The Friedman Archives Press
Try it risk-free for 2 weeks!
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Yes, the Alpha 7 and Alpha 7r mirrorless cameras from Sony are true game-changers. It's also true that they have a lot of customizability and a lot of features that are not clearly explained by the owner's manual. Written for the advanced user (with tutorials and easy explanations in case you're not so advanced), this thorough yet easy-to-understand guide provides a complete instruction manual which explains each feature in plain English and provides hundreds of visual examples as well. There is no better way to learn about and get the most out of your camera. And you can try it risk-free - read on for details!
Also available! Supplement covering new features of the A7s
Also available! Supplement covering the new features of the A7 II
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In this 610-page, full-color e-book you'll learn: * Details about innovative features Click here to see sample pages and a complete Table of Contents before you buy. This e-Book is available in two different formats:
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You've already invested in one of the better-engineered cameras out there; for another 2.5% of the price you can have the key which unlocks its secrets. Get the most out of your investment - and try it risk-free! (See the bottom of the page for details.)
What others are saying about this and Gary's previous e-books:
"The information given in your book and your site is in remarkable detail but the way you present it is so 'user friendly' that it feels as though you're sitting in a room with a friend trying to help you learn how to use your camera." - Sprague Theobald
"I have not been able to find any other book where the author has conveyed such comprehensive information so easily to the reader. Well done, Gary!" - Chew Ly
"I want to say a huge thank-you to you for writing one of the most entertaining and educational manuals/guides I have ever read. Having seen and enjoyed a number of your videos on Youtube I was pleased to find that the book more than lived up to my expectations and captured both your humour and intelligent sense of application I had hoped for, explaining not just the tool and its features but the application of those features, a factor so often overlooked by others and so fundamental to getting the best from such a guide." - Simon Thornton
"Congratulations!!, you did an amazing job. I've never seen a document that explains the operation of any device so detailed, so much complete and entertaining. It is like reading a good novel, you can not stop until you finish it. Really worth every cent." - Martin Zamora
"Despite being an advanced user I find your books very enlightening and complete sources of reference. [...] You may have seen [a competitor's] book on the A series cameras. I bought this because I like his website but it is pretty basic and hardly qualifies as an "alternative manual". - Martin Paling
"Love love love this book!! I also purchased the one by [a competitor] and yours far surpasses it! Thank you!" - Alice Gonyar
"Whoa! Again I'm mesmerized by the sheer amount of thoughtful detail you provide in your camera ebooks, most recently the one that addresses the A7/A7r. Well done." - David Scott
"While I was waiting for you book to come out I tried "Sony A7 / A7R: From [X] to [Y]" It was the tired old formula of basic photography advice sold on the back of a little information on a new model of camera. Yours was exactly the kind of detailed explainations I was looking for." - Chris Brown
"Let me say that my investment in your Sony A7 and A7 II books was the best thing I did this year. Your clear, concise, matter-of-fact explanations (with accompanying pictures) is something I would insist every A7 purchaser buy if I was selling the camera. It would also save me from a lot of follow-up questions :-)." - Bob Sharpe
"The contrast is night and day between the authoritative and rich information ABOUT THE CAMERAS in the Friedman book and the highly general introductory photography information in the Smith book. If you want to better understand the A7 and A7R cameras, buy the Friedman book---no question." - Tex Andrews from this thread on sonyalpharumors.com
"I just wanted to let you know that I bought your book on the A7 last night and in less than 30 minutes reading you solved several on my functional “stumbling blocks” in using my A7r. [...] Sony should include your book with every A7 they sell, they would have fewer customer service requests and a much happier customer base!" - Jim Modrall
"It's a fantastic book and I highly recommend it to anyone who really wants to discover the ins and outs of working with these great Sony cameras. I also downloaded Brian Smith's book. It's not bad either. However, the Friedman book is more suitable for my uses and answers more of my questions about the Sonys." - Drmarcus from dpreview
"I appreciate your elegance and complete coverage. Your ebooks leave no questions behind. You write as an adult talking to another adult and don't dumb down the presentation. I hope you never retire from this." - Duane Moore (Also see his review on the Amazon Kindle store)
"Hands down, your book is the best photography book I've ever read. I finally understand concepts that I've wanted to know about for years. Seeing the link to the tip cards was icing on the cake!" - Richard Abrams
"I wish to express my compliments for this comprehensive great work. It's not just another version of the manual as some other authors offer. It will help me for a better understanding of some functions of this very versatile camera (and some principles of Digital Photography as well). It's great too, that you trust your customers und offer the book without restrictions like Kindle uses. This allows to print out some helpful pages easily." - Paul Bänziger
"I have been buying camera guides since the early 1970s and Gary Friedman is in my opinion easily the best author in this genre." - newellj from this thread on dpreview
"Like the camera, I give the book a "Gold" award. ; )" - a1z26 from dpreview
"What a fantastic piece of work! Somehow, you kept to your very high standards and still covered all the STUFF. I don't have time to sit with a camera and a lousy manual, sort it all out, and take notes. What you did in your book just blows me away. You covered EVERY point that needed attention. You made all the STUFF accessible. You have taken on a Herculean task and somehow done a masterful, beautiful job." - William Naff
"I have both books, Gary Friedman's ebook and [competitor's] paperback. For my taste, Friedman wins hands down. I find his book to be much more useful and direct. He describes the functionality and also what, in his opinion, the best choices are (and why) for given shooting conditions." - earlymorninglight from this thread on dpreview
"Your guide is as great as the camera." - Brian Drinkwater
"I recently purchased your guide, and just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed reaing it. A guide that presents information so well (with a sense of humor to boot) is a rare thing indeed." - Brendan Hanley
"I purchased the [competitor's] book. It's OK... but the Gary Friedman book is awesome...not only does it go into a more personal level with the adjustments but he gives you advice with a tiny bit of humor throughout the book so it keeps it real and not boring." - tdwin2000 from dpreview
"I LOVE your book so far...I also had downloaded the [competitor's] book in my IPad but his is like repeating the owners manual w/ a little more detail. Yours is about the camera but also teaching me a lot of gret basics of general photography." - Dean Winton
"Purchasing your book should be cumpulsory with every Sony that is bought. Honestly, Gary, you are a godsend for all of us!" - Dee Lange
"Yours is the first book I've run into on any digital camera that actually discusses the interaction of camera settings with raw files, which is a terrible omission in every other book I've ever read, and I go back a fair bit in digital photography." - John Newell
"[Your book] is magnificent on so many levels. Not only is it giving me exactly what I need, but it has dramatically expanded my understanding of the "art" of photography. Thank you so much for writing this manual. Yours is not only the MUST read for anyone owning the A77 (and my guess is this applies to any other camera which you have reviewed and written about)" - Jim Godlove
"This is the 4th of Gary's books I've purchased and this is easily the best one yet." - garykohs from dpreview.com
"Gary’s book is brilliant, I have found setting I would have never have known existed; today out with my camera I was doing things that for years have perplexed me. Thanks Gary." - terrytoweling from this thread on dpreview
"Been glued to this book since morning. Unlike most other guides that are more user manuals this one is pure insight to using the camera in photographic situations." - Rui from DynaxDigital.com (opens new window).)
"Just wanted to say how very helpful your Sony guide is. First class, easy to understand and extermely thorough. 100%. I think Sony should employ you to write their camera manuals." - Steve Robinson
"So far, this guide looks OUTSTANDING. I cannot believe you let this go for the price you do. It's incredible!" - Ferdinand Lucero Jr.
"My husband had purchased the David Busch Nex 7 book but he is going to return it. It's a very nice book but nowhere near as helpful as yours -- on many levels." - Cathy Harman
"Gary's books are just so much better than just having to RTFM. :-) [...] The new feature packed a77 and a65 cams both warrant a well written reference book like Gary's, which is full of his 'real world' useful (and not otherwise overtly apparent or available) information and user tips. [...] I now have a few of Gary's books and can comfortably say that they represent great value for money." - Steve FStop from dpreview
"After a quick look through the whole 500+ pages and then reading the first 200 or so in detail, my verdict is "Gold Award". Excellent work!" - ChrisSwiss from dpreivew.com
"I'm amazed at how much value this book offers. Few hundred pages in and its kind of clear that my old fashion way of setting values is not doing the camera justice, some of the P&S type features really do have value and some of the tips are just brilliant." - Hugo600si from dpreview.com
"I have to say that your book was the best manual i can remember reading on any device. I think it is admirable how eager you are to share your knowledge and help people develop their own process for acquiring knowledge. It was a pleasant surprise to learn so much about photography in general from what i was expecting was a camera manual." - Steve Newman
"Another vote for the Gary Friedman book. I bought the A77 one this week and it is amazing. Infinitely more usefull than the Sony manual. If you buy the PDF version you also get the kindle version which you can use on your iPhone with a downloadable kindle reader. Bargain!" - russelsbags on dyxum.com
"To anyone who is having second
thoughts about paying extra for color [printed version], I say "Stop thinking.
Order it NOW!" The additional money is
well spent, and you only spend it once.
I bought your A700 book (no color)
and wished I had gone for the
upgrade. The difference is unbelievable. What
a great book. Thanks for writing it." - Perry
MaGill
"This book is much better than David Busch's book on Nex 7." - Joe Krol
"I have now read the long awaited E-book about NEX 7 and I'm impressed as always. This was my forth E-book and even this time I have got quite a few tips and insights that will improve my everyday photography." - Sten-Åke Sändh
"I bought your book about three weeks ago and can only wish that more books were written with the true love you have for the subject matter that is therewith explained." - Mauro Jimenez
"Have started reading your book and I am very impressed! I really enjoy your writing style which is both friendly and interesting whilst simultaneously providing a great deal of technical information. Well done! " - James Cox
"I want to say Thank You Very Much, not only for your personal assistance, but also for writing such a cohesive and clear book spoken in an easy to understand and implement manner. You pointers and insight with in depth practical knowledge of the camera I'm using to start my career as a photographer / photo journalist has allowed me to vastly shorten my learning curve." - Lee Shatto
"I learned more by reading the first four chapters of your book than I did from the whole of the other two books. Not only that, but you explain exactly which controls to use to achieve the desired result -- How simple is that!?!:" - Simon Daw
"I want to tell you that, like countless others, I am a big fan of your ebooks because of their plain language and conversational approach to highly technical topics." - David Drake
"I'm loving it! Another GFA book and it's great, another home run!" - Chance Word
"Just wanted to send a quick note about how much I have enjoyed your book so far. It has given me tremendous insight on every setting and feature available for mhy A77. I'm only 25% of the way through and have learned far more than reading that awful Sony manual. This is truly the guide I have been looking for!" - Ryan Bark
"Your book is a Godsend - I would've been completely lost with the manual." - Dave Gerard
"I couldn't resist contacting you to express how THOROUGHLY delightful / informative I'm finding your book. Outstanding! doesn't begin to cover it, especially given the gentle humor scattered throughout to take the edge off of the technicalities. I adore it when an author pays attention to, and accommodates, the psychology of the reader." - Pam Gaines
"GREAT JOB! Very, very, informative and written in a way anyone can understand. This is the first book I have seen that explains things so clearly and easily. This will help bring back the joy of taking pictures that I lacked when I was struggling with the settings on my camera." - Cesar Borges
"Your pictures are an inspiration for me to be as good as you. The Sony book you wrote is excellent and I'll make sure other Alpha owners know it too!" - Michael Rutkowski
"I've bought your book and I just HAVE to send you a personal email to tell you how great that book is. Not only does it cover virtually everything about the camera including everything the original manual left out, it covers interesting and meaningful help about composition, lightning and using flashes. And for the price it is offered at, it's nothing short of fantastic. It was and will continue to be a great resource to me, many many thanks!" -Kristian Tigersjäl, Sweden
"However the main reason to mail you is to thank you for your True Jewels. For me your attitude as well as the style of your narration is the greatest value I find in your guides. Thank you also for the excellent documentary about my country - Latvia. Your travel diaries show you not only as a masterful photographer, but also as highly concerned, responsive person." -Gunars Severs
"Right now I can just say one thing... Wow! Okay, two things... Great book!" - Scott Kramer
"Your insights are invaluable (and your level of service second to none)." - Winston Llamas
"I would like to congratulate you on such a thorough and thoughtful compendium. Your 'patient' explanations and excellent examples have made my experience with the Sony so much more enjoyable. This book, along with your "25 Ways" and "Advanced Topics" is the best investment in DSLR photography material that I have made. Thank you so much for the help and enlightenment!" - Des Wann
"CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BOOK WHICH ON A SCALE OF 10 HAS TO BE AN 11." - Jim Koregelos
"It is the ultimate users manual that no one owning one of those cameras should be without. A small investment that pays great dividends!" - Karl Scharf from dpreview.com
"Last night I finished reading your e-book and enjoyed it immensely. Thank you so much for such an in-depth and to-the-point book loaded with information you can really use. I will be sure to mention it highly on chat lines and other locations I frequent." - Barbara Lodge
"I purchased the color version of your Sony Alpha e-book last night and started reading it with the intention of reading the intro and quickly skimming through the rest. About 4 hours later, I realized that I was reading through every single page of the first 6 chapters. Needless to say, this is a wonderful book, very informative and well laid out. Thanks!" -Anil
"There is no way that I would have got to grips with it without your amazing ebook. The amount of work that it must have taken to produce it I can't imagine. Many thanks." - Bob Johnston
"Thank you so much for making this e-book! So clearly done in such a way that, yes, I got some of those "Aha!" moments! I certainly will pass this on wherever I can. You have just taken a big chunk of anxiety out of my learning curve!" - Veronica
"Your book is excelent. Really detail, clear, useful... an EXCELENT guide." - Kurt Marlow
"The contents of your book go beyond my expectations! I couldn't pull myself away to tell you until I had finished reading more than 60 pages. Your book is very clearly written, and your spiral approach to teaching will prove to be an easy way of learning in depth the many topics you include. Thank you, again!" - Janet Lustgarten
"I downloaded it yesterday and learnt more about the camera than all the reviews, articles and even Sony's own manual combined. Well worth it. I especially liked his coverage of the Minolta wireless flash system which has always been a mystery to me." - Setev from dpreview.com Read entire thread
"Your writing is a marvel. Your evident respect for the genius of the Minolta/Sony engineers adds substantially to my appreciation and enjoyment. With your background I now have a foundation for more fully understanding what it takes to be as creative as they are in providing us with these pleasure-full tools/toys." - Don Stromberg
"Thanks for a great book! It is the most complete reference I have found on this camera. It puts the Magic Lantern guide to shame both in its coverage of the camera and of photographic methods." - James Handcock
"I found your book to be indispensable. I love your books; your tutorials are a godsend, and your work...omg...total inspiration." - Charles Neinnger
"The manual that you have written is truly comprehensive and must have been a monumental undertaking. [...T]he many tips on the various function settings and especially the flash guide have shown me that there is more to this camera than I thought at first." - Bob Johnston
"I must congratulate you on your book. The use of plain English is outstanding and the wealth of information top class. I have a number of other publications on the Sony Alpha and they just assumed I knew more than I did. While I was able to glean information from them, the experience was not pleasurable as a book should be. I must say your book was a true pleasure to read from start to finish and an invaluable tool that I shall keep referring to time and time again!" - John Rice (JR)
I just purchased your Sony Alpha guidebook, and absolutely love it. You have a great talent for writing and describing things most people would not understand without you! I can happily say that you have made me a better and more knowledgeable photographer." - Jeff Childers
"I have to admit, it is a great guide. I couldn't stop myself from finishing it last night, I didn't get to sleep because of it actually. The amounts of insights, hints, tips and clues in every section covered every single question I had in my mind since I bought my camera and opened a whole new horizon for my photography. Thanks a lot for the enlightenment." - Adham El Deeb (Egypt)
"I purchased and downloaded your guide earlier today. I took a few minutes to look through it during lunch and I am blown away. The pages I looked at contain incredible how to information, wonderful tips, and a wealth of information about digital imaging generally. Thank you so much. I can't wait to have more time with both your book and my camera." - Avi Freund
"Today I bought your gorgeous e-book for Sony's DSLR. I must admit that it's second to none and clearly shows your immense love and passion for photography. I think that Sony must seriously consider using your book to advertise their new camera. Rather than their dull incomplete manual that's discouraging for both novice and professionals alike, they should simply license your book and include a copy with each camera they sell. I REALLY mean it! I thank you heartily for having brought to Sony users such a wonderful guide." - Fariborz Amirshahi, Italy
"I dare say that you are a genius and heaven sent. I love the ebook. I finally found a resource material that helps me understand what I need to know about the basics of photography and how to best enjoy the camera. I believe in your book and would recommend it to any Alpha owner out there; even to the more experienced photographer. Very concise yet easy to understand. All my other resource materials are now gathering dust in my library at home. I don't need them anymore." - Roberto Ramon Concepcion
"I wanted to say how INCREDIBLY IMPRESSED I am with the Sony book! Brilliant work, mate! Having read through the tiny Sony manual many times, this has to be one of the best-written books that gives CONTEXT to how / why you would want to do something and the examples and anecdotes are great! I will most definitely be recommending the book to all my friends. Most enjoyable!" - Geoff Elwood
"I don't know how you do it, but your style of writing is so enjoyable, friendly, and incredibly informative all at the same time. I read the entire book from cover to cover in one sitting with the camera by my side the whole time, and as I went through it, I started to realize that I finally understood what all of the formerly cryptic numbers and symbols on the LCD meant and it's such a great feeling! [...] I can't thank you enough for getting me out of "Auto" mode! - Stacey Jarasa
"Over the years I've read a ton of photo books and I have to say yours is the most approachable and filled with the most usable tips and examples." - Mark Lynch
"Dear Gary: I am really enjoying your book, it is the best manual on anything I have ever read. You should do the computer manuals, you are a born teacher and clearly you really know your subject." - Ivan Tentchoff
"I can't say enough about your Sony guide. It has rejuvenated my photography like nothing else. I just had to thank you again, not just for the guide but also for access to some wonderful topics on your site." - Karl Jones
"Thanks for your prompt answer. You are such a trustworthy person and it's a pleasure to buy and read your publications. What I like most about you is the way you describe complex functions with such a simple and comprehensible language. This is a divine gift which makes you so distinctive among other writers who have serious problems of communication! Thank you for being such a wonderful friend." - Fariborz
"Gary - I haven't gotten through the whole thing yet, but I love it! I've already made some settings tweaks, and have some new insights to work with. Can't wait to study the White Balance and remote flash stuff. I have to admit, when I first started reading, I thought "Great; this is for newbies and technophobes", but as I went on I see that you have skillfully addressed both newbies and experienced photographers. Thanks - the book is an incredible value! -David Aguilar
"I have read the manual several times, but didn't understand many of the features. I want you to know that I understand MORE just by reading the first 100 pages of your book than by reading the manual over and over. Thanks for writing a GREAT guide for this camera!" - Janet DeCristofaro
"I have your super e-book and I am highly impressed with the way you explain things. You, my friend, are awesome with words!" - Allan Mann
"I must admit I was overwhelmed and intimidated by this powerful and somewhat confusing camera. Having just finished your book, I am now confident that my new friend and I have many exciting adventures ahead. And I know that I'll be referring back to your book for many years to come. Thank you for opening the world of photography to novices like me! I am a true-believer and a loyal fan. BTW, even if your book wasn't about photography, I would have enjoyed reading it. You're an excellent writer." - Everett Madden
"The key thing I want to comment on is simply the style of your writing. It is so easy to read, very down to earth and conversational- it's like I am asking you questions and you are telling me the answers. Doesn't have that "textbook" flavor so many beginner's books have. I especially like the personal touch so many of your topics include- you explain why you are making a particular recommendation based upon your own past experience." - David and Diane Drake (Read more)
"Mr. Friedman, I do believe you're one of the nicest people for anyone to deal with." - Dr. Baha Öcal
"The book actually managed to make exploring all the camera options and knobs a fun and rewarding experience - and that's quite an achievement in itself. Additionally, the visual illustrations of the techniques and the teaching method make it all more engaging and easy to follow. Definitely worth the money!" - Silverio F
"As a former teacher I know how hard it is to write something like "The Friendly Manual". To do a piece of work like that you have to have the gift. Many thanks!" -Sten-Åke Sändh
"I am delighted with the book which is written in a friendly style and the subjects are clearly explained, the explanation of camera functions together with the sample photographs are exactly what I was looking for. [...] My photography has changed for the better since I applied the principles set out in your book and my photographs do look different" - Alfred Hopwood
"I never thought I'd find a 3rd-party manual. Yours is a gem." - Duane Moore
"Love your book, Gary, as well as all the additions you've written. So easy to understand, accurate and FUN! A complete opposite to those user manuals! I am so impressed how I'm absorbing the information so easily. I find I even have a "photographic memory" (no pun intended!) for many of the pages. [... Y]ou have an incredible gift for writing/teaching in a way that the student will truly absorb the material. I also loved the tips in the "Cookbook" that you e-mailed to us." - Mary Flannery
"[A]bove all I was impressed by the way you make the use of the Sony Alpha (and photography in general) a "piece of cake". Your straightforward and humorous style of writing is addictive and I devoured your book in one night. I just wanted to give you this feedback and I send you my best greetings from Antwerp-Belgium." - Jacques Werbrouck
"Dear Gary, I bought another book on my camera before I bought yours, but I wanted to learn more. I have just started to read your book and now I am on page 55. So far I have had 4 "Aha!" moments of understanding, and I am sure I will have a lot more. Just the things I have learned so far have paid for the book. Keep up the good work." -John Maher, Numazu City, Japan
And as if the above testimonials were not convincing enough, have a look at this thread on dpreview.com.
Money-Back Guarantee
Okay, here's the details on the 'risk-free' part. Buy the .pdf format and plow through it for two weeks. If you don't think this book offers the clearest explanations, if you didn't end up learning anything new, or it is not the single best value in terms of dollars-per-knowledge ratio, just send Gary an email and he'll personally refund your purchase price. How can you lose? Gary's books have introduced thousands of people to the joys of photography in a very intuitive way, and his books have been universally praised for being the best out there for the Sony cameras, which makes this an easy offer to make. (This offer does NOT apply to the printed version of the book, for obvious reasons.)
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