David Busch's Canon EOS 5D Mark III Guide to Digital SLR Photography (David Busch's Digital Photography Guides)
It's finally shipping!My long-anticipated guide to the 5D Mark III is now being delivered to those who pre-ordered.  I know you'll feel this book has been worth the wait.  I appreciate your feedback on how the book can be improved.  Every book I've ever written was compiled, in part, from reader suggestions.  There's a web contact URL listed in the introduction.  Send along any typos you spot, too.  One every 100 pages that wasn't corrected as requested during production means at least five goofs in a 500-page book. Sharp-eyed readers have already told me about the paragraph on Page 315 that can be ignored, and the One-Shot "exposure" mode suggested in two places in my Recommended Settings.Thanks!At more than 500 pages, this book is the most comprehensive guidebook available for the Canon EOS 5D Mark III, and the first of two books I'm writing about Canon's full-frame enthusiast camera.  I've organized my tips into sections, so that, no matter what your level of expertise, you can quickly access the information you need to master the camera.  Because I  know so many of you are advanced users, most of the basic, general photography descriptions are moved from the main body of the book to the  "bonus chapters" at the end.I know many books on the 5D Mark III have been rushed to the shelves, but I've been stuffing mine full of things you won't find elsewhere, such as thumbnail descriptions of virtually every popular lens Canon offers. Confused by wireless flash?  Canon's Speedlite system really deserves a full book of its own (and I've written one),  but I pack all the basics you need to get started in my lighting chapter.Part I:  Getting Started.These three chapters are devoted to letting you hit the ground running, with a quickie guide to exposure, autofocus, and other controls, a Streetsmart Roadmap that shows you what every component is, and how/when to use it, and a section  listing my recommended settings. Canon's default settings for your 5D Mark III are nice, but mine are better.Part II: Mastering Your Tools.The four thick chapters in this Part tell you everything you need to know about exposure (including my dismantling of the myth of the 18 percent gray card), autofocus, HDR, and other tools.  Indeed, the Mark III's focusing capabilities are so sophisticated -- and potentially so  confusing -- that I devote an entire chapter to mastering the mysteries  of autofocus so you can achieve tack-sharp focus every time.  I'll give  you step-by-step instructions on correcting lenses with front- and back-focus problems, with an included focus chart.  Advanced tools including HDR, are given a chapter of their own, too.  This Part winds up with evaluations of your lens options in Canon's extensive line-up.Part III: Working with Light. This  section consists of three chapters that explain the ins and outs of sculpting your images with light in its many varieties.  Wireless and multiple flash techniques are detailed in a chapter of their own. Part IV: Configuring Your Canon EOS 5D Mark III.Most  guidebooks have a chapter near the front of the book that list all the menu options available, and what they do -- exactly like Canon's own manual, only with more words. Others sprinkle this information throughout the book, forcing you to go on a scavenger hunt.  I explain these important options infourchapters -- nearly than 100 pages -- that  not only tell you when and why to use each of the dozens of shooting, playback, custom, and setup options of your Canon 5D Mark III - but when not to use them.Part V: Introduction to Movies.Movie-making is another topic that deserves a book of its own, but I'll get you started with these three chapters on Live View and video shooting that cover both basic techniques and provide a primer on advanced movie shooting.Part VI: Bonus Material. Many  first-time digital SLR owners have told me they appreciate having more general introductory material to help them get their feet wet. While I've kept the main body of this book more camera-specific, in this Part you'll find the basics you may need, including camera set-up advice, an introduction to using lenses, and useful troubleshooting tips.Can you tell that I  am really  excited about the Canon EOS 5D Mark III? If you're fed up with dry, boring camera guides that simply rehash all the confusing information in  the manual that came in the box with your EOS 5D Mark III, you'll enjoy exploring this great camera with me at your side. In addition to this book, I'm also offeringDavid Busch's Canon EOS 5D Mark III Compact Field Guide, a spiral-bound digest for using the most important features of the Mark III.