Hey there.

I know you're interested in Deep Learning for Computer Vision with Python (DL4CV), but may also be confused about the other two books/courses I offer on the PyImageSearch blog.

Apoorva Vinod, a PyImageSearch reader, was also confused about which book/course was best for them:

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Hey Adrian, I'm really interested in both the Deep Learning for Computer Vision with Python books and your PyImageSearch Gurus course, but I'm a bit confused between them.

Does the PyImageSearch Gurus course cover everything in the Deep Learning books?

What about your first book, Practical Python and OpenCV? Is that covered in the Gurus course as well?

I'm definitely interested but I'm not sure which one is best for me. Which one should I go with?

Thanks, Apoorva.

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Great question, Apoorva, and you're certainly not alone in your confusion.

To answer the question:

My first book, Practical Python and OpenCV (PPaO), is a gentle introduction to the world of the computer vision and image processing through the OpenCV library.

The book is a quick read and will help you get up to speed with the fundamentals in as little as a single weekend. That said, it is not a super in-depth treatment of computer vision as a whole — for a more comprehensive study of computer vision, you would want the PyImageSearch Gurus course, which includes 168 lessons over 13 modules covering face recognition, automatic license plate recognition, training your own custom object detectors, and more. 

Think of the PyImageSearch Gurus course as a college survey course that covers the field of computer vision as a whole — but way more more hands-on and practical than any course you may have taken in school.

Some of the material in the Deep Learning module of the Gurus course also appears in the Deep Learning for Computer Vision with Python books, but the DL4CV books have much more breadth and depth than the Gurus module on the topic of Deep Learning itself.

Again, keep in mind that Deep Learning is only one module in the PyImageSearch Gurus course — there are dozens of other topics beyond deep learning that are covered in the course not discussed in the new Deep Learning books.

The following chart should help you visualize the differences:
Image
Simply put:

If your interest is primarily deep learning, you should go with the DL4CV books.

Otherwise, if you're somewhat interested in deep learning, but your primary interest is acquiring a broad mastery of computer vision tools and techniques, the PyImageSearch Gurus course is what you want.

And finally, if you need a quick read to help you grasp the fundamentals of computer vision using the OpenCV library, go with Practical Python and OpenCV.

Please let me know if you have any other questions, I'm happy to help!

Adrian Rosebrock
Chief PyImageSearcher

P.S. The PyImageSearch Gurus course and the DL4CV books are truly complementary. DL4CV covers deep learning in-depth, while the Gurus course fills in all the advanced (and still necessary) tools and techniques for computer vision which are not deep learning.

If you're interested in both DL4CV and the PyImageSearch Gurus course, I have a discounted bundle that includes both an Instant Access Gurus membership and the ImageNet Bundle of the Deep Learning books.

The Instant Access Gurus membership makes you a "current member for life" — you'll have lifetime access to the course material and private community forums.

The ImageNet Bundle includes all of the Deep Learning material, from simple examples where you train your first neural network, all the way to advanced methods, including replicating the work of state-of-the-art publications and training your own custom deep learning-based object detectors.

Both the Gurus course and the Deep Learning books come complete with working Python code, so you can see the principles in action right away to reinforce your understanding.

The combined price for the $995 Instant Access Gurus membership and the $645 ImageNet Bundle would normally be $1,640, but for a limited time I'm offering the combination for only $1,245 (a savings of 25%).

If you want the 1-2 punch to mastering both computer vision and deep learning, you can use this link to purchase them bundled together.

If you do get that package, let me know — the Gurus membership will have to be activated once the purchase is complete (you'll be able to download the DL4CV files immediately). Please let me know if you have any questions, or if there's something that needs clarification.