rob_ww wrote:
Thanks. Just wondering how widely it is known. Does anyone else recommend this book?
Don’t have this particular e-book as I don’t’ own the camera. But I have purchased Gary’s E-books in the past. I find them vey thorough. With each menu item explained. Which is exactly what I’m looking for
I’m not really interested in how they set up their own cameras. Because the way someone sets up their camera is a very personal thing. I just need to know what every menu item is for. So I can make an informed decision how I want to set up my camera
Gary’s book meet that need. He also sends out free updates as things change with firmware updates. I haven’t tried e-books from others so I can’t say how it compares. But I was satisfied with my purchase
It may be a great resource and very helpful to some, but as far as eBooks go, the price is a ripoff in my opinion:
U.S. eBook prices typically range from $2.99 to $19.99 for traditional fiction and non-fiction. Best-sellers frequently list around $12.99 to $14.99, while self-published and independently authored works usually fall into the $2.99 to $4.99 sweet spot to qualify for higher royalty tiers.
It is a small market, specialized publication, and that price is likely necessary if the author has any hope of earning anything remotely appropriate to the effort required to write, illustrate, and edit a book.
(Having written one published book, I know firsthand what is involved.)
I have not purchased Friedman's Guide for the A7RVI but I have purchased his e-books for other Sony cameras. I agree with @robert614, his discussion goes well beyond how he sets up his own cameras, which may be interesting but his use of the camera is unlikely to match your own. He gives a good description of the menu items and how they may be set for a variety of uses. His discussion is often more in depth than most photographers want, so if you just want a quick set up guide don't waste your money, just take a look at the dozens of free set up guides that are available. The price is not cheap but is appropriate for the specialty market being addressed. This is not a mass market product. The comparable product may be the set up guides from Steve Perry at Backcountry Gallery. His guides are similarly in-depth but aimed more specifically at wildlife photography. I have purchased some of his guides too and find them to be very well done and worth the price. His prices are slightly less than Friedman's, but I think he has not yet published a guide for the A7RVI.
In case someone is looking for a more comprehensible manual Mark Galer might be a source. They can be downloaded as a patreon donor, not much money for one month.
dclark wrote:
.....His discussion is often more in depth than most photographers want, so if you just want a quick set up guide don't waste your money, just take a look at the dozens of free set up guides that are available. The price is not cheap but is appropriate for the specialty market being addressed. This is not a mass market product. The comparable product may be the set up guides from Steve Perry at Backcountry Gallery. His guides are similarly in-depth but aimed more specifically at wildlife photography. I have purchased some of his guides too and find them to be very well done and worth the price. His prices are slightly less than Friedman's, but I think he has not yet published a guide for the A7RVI. ...Show more →
I purchased an eBook for a Canon camera years ago from a well-known photographer. It was a ripoff. Why? Because it was almost identical to the free PDF Instruction Manual from Canon.
As well, you can produce an eBook for less than 1/10th of what it costs to publish the same thing in print.
Just look at price differences here: $2.74 for an eBook versus $50.34 for a hardcover version.
