Magic Lantern Guides: Pentax K20D by Peter K. Burian
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Book Reviews of Magic Lantern Guides: Pentax K20D
Book Review: Better than the Manual
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a must have for anyone who purchases the Pentax K20D. While it is a near mirror of the actual manual, it is written in such a manner that can be understood by any and all.
Again, A must have.
Book Review: Great Book
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is better than the one that comes with the camera because it gets right to point. If you need to know something it is easy to find.You do not have to go back and forth to find out how to make a setting.Book Review: Better than the owner's manuel
Summary: 5 Stars
I this this book does a much more thorough job of explaining things than the actual owner's manuel that comes with the K20D. Colored pictures would've been nice, but not really needed.Book Review: Climbing the Learning Curve
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a small-sized book, 7.5 x 4.9 x 0.7 inches, and the only color in the whole shebang is the cover. I'll admit, that I was put off by the totally black-and-white format. For instance, the author (p85) is making a point about the sRGB color space with a black-and-white photo. On the other hand, the book is printed on a heavy (probably 28lb) paper stock, so there is no bleed-through from the backing page. It gives the book a nice heft. The book is perfect bound, which is hugely annoying for a reference book. It should have a wire binding so the pages stay open. Nevertheless, I'll admit that I've been rough on my copy and I haven't lost a page, yet. There is also a "Quick Reference Wallet Card." The wallet card is a nice idea, but I don't think it's that useful in the overall scheme of things.
I've been teaching Digital Photography for five years. When I started, very few of my students had DSLRs. Now, the DSLR students outnumber the point-and-shoot owners. If I thought the point-and-shooters were dazed and confused by their new gadgets, the DSLR folks are generally wading in much deeper water.
A DSLR is a marvelously complex and expensive camera that is like a boat; you can just spend and spend on it and the end is never in sight. DSLR owners desperately want to learn how to use this new camera well, without killing the poor thing.
Enter the DSLR instruction book. I was especially happy to find "Magic Lantern Guides: Pentax K20D." Pentax, compared to Canon, is a sad little orphan. Personally I love the camera, but I'll admit the learning curve was steep for the first for weeks.
The book has grown on me. I carry it with the camera and I've decided it's both useful and entertaining. The writing style is smooth and comprehensible and subjects are well covered in 272 pages. The price, $14-$20, is certainly reasonable.
The book has a comprehensive Table of Contents. The main headings are: Digital Photography, Features and Functions, Digital Recording and In-Camera Process, The Menus, Camera and Shooting Operations, Flash Photography, Lenses and Accessories, and Working with Images. There is a good Troubleshooting Guide, a Glossary and an Index.
I recommend this book to K20D owners. The beauty of a book like this is that when you first get your camera everything seems overwhelming, especially if you weren't an SLR user in your past camera life. The whole process can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, the more you learn, the easier it is to learn more. You can read and reread the "Magic Lantern Guides: Pentax K20D" book. As your knowledge base grows, passages that you read previously suddenly make sense and encourage you to explore new techniques and options.
Book Review: Good, comprehensive guide
Summary: 4 Stars
Well, as a matter of fact you can use your camera with Pentax's own manual, but Peter Burian's book is written in a different manner (not, not another booklet for morons :-). You don't have to be an experienced photographer to get thru all possible adjustments (this camera can be customized as you like, hence it's not a toy for beginners) but it's much simpler not to waste time for puzzles and "great discoveries". Just don't read it from the very first page - I used to look for specific solutions in case I was not able solve it myself. Actually I'm not a beginner, but still I found it pretty usable.A good companion to my new camera.