Climbing the Learning Curve
Customer Rating: 
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.
