Jay -
Executive Summary
Ron's eBook is one of the cheapest accessories I've bought to improve my camera work, and it (along with a session with him) has done more to improve my ability to capture images than anything else I've ever purchased.
Longer Explanation
Notice the title of the book ("Digital Photography - Acquisition and Processing Techniques"), and Ron's own description of what the book is:
"...the eBook contains comprehensive information on how to get the shot right the first time and how to process both rapidly and consistently. Extensively revised and with 35 new pages, it includes working images, RAW files, and tools designed to teach you about luminosity, exposure, reading the histogram, composition of various image styles, tips and tricks. The digital workflow is described in tremendous detail, including digital transfer, file management, image selection, processing in Nikon Capture as well as methods for using the same techniques in Adobe Photoshop CS RAW, and a number of post-processing techniques."
There is more meat on a single page of this book than you will find in entire sections of other books. The upside to this is that it really does contain great material, and I truly believe that you will understand fundamental concepts of optimized image acquisition and good processing technique if you are able to digest and understand this material. The downside is that it requires that you really work through the examples (at a minimum) or work through a session with Ron (as a best case) to really get a good understanding of what's going on. This takes time, an open mind, and lots of practice before it will start sinking in. Trust me on this. You may think you understand it, but it truly takes practice before it all starts to make sense.
You will find many here who have been through a session with Ron and/or own the book and use the techniques described therein. I can't speak for all of them, but I can tell you from personal observation that my own work (and that of many others I've seen) has improved as a result of applying these techniques to our workflow, and if that is your goal then I believe this book would be worthwhile for you.
When considering the value, I looked at the cost of this book vs. the cost of a 50mm f/1.8 lens... the lens was more expensive, but gave me the opportunity to get sharp, clear images for certain situations (and I believe it to be the best value lens in my kit right now -- not the best lens, but the best
value). Ron's book improved my abilities with all of my equipment to get better shots and to understand why things worked the way they do much better than I did before. That's a much more significant impact than the 50mm could ever provide.
If you can't tell by now, I'll say it more directly:
buy the book.
