![]() ![]() Really, what was the point? And most camera reviews are no more meaningful. When I was a kid, my friends and I would debate whether Ferrari or Lamborghini was better. And the Auto White Balance for every camera sucks in mixed or artificial light. One-third of a stop of dynamic range is imperceptible. There's actually no real difference between 10 and 12 megapixels. (This has been shown in scientific studies, but provides ample evidence.) I constantly see people paralyzed by meaningless technical specificity that means absolutely nothing. ![]() The point behind comparisons is to find differences between similar items, and it's a part of human nature that the less significant the difference is the more weight people give to it. Okay, I hate overly technical camera review sites. After all, Full Frame Cameras are now almost a mere $3000 each, and fifteen megapixels and a clean iso3200 are needed for any print larger than a business card. Now, one year later, I'm already reading some grumbling about Olympus lacking A Next Big Thing to respond to the "ooh, Shiny" Canon and Nikon product launches. Looking back at the reviews that were written the camera seems to have been criticized for not being a Canon 40D, a Nikon D300, or even an Olympus E-1. When it first shipped in late November 2007, it was enthusiastically greeted by people who were waiting a long time for it, and not so enthusiastically received by everyone else. The Long Version: The E-3 is now a year old. Its subtitle of "A critical guide for designers, writers, editors & students" is right on. I've since moved on to more esoteric material, but Thinking With Type is the one I'd recommend to people who only have a casual or passing interest in type and graphic design. Its also a very recent book, ©2004, and has current examples and deals with web page design as well as printed material. The mix of very readable main text, side diversions, and illustrations makes for an interesting and varied experience. There's plenty of technical information and background on significant fonts, but without bogging down in detail. If you don't know what kerning, ligatures, or x-height is, don't be put off. Thinking With Type covers a broad range of subjects with ease and style. It starts with the single line "Typography is what language looks like." on a page all its own, and it sets an excellent tone for the book. It's very clearly written, has excellent samples and examples, and is a very interesting book. But it is the first book on typography that I've read, and I'm glad that it's the one that I found first. The Long Version: Ellen Lupton is quite an accomplished woman, and Thinking With Type isn't the only book of hers in the household. Yeah, but: It's a great introduction for people who look at letters. ![]()
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