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Mastering Digital SLR Photography
Currently with no other book on digital SLR photography, photo enthusiasts have had to rely on books that concentrate only on aspects of the technology that are peripherally related to picture-taking. This book uniquely concentrates on creative techniques for the digital SLR photographer. Photography with Digital SLR and "SLR-like" cameras isn't exactly like conventional film SLR photography; nor is it exactly like digital photography with non-SLR cameras. DSLRs have special advantages, special features, and special problems that need to be addressed and embraced. In addition, users of these cameras tend to expect more from their photography and crave the kind of information that will let them wring every ounce of creativity out of their equipment. Anyone who has a Windows PC or Macintosh and a digital SLR camera will find advanced techniques in this book. Readers will cover various aspects of DSLRs including: why DSLRs work best for creative posing for group and individual portraits, using DSLRs to capture close-up scenes on the desktop using the digital camera's special capabilities, how to get great travel photos with a DSLR, and how to archive them when far from a computer.
254 pages, Paperback
First published December 21, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 4, 2013
Mastering Digital SLR Photography is a long course on using digital cameras. In an alert tone, David Busch makes us fall in love with digital photography, and even manages to make incredibly detailed technical explanations seem lightweight, and to turn atmospheric stories deep and thoughtful. Overall, a great read and, for me personally, an inspiration to continue my amateur photographer fun.
Technically, the book covers digital Single-Lens Reflex cameras, which capture image on digital media and use a mirror to separate the incoming light so that one path goes to the photographer's eye via a prismatic pathway---this contrasts to analog (traditional) cameras, which capture image on film-like media, and to viewfinder cameras, which show the photographer separate light input than the one used for the actual photographs.
This review covers the third edition, published in 2012. For better placement, this edition discusses cameras up to the semi-professional D7000 Nikon (in 2013, Nikon has released the D7100) and the D300 (one of the latest pro cameras is the D800). Fans of Canon, Pentax, and other major brands will find enough references to their favorite cameras in this book ... there are even references to Hasselblads.
I fell for [author-David Busch]'s enthusiasm for digital cameras. A self-confessed convert from more than a decade-long affair with analog cameras, David switched in 2004 to digital and never looked back (except through a digital lens). The first chapter of the book, and later several other sections of the book, try to compare fairly digital camera and other types of cameras (analog and film, primarily). The advice on lenses (Chapter 5) and on the general issues related to digital photography (Chapter 4) are eye-opening; here, David uses small f stops and achieves great depth of field with remarkably low noise.
The technical part of the book also explaining the principles of exposure, focus, and light, in Chapters 2, 3, and 6, respectively. This part was tough for this amateur photographer, but very interesting and hopefully with tangible results in the future. This is the core of camera theory.
The part about new tools---live view and movies, GPS and WiFi, and tablet/smart-phone apps in Chapters 7, 8, and 9, respectively---is perhaps less inspired, perhaps because it repeats information from the first part and because it tries to do too much. Why is composition for movies discussed here? If anything, it could have been part of a new Chapter in Part III, types of photo-/film-shooting. Nevertheless, even this part is useful, albeit for later.
I loved the ability of a veteran of pro sports photographer, who also dabbled into concert, nature, portrait, and travel photography, to give useful insight into the techniques for taking various types of photography. Chapters 11 through 15 finished way too early for my liking, but still cover in over 200 pages the main aspects of photography that David actually has experience with. The unpretentious discussion---this is not the definitive guide on the matter, as it well shouldn't---helps greatly.
What else should I mention? Oh, I know! One of the goals of this book is to show how the camera, rather than the post-processing software, can be used to achieve greatness. It was refreshing to see a professional at work, one that can do quite a bit with software, but prefers to stretch the limit of the optical device first---see for example the discussion on High Dynamic Range imaging.
That's it, go and read it if you own a shred of a digital device, especially one with inter-changeable lenses.
Technically, the book covers digital Single-Lens Reflex cameras, which capture image on digital media and use a mirror to separate the incoming light so that one path goes to the photographer's eye via a prismatic pathway---this contrasts to analog (traditional) cameras, which capture image on film-like media, and to viewfinder cameras, which show the photographer separate light input than the one used for the actual photographs.
This review covers the third edition, published in 2012. For better placement, this edition discusses cameras up to the semi-professional D7000 Nikon (in 2013, Nikon has released the D7100) and the D300 (one of the latest pro cameras is the D800). Fans of Canon, Pentax, and other major brands will find enough references to their favorite cameras in this book ... there are even references to Hasselblads.
I fell for [author-David Busch]'s enthusiasm for digital cameras. A self-confessed convert from more than a decade-long affair with analog cameras, David switched in 2004 to digital and never looked back (except through a digital lens). The first chapter of the book, and later several other sections of the book, try to compare fairly digital camera and other types of cameras (analog and film, primarily). The advice on lenses (Chapter 5) and on the general issues related to digital photography (Chapter 4) are eye-opening; here, David uses small f stops and achieves great depth of field with remarkably low noise.
The technical part of the book also explaining the principles of exposure, focus, and light, in Chapters 2, 3, and 6, respectively. This part was tough for this amateur photographer, but very interesting and hopefully with tangible results in the future. This is the core of camera theory.
The part about new tools---live view and movies, GPS and WiFi, and tablet/smart-phone apps in Chapters 7, 8, and 9, respectively---is perhaps less inspired, perhaps because it repeats information from the first part and because it tries to do too much. Why is composition for movies discussed here? If anything, it could have been part of a new Chapter in Part III, types of photo-/film-shooting. Nevertheless, even this part is useful, albeit for later.
I loved the ability of a veteran of pro sports photographer, who also dabbled into concert, nature, portrait, and travel photography, to give useful insight into the techniques for taking various types of photography. Chapters 11 through 15 finished way too early for my liking, but still cover in over 200 pages the main aspects of photography that David actually has experience with. The unpretentious discussion---this is not the definitive guide on the matter, as it well shouldn't---helps greatly.
What else should I mention? Oh, I know! One of the goals of this book is to show how the camera, rather than the post-processing software, can be used to achieve greatness. It was refreshing to see a professional at work, one that can do quite a bit with software, but prefers to stretch the limit of the optical device first---see for example the discussion on High Dynamic Range imaging.
That's it, go and read it if you own a shred of a digital device, especially one with inter-changeable lenses.
October 10, 2011
I recently bought a fairly decent digital camera and I found I didn't know the first thing about how to use it, so besides reading the owner's manual I read this book and it really helped me understand what's going on inside the camera when I take a photo or use different settings. If you have a digital camera that allows you to do more than point and click and you'd like to gain a basic understanding of digital photography, I learned a ton from this book and highly recommend it. The camera will no longer seem overly complicated or intimidating, the book is thorough and clearly written, the author is an expert in the field. There is a 3rd edition out (my library only had the 2nd), of course the later edition of the book will be even better.
April 30, 2009
I've been doing photography long enough now that I don't expect to learn anything new when picking up a general photography book. This one is no exception. The main reason I continue reading books on the basics is that I'm hoping they'll either surprise me with a new way of performing an old trick or they'll fall into the category of books I'd feel comfortable recommending to someone who is newer to the game than I am. That's definitely where Mastering Digital SLR Photography ended up for me. It's a well-written book that thoroughly covers the basics while also providing enough additional information to help you mature to the next level in your photography.
March 11, 2013
Maybe one of the best photography books. It covers the basics as well as different types of photography. This is a great move because some people want to find out a bit about sport photography for example without reading a dedicated book about it. Great basics for photography in general as well as special topics.
August 1, 2016
This book is the very best digital SLR guide I have ever written. I am now taking better photos than ever before because I understand how my camera works, how to use the buttons and dials work because of that understanding. Recommended to anyone who owns a dSLR or anyone who's thinking about buying one. His recommendations are flawless, well explained, factual and tried.
August 12, 2012
Great reference, with lots of details about lots of areas of photography. This book provides a well rounded look at many areas, and is great for people new to DSLRs, or wanting to take that first step a bit deeper into Photography.
January 24, 2015
I stumbled across this book on the new book shelf at our library and was drawn to it because I received a new camera this Christmas. I found the book easy to read and quite informative. This is one of those books that I would like to own so that I can refer back to it as I use my camera.
January 5, 2017
Fine for the beginner.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews