David Busch's Point-and-Shoot Compact Field Guide (David Busch's Digital Photography Guides)
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,Photography & Video
David Busch's Point-and-Shoot Compact Field Guide (David Busch's Digital Photography Guides) Details
From the Author If you're the owner of a point-and-shoot camera and want a simple explanation of the basic features of these snapshooters so you can move beyond point-and-click to better pictures, this book was written specifically for you. Not written for any specific camera model, my field guide offers clear descriptions of often-confusing options, including Scene modes, autofocus, close-up photography, and when to use (or not use flash.) While it doesn't talk down to you, my book doesn't overwhelm you with unexplained jargon, either. Packaged in a compact size with convenient lay-flat spiral binding, you'll want to take this book with you everywhere. It's your shortcut to pixel proficiency.My Point-and-Shoot Compact Field Guide is not aimed at those who already own and use a digital SLR or other advanced camera. It was specifically written for beginners who want a shortcut to pixel proficiency. Read more About the Author With more than a million books in print, David D. Busch is the world's #1 selling digital camera guide author, and the originator of popular digital photography series like David Busch's Pro Secrets and David Busch's Quick Snap Guides. He has written more than a dozen hugely successful guidebooks for Canon and Canon digital SLR models, as well as many popular books devoted to dSLRs, including Mastering Digital SLR Photography, Second Edition, and Digital SLR Pro Secrets. As a roving photojournalist for more than twenty years, he illustrated his books, magazine articles, and newspaper reports with award-winning images. He's operated his own commercial studio, suffocated in formal dress while shooting weddings-for-hire, and shot sports for a daily newspaper and upstate New York college. His photos and articles have appeared in Popular Photography & Imaging, The Rangefinder, The Professional Photographer, and hundreds of other publications. He has also reviewed dozens of digital cameras for CNet and Computer Shopper, and his advice has been featured in National Public Radio's "All Tech Considered." When About.com named its top five books on Beginning Digital Photography, debuting at the #1 and #2 slots were Busch's Digital Photography All-In-One Desk Reference for Dummies and Mastering Digital Photography. During the past year, he's had as many as five of his books listed in the Top 20 of Amazon.com's Digital Photography Bestseller list--simultaneously! Busch's 120-plus other books published since 1983 include bestsellers like David Busch's Quick Snap Guide to Digital SLR Lenses. Visit his website at http://www.dslrguides.com. Read more
Reviews
Manuals that come with cameras are important. They teach the user all about the features and the tech specs, but offer very little about how to actually take good photos with their new purchase. Those who are new to point-and-shoot digital cameras quite often find themselves frustrated, as after reading the documentation, they have learned very little about what they hoped to learn: how to take a decent photo.David Busch's Point-and-Shoot Compact Field Guide says it in the introduction: when the new user is ready to "graduate from point-and-shoot photography to think-and-shoot creativity, this book will help you put the amazing features hidden inside even the most humble snapshot camera to work." There's a lot more, but that's the basic concept in a nutshell, and it lives up to that promise within its pages.◆ Good Points:+ Excellent resource for newcomers; a true fast track into good digital camera essentials+ Well-done generic info; useful for users with any brand or model camera+ Concise coverage of point-and-shoot usage; very up to date information+ Spiral bound with a good cover design; easy to fold back when following topics+ Loaded with color images; these are directly linked to the topics in the pages+ Excellent multi-level index in the back of the book◆ About This Guide:The authors clearly know their subject here. David Busch is a respected author with more than 20 years experience as a roving photojournalist, and well-known for his photo books that cover a wide range. Contributor Dan Simon has over 30 years as a writer and photographer. Their thorough understanding of contemporary digital camera gear goes a long way in helping the reader to know more about how to get the best out of these. Take a look at the table of contents of this 128-page compact guide and you'll see that it's logically organized. If you have a basic, fundamental knowledge of the controls on your camera, you won't get lost.Chapters:1. Your Point-and-Shoot Camera2. Quick Setup Guide3. Taking Control4. Exploring Key Features5. Special Features6. Playback and Review7. Shooting TipsNot going to drop any spoilers here about what's found in each of the chapters, but it would be easy to say that the information found in any one or two chapters would easily justify the cost in terms saving time and getting the results that you want.Remember, this is not a specific guide for Nikon, Canon, Fuji, Sony or any other point-and-shoot digital camera. It's generic in its approach, and covers far more than you'll get from any basic instruction manual that comes with your camera.◆ What it is, and what it isn't:This is a Point-and-Shoot Compact Field Guide. It's an excellent starting point for anyone just getting into photography with a digital compact; it's that simple. It's not a massive brand-specific tome for a studio or field photographer. A quick search here on Amazon will help you find plenty of those if that's what you're seeking.On a more personal note, I've been reading David Busch's various photo guides and books for a number of years, as my issue about the woeful lack of good documentation in the user guides supplied by the various manufacturers has been noted in some of my camera reviews here. A good example of picking up where the camera company left off was solved in another of the author's books that I picked up recently, David Busch's Nikon P7700 Guide to Digital Photography. That one was the manual that we all wish came with the camera, but didn't.◆ Summary:It would be easy to say that David Busch's Point-and-Shoot Compact Field Guide is the book that should have included with the camera. If you're new to compact digital cameras, before you buy a case, some small bundled accessory kit, or a spare battery from a third-party reseller that may not work (and yes, that's in the book), save your money and buy this book; you'll be glad that you did. You can get your other accessories later, as there's advice on those in the book. If you're an experienced shooter and already think you have mastered your point-and-shoot camera, you'll probably find some pleasant surprises between the covers of this book. This one is highly recommended, regardless if your level of expertise, as it picks up where your camera manual ends.4/20/2013
