Help with camera choice

[Sharon]

I am looking for a digital camera that is good at snake photography, but not horribly difficult or expensive. Anyone have any tips? Thanks.

[Tula_Montage]

Get an SLR!!! Theres no point buying an okish cheap camera that you feel you "outgrow" a year or so down the line. Go for the big guns.

I use the Nikon D40 and I adore it.

[Wis_fishing_guy]

Me and my wife do photography if you go with a SLR.Go with cannon.I will not get into all the detail but cannon makes a munch better SLR or any camera matter of fact.

But you said,you do not want to spend to much money.So just look for a camera with 8mp and you will have some great pictures.Make sure you get editing software of some kind.That is the trick with digital:-)

Here is a picture I took with my 8.1mp cannon Rebel xt SLR. We also have the xti SLR witch is a 10.2

[Tula_Montage]

Don't make me start the Nikon x Canon battle! LOL

[Wis_fishing_guy]

Don't make me start the Nikon x Canon battle! LOL


LOL :)

Canon:flames: Nikon

[Tula_Montage]

I just think Nikon is much more user friendly. Although I have never owned a cannon SLR, so I cannot say I dislike cannon, I just find it unfamiliar. I know my Nikon and would recommend it to those who know a bit about photography.

I always say though, the most important part of any camera, is the first 12 inches behind it ;)

[Sharon]

Thanks alot guys, I guess its time to go exploring lol

[Nanci]

Well, I love my Casio Exilim 10 megapixel. Elle has the 7 and takes excellent pics with it. I just saw the new 12 in a catalog yesterday.

Super-fast start up time. Super-fast shutter release. A kajillion super-easy to access pre-sets, which you can alter, and then save, all you want. Nice big LCD. Sits in a cradle. I've never run out of bettery charge. Push one button to DL pics to the computer.

Look at this pic- this is saved at 1/100th of its original quality.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o307/nlevake/IsabelRain003_800.jpg

$300 MSRP- I bet you could get it for way less.

Nanci

[toyah]

I decided I couldn't justify buying an SLR as I simply couldn't see myself bothering to learn how to use it properly. But I wanted something that would let me learn and try out different things, rather than just limiting me to "point and click", while still being small enough I can carry it everywhere with me, just in case I need it!

I ended up going for a Canon powershot 570 is, and I love it. The camera itself was very well reviewed, cheap, and had lots of preset modes, everything you'd expect, plus optical image stabilisation which I would not be without. The IS makes it so much easier to take a decent photo when the light is not good, or when you're zoomed right in. But more importantly for me, the camera also allows for full manual control of the focus, aperture, shutter speed, etc which gives you lots of flexibility to be creative if you want. You can also add different lenses and flashes to the camera as well, giving you that bit extra flexibility.

ETA - here's a couple of sample photos, these are taken without the macro lense, just the camera on automatic mode, then cropped out and resized using paint.net..

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc284/stramash/lingonberry/IMG_0431.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc284/stramash/sabrina/IMG_0188.jpg

[Menhir]

If you are not willing to spent >1500€ in a body, lenses and tripod - stick to a middle-class prosumer camera. For about 300 bucks you will be able to get a 10 or 12x Zoom with some good macro features that will satisfy you.
If the prosumer won't satisfy, you will recognice by yourself and still love your prosumer cam because one normally doesn't want to carry the whole and heavy DSLR equipment all the time.
I once posted something about prosumer vs. dslr in the past:
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showpost.php?p=324455&postcount=17

Maybe it'll help you.
Greetings

[Tula_Montage]

Heres a comparison between my old casio exilim (which was a fab wee camera)
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b115/tula-montage/riviereshed3.png

And my Nikon d40 SLR IMO theres just no competition, the Nikon wins. The colour depth and clarity is phenomenal. It's how I want a picture to look. Not grainy or "just not quite there". Of course you can use any camera, no matter how fabulous it is very badly. I have taken crap shots and fantastic shots with both cameras. The camera shouldn't be doing the work for you.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b115/tula-montage/corns/inhand2.png

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b115/tula-montage/mine2.png

[Menhir]

I'm quite sure that all of the posted pictures could be taken with a middle-class prosumer camera. I hope you don't take this as an offense. Do a search on the Photo section since I explained a few times in which situations you simply have to have a DSLR and a changable lens.
To say it clear, buying a DSLR with a common kit lens does not give you any advantage compared to a middle-class (~300bucks) prosumer camera. Moreover, you will have to spent some extra money for another lens of 200-400mm. I highly doubt that the common snake photographer wants to have an extremely small depth-of-field when taking close-ups.

But, all I can do is telling you what I think. I'm photographing for several years, have a several thousand dollar equipment and pictures in several books. So, you can judge by yourself whose experiences you would like to hear. :santa:

:wavey:

[Nanci]

The thing with big fancy cameras, besides being expensive, is you can't just throw one in your purse or jeans pocket or bike bag. It's like taking a baby with you everywhere. I think way more pics get taken when the camera is no big deal to bring with. Plus, with the Casio, anyway, it takes less than 30 seconds from mee thinking I want to take a pic to clicking the shutter.

Nanci

[Tula_Montage]

You are 100% right Nanci. I used to shove my casio anywhere. Hell I actually stood on it whilst drunk one night, and its ok cause it still took picture perfect shots.

But I could not bare to stand on/drop my £400 SLR. I have a few different UV filters that protect the actual lense, which means I'm lazy about puting on the lense cap. If the UV filter gets scratched or damaged its ok, the real lense is still protected.

Still makes me nervous carrying the whole kit about with me.

[Sharon]

Thanks for all the help guys. I think I may be leaning towards the Casio, but then I'd still have to come up with a few hundred dollars I'd rather spend on snakes lol. But I do really appreciate the input.

[Tula_Montage]

I will totally recommed the casio exilim. They are solid, not made of crappy plastic!

[Lore]

Don't make me start the Nikon x Canon battle! LOL

LOL! I'm on the CANON Boat here. My Dad has the Nikon SLR D40, I have a Canon Powershot S2 IS (not an SLR)... my Friend has the Canon SLR EOS D40 that I'd like to own one day... *I* find the Canon easier to use... perhaps because I own a Canon Digital myself :shrugs: ;)

:flames: Nikon

:grin01:

[Tula_Montage]

I guess we all have preferances, and haven't been "outside the box". It's easy to be bias towards something you know, and unsure of something you don't. I like cannon cameras, they are built very well however my preferance for lense compatability is the Nikon. I feel their lenses are the best out there.

I found it easy to transition from my casio tourist camera to my SLR, because I was using that manually as the pre sets were crap IMO. So I knew how to get the results I was looking for... Plus I used cannon manual film cameras years ago when I was young. My family owned a camera business, and my dad was a professional photographer. He was a cannon man.

[Denise]

I think you can get better pics even with a basic SLR and kit lens... better than a P&S with its built in lens.
I do think tho if you are wanting to take pin sharp macro type pics , and I dont mean right in the face type even, you are better off getting a macro lens.
Whether you have Nikon or Canon or Sony... you still can get lens made by Tamron (look at 90Di reviews) and Sigma which are cheaper than Nikon and Canons equivilants, and work just as well (I have used both the Nikon 60mm and Tamron 90mm Di and Nikon 105mm Macro lens).
It depends on what you would be happy producing :)
It would be daft tho to buy a DLSR anf take all the pics in auto tho.... Kinds defeats thepurpose of a SLR .. LOL
Den
PS I shoot aperture priority and in raw :wavey:

[jazzgeek]

If we're taking sides here, I'm all over Canon. I was a commercial photographer before Menhir was a zygote, and at that (pre-digital) time, I shot Canon for 35mm, Hasselblad for medium format, and Omega/Toyo/Zone VI for large format, using Nikkor lenses.

But I'll also be the first to tell you that I was in the minority when it came to SLRs - Nikon had around 85% of the market.

As for the DSLR/"prosumer" debate - if you have the $$$ to spare, I'd go with the DSLR. That said, I didn't initally have the cash, and started with a Canon A630; I'm now using both that and the EOS Digital Rebel, depending on need and the time I want to spend on setting up the shot.

regards,
jazz

[Barry T S]

The top photo of the snake with the casio compact is very good, as is the photo on the previous page of the lizard :)

It all depends on the end results you are after. An SLR will give you an advantage, true, but if your happy with photo's like the 2 casio ones, look no further.
The photo I posted of the Okeetee was a snap shot, no real composition etc.. but taken on a Nikon D200 with a Macro lens, a 105mm vivitar manual focus model Ive had for years. That lens will give a 1:1 reproduction ratio if needed, eg. life size. Ive photographed wasps & spiders with it, showing great detail.
I used it mostly with my Nikon F3 manual focus 35mm jobbie, a camera favoured in the 1980's by most of the worlds pro photographers, long before Canon had its current grip on the market :rolleyes:
Ive used Canon & Nikon camera's, i prefered the speed of autofocus on Canon camera's, though a Nikon is now its equal. Build & optical quality, Nikon, no contest! Canon offer more technical features for your money, cant knock them for that.
Just my opinions, mind you :)

Snakes make great animal photo subjects, well, captive ones, anyway.
Ive never managed to photograph a native British snake, Adder or Grass Snake, too quick & elusive :sidestep:

Barry :cool:

[Nanci]

All right, I'm going to have to drag out the rattle snake pic to help defend the Casio...This was shot through glass.

(Elle says she doesn't like the pre-sets- I love them! Especially for landscape type stuff. My snake setting is the "flower" macro setting that I fidgeted with a bit and then saved.)

Nanci