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Rating: 
Summary: Complicated for a beginner
Review: I borrowed this from the library. I found it to be complicated. I'm a beginner in serious photography. I don't think it is a good guide for a beginner.
Rating: 
Summary: A good overall guide, well illustrated and with good depth
Review: If you are already have some introduction to the fundamentals of photography, and are looking to explore digital photography (both technically and creatively) this is a very good book. It has a good discussion of hardware (cameras, etc.) and software (for editing and manipulating images). It also has a good discussion of approaches and techniques to taking photos. The book is extensively illustrated throughout with color photos and drawings, a real strength compared to most other books. My bias is that most people should focus more on taking good photographs - paying attention to lighting, exposure, composition, etc. - than on technology. It takes a lot of editing to fix a bad shot. So the fact that this is written by a photographer is another big plus (though he appears to do mostly coffee table books, rather than guides). A better book for some is Steve Bavister's Digital Photography. It's much clearer on the key fundamentals of photography. It has less detail all around, but that is a plus for those who want the main ideas quickly or looking for an accessible introduction. That's the book I bought for my teenage nephew; he's smart, but given his limited experience, I thought it better to give him a book with more emphasis on photography. Note that Freeman's book discusses technical aspects of hardware and software generically, not specific to any program, which may be a negative for those users looking for a step-by-step guide to their programs or software. Also, if you don't think you'll ever do more than resize or fix red-eye, the technical discussion may not be much use to you. OR, it may open your eyes to what can be done! Another set of alternatives, for a narrower group of users looking more for specifics on the technical aspects of hardware and software, are books like Long's Complete Digital Photography. But those books don't use photos and illustrations in the text, and are written by technical writers - not photographers. They emphasize the "digital" far more than the "photography," and aren't good as an all-in-one first book. This is one of many books where the rating really depends on the fit to your needs. My 4 rating assumes that you are a match ... it may be the wrong buy for some.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely great!
Review: My comments refer to the hard-cover version, 224 pages, ISBN: 0-500-54246-5.
I bought this book two days ago... and have already read it (actually the very same night of the afternoon I bought it)... I couldn't let go until I had read the lot. The book is very well written, exciting, fascinating, straight to the point, but still explaining detail where necessary. The chapters a logically grouped, following the digital flow of the data. I could claim the book is good because it is so recent, actually it has just been released a few weeks ago. The digital world is progressing at a pace, where related information becomes obsolete the minute it is printed. This is not the case with this book, the information is up-to-date (looking ahead), covering all aspects of digital imaging, combined with the pros and cons of the technology. Yes, cons! Ever wondered why your digital camera has this huge depth of field? This book provides the answer. Do you hate reading software manuals? I never read them, and usually they are dull. Ever wondered how to get this dark mountain a bit lighter so it matches the bright skies?
Section three of the book "Techniques" will guide you through the steps of image manipulation in a way one can actually understand and follow. Good stuff! I started with digital photography only three month ago. I started with a DX3900 (now enjoyed by my wife) and got myself a G2, which guided me to the conclusion that film is dead, long live digital photography! ... where I will eventually dispose of my SLR, an EOS 30. I shot 1,400 images in two month (which equals $1,170 of costs -- for film and delopement -- based on the conventional process).
Why am I telling this? Well, in case you are looking at going digital, this book will open your mind-set pro digital, educating and showing you in a lot of areas what you can actually do and achieve by going digital. I could brag on for much longer, the point is: this book is brilliant compared to other books I have seen or partially read contemplating this subject. It is also a very nice crafted book. Colourful, a very good layout, printed on very good quality paper... all-in-all: high quality in word and print... Go for it, it's money well spent! To get an idea on my stance, you may visit http://max.grenkowitz.net/Photography/ Best regards,
Max
Rating:
Summary: Best book I've seen!
Review: This is the best book I have found so far on digital photography. If you know the basics and are looking for some in-depth info, I recommend you buy this book because it covers all aspects of digital photography well. I guess I would describe it as an intermediate guide, since one person complained that it is not a beginging book. Actually, I think that depends on the person and how much you want to learn about the topic. Also, it is easy to understand and unlike many books I have seen it is really well illustrated and the pictures helped me to understand the text--so the illustrations are well thought out. If you are shopping for a book on digital this one should be considered strongly.
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