DSLR book for beginners

[amorbavian]

Hello girls and guys!

I found a link to an old thread about beginner books, but cannot open it for some reason - and since I am not a very patient guy, I had to make a new thread. Sorry for any inconvinience this may cause.

I can at least use the thread to introduce myself. I am 27 (jeez, soon 28) and live in Sweden but was born in ex-Yugoslavia. Just got my first DSLR last week - a Canon EOS 500D. I came across this site and have only skimmed it through shortly but it looks like I will learn a lot here.

Even though the guides etc. here look good, I would still like a book to take with me on the train to work and such. Furthermore, reading on the PC screen is more tiring. At least for me it is.

I will not get into details about the book, as you guys probably have an idea of what I am looking for. Shortly, a good introduction to the basics and to what the different settings in a camera do. Furthermore, a good description of how to take good photos in different settings (low light, sunlight, clouded, toward a light source...). Tips and tricks.

I have been looking at this one, even though it is 2 years old:

Play.com (UK) : CANON DSLR: The Ultimate Photographer's Guide : Books - Free Delivery

Thanks in advance!

[katia]

hey there, welcome to the forums! i have this book, and i found it to be a fantastic introduction to everything you'd ever wanna know.

Digital SLR Cameras & Photography for Dummies

not saying you're a dummy! just not sure if you're familiar with the "For Dummies" series.

but i really really like this book, and i go back to it sometimes when i have a moment

[Gobae]

When I decided that I was going seriously start using my DSLR I took out several books from the library. The one that I kept taking out and eventually decided to buy (because I was referencing it so often) was: Mastering Digital SLR Photography by David Busch ISBN 1598634011

It was quite readable but wasn't so low level that it was a waste of time. It was also a book to grow with. Some concepts and situations covered didn't initially apply but I found that I could easily go back and review them when I was ready.

[diputs]

Digital Photography Masterclass by Tom Ang

[candidrachel]

The Tom Ang books are excellent! The How to Photograph Absolutely Everything by Tom Ang is great too as it covers a wide spectrum of shooting situations like family, zoo, aquarium, weddings, landscapes , parties, carnivals etc. I agree with the other poster that the library is a good starting point. I have borrowed the Tom Ang masterclass one for about 3 months now I just go on line and renew it

[navcom]

As a new photographer, you need to learn photography, not just camera usage. Learning how to use the camera itself is not that hard. Your user manual will work as far as finding the menus and buttons. What a new photographer needs to learn more than anything else is exposure. Learning how to use the exposure "triangle"...that is, film speed (ISO), shutter speed, and aperture, are the basics you must master.

You can learn all about white balance or shake reduction or any of a million little tips and tricks...but if you don't know how to get proper exposure, it will not do you any good. With proper exposure techniques, you learn photography. You can then apply that to any camera available.

Consider how you learned to drive a car. You didn't start with learning how to set the radio, run the cruise control, or defrost the windows. You started with learning the rules of the road....what side of the road to drive on, which sign means what, what you should and shouldn't do. That way, when you get behind the wheel of an actual car, you can quickly apply what you've learned. Learning how to control the car is pretty straight forward. Proper exposure is the rules of the road for photography.

The absolute best book available to learn proper exposure is Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. It is probably the most recommended and most used photography book on the market today.