No comments about National Geographic The Ultimate Field Guide to Digital Video (NG Photography Field Guides).

No comments about Outhouses: Flushing Out America's Hidden Treasures.

5 comments about Magic Lantern Guides: Nikon D50 (Magic Lantern Guides).

1. This book is helpful with the basics, but the amount of errors located throughout really makes you second guess the author/editors. I recommend going with the Nikon D50 Field Guide, and skipping the Magic Lantern Guide.



2. This book is so much more in depth then the manual D50 comes with. Full of great info. and at a very good price too.



3. Worst introduction book on D50. This book is a copy of "instruction manual" that comes with the camera. Author has just added some of his descriptive paragraphs.
   Average time to write books like this: 1 night.
   Don't waste your money! I bought it and returned it back. Read manual, you will get the same information for free.



4. I think the other reviewers don't understand the rating system - 1 star bad, 5 stars good.
   
   Although there is some useful information in this book, overall it is full of errors, poorly organized, and doesn't provide much more than the manual considering the number of pages and the price ($20 list).
   
   Here are a few problems:
   
   - Black and white photos - that alone should tell you how much faith the publishers have in the book. They didn't want to invest a lot in it knowing how bad it was.
   
   - Following the White Balance topic is White Balance Bracketing. The latter includes the steps for setting White Balancing but NOT Bracketing.
   
   - In the chapter Quick Start-up guide he gives a couple of paragraphs on each of the Vari-Program modes. But the next chapter on Detail he goes right into White Balancing without mentioning which mode you can use. This is common through out the book.
   
   - He constantly refers to the menu options by name. Why didn't they include the icons for designating the menu options as they do refering to non-menu items?
   
   - Speaking of icons and errors, the icon is wrong on page 119 for selecting the histogram.
   
   - He tried to fill pages with information that was already in the manual such as several pages on how to install the battery and the memory card.
   
   - There are plenty of typos like you instead of your, repeated words, missing spaces, much, much more.
   
   - page 90 shows a list of how many pictures can be in the buffer. On the left under quality it shows JPEG Large which should be Fine.
   
   With the number of errors in the book I question the accuracy of the information and suggestions by the author. The topics are not organized well enough to be used as a reference. It's almost as if he sat and rambled into a recorder and gave it off to someone to type up. Not much thought was put into how the information was presented.
   
   What I was really hoping for and what is drastically missing is how the different features could be used to affect the photos. Examples (which would have to be in color) of the same scene with different settings. What settings to use in different situations, etc. There are a lot of features in this camera but putting them to use can be overwhelming.
   
   I gave it 2 stars as I did get a little out of it but I had to wade through a lot to find it.



5. The Magic Lantern Guides are a whole series of books about specific cameras. I have just finished with the Nikon D50 book, but they have a large selection of books on cameras of various makes and models.
   
   Going by the D50 book, the books are not guides to photography but to the specific camera involved. It holds pretty closely to the manual information and manufacturer's specifications - for good reason, of course. But it goes into much more detail than the manual does. For example, it explains in depth how each of the pre-set program modes actually works, such as Protrait, Closeup, etc. It also explains the various option settings and makes recommendations for which to use and which not to use. While not a photography guide, it does give good tips on best settings for different situations. It also has a surprisingly good section explaining depth of field and how it is affected by zoom, distance and aperture. The book also has detailed technical appendices with lists of settings, options, accessories, error codes, etc. The book lastly comes with a folding laminated card with key shortcut tips useful to have on hand in the field.
   
   So, all in all, was it worth reading? I would have to say yes. It ain't like reading a novel, that's for sure. For a new owner of a camera, it would be perfect. Having a bit of experience with the D50 now, this was more of a review but still a worthwhile one for me. For an experienced user, it would more of a reference book to look up why certain settings or modes work certain ways. I did find several things going through it where I had to say, "wow, I didn't realize (or remember) that." For example, once in the options menus, you can rapidly move through the settings with the scroll wheel rather than just the navigation button going one line at a time. Another example, you don't have to go into the menu to adjust the flash level, you can press the flash button + exposure button + use scroll wheel. Now these aren't earth-shattering and they are probably in the manual somewhere, but these two tips alone will really be useful.
   
   Drawbacks: this particular book is heavily in need of a good editing job. There were many noticeable errors in the book which is inexcusable for a technical publication. For example, there were two places I noticed where icons of buttons were missing and the text would say, "then press the (insert exposure control icon) button." Missing and repeated words were also noticeable. Also too much space was taken up by solely black and white photos that neither show the camera's full potential nor did the pictures well demonstrate specific features and uses mentioned in the text.
   
   By the way, this particular book was written by Simon Stafford, a British chap who appears to have written several books in the Magic Lantern Guide series.

1 comments about Magic Moments: The Greatest Royal Pictures of All Time.

1. The subtitle says "The Greatest Royal Photographs of All Time" which is difficult to imagine since they were all taken by the author, a photographer for The Sun. There are some good photos here; I wouldn't classify any of them as `great.' The choices are limited to the last 30 years which eliminates the exquisite photos of Cecil Beaton, for example. Of redeeming grace are the cutlines (photo IDs) that share private and off-camera moments between the Royals and Edwards. Separate sections on both Diana and Camilla in addition to Charles, Philip, the Yorks, surround a justifiable emphasis on the Queen.

1 comments about Light in Pastel (Step-by-Step Leisure Arts).

1. The step by step instructions were very good, but there were not enough 'how to do' steps for too many photos. An instruction book should be just that I believe and showing lovely pictures of paintings does not help an amateur.

4 comments about Rear Ends: Found Photos.

1. A very entertaining collection of photos that would be a perfect off-beat gift for anyone who enjoys found art - especially of real people by real people. The lay-out is clean, not cluttered and allows the well chosen snapshots speak for themselves. Plus half the fun is bringing your own story to each of these images. For anyone who appreciates found art, this one tells a great tale with a very satisfying ending.



2. The rear end of human anatomy always fascinates us, particularly in these found photos. The fact that they come from non commercial photographers provides more than mere sociological appeal. They charm us and remind us of former times and places, and the innocent sensibilities that surrounded them. Those who like this book will find a companion book, "Couples," equally appealing.



3. In case you can't tell from the product description, this book is a collection of photographs the author compiled from photo albums he found at antique stores or garage sales or where ever
   
   They're not funny, they're not sexy, they're not in the least bit interesting. Its just dozens of photos of people's (or in some cases animal's or statue's) rear ends.
   
   There's a one-page introduction at the first that does nothing to enlighten you as to why these photos were chosen, or what they have in common, other than that they are all obviously pictures of rear ends. Other than that there are no words in the book, just picture after picture, most of them of very old or very fat people's butts
   
   From the cover I expected it to be a sort of tame collection of vaguely sexy photographs rescued from the trashbin, or something like that. At the very least, i expected the back grounds or compositions to be interesting.
   
   Its just randomly selected pictures of people's butts though. Most of the photos are very old, from the 30's and 40's. I'm not sure how that makes them more or less worthy of publication, but apparently it figures in somehow.
   
   Do yourself a favor and skip this one. I wish I had



4. If you're looking for a tasteful book about people's posteriors then you've found it here. This hardcover tome has over one hundred photographs culled from thrift stores depicting average people's bottoms throughout the 20th century. If you're an aficionado of found objects or just a fan of butts then this book's for you.

2 comments about We Are All Water Babies.

1. This book is full of very beautiful full-color photographs throughout, and the quality of the printing is very high. This is an extremely beautiful book!

   I bought this book as a photographic work, although there is running text along with all the photographs. It's primarily about the joy and great value of introducing babies and children to water and swimming in a supportive environment, and it also has a good chapter on water birth.




2. This book is one of the most beautiful i have ever read. The photos are amazing. I was fascinated by the way that babies can swim in this environment. This book also showed pregnant women working with dolphins and in water. They were some of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. The birth pictures were awesome..if you are interested in water birth, this is the book for you!

No comments about Picturing Tropical Nature (Reaktion Books - Picturing History).

2 comments about Italian Villas.

1. If you like Italian architecture, then you will surely enjoy this book.
   The book contains many illustrations with complete descriptions. Honestly, if you like italian villas, this book is certainly a must for your private library.



2. This is a very informative and interesting book. The pictures though well executed are not as vivid as I expected, I don't know if it's because of the paper used or the exposer, they just don't pop vividly off the page like you often see in books of this price but they are well done and are clear. Having said that the villas covered are great and the picture ARE well executed, all the major areas of Italy are covered and the villas chosen are the best. I really did like this book, it's just that I have owned such fine books, I expect alot, but I do highly recomment the book to anyone interested the subject, it is a fine book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

1 comments about Lighthouses of the Great Lakes: Your Ultimate Guide to the Region's Historic Lighthouses (Pictorial Discovery Guide).

1. Lighthouses Of The Great Lakes is a simply fantastic showcase of historic lighthouses of the Great Lakes region. Full color photographs by Daniel E. Dempster of virtually every structure combined with Todd R. Berger's informative text revealing remarkable true stories behind each fill this amazing tour through history. A treat for lighthouse aficionados, and a joy to page through for virtually everyone else, Lighthouses Of The Great Lakes is the next best thing to driving for hours to see each great, life-saving lighthouse personally.