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Rating: 
Summary: A very good book
Review: I started photography in 1987 & this book (the older version of course) is what I started with. I quite recommend it & I think its a very useful book to add to your library.
Another real useful book I came across (& treasure) is the Photo know how.
This book was published by Sinar (www.sinar.ch) & most unfortunatly they do not have it in english any longer but I think they might still have the french & german language editions. If you ever find it, do't miss it.
Rating: 
Summary: Michael J. Langford: Best Photo Writer Ever?
Review: Mr. Langford certainly deserves praise for his continued excellence in photographic writing. 'Basic Photography' is THE manual for photographers. It is clear, concise and entertaining to read. This book should be in every photographers library.
Rating:
Summary: Basically thorough
Review: The Michael Langford "basic Photography" (together with: Advanced Photography") has been the photography textbook bible to most British academic institutions for over 30 years - BUT DON'T LET THAT PUT YOU OFF! This is a well written, beautifully illustrated and comprehensive journal detailing all that you need to know about contemporary photographic techniques.The book is logically constructed, starting with relevant but facinating descriptions of the physical properties of light and ending with chapters on digital photography, mountng & presentation and in depth technical data. This book would be a useful and enjoyable companion to both the enthusiastic beginer and practising professional, all the information is simply but not patronizingly explained. This is probably the most authoritive, even definative, textual study of photographic techniques available today.
Rating:
Summary: Basically thorough
Review: The Michael Langford "basic Photography" (together with: Advanced Photography") has been the photography textbook bible to most British academic institutions for over 30 years - BUT DON'T LET THAT PUT YOU OFF! This is a well written, beautifully illustrated and comprehensive journal detailing all that you need to know about contemporary photographic techniques. The book is logically constructed, starting with relevant but facinating descriptions of the physical properties of light and ending with chapters on digital photography, mountng & presentation and in depth technical data. This book would be a useful and enjoyable companion to both the enthusiastic beginer and practising professional, all the information is simply but not patronizingly explained. This is probably the most authoritive, even definative, textual study of photographic techniques available today.
Rating:
Summary: A hidden flower...
Review: This book is a little asset... under-sold by stating "First published in 1965, this time-tested textbook, now in its sixth edition..." should read the other way around "Now in its seventh edition, this time-tested textbook, first published in 1965..." I have compared various titles regarding 'basic photography'. but this is the best I have read so far. If you really want to know how to get there, to understand basic photography, then this is the book you should consider seriously, not to say a must. Why is it so? First of all the title is 'basic photography', but a very rich 'basic'. It covers the lot from light rays to dark room, from Advanced Photo System (APS) to Digital Photography. There is no shortcut if you want to know the basics: depth of field, focal length, etc. Michael Langford put this nicely in words: learning photography is like learning to write; you learn the characters and building the words, the sentences; you can write, but will you ever be a poet? In is book, Michael gives you the characters, helps you building the sentences. It's up to you to become a poet. The style of the book is very helpful. A chapter starts with an introduction, followed by a thorough explanation (with references pointing to other chapters for more detail and to draw out the big picture). The chapter concludes with a summary about what has been discussed, and -- and this is the bit I appreciated most -- a projects section, encouraging you to do your own 'homework' in form of practicing and testing the theory... which in return will help you to understand the topic. I have become a novice again in regard to photography. I haven't really used a camera during the past ten years and utilise(d) this book to re-build my knowledge from ground up. This again, is possible with this book (I will read it many more times; and I have read it multiple times, targeting specific chapters to answer my questions in depth). The author provides facts, with a hint here and there, to allow you to make your own judgement and to allow you to grow in your field of preference. There are many photographs of renown photographers, not to make you look small, but to highlight how virtuous the reader can develop his/her skills, explicitly asking you not to copy style, but encouraging you to develop your own. With (t)his book, Michael Langford gives you the 'basic' on 360 pages in a very detailed, thoughtful and versatile course book (how I would call it). All I can say is "enjoy" ... I am sure I will refer to this book in years to come.
Rating: 
Summary: very poor
Review: This title and the other by this author illustrate the worst possible scenario to teach photography at college level. Both books are complete yes and even updated (digital technology). I was a teaching assistant as an undergraduate and as a graduate student. I would never have used these books to teach anything about photography. The style and the type of writing is this: "This is what photography is, now go and find out there is it's true or not". It is old style (it is British title forget not). The correct way to teach photography is 1) slowly, 2) based on experiment (for the student to construct concepts by himself) and 3) total freedom. The contents are so ridiculous that the author even suggests a minimum kit for a 35mm, 6x6 cm, and a 4x5 camera! Really! Save your money and time. Stick to Henri Horenstein's titles ("Black and White Photography", " Beyond Basic Photography" and ""Color Photography") especially the last one ("Photography"), expensive, but worth it! This book and its companion are really terrible!
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