Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com

Written with just the right balance of technology and techniques in mind, this guide provides you with the know-how on everything from getting acquainted with the basic key features of the technology (lenses, sensors and image processors, and exposure and focusing systems) to the nuances of various dSLR techniques (setting up speedy continuous-shooting burst modes to capture fast action, applying selective and sharp focus, and shooting under the lowest levels of light). Other topics explored include:

• Composing your shots with an accurate viewfinder
• Deciding how many pixels your camera needs
• Cleaning the sensor yourself
• Choosing between a tripod or monopod
• Adjusting exposure and improving shutter speed
• Creating time-lapse sequences
• Fixing murky or contrasting photos

With so much subject area covered, Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies, 2^nd Edition not only introduces you to the fundamentals of great picture-taking with a dSLR, but goes beyond the basics. Some of the more advanced topics discussed include working with the various formats of digital photos, minimizing shutter lag and first-shot delays, and fixing up your pictures with various image-editing programs. This is just the book you need to progress from getting started with a dSLR to actually improving your dSLR photography!

Average Customer Rating:

You have to be a smart dummie to understand this book!

Customer Rating:

First off I will say that I am a pretty technically savvy person. I am the person people hand their digital goodies over to figure out how to make it do something. My secret is I LOVE dummy books. Just give me enough info to be dangerous and I will explore and figure out the rest on my own. I have decided to step out of the realm of point and shoots and bought a Canon Digital Rebel xsi. Now what do I do? Buy a Dummy book of course! However as I am reading this book I quickly realize that the author is tossing out f stops and other lingo like he knows that "I" know what the heck he is talking about. Here is how he explains F-stops: "F-stops use all these weird intermediate numbers that do represent halving and doubling the amount of light passed by the aperture." WTF? How about show me, the "dummy" a single shot using different f-stops? How about the same for shutter speed, and ISO, and how these three relate together to get me to take great photos? It's like the editor took a dull how to book and tried to add in some catchy chapter subtitles and some very weak attempts at humor and called it a dummy book. NOW with that said, there is useful information in the book and I am sure those with a little more technical expertise would benefit. It's just not what I have come to expect from dummy books. This is not for the beginner beginner and is going back to Amazon.

Good for the novice	Customer Rating:
If you are just starting out and need advice on your digital camera - get this book. Lots of easy to understand tips and advice and the book is in laymans terms so you don't have to figure out what you are reading before you can use the manual.

Doesn't offer practical advice

Customer Rating:

Let me be forthright -- I recently bought the Canon Rebel XT SLR to take pictures of my two month old daughter. I wanted those warm and fuzzy candid shots of her (you know, like the ones they have in those parenting magazines). After fiddling with the settings on the camera and taking tons of pictures, I noticed they were an improvement over my old point-and-shoot camera. However, not enough to justify the big $$$ I spent on the Rebel and the fancy lens. A beginners guide on SLR cameras was definitely in order. After skimming over the first few chapters of this book, I decided to buy it. After all, I've had good experiences with other books in the "Dummy" series in the past. Once I digged deeper into the book, though, I discovered the book was no help for me at all! For example, the author spends an considerable amount of time writing about the benefits of SLR cameras over point-and-shoot cameras, how to pick the best SLR camera, and the difference between memory storage devices. This was no help for me at all because (1) I wouldn't have bought my Canon if I wasn't already convinced it was better than my old camera and (2) I'm kind of stuck with the memory card the camera is compatible with. I just want to know what buttons to push and which levels to set on my Canon to keep my baby's pictures from being blurry!!!! This book reads more like an textbook on the inner workings of a camera and the jargon that goes along with it. But, since I just wanted a practical guide on how to take cool pictures, this book was no help for me.

Begining Digital Photo	Customer Rating:
Very good book for beginners in the digital field. Covers all aspects of a new film less era. Shoot and instantly view your shot keep or re shoot. Excellent book.

Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies	Customer Rating:
Don't waste your time or money on this book. This guy spends more time talking about point and shoot cameras and what then can't do and spends very little time on useful instruction for beginners of DSLR cameras