What do you think?
Rate this book
Digital SLR Cameras and Photography For Dummies
The ideal guide for beginning DSLR camera users, with full-color examples of what you can achieve
Make the most of your Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, or Olympus digital SLR camera! This guide explains the different lenses, the many settings and how to use them, the results you can get from using different controls, how to use lighting and exposure, and much more. If you haven't purchased your camera yet, you'll also find tips on choosing a camera and accessories. And you'll find out how to make your pictures even better with Photoshop. If you're new to digital SLR photography, here's just what you need to have fun and success with your camera!
Make the most of your Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, or Olympus digital SLR camera! This guide explains the different lenses, the many settings and how to use them, the results you can get from using different controls, how to use lighting and exposure, and much more. If you haven't purchased your camera yet, you'll also find tips on choosing a camera and accessories. And you'll find out how to make your pictures even better with Photoshop. If you're new to digital SLR photography, here's just what you need to have fun and success with your camera!
352 pages, Paperback
First published August 2, 2004
84 people are currently reading
400 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
September 29, 2014
The eldest daughter is going to turn 21 soon and over the last while she has become increasingly interested in photography. She bought a Holga camera while away – sort of a plastic toy thing that leaks light but uses serious photographic film – all very artistic if absurdly expensive at the same time, while also being a little strange too, given the cost to quality ratio issues.
Anyway, having to tape up a camera so as to cut out some of the light getting in through the case seems to have made her even more keen. Nothing like adversity to spark interest, I guess.
A friend of hers, while she was in Japan, had a canon digital SLR and took really lovely photographs – strikingly good. There was little question that she would want one too sooner or later. The excuse has come with the imminent birthday.
I have to confess that I’m also a bit addicted to technology and stuff with menus and dials and buttons and numbers. I can’t begin to tell you how hard it has been not buying an Ipad. Even I can see I don’t need one. But then, as my mate Shakespeare said, “O reason not the need! Our basest beggars are in the poorest thing superfluous.”
The problem with a lot of this stuff is that in the olden days, when I was a lad and the world was a younger and less interesting place, the simple rule of thumb was to buy the most expensive thing you could afford. Good things are quality things and quality is (or was) directly proportional to money expended. But computers have proven that simple equation wrong now. There is only really one rule with computers – buy a Mac. Other than that , it is merely a matter of resigning yourself to having to go on buying a new one every other year.
So, off we trudged into the midday sun with a distinct shortage of mad dogs and with an abundance of Englishmen slaughtering us in the cricket (here we go, here we go, here we go – did I hear you say?) and went to various shops looking for advice, if not affection.
This review is my advice to anyone thinking of doing such a thing. I know it is not the same – but imagine you had never driven a car before, and never been in a car before to even know how one might drive a car, but suddenly you have taken a notion (had a rush of blood, been bitten by the bug of technological innovation, realised you have not been fulfilling your duty to our great consumerist society that asks so little of you) that you might quite like to try out for the Grand Prix. Well, Fi has the same interest in the esoteric pleasures awaiting her behind the lens of a professionalish camera. My advice is to find out something about them FIRST, you know, before you go into the shop. As with the car – find out the difference between an automatic and a manual, and a Ferrari and a VW – and then go talk to people in the shops. Otherwise, expect it all to end in tears.
The first shop we went into had a young shop attendant who made no secret of the fact that he quite fancied my daughter. I’m not normally terribly observant of such things – but the fact he didn’t once make eye contact with me the whole time I was talking to him and that he was obviously drooling might have been the give away. I said to her as we left the shop that she played it all wrong. When he said, “Is there anything I can do for you?” she should have said, “Well, first you could take me out to dinner and then afterwards I expect you to decide whether we are going back to your place or mine – but in the meantime tell me about these awfully clever camera thingies. You know, we girls struggle so with the kinds of things you big strong men blah, blah, blah.” (insert sound of eyelashes batting – is that a sound?)
The next place had a German guy who talked in numbers. “It’s all about the lenses and the 1000 has the 35 to 85 which of course with scaling becomes a 1.7 after 5.3 unless you need more than ISO 1600, then you’ll need the 550 which makes …” I so wanted to say Bingo! But in a life composed almost entirely of regrets that is just the latest although, perhaps, least serious.
He also told me that with some lenses having a camera with more megapixels (something I always thought was like money or thinness – you couldn’t really have too much of) could mean that things are all a bit close together and you can get diffraction. Diffraction occurs when the space between two things is getting close to the wavelength of the light passing between them. I hadn’t thought this would be a problem as the wavelength of light is pretty small, but apparently it is under certain conditions. Why is this a problem? Well, the point of lots of megapixels is to have clear images and the point of diffraction is a spreading out of light and it so makes things look fuzzy. Fuzzy is the natural enemy of clear (fuzzy being to clear what hot is to cold) – and so that became but one more confusion to add to a situation that had already become richly abundant in bewilderments.
The next guy wanted to be a car salesman when he grew up. He spent all of his time telling us about electric windows and Hyundai base model cars (which, I guess, unfortunately don’t come with electric windows – otherwise his metaphor makes even less sense than I thought it did). I don’t think he mentioned cameras once in the whole time we were in the shop – an interesting selling technique, but not one that worked in my case.
I need to find Mr Inbetween. The person who knows lots about DSLRs but can tell me about them without talking about cars instead.
So, I got hold of this book and read it (half of it, anyway) last night. I now know more about DSLRs than I probably need to and am utterly smitten. Oh god, that’s all I need, one more technological addiction. There really should be a clinic somewhere.
Anyway, having to tape up a camera so as to cut out some of the light getting in through the case seems to have made her even more keen. Nothing like adversity to spark interest, I guess.
A friend of hers, while she was in Japan, had a canon digital SLR and took really lovely photographs – strikingly good. There was little question that she would want one too sooner or later. The excuse has come with the imminent birthday.
I have to confess that I’m also a bit addicted to technology and stuff with menus and dials and buttons and numbers. I can’t begin to tell you how hard it has been not buying an Ipad. Even I can see I don’t need one. But then, as my mate Shakespeare said, “O reason not the need! Our basest beggars are in the poorest thing superfluous.”
The problem with a lot of this stuff is that in the olden days, when I was a lad and the world was a younger and less interesting place, the simple rule of thumb was to buy the most expensive thing you could afford. Good things are quality things and quality is (or was) directly proportional to money expended. But computers have proven that simple equation wrong now. There is only really one rule with computers – buy a Mac. Other than that , it is merely a matter of resigning yourself to having to go on buying a new one every other year.
So, off we trudged into the midday sun with a distinct shortage of mad dogs and with an abundance of Englishmen slaughtering us in the cricket (here we go, here we go, here we go – did I hear you say?) and went to various shops looking for advice, if not affection.
This review is my advice to anyone thinking of doing such a thing. I know it is not the same – but imagine you had never driven a car before, and never been in a car before to even know how one might drive a car, but suddenly you have taken a notion (had a rush of blood, been bitten by the bug of technological innovation, realised you have not been fulfilling your duty to our great consumerist society that asks so little of you) that you might quite like to try out for the Grand Prix. Well, Fi has the same interest in the esoteric pleasures awaiting her behind the lens of a professionalish camera. My advice is to find out something about them FIRST, you know, before you go into the shop. As with the car – find out the difference between an automatic and a manual, and a Ferrari and a VW – and then go talk to people in the shops. Otherwise, expect it all to end in tears.
The first shop we went into had a young shop attendant who made no secret of the fact that he quite fancied my daughter. I’m not normally terribly observant of such things – but the fact he didn’t once make eye contact with me the whole time I was talking to him and that he was obviously drooling might have been the give away. I said to her as we left the shop that she played it all wrong. When he said, “Is there anything I can do for you?” she should have said, “Well, first you could take me out to dinner and then afterwards I expect you to decide whether we are going back to your place or mine – but in the meantime tell me about these awfully clever camera thingies. You know, we girls struggle so with the kinds of things you big strong men blah, blah, blah.” (insert sound of eyelashes batting – is that a sound?)
The next place had a German guy who talked in numbers. “It’s all about the lenses and the 1000 has the 35 to 85 which of course with scaling becomes a 1.7 after 5.3 unless you need more than ISO 1600, then you’ll need the 550 which makes …” I so wanted to say Bingo! But in a life composed almost entirely of regrets that is just the latest although, perhaps, least serious.
He also told me that with some lenses having a camera with more megapixels (something I always thought was like money or thinness – you couldn’t really have too much of) could mean that things are all a bit close together and you can get diffraction. Diffraction occurs when the space between two things is getting close to the wavelength of the light passing between them. I hadn’t thought this would be a problem as the wavelength of light is pretty small, but apparently it is under certain conditions. Why is this a problem? Well, the point of lots of megapixels is to have clear images and the point of diffraction is a spreading out of light and it so makes things look fuzzy. Fuzzy is the natural enemy of clear (fuzzy being to clear what hot is to cold) – and so that became but one more confusion to add to a situation that had already become richly abundant in bewilderments.
The next guy wanted to be a car salesman when he grew up. He spent all of his time telling us about electric windows and Hyundai base model cars (which, I guess, unfortunately don’t come with electric windows – otherwise his metaphor makes even less sense than I thought it did). I don’t think he mentioned cameras once in the whole time we were in the shop – an interesting selling technique, but not one that worked in my case.
I need to find Mr Inbetween. The person who knows lots about DSLRs but can tell me about them without talking about cars instead.
So, I got hold of this book and read it (half of it, anyway) last night. I now know more about DSLRs than I probably need to and am utterly smitten. Oh god, that’s all I need, one more technological addiction. There really should be a clinic somewhere.
May 31, 2017
I actually bought this book just a moment after I bought my very first DSLR camera. If you were a total newbie in photography or you were undergoing a serious upgrade from pocket point & shot cameras unto DSLR cameras, you definitely need to read this book.
June 1, 2021
Not the easiest read but the highlighted tips helped a lot.
February 20, 2017
I'm a beginning DSLR photographer. This book was clear and covered a large range of topics.
Anywhere from the camera features and how they work to photo storage and sharing.
Anywhere from the camera features and how they work to photo storage and sharing.
July 1, 2015
Inhalt:
Eine digitale Spiegelreflexkamera kann um einiges mehr als die typische Handkamera für den Urlaub. Doch was genau kann die DSLR eigentlich und wie kann man ihre Fähigkeiten nutzen, um gute und schöne Bilder herzustellen?
Meine Meinung:
Dieses Buch habe ich vor einigen Jahren gewonnen und da ich endlich etwas Zeit habe, mich mit der Kamera zu beschäftigen, habe ich im Voraus dieses Buch gelesen. Denn nur durch Rumdrücken erfährt man längst nicht alles über eine digitale Spiegelflex.
Leider muss ich jedoch gestehen, dass mir die Lektüre dieses Buches kaum etwas gebracht hat. Deshalb bin ich auch froh, dass ich es gewonnen habe, und kein Geld dafür ausgeben musste.
Der Grund dafür liegt wohl darin, dass sich das Buch an bereits fortgeschrittene Anwender der Spiegelflex wendet und nicht an absolute Anfänger wie mich. So setzt der Autor voraus, dass man die Grundkniffe bereits kennt. Aber was nutzen mir tonnenweise Infos über Objektive und RAW-Formate, wenn ich noch immer nicht weiss, wie man die manuellen Einstellungen vornimmt?
David D. Busch kennt sich sehr gut in seiner Materie aus und erklärt auch nicht schlecht. Aber wie gesagt, fehlen einem die Basics, nutzt einem dieses Buch nicht viel. Anfangs hoffte ich noch auf eine erklärung der Grundeinstellungen, doch je tiefer der Autor ins Thema vordrang, desto mehr Kapitel übersprang ich. Momentan möchte ich nämlich auch keine Videos mit meiner Kamera drehen, sondern schöne Fotos machen...
Es gibt tonnenweise Tricks und Tipps, die dem Fotografen dabei helfen, unter unterschiedlichen Bedingungen schöne Fotos zu schiessen. Diese werde ich später bestimmt wieder nachschlagen, aber erst einmal werde ich mir andere Lektüre besorgen, um mich erst einmal mit der Kamera vertraut zu machen.
Fazit:
Für fortgeschrittene Anwender bietet "Digitale Spiegelreflex-Fotografie für Dummies" viele hilfreiche Informationen, Hinweise und Ideen. Absoluten Anfängern empfehle ich das Buch jedoch nicht, da zu wenig auf die Basisanwendungen eingegangen wird.
Eine digitale Spiegelreflexkamera kann um einiges mehr als die typische Handkamera für den Urlaub. Doch was genau kann die DSLR eigentlich und wie kann man ihre Fähigkeiten nutzen, um gute und schöne Bilder herzustellen?
Meine Meinung:
Dieses Buch habe ich vor einigen Jahren gewonnen und da ich endlich etwas Zeit habe, mich mit der Kamera zu beschäftigen, habe ich im Voraus dieses Buch gelesen. Denn nur durch Rumdrücken erfährt man längst nicht alles über eine digitale Spiegelflex.
Leider muss ich jedoch gestehen, dass mir die Lektüre dieses Buches kaum etwas gebracht hat. Deshalb bin ich auch froh, dass ich es gewonnen habe, und kein Geld dafür ausgeben musste.
Der Grund dafür liegt wohl darin, dass sich das Buch an bereits fortgeschrittene Anwender der Spiegelflex wendet und nicht an absolute Anfänger wie mich. So setzt der Autor voraus, dass man die Grundkniffe bereits kennt. Aber was nutzen mir tonnenweise Infos über Objektive und RAW-Formate, wenn ich noch immer nicht weiss, wie man die manuellen Einstellungen vornimmt?
David D. Busch kennt sich sehr gut in seiner Materie aus und erklärt auch nicht schlecht. Aber wie gesagt, fehlen einem die Basics, nutzt einem dieses Buch nicht viel. Anfangs hoffte ich noch auf eine erklärung der Grundeinstellungen, doch je tiefer der Autor ins Thema vordrang, desto mehr Kapitel übersprang ich. Momentan möchte ich nämlich auch keine Videos mit meiner Kamera drehen, sondern schöne Fotos machen...
Es gibt tonnenweise Tricks und Tipps, die dem Fotografen dabei helfen, unter unterschiedlichen Bedingungen schöne Fotos zu schiessen. Diese werde ich später bestimmt wieder nachschlagen, aber erst einmal werde ich mir andere Lektüre besorgen, um mich erst einmal mit der Kamera vertraut zu machen.
Fazit:
Für fortgeschrittene Anwender bietet "Digitale Spiegelreflex-Fotografie für Dummies" viele hilfreiche Informationen, Hinweise und Ideen. Absoluten Anfängern empfehle ich das Buch jedoch nicht, da zu wenig auf die Basisanwendungen eingegangen wird.
June 4, 2008
If you are a "serious amateur" photographer that is "upgrading" from a point-and-shoot to a DSLR then this book would be a great starter. An even better approach would be to keep it on your shelf next to
Shooting Digital
and have them act as companion pieces for each other.
Having read Shooting Digital last year, I would say that I find these books about equally useful and about equally executed but with different goals in mind. Whereas Shooting Digital is more technique driven, Digital SLR Cameras ... for Dummies is definitely more about gear (and to some extent software).
Digital SLR Cameras ... for Dummies is a brand-agnostic text that approaches the subject of digital photography by way of digital SLR cameras, their differences from (and similarities to) point-and-shoot digitals, as well as some overviews on composition, re-touching, compositing, file formats, archiving, printing... etc. Fortunately, the first two-thirds of the text is dedicated to the cameras and equipment, so it's specific enough that it's beneficial. All of the ancillary chapters (that "breadth") is jammed into the last third; but we didn't get this book to learn about compositing in the Windows-version of Photoshop either....
Having read Shooting Digital last year, I would say that I find these books about equally useful and about equally executed but with different goals in mind. Whereas Shooting Digital is more technique driven, Digital SLR Cameras ... for Dummies is definitely more about gear (and to some extent software).
Digital SLR Cameras ... for Dummies is a brand-agnostic text that approaches the subject of digital photography by way of digital SLR cameras, their differences from (and similarities to) point-and-shoot digitals, as well as some overviews on composition, re-touching, compositing, file formats, archiving, printing... etc. Fortunately, the first two-thirds of the text is dedicated to the cameras and equipment, so it's specific enough that it's beneficial. All of the ancillary chapters (that "breadth") is jammed into the last third; but we didn't get this book to learn about compositing in the Windows-version of Photoshop either....
February 7, 2017
A good intro to using a DSLR and makes some of the confusing terms used in other books much clearer. if you want just one book for your new DSLR, try this one.
July 26, 2011
A comprehensive introduction for absolute beginners, covering shooting techniques, gears, accessories and image editing. Naturally not suited for advanced level photographers, it should provide a few pointers to even intermediate levels, offering some interesting techniques including infrared, pinhole, time-lapse, very low/high speed and baroque photography. Dedicating a chapter to top online resources, it thoughtfully caters for amateurs by using the final chapter to introduce various advanced photographic terms and concepts.
May 31, 2013
This book is a must read if you are just learning about digital SLR cameras and photography...i have some knowledge about photography and started my passion and love affair when i was 12 years young...very easy to understand and explains each step simply and just enough information to be able to retain in the grey matter at once...a must read...i borrowed this book from the libraby to see it i want to buy it...it is now on my Santa list along side my new digital SLR camera...yes...i have been a very good girl Santa...well this hour anyway!!
December 5, 2013
As an amateur photographer trying to improve my skills, this was a good overview of techniques I can utilize to improve my photos. It was a good refresher on topics I've already learned plus a few new ones. I've been working towards using the manual settings on my DSLR and may use this book as a reference guide.
November 6, 2008
I think I was hoping for something that was a little more in depth on photography rather than an overview of various DSLRs, storage media, and basic concepts (such as composition). However, this did get me interested in learning more and delving deeper.
February 9, 2011
Not what I was hoping for. This book spent a lot of time telling me why I was glad I have the camera that I do but not a whole lot of time talking about how to use it. It did, however, have a useful tutorial on photoshop.
January 24, 2008
Just got a new Olympus E-410...and trying to figure out all the neat features!
Read
February 9, 2008Looks fasinating so far.
August 20, 2008
Perfect!
Read
May 8, 2016I need to figure out how to use my new camera!
November 23, 2014
I feel like I'm reading a textbook, but I'm learning
November 26, 2009
Chapters 3 and 7 were the most useful. Good read, but I skipped around.
August 30, 2010
bought my first dslr, read this and now i can take pro shots
October 8, 2010
Great Book about Photography in General, and "Easy to understand" Reference to deal with Digital SLR
Read
August 9, 2011super-helping me!
August 11, 2011
Great tips. Very helpful!
March 8, 2012
Great DSLR basics book for beginners - explains with clarity the settings and the mechanics behind them so someone new to DSLRs can understand and take better photos.
March 1, 2013
outdated
December 20, 2014
Really had a head start. Author covered several things about Camera as well as photography. I recommend a quick read and photograph to make learning faster and better.
May 28, 2016
I'm new to DSLRs and photography in general and I found this a very helpful introduction.
September 2, 2016
Did not find this helpful --- way too technical and dry for a beginner level book. Tried skipping to another section, not any better.
April 15, 2008
Love this book.
August 20, 2011
It's very boring like reading a text book I skipped most parts!
August 31, 2018
The perennial digital photography bestseller, now updated to cover the hottest topics Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies has been a bestseller since it first came into the picture, and this new edition gets you up to (shutter) speed on the latest technologies available. Veteran author David Busch walks you through new camera models from the leading manufacturers, WiFi and GPS options, full HD moviemaking, and the latest dSLR features. He also provides you with a solid foundation of knowledge about exposure, composition, and lighting that any new dSLR user needs to know to get great results from the camera. The straightforward-but-friendly coverage offers tips for choosing a camera and accessories, using different controls, maximizing lighting and exposure, and editing your photos. With this helpful book by your side, you'll learn your way around shutter speed, aperture, and ISO so that you can get a handle on the big picture while you take pictures! Introduces you to all the features common to dSLR cameras, whether it's Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, Olympus, or another digital SLR camera Shares tips on composition, lighting and exposure controls, and file formats Shows you how to get photos from your camera to a computer and then how to manage, edit, and share your pics Offers hints on improving your skills, online resources, and the jargon of the pros If you're ready to get in the dSLR picture, then this is the book you need.
**
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews