Canon EOS 30d Digital Field Guide

After owning this camera for some time I find it hard for a book to be useful. However the Canon EOS 30D Digital Field Guide broke that mold and very well I must say. The book starts off by walking through the features of the 30D and getting you up to speed on how it all works. Once you have an understanding of what the camera is capable you move into setup where you learn how to set the camera for various shoots and uses. One point that stuck out for me in this section was the author explains in great detail advanced settings, such as White Balance and Bracketing. Two very important settings that allow you to create stunning photos. Part II of the book moves in to setting up your shoot, but keeps it specific to the 30D and compatible hardware. A crash course in Composition was a nice bonus and a necessity for any "starter" photographer or even a pro. In Part III the author focuses on subjects and how to achieve the best photos depending on who or what your subject happens to be. This final part ends off with three very important topics. Downloading your images, working with Raw photos and keeping your 30D up to date using Canon's periodic firmware updates. Overall I found this book to be very well written and full of very relevant information. The book is for a 30D but many aspects of it could be adapted to any camera.. such as the composition information, which would be used with an analog film camera as well as digital. If you are looking to learn everything your 30D is capable of, this book is for you!

The Canon 30D Digital Field Guide is a perfect visual companion to the owners manual that was included with your new camera. Packed with easy to understand step-by-step prodedures for utilizing the many features of the Canon 30D, this compact book will be all that you need to have on hand when out in the field. Its comact design coupled with dozens of full of color photos make this a must have for every level of photography expertice.

Charlotte Lowrie's EOS 30D Digital Field Guide is a well organized, clearly written, and beautifully illustrated book that is an ideal resource for those new to the Canon 30D as well as those wanting to expand their photography skills beyond what they may have done in the past. The book begins with a section explaining exactly what to do to get up and running with your camera, and then devotes several chapters to more detailed coverage of all the camera's capabilities. Even those who think that they know how to use the camera might find a new trick or two. Lowrie could have stopped there, but instead she continues on to discuss most types of photography that a user might want to explore and offers a multitude of tips from lens recommendations to thoughts about lighting and more. And there are numerous color pictures to illustrate each example. Many novice users - and some who are not novices but prone to sticking to one type of photography only, will benefit from this well written section. Of course there are other books that cover each of those topics in greater depth. That's not the purpose of this book. This book will introduce you to these areas and give you impetus for exploring and growing with your photography. All in all this book is a great resource for those seeking to expand their photography with their new 30D.

Charlotte's Digital Field Guides for the Digital Rebel have helped thousands of Rebel shooters get the most from their new camera. The 30D Field Guide takes this up another level to cover Canon's prosumer body. With clear information that goes well past the manual included with the camera, Charlotte provides practical advice on shooting techniques and using the advanced features of your new camera. I'm not sure what the lobotomy reviewer was expecting, but this book delivers everything promised on the back cover and more. If you've read through the manual and are still confused, or you're the type of person that benefits from clear examples, along with images that include full shooting information (something I find very helpful for most users), this is a great book to lead you through the camera.

I think this book is great for anyone new to digital SLRs. When you've invested so much in the camera, the small price of this field guide is worth it. It covers the camera's controls as well as some tips on basic photography techniques. The reviewer above thinks that I'd have to have a lobotomy to get something out of this book, but unlike him, I'm new to photography and I've found it to be invaluable.