My impression of the Magic Lanterns was that they were simply a slightly more detailed version of the Canon camera manual itself. This book, on the other hand, goes a step farther, focusing not only on the functions of the camera itself, but also providing useful information on APPLYING those functions. Lots of information presented in easily-digestible sections, along with full-color photgraphs throughout to demonstrate the particular topics being discussed.
This book also contains material that provides a good introduction to novice photgraphers on basic photography concepts like exposure, and provides a good brief intro to beginner and experienced photgrapher alike on digital photography specifically.
In short, this book is great for the novice photographer, the novice digital photogrpaher, or the experienced photographer looking to maximize his or her enjoyment and understanding of a sophisticated piece of techinolgoy, the 50D.
Book Review: Book comparisons-Feeling like Goldilocks
Summary: 4 Stars
I ended up buying 3 different books pertaining to the 50D.The first one I purchased was the "Magic Lantern Guides Canon EOS 50D Multimedia Workshop" The instructional DVD video was excellent, however the book itself was way too basic & generic as was the "Taking Great Digital Photos" DVD (which I expected of this DVD). So unfortunately, I felt I still needed a book with more info to it & bought this book by Charlotte K. Lowrie "Canon EOOS 50D Digital Field Guide. It's a great book with lots of info but I found it very difficult to read & follow, I think it's her writing style. Seeing a pattern here? This one to soft, this one to hard, still looking for just right. So I bought Jeff Revell's book "Canon 50D From Snapshots to Great Shots", which I like a lot. I still need to augment it a little with Lowrie/s book but between these two it seems to do the job. I didn't want to spend all this money on the camera & lenses & not be able to use it to it's fullest potential hence purchasing 3 books.