Tony Northrup's Photography Buying Guide: How to Choose a Camera, Lens, Tripod, Flash, and More (Tony Northrup's Photography Books) (Volume 2)

If you're a beginner photographer, this book can save you hundreds of dollars. If you're a seasoned pro, it can save you thousands. With access to over 20 HOURS of online video, this book helps you choose the best equipment for your budget and style of photography.

In this book, award-winning author and photographer Tony Northrup explains explains what all your camera, flash, lens, and tripod features do, as well as which are worth paying for and which you can simply skip. Tony provides information specific to your style of photography, whether you're a casual photographer or you're serious about portraits, landscapes, sports, wildlife, weddings, or even macro.

For the casual reader, Tony provides quick recommendations to allow you to get the best gear for your budget, without spending days researching. If you love camera gear, you'll be able to dive into 200 pages of detailed information covering Nikon, Canon, Sony, Micro Four-Thirds, Olympus, Samsung, Leica, Mamiya, Hasselblad, Fuji, Pentax, Tamron, Sigma, Yongnuo, PocketWizard, Phottix, Pixel King, and many other manufacturers.

Camera technology changes fast, and this book keeps up. Tony updates this book several times per year, and buying the book gives you a lifetime subscription to the updated content. You'll always have an up-to-date reference on camera gear right at your fingertips.

Here are just some of the topics covered in the book:

• What should my first camera be?
• Which lens should I buy?
• Should I buy Canon, Nikon, or Sony?
• Is a mirrorless camera or a DSLR better for me?
• Do I need a full frame camera?
• Is it safe to buy generic lenses and flashes?
• What's the best landscape photography gear?
• Which portrait lens and flash should I buy?
• What gear do I need to photograph a wedding?
• How can I get great wildlife shots on a budget?
• Which sports photography equipment should I purchase?
• Should I buy zooms or primes?
• Is image stabilization worth the extra cost?
• Which type of tripod should I buy?
• Which wireless flash system is the best for my budget?
• How can I save money by buying used?
• What kind of computer should I get for photo editing?
• What studio lighting equipment should I buy?

When you buy this book, you'll be able to immediately read the book online. You'll also be able to download it in PDF, .mobi, and .epub formats--every popular format for your computer, tablet, smartphone, or eReader!

BRIEF ABOUT AUTHOR :

Award-winning author and photographer Tony Northrup has published more than 30 educational books. Among other titles, Tony is author of Stunning Digital Photography and Windows 8 Inside Out. As a photographer, Tony's work has been published worldwide on magazine, book, and CD covers, and everywhere from Velveeta to Viagra ads. Tony lives in Waterford, CT with his wife and daughter. 

You can learn more about Tony by subscribing to his videos at https://www.youtube.com/vistaclues, liking his Facebook photography page at http://www.facebook.com/NorthrupPhotography, following him on Twitter (@TonyNorthrup), viewing his photography portfolio at www.northrupphotography.com, or emailing him at tony@northrup.org.

SOME OF THE SAMPLE CUSTOMER REVIEW FROM AMAZON :

1) Everyone has opinions... Theirs are great - When you have a specific question about something in photography (or anything else for that matter) everyone will always have an opinion. Great example are online forums where everyone will have their own opinion on something.

With this book (I have the kindle version) you will get Tony's and Chelsea's professional (true and tried) opinion on just about any equipment you will need. The guide is very honest, doesn't pick a side (Canon or Nikon) and even recommend some third party companies because they are the best bang for your buck. They give suggestions for people just starting out with a very small budget all the way to the pros with $$$ to spend.

What I personally like about this book is the fact that it's almost like a FAQ book where two professionals that make a living from photography answer all the questions you might have about every type equipment you can imagine for this field. Great reference book when you are ready to buy a flash. or upgrade your monitor, or go to a full size camera, or a new lens, or tripod... you get the point I think.

You also become part of a very unique community where Chelsea and Tony both will answer your questions if you happen to have any. It's almost like joining a very big family.

I highly recommend ALL their books to people just getting into photography to pros looking to get new gear.

Just see for yourself about the book. Take a look inside since you can do that on amazon. You will love the rest of the book.

Let me also add the book is VERY easy to read. it's not 'dumbed' down, but just everything is explained really well which won't confuse a novice photographer.

By Emir on October 28, 2013

2) My Re-Review Of the book and Increased Star Rating - I had previously given this Book a 1 star rating because I was very disappointed in its usefulness in purchasing a tripod gimbal head. If you value the user reviews as much as I do then I must apologize to you as well as the author for my initial review. It was much to harsh. I am now increasing my review rating from one to four stars. That's a giant change from my previous review.I explain that by saying that I was really premature in judging the book by a very small segment of the books content. After the fact and a comment by the author, I did a further examination of books content. I soon realized that I had made a huge error in judgement which is a big disservice to all. The book contains a much better guide to purchasing and includes many valuable buying tips than I had realized when I wrote that initial review. Had I taken the time to look further into it's contents before I gave it such a low rating my review would have definitely given it a much better star rating. I won't give it a 5 star rating as there are areas of the book that I feel wont be of much value for those that might be looking for purchasing guidance on some items. However those items ares a very small part of the whole book.

By DENNIS L EKMAN on January 3, 2015

Lonely Planet's Best Ever Photography Tips (Lonely Planet Best Ever...)

Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher*

Whether you're wielding a phone or a full-size DSLR, Lonely Planet's Best Ever Photography Tips will sharpen your skills and your pictures. Award-winning photographer Richard I'Anson has travelled the world for 30 years and founded Lonely Planet's image library. Follow his 55 essential steps to creating brilliant photographs worth sharing.

• How to shoot wildlife, nightlife, people, cities, landscapes and lunch
• How to compose, control and critique your photographs
• Plus Richard I'Anson's 10 Golden Rules of travel photography

Author: Richard I'Anson

About Lonely Planet: Started in 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel guide publisher with guidebooks to every destination on the planet, as well as an award-winning website, a suite of mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet's mission is to enable curious travellers to experience the world and to truly get to the heart of the places where they travel.

TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards 2012 and 2013 winner in Favorite Travel Guide category

'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times

'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia)

*#1 in the world market share - source: Nielsen Bookscan. Australia, UK and USA. March 2012-January 2013.

SOME OF THE SAMPLE CUSTOMER REVIEW FROM AMAZON :

1) Overview of the most important photo tips that will help you instantly improve your photographic skills - "Lonely Planet's Best Ever Photography Tips" by Richard l'Anson is well done book full of photography tips that can help you becoming a better photographer instead of buying a new camera.

The long-known fact is that you can learn to photograph and impress your audience even if you have equipment that is almost worthless, while on the other hand the most advanced equipment in the hands of someone who doesn't know won't make great pictures, but the picture will be even worse than if you took them with a pocket camera.

It's often amazing how the simplest advices that can be learned about lighting, object positioning, backlight, time of day in which the photographs are looking best, aperture and some other, the vast majority of people don't know, although it would take them about ten minutes to learn them - as result their photos would be improved, literally immediately.
In this sense publication of this nicely designed, informative and handy booklet that can be read once and then always carry with you to be reminded is great.
The author on one place gathered the most important information that will help you making better photographs and learn to make better use of equipment that is at your disposal.

He will advise you about choosing correct equipment and adequate accessories such as lens and tripods, introduce to the terms of exposure, ISO and depth of field, teach you how to avoid blur and choose right file format for you, how to position your objects following the rule of thirds.
What I especially liked about this book was author's emphasis that good photographers are becoming good due to constant practice.

And for all these reasons, especially if you don't already have one of similar books, "Lonely Planet's Best Ever Photography Tips" can be fully recommended - at one place, on its just over 150 pages it provides an overview of the most important photo tips that will help you instantly improve your photographic skills.

Of course, don't expect to immediately become a pro, but for that you don't need great equipment, but lots and lots of practice.

By Helpful Advice TOP 500 REVIEWER on December 23, 2013

2) So useful - This is an extremely hands-on little book that I am so glad I got. Here is why, in no particular order:

- Small format makes taking it along on a trip quite easy.

- The design is adorable - this might be minor to many but I love the retro look. Kudos to the book designer - great work.

- The tips are ideal for people who do not want to take a photography class or read lengthy books. The author gives real-world, scene-specific advice, right down to recommendations for shutter speed and aperture settings to successfully photograph tricky scenes such as waterfalls, reflections and sunsets, just to name a few. Other photography books just give the vague advice to overexpose or underexpose, use a wide aperture or a fast speed. I'Anson gives actual numbers. This is very useful for both beginners and intermediate photographers as it takes much of the guesswork out of photographing. I have been taking pictures for decades but up to this point good shots were often accidental because I was never quite sure about, let's say, which exposure times or shutter speeds to set for specific motives.

- In addition, I'Anson gives tips on equipment, which lenses are best used for which occasion, when to shoot what (For example: Shoot waterfalls on overcast days to avoid too much reflection from wet rocks), etc. Lastly, he also offers advice on backup solutions and even includes a tip or two for using cell phone cameras.

In short, this is one of the most useful photography books I have ever seen. Sure, it's not rocket science, and at some point we could all figure these tips out for ourselves. That is: After much trial and error, and reading, and frustration. I doubt that short of a professional photographer many people would immediately know what to do in all of these situations without first re-familiarizing themselves with the basics. I'Anson does a great job writing in easy-to-understand language and he is to the point. What more could one possibly want. For me, this book is worth every penny of its more than moderate price.

My advice: Get it.

By YesandNo TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on April 2, 2014