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This is simply not enough to anything or anyone any justice. Forget him and all of his books. He rarely covers any topic in any of his books in more than two pages. You will soon be asking yourself and his books questions you and they will not be able to answer, and you will very quickly go to other more substantial books. Don't bother with the two page wonder and photography "lite."
A huge range of topics are presented, typically taking only 2-4 pages each. All of those are looking pretty horribly dated. I picked it up and put it aside several times while comparing other books, finally noticing that content in each section sets you up for content in later sections in a rather subtle way. Even the most basic topics, like exposure and composition take on different implications in the digital world. I found the type of coverage I was looking for in this book. Freeman's Complete Guide to Digital Photography is written 100% from the digital point of view. Unfortunately, almost every beginner's digital photography book I found suffered from one or more of the following deficiencies: throwaway content (e.g., the history of photography, evolution of digital cameras, too much computer hardware content); film content; superficial coverage; deep coverage on only one or two topics (typically section after section on specific types of subjects such as portraits, landscapes, etc).; dated content (e.g., dead websites, old cameras, PCs, and software); and condescending content that talks down to the reader.
It's brief bits of content regarding film cameras, formats, processing, lenses, etc. What this means is that a book written for the digital photographer really should not be a re-work of an older film-based work. are only by way of explanation - and often the starting point for explaining why and how they are changing because of digital. The result is a beginner's guide that adds up to more than the sum of its parts.
I have quite a few photography books - virtually all film and film processing related. I wanted something that focused on the essence of digital photography. While you can't avoid some of the above, I didn't want it to dominate either. The format initially led me to think it was too superficial. Like many, I'm late to digital, apart from owning a digital point and shoot camera or two. The format - very brief topical chapters - is easy to read and, again, deceptively simple. As just one example, while relationships between aperture and shutter speed haven't changed, the finality of the exposure isn't as critical in digital, you have very different kinds of under and over-exposure considerations for post-processing, you have in-camera options (depending on the sophistication of the camera, of course) for adjustments, color curves, white balance, etc., and the results in terms of exposure artifacts and how you deal with them are just different. Some early chapter content on 35mm format and sensors, for example, leads directly to comments on viewfinder and LCD screen changes in a later chapter.
My purchase of this book is the result of a search in order to go back to square one. I wanted a book that didn't rehash what I already know about photography and wanted one that had the right balance of content range and emphasis to get me off on the right footing. This book covers a lot of ground - cameras & sensors, in-camera processing, exposure, workflow, post processing and software, printing, PC and monitor considerations, file formats, cards (CF, XD, etc)., lenses, stabilization, and a lot more. This book will be first on my recommended list for anyone starting out in digital photography.
Well illustrated explanations of digital darkroom techniques. I checked this book out from the library and didn't get everything out of it even after renewing it several times.
However, I would have liked to see info on selecting lenses for various photo settings. I have checked this book out of the local library a couple times in the last year and find it a very good intro to the subject. The thing that perplexes me most is that Amazon is selling the 2nd edition of this book however the one I am reading is the updated 3rd edition and among the other titles for sale here is the even more recent 4th edition. The sections on modifying photos using software, especially Photoshop may be a bit more sophisticated than a general user looking for an intro may want but I find them very useful. The author introduces some very important issues like the fact that dust is a major problem with the sensors on interchangeable lens cameras and that because of the smaller sensor size relative to a 35 mm film image the image is 1.6 times bigger than with 35mm using the same lens. Why is Amazon still pushing this outdated edition. Don't be fooled, buy the 4th edition.
I am very excited about this venture for myself. Easy to understand and use. Excellent graphics. I have been away from photography for some time. Great as a primer and for advanced users as it is chock full of information across the board. Not in depth but will give you an overview of all that the Digital Photography world has. This book will be a great guide. Also check Freeman's book on SLR's for more information on what SLRs there are and the strengths of each.
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