Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D (Focal Digital Camera Guides) | 
 enlarge | Author: Christopher Grey
Publisher: Focal Press
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $12.70
You Save: $7.25 (36%)
New (37) Used (5) from $12.70
Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 236322
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.7 x 6 x 0.6
ISBN: 024081066X
Dewey Decimal Number: 771.33
EAN: 9780240810669
ASIN: 024081066X
Publication Date: August 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New. Delivery is usually 5 - 8 working days from order, International is by Royal Mail Airmail
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Product Description
Focal Digital Camera Guides: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D
Just bought a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D and looking to combine practical know-how with inspiration? This one-stop, easy-to-read guide covers all the basic functions of the camera, and everything beyond.
For the basics, turn to the quick start guide, which will get you up and running in five minutes.
For an understanding of your camera's many controls and features, check out the section called "The Camera." If all you need is a quick explanation, you'll find it. If you're looking for the Whole Story, you'll find that, too. Settings that affect how your pictures look are accompanied by full-color examples that show you exactly what you can expect. This section also covers the camera's menus, playback features, memory, and power sources.
The section called "Software" shows you how to get the most out of your camera's software. It covers tethered shooting, color management, RAW conversion, storing your images, managing your library, and backup strategies - to name just a few topics.
Ultimately, this book's greatest strength isn't its focus on the camera or the software; it's the detailed, easy-to-follow instruction it offers on using your camera to take truly superior photographs. Sections devoted to lenses, subject matter, and light cover these variables in depth, always presenting the most effective techniques in the context of the strengths and limitations of the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D.
Written by a widely acclaimed photographer and photography teacher, Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D shows you how to get the shots you can see in your head but have never been able to capture with a camera.
* The quick start guide will have you taking great photos in five minutes.
* In-depth coverage of every feature and control ensures that you have access to the tools you need for every shot.
* Full-color examples demonstrate how different settings affect your photos.
* Expert coverage of lenses, lighting, and subject matter gives you the practical knowledge you need to go after any shot.
* Step-by-step instructions on photo editing and image management help you get the most out of your camera's software.
* A detailed review of accessories for your camera explains which of these add-ons offer the most value for your needs.
* Dozens of tips and tricks prepare you for every situation you're likely to encounter - in the field, at the studio, or at your next wedding or family reunion.
*Get up and running fast with a visual tour of the camera and quick start guide by a professional photographer who writes in a clear, no-nonsense style
*See how camera settings change your images with good and bad shots side by side and understand how to shoot, process and color manage and archive your images
*Focal Camera Guides is a brand new series of colorful, modern guides to top DSLRs
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| Customer Reviews:
 Canon Handbook Has NOTHING on These Guys November 9, 2008
The Focal Digital Camera Guides seriously ROCK!
Everything Canon tried to squish into a little black and white booklet seemed to indicate a feature, but didn't tell you what to do with it. I am pretty good at picking out the Japanese English, but there is no way you are going to do much with what they give you with the XSi/450D.
The book that came with the XTi/400D was at least in color but also didn't give you much help. I guess the decision was to save $1.50 and go with the photocopied looking book.
This book will take you step-by-step through the camera and even teach you how to take decent pictures by using all the features that are in this camera. I lost frustration with my new toy and began playing with each of the features illustrated IN COLOR for those of us who like to see what it really looks like.
The flow of the book is logical and you can skip around for the areas that you have already been through. I bought a copy for my sister who has the XTi and she learned features of her camera that she had never known existed. Little quirks suddenly become clear.
Canon, you make a great camera, buy you should hire these guys to do your manuals, and, please give them a decent budget, your buyers will love you for it.
 Good book for newbie to photography October 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The Canon EOS XSi or 450D (European Market) is an mid-level digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera. It is capable of phenomenal photographs if you know how to use its manual features combined with good photographic technique. The manual that comes with the besides being diminutive, is woefully inadequate. Learning to use a digital camera is more about trial and error than it is a deliberate exercise in reading and self instruction. Being able to simply erase unwanted images and snap away without care is one of the liberating advantages of digital cameras. And it is easy to enhance mediocre photographs using editing software to create stunning images. But DLSR cameras offer the best of all worlds: the ability to shoot outstanding images, keep those you want, experiment without limitations and practice, practice, practice. A good "how to" book will help anyone become more adept and comfortable using their DSLR so there is definitely a market for these books. Focal Press was one of the first publishers to release a "how to" book for the popular Canon Digital Rebel XSi. This is a good book for a someone who is new to SLR cameras and to digital photography and the Canon line of cameras.
The 249 page book starts off with a full color 4-page visual tour of the camera--certainly not all that enlightening as the camera's manual explains the same thing, albeit in black and white. Next is a 4-page "Quick Start - Up and Running in Five Minutes"--another full color explanation on how to insert the battery, lens, memory card, and other preparations to take the first photo. At this point I thought to myself, "come on, when does the feature begin?" Geez! But wait, there is another featurette: Basic Principles of Good Photography" which explains basic concepts of taking good photographs. Yikes! It isn't until page 31 that the author, Christopher Grey, gets into detail about the XSi.
In this book, I found only three chapters what delved into the features of the XSi: Making Pictures, Viewing the Images and Menus. All of that was covered in about 50 pages. The remaining 200 pages were about photography (light and subjects), accompanying software and optional equipment which could have been included in any book on Canon SLR cameras. There is a lack of detail and specifics in the Focal Press Guide such as exif data accompanying sample photographs. Having exif data would help the reader learn how to use his/her camera to produce the results shown. The author does interject personal choices such as the preferred lens and setting he would use when discussing shooting techniques Christopher Grey has an easy going writing style that is both personal and informative. He gives his preferences based on his experiences which I can appreciate. Interspersed throughout the books are insets: Shooting Tips, Tech Tips and Equipment Tips.
The rest of the book covered topics related to using images taken with the XSi. Since I do not use the software that came with the XSi, I skipped the entire section on "The Software". Part 3 covered "Light" which I found to be not very useful and just slightly informative. Part 4 covers lenses for the XSi which can be a good reference if you're looking to add lenses to your collection. Online resources such as DPReview offer much better information than what is found here. Part 5 covers "The Subjects" or tips and tricks to taking great photographs. And, finally, Part 6 is about Accessories for your camera.
That brings me back to whether I would refer this book to others. The answer is "it depends." It is "yes", if the person were relatively new to photography and the Canon XSi was one of his/her first cameras. If the person were knowledgeable about photography and DLSR cameras, I would likely refer them to one of the other guides to the XSi. Of the three books about the Canon XSi, the Focal Guide came in third to the Digital Rebel XSi/450D Digital Field Guide and an eBook written by Gary Friedman, The Complete Guide to the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D. Focal Digital Camera Guides: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi is a good book for a beginning photographer who is fortunate enough to start off with a Canon XSi but more advanced photographers will find it less useful.
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