50D guides: which is better, Magic Lantern or Expanded?

[mark_pierlot]

<p>I got my brother a 50D last spring and would like to get him a couple of photography books for Christmas, Bryan Peterson's <em>Understanding Exposure</em> and a guide for his camera.</p>

<p>I've found two guides for the same price, <em>Magic Lantern Guides: the Canon EOS 50D </em>by Rod Sheppard and <em>Canon EOS 50D: the Expanded Guide </em>by Andy Stansfield. Does anyone know which is the better of these two guides? Or do you think I should get him Bryan <em>Peterson's Understanding Shutter Speed </em>(in addition to Peterson's other book) instead?</p>

 

[JDMvW]

<p>I usually get the "guides" when I can't find a regular, original manual for the camera. Otherwise, they usually repeat the manual with a "spoonful of sugar".<br /> For a substitute manual, the Magic Lantern ones are OK, but pretty redundant if you have the manual.<br /> Of course, each guide is supposed to be camera specific, but they often are just boiler plate rewritten for the specific model in areas that are not a repeat of the manual. I have no experience with the "expanded guide" series, if it is a series.</p>

<p>On the other hand, I have found Tom Ang's 'digital master class' (don't have the exact title here) to be very helpful.</p>

[PuppyDigs]

<p>I have to agree with JDM about the Magic Lantern manuals. I would go so far as to describe them as a wordy rehash of the Canon manual with a generic photo primer and bad stock photos tossed in. Not worth the price unless free or you lost the manual and hate Adobe (refuse to open PDFs). I like Bryan <em>Peterson books.</em></p>

[peter_mckone]

<p>Does your brother use Photoshop or Photoshop Elements? I like the Scott Kelby books that explain how to use those programs. They are oriented towards fixing problems in photos, rather than explaining all the features of the programs.</p>

[nathangardner]

<p>I like the MLG, its smaller and fits in a camera bag to use as a reference. The Expanded Guide is more like a textbook, and in my 40D version, I found several errors regarding specs and things of that sort, making me question its credibility. Also, I think the Rob Sheppard MLGs are the best. I have one for my 1D II, that isn't written by Sheppard, and it doesn't impress me as much as the others.</p>

[tom_harvey3]

<p>When I'm traveling, since it's by car, I usually have my laptop or netbook with me and i keep a folder full of pertinent manuals in that folder for specific reference since there's so many modes on a Canon 5DII. In the field, one of the most helpful documents that I keep in the camera bag is one of PhotoBert's "cheat sheets" which he ships on heavy stock and laminated.</p>

[jennifer_henry]

When I bought my XSI, I got a little carried away with guidebooks. I bought three different guidebooks in the first year, mostly because I

had questions about the transition to digital that I didn't feel were answered in the manual...and the books were better, but truthfully not as

good as I had hoped. (Hence the purchase of more than one guide...first wasn't great, so I bought a second, and so on.)

 

 

One book I found well after I had my camera for a while was actually a guide for the subsequent model. I bought it anyway because I

thought it was excellent after perusing it in a store. It was called "Canon Rebel T1i/500D" with a subtitle, "from Snapshots to Great Shots."

It was written by Jeff Revell. To be honest I cannot even remember what I saw in the book that made me want to purchase it, but I had

read something that I hadn't gotten out of any of the other guides. I wish this guide was available when I bought my camera. It seems less

like a manual and has helpful how-to hints, in my opinion. (Of course, preferred books will depend on learning style and current level of

photographic knowledge.) I have limited time and technical details tend to bore me. I thought the book was simple and direct, and had

lots of photo examples showing exactly what he was talking about.

 

 

You may want to check if there is a 50D version on Amazon or at your local bookstore. I also have Understanding Exposure and have

learned a lot from that. Good luck with you choice!