Rating: 
Summary: Must Have!
Review: I just got a digital camera and I wasn't interested in photography before. I am only 14, so that's probably why. I don't think I need to explain why that book is a must have for you! Believe it or not- it just is! It has everything you need, to be a succesfull photographer :) No matter if you are a newbie like me, or you already have some experience...
Rating:
Summary: Great book (1st edition)
Review: I liked this book very much. It had just about everything I needed to know. I recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: I liked this book very much. It had just about everything I needed to know. I recommend it highly.
Rating: 
Summary: Not what I was looking for...
Review: I looked quite hard for a good digital photography book...before I chose this. I selected this one based on some of the reviews. I was really disappointed in the few color plates, and the black and white picture examples made it very difficult to see the author's point of discussion. I found quite a few printing errors too...but I can live with that, although it does cast an unprofessional cloud over the book. I have a small Kodak digital camera so am familiar with the basic technology of digital. I was (and still am)searching for a good book that includes weighty information on the latest SLR digital cameras and their front and back end processes...this book doesn't address that for me. I also got a real negative feel for digital as I read about the first ten pages and it tended to show me all the problems inherent with this technology. Thanks to Amazon who is giving me a refund...and I will continue my search.
Rating:
Summary: complete, easy to understand, helpful
Review: I picked this book up on a whim when looking for gifts for others. And boy am I glad I did. I have other photo books that are either too basic or too specialized, or don't explain fully. I actually read this cover to cover, and am now going back and re-reading sections as needed. It's the most comprehensive and useful photography book I've found.
Rating: 
Summary: 2nd Edition issued December 2002
Review: I plowed through the book in just one week of evening sessions. The author tried to keep the discussion of camera features in the first part of the book to to a generalized level that is fairly current (as of 1/03), It does a decent job helping both digital imaging novices and non-pro film photography converts grasp the fundamentals. I fall in both of these catagories so I felt it was well written for my level of pre-existing knowledge. In the second part of the book where he delved into photo manipulation software I was frustrated by the fact that the Photoshop Elements 2.0 tryout software included on the second edition CD did not have some of the tools that he uses in text and the tutorials, such as Curves and Channels. He kept mentioning that any brand imaging software should have all the tools he used so one does not have to get the full version of Photoshop. Not True. I now realize that the PS Elements 2.0 demo (30 days use) included must have been a last minute addition. I did find his beloved Curves tool on the limited version of Photoshop 5.0 that came with my camera but otherwise this version of PS was lacking in the layering features that the author uses in all his tutorials and was inadequate to follow his examples. The Video segments (about 30 minutes) on the CD provided a nice "over the shoulder" demo of several of the editing features as used by the author. His on the screen cursor disappeared at times while he was pointing out details which made it harder to follow his verbal explanations. This book is definately just an introductory guide to image manipulation software so I have ordered two more books and PS Elements 2.0.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent all around book for beginners
Review: I spent hours in local bookstores examining the various digital photography books. I did not like most of them: they either assumed the person had knowledge of regular photography so they focused on only how the digital aspects work, or they were too simplistic (this is a lens cap, this is a button), or they were too much into jargons.This book is very well balanced. It explains all concepts in plain english, discusses all the various options found in most digital cameras, and has a good balance between two parts of the process: taking the picture and processing it afterwards. As such it is an excellent all around reference book and tutorial for beginners who want to understand the concepts and be able to apply them.
Rating:
Summary: Very STRONG book
Review: I'm a professional photographer, and when I decided to go digital, I bought about a dozen books on the subject. This one leaves the others in the dust. One of its greatest strengths is that the author explains digital by referencing film photography. This allows quick understanding of the new by comparing it to the familiar. But if you're new to photography, this book is still for you. The author has a real gift for explaining complicated processes in a way that makes them easy to understand and utilize. And he covers what you need to know, without putting the pro to sleep. I read omniverously, but I'm rarely impressed enough to write a review. If I could only keep one book on photography -- digital or film -- this would be it. And thank you to the author for insisting that digital photography is created with a digital camera, NOT a scanner. I am SO tired of books that are supposedly about digital photography which are really about digital manipulation of film photography. Do yourself a big favor: if you're interested in this subject, buy this book. You won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Complete Digital Photography - tells you what you must know
Review: I've found Ben Long's Complete Digital Photography an excellent writing about today's superior digital imaging equipment! As an advanced nature film photographer, I've had my eye on the recent advances in digital photography for quite some time, and this book will help anyone, experienced or beginner grasp a good thorough understanding of what digital photography encompasses. This writing does not go into the specifics of all the digital cameras in today's market, there are plenty of excellent equipment review sites online to handle that task. Instead, the book provides excellent material regarding how digital cameras work; what components are common and present in the various models; how to match a camera to your particular shooting requirements; the "similarities" and the "differences" between digital photography and traditional film-based photography. It further gives a good basic understanding of photography fundamentals which apply to picture taking in any medium. The book includes a CDrom disk of actual sample photos, and is presented in a tutorial basis so that you can actually try out the explained techniques and examine for yourself on your own computer/monitor and or scanner equipment setup, the qualities and results from photo editing tutorials etc., that are presented in the book. There are some excellent Adobe Photoshop image editing lessons included as well as a demo version of this popular image program on the CD. I could ramble on about this book, but let me just summarize and say that if you are serious about digital photography and/or are interested in making the transition from film to digital photography or just want to get the very best results from your digital equipment, this book should greatly help you achieve your goals... highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Only good for beginners.
Review: If you are new to digital photography (if you have never used a digital camera and an editing software before), this book is perfect for you. More experienced photographers will find this book boring and of no value. Basically, the book covers all the topics you need to know about digital photography in very simple language but it only touches the surface and does not go into much details to explain a specific topic.
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