As a photographer and owner of both a Canon G10 and a full-frame DSLR camera, I found this book to be an excellent source of information for both formats. As always, Rick writes in a manner that is easy to understand and fun to read. If you are trying to determine if you need a full-frame DSLR or if a compact camera will do the trick, this book is definitely for you. It is also the perfect book to help DSLR owners see the advantages of owning a compact camera in addition to their DSLR. As Rick points out, the most important thing is not always how great a shot you get, but that you actually do get the shot. You can take a compact camera with you anywhere and always have the ability to capture precious memories--not so with an DSLR.
Virtually all of the photos in the book were taken by Rick with his Canon G10 compact camera. Rick also includes photos taken with his SLR to demonstrate just how difficult it can be to tell the difference between the two formats. In one chapter, Rick shows photos from both cameras side-by-side and asks the reader to try and guess which photos were taken with the compact camera and which were taken with the DSLR. In this fun and educational exercise, the reader is told that the answers are on the last page of the chapter, but Rick asks that the reader not turn to the answer page...but instead to really examine the photos to see if they can guess which ones were taken with the compact camera.
Rick does a fabulous job of pointing out the differences between what a compact camera can do versus a DSLR. After reading Rick's book it will be easy for you to determine which camera will work in different situations. Rick lists the pros and cons of the compact camera, but does confess that he takes his compact camera everywhere (just as I do).
In addition to doing a superb job of helping you learn how to use both a compact and DSLR, Rick takes you all the way from the beginning of the photo process--"making the picture"--all the way through to enhancing your images with Adobe Photoshop Elements, using Plug-in's, HDR and Infrared imaging, shooting panoramas, calibrating your computer monitor and printing your images.
If you can purchase only one book to learn all of the aspects of great photography, buy "Confessions of a Compact Camera Shooter". You will not be disappointed. Confessions of a Compact Camera Shooter: Get Professional Quality Photos with Your Compact Camera
This book was informative and enlightening. An easy and at times humorous read. Also good to keep as a reference. It encouraged me to continue using my compact camera to take great pictures and also showed me how with many tips and recommendations. It was positive and affirming to hear a professional such as Rick say that he got great pictures using both a compact and a DSLR. And to hardly be able to see the difference in the pictures in the book was pleasantly surprising. Great illustrations and suggestions.
I will definitely take my compact camera with me to Italy next year and hopefully capture some winning pictures. This Book is a Winner!, for an amateur like me and also for more advanced photographers as well. You can always learn something new as Rick Sammon points out in this book.
This is a book long overdue on the market. There are many great "how to" books on using a DSLR (which by the way, Rick Sammon has written many of them), but finally there is a book to help the compact camera users in making better pictures without using a DSLR. The book is written is Rick's chatty, very clear and concise, "how to" method, which allows the most novice of a user to feel comfortable and confident with their compact camera to begin shooting the pictures they were always hoping to capture. Rick, suffice to say, another winner from a prolific author on photography.
It is always interesting to read other reviews, including negative reviews to understand why someone is critical of aspects of a book. However, for the life of me, I could not correlate the D. Boucher's critique, with Rick's book. D. Boucher either was reading a different book or perhaps has not read the entire book, because if D. Boucher has completed the book, and was objective, I can not imagine this type of critique.
If you own a compact camera, your picture taking will definitely improve once you read the book.
The book has some nice photography tips and some of the excellent pictures show that you really can get great pictures from a compact camera. However, I didn't find it a treasure trove of tips that helped me for compact cameras. Not sure there is so much that can be offered.. but it could have had a list of common problems and solutions.
Even where there were obvious points to be made, the author doesn't make them. For example, as the author points out, shutter lag is one of the most significant problems with compact cameras. He tells you what it is but doesn't give you tips for minimizing this problem such as prefocusing before an important shot. There is no excuse for this.
Some problems I have weren't addressed.. Every compact camera I have had has had flash that is too bright. There are lots of solutions for this (adjusting ev/flash, tape, paper over flash etc) but this doesn't give those. It doesn't give tips on getting inexpensive accessories (like getting extra batteries on Ebay or amazon - no opinions whether non OEM batteries work well (in my experience they do and can be much less expensive.. same goes for chargers etc)).
Tips are very general, usually not particular to compact cameras....and not helpful to any frequent camera user much less an avid amateur photographer.
I have broken two cameras due to sand in the gears from use on the beach. There was no info on this and how to avoid.
Overall, this is a teaser...without real "meat" - Digital Photography - Rick Sammon - Digital Photography Book - Photography'
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