Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5697 in Books
• Published on: 2005-02-14
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Synopsis
The ultimate reference for serious photographers making the switch from film to digital, The Digital SLR Handbook tackles head on all the issues with which traditional photographers struggle when getting to grips with shooting digital and digital image processing. Drawing on his own experience and his discussions with fellow photographers, best-selling digital photography author Michael Freeman answers the questions that photographers ask most often, and explains matters they can find confusing or difficult to understand. From sensors, storage media, and resolution, through formats, histograms, and dynamic range, to digital noise vs. film grain, color management, and image workflow - this book gives you all the information you need. Comprehensive in its scope and unrivalled in its depth, The Digital SLR Handbook is the definitive reference source for every professional or enthusiast photographer.

From the Author
This is the 30th book that I've written on photography, and the one that is closest to my own experience of shooting. As a professional editorial photographer with a tight working schedule that keeps me travelling for most of the year, I have an urgent need to know as much as possible about the equipment I use, and I'm diligent about acquiring it. Digital SLRs are now the camera of choice for professionals and amateurs alike, and I designed this book as the definitive guide, from how the cameras work, through shooting to post-production and beyond. This is a 256-page book with a lot of information, none of it dumbed down. I wrote it for people who love photography, as I do, and want to master the tools of their trade. Every example is my own, from the world of international assignment photography - real projects for major publishers in the UK, the United States and Japan. And, as the author and creator of the Open College of the Arts' photography courses, I'm committed to teaching photography - meaning that I read and reply to all my readers' e-mails!

Customer Reviews

A reasonably experienced film photographer's guide to digital
If, like me, you understand film photography but have finally scraped together the money to buy a decent digital camera, then you will discover that your new toy is both familiar (focus, aperture, shutter speed) and very different (noise, histograms, washed out highlights). Also you will find that some film and darkroom processes (ISO rating, colour balance, cropping, shading) have moved to the camera or the computer.

This is the best written and most informative description of the technical aspects of the digital format that I have found. The illustrations are clear, the style is lucid, and the level of technical detail is sufficient to explain the technicalities without descending into horribly complex equations. It is also a good read - and definitely not boring.

Although the author explains things from the basics, in practice this is a not a book for a beginner, but rather for someone who already has a good basic knowledge of photography and wants to master the subtleties of the digital medium. So it is ideal for those converting from film to the new format.

One final comment: don't buy this book if you have a simple "point and shoot" digital camera! You'll get frustrated because, as the title makes clear, it is about digital SLRs and it assumes that you both have one and want to learn about using it.

One of the best guides to Digital Techniques
I would like to debunk some of the claims made about this book. This book is NOT about composition, so the previous comments about this book not explaining this aspect are missing the point. What this book IS about is DIGITAL techniques to download, store and print photos, amongst other things. People who have read some of Tom Angs's books will find material of a similar nature in here.
The difference is that this book, with no disrespect to Tom, is far superior in its presentation and instruction. Here you have a very experienced teacher of photography explaining concepts such as colour management and The Zone System in clear and interesting language. Only a few books on the market can match it in terms of explaining
and instructing on the use of digital photography technology. Perhaps total beginners would need to read up on some of the tutorials found on the better websites before tackling this book.
For those looking for a book on composition, Freeman's much older title 'Image' is in my opinion the best single volume I have read on the topic. It is very hard to find and I am glad I have a copy as I never fail to be inspired by its content. Look out for an update of it called 'The Photographers Eye', although I havent read it yet.

Good reference guide
This isn't a book to sit and read - it IS very technical and best used as reference material to be dipped into for specific topics. I found it the best book on digital I've seen for a long time as it really explained technical terms and subjects. I didn't read it expecting to be told how to take a good photograph - there are plenty of books for that - I did expect a book all about a digital SLR and related areas, and that's just what I got. It's the only library book on the subject that I have been compelled to go out and buy!