Recommend a book on Canon 305D

September 12, 2005 12:09 AM

Canon 305D: Can anyone recommend a good book how to get the most from this camera? Ideally it would briefly cover using SLR and be more detailed on this particular camera. I don't really need anything on picture editing or the basics.
posted by quarsan to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (5 answers total)

Best answer: I'm assuming you mean the 350D (i.e. the Digital Rebel XT)?

For Nikonians, I've heard Thom Hogan's "Complete Guides" for various Nikon DSLR's being repeatedly lauded among enthusiasts, but AFAIK there's no equivalent go-to reference for the Canon folks. Coolpix guru Peter iNova is coming out with an e-book for the 350D (scroll down) but it's not available yet. I've picked up his e-book for the Nikon Coolpix 995 years ago and found it useful in many parts, but not as authoritative as Thom's guides for the Nikon DSLR's.

Because of the fast product cycles of DSLR's and the lead time involved with traditional print publishing, the few camera-specific printed books I've found in bookstores have been glorified instruction manuals and haven't impressed me at all. (Caveat: I haven't really done any in-depth searches though.)

I personally recommend having your questions answered on forums instead and, if you have time, to hang out a bit to pick up tips:

* Photography-on-the.net is very friendly toward those migrating from point-and-shoots to Canon DSLR's. This FAQ thread is a good place to start (with links to some useful 350D-specific threads). Generally lighthearted in tone, although the "L" lens worship there can occasionally devolve from merely tongue-in-cheek humor to inciting full-blown GAS (gear acquisition syndrome).

* FredMiranda.com is composed of mostly hardcore enthusiasts, weekend semi-pros, and some full-time working pros. A good community to ask questions related to shooting, such as the "what's the best way to do X", and "how can I make the most use of Camera Y in this scenario" questions. Also, it's a good place to talk to serious shooters, rather than fanboys arguing about whether Canon or Nikon (or something else) is "the best".

* RobGalbraith.com has a lot of very knowledgable posters (particularly pros in the photojournalism field) and a firm no-rumors, no-nonsense policy to keep the signal ratio high. Chuck Westfall, the manager of the Camera Divison Technical Information Dept of Canon U.S.A., had been frequent contributor there for answers straight from the source, although I believe he is taking a break from posting due to time constraints. It's still the best place to ask technical questions about specific Canon DSLRs/lenses though, IMO.

There are lots of other forums/communities that can help you get the most out of your 350D -- either general ones like DPReview and Photo.net or genre-specific ones like Luminous Landscape and SportsShooter -- but depending on what type of advice you're looking for, the list above would be where I'd turn to first.

Happy shooting! The 350D is a great little camera to shoot with when I need something less conspicious that travels well, and the technical quality of the images it produces is truly state-of-the-art for anything close to its price range. You'll have a blast learning to run the camera through its paces.
posted by DaShiv at 4:01 AM on September 12, 2005

I found the Digital Rebel Field Guide to be fairly helpful.
posted by Nelson at 4:49 AM on September 12, 2005

I bought an XT in August, and am climbing a not-so-steep learning curve on how to use it.

photo.net, dpreview have forums about the Rebel XT.

You might also want to investigate the forums dedicated to the Canon dSLRs and the Canon 350XT on Flickr. You do not need to become a paid subscriber to visit, and participate in, these forums. There are some excellent discussions going on there, re use of the camera, technique and what lenses are best for which use.
posted by seawallrunner at 8:06 AM on September 12, 2005

Response by poster: DaShiv, that was a truly great answer. thanks also to Nelson and seawallrunner for good tips.

now to get reading...
posted by quarsan at 9:22 AM on September 12, 2005

I'm quite fond of Hedgecoe's New Manual of Photography. It comprehensively covers all kinds of photography basics that are applicable to any SLR camera.
posted by Caviar at 10:33 AM on September 12, 2005