Digital Cinematography

Rating:
Summary: VERY DISAPPOINTING
Review: At some point Focal Press thought it would be good to put out a title on digital cinematography. It is very unfortunate that they seem to have put this book together so hastily just to fill in a market niche. The book reads almost like a glossary. Although it has close to 200 pages, almost half of these are simply Sony DVW menus copied out or explained! This is a lot of filler. Do you own a DVW camera? Neither do I. These are extremely expensive, big-company cameras, which sort of defeats the purpose since many people interested in digital cinematography are trying to escape such high costs. The information that applies to digital filmmaking at large is way too general. At other times the book delves on worn-out subjects such as the title chapter: "Why digital photography?" The author goes on: "it is wrong these days to think of tape as an inferior medium..." (don't we all know this...?!) The book remains shallow most of the time. Paul Wheeler is wrong to think this subject needs a lot of filler to yield a book. Many subjects could have been better explained. The small number of illustrations shows how poorly the author faced his task. Yes, Paul Wheeler has a lot of experience, but it seems to have worked against him: the book is either too specific (i.e. on the Sony cameras) or too shallow. It is a bad choice for professional or beginner alike. I should have paid more attention before buying it.

Rating:
Summary: For PROFESSIONALS only!
Review: I'm a freelance cinematographer and this book explained a number of issues that I'd understood peripherally (through looking over my video engineer's shoulder on shoots) but not completely. This is a very practical book that is intended for professionals only. If you are an amateur or are looking for books on shooting with DVcam, this is not for you. This book is at the total opposite end of the spectrum. It's very technical and an invaluable help for those of us who make a living shooting commercial, corporate or broadcast video.

If you're a film or video professional, or want to be, this is a must have book.

Rating:
Summary: A GREAT HELP
Review: To counter the VERY DISAPPOINTING review, I found this book to be of great use. I happen to work at an institute that only uses Sony Equipment. This book was the best source of knowledge I've found dealing with Sony cameras. The sections dealing with the menus have by far been a lifesaver. So should you happen to use, or maybe even own a Sony DVCam, DigiBeta, or HDCam this book is a wonderful reference guide.