I’m wanting to get a camera to take pictures of neighborehood (half moon bay, CA), trips and of course models i build. I don’t want anything really fancy and i don’t want to have to develop film (not immediate enough for me) so what the question is, is there a cheaper digital camera with decent color grab that will work at a short range that would be required for taking pictures of things like 1:72 scale tanks? also if taking digital pictures that close is not an option is there some other solution like using a regular camera through some sort of optical setup?
My [2c]
The dream camera would have all kinds of bells and whistles but if your on a budget (like most of us) you just don’t want to spend $900 on a digital camera. After all there are lots of models to buy.
You only really need 2MP for taking decent pictures of models. For outdoor shots of houses, stadiums, parking lots, etc - the more MP you got the better. Macro mode is good for shots 12in or closer (most digitals have this). Depth of field, manual fstop, manual focus, White balance, and other stuff is REAL NICE but only available in higher end stuff. IMO A TRIPOD IS A MUST HAVE!!!
My camera: Fuji Finepix A205 2MP - I got it $80 on sale at Wally world - not nearly the best but definitely worth it.
While you ponder your decision I leave you with this picture. Not my model but taken with my camera[:D]
[:D] that is a very nice build.hi Goatmonkey the camera i use is a cannon,small and cheap [200.00 it takes great pics and i got it from radio shack.[:D]by the way are you in canada? on vancover island? im in nanaimo.
I use a Samsung Digimax 530. It has 5MP for around 275. A good deal. The only gripe I have wiht it is it eats batteries.
I’m from Canada too! I’ve been to Vancouver Island, Nanaimo… Gorgeous area!! I live in Rocky Mtn. House, Alberta![:)]
(I know… off topic… …couldn’t help it[;)])
I’d recommend Lithium batteries then. They tend to last twice as long as the average battery. Pretty expensive, but worth it in terms of time.
My camera is a Kodak Easyshare CX7330, three megapixel, with 3x optical zoom, and 3x digital zoom. Easy to use, and takes excellent quality pics. MIne cost $149.00 US at Sears (price-match). For an idea of how they look, here’s my example. This is my unweathered, ready-for-decals T-54 tank taken with my Kodak Easyshare:
Goatmonkey:
A couple recommendations:
Get a camera with at least 3.3 megapixels. That will allow photo quality 8X10 inch prints.
If you’re wanting to use this for close-up shooting, you really should try out the camera’s macro focusing firsthand. Go to a store and run the camera through its paces. See just how close you can get.
I use a Nikon Coolpix 990 and can get within 2-3 inches of my models. Since photography is my profession, I have access to the higher end cameras and macro lenses for my model photos. The really great thing about the state of digital photography today is you don’t have to spend the bank to get a good digital camera. Check out the Canon Powershot line (the A400 costs around $160) or anything made by Nikon or Olympus. If the camera you purchase uses AA batteries (and many do), look into purchasing a set of NiMh rechargeable batteries. They hold a charge well and are cheaper than buying lithium disposables. Pick up a mini tripod while you’re at it. Something 6-8 inches tall will work well in a tabletop setting. Don’t forget that you’ll also need to buy a memory card to make it all work. 256MB cards cost around $40 now. Lexar and Sandisk are good brands.
Once you get the camera, read the instruction book and practice, practice, practice. Unlike film cameras, your mistakes won’t cost you a cent.
Hope this puts you on the right track, [:)]
Dennis
I have recently got a digicam, and can only give you one or two pointers.
First, make sure that you get a camera with at least 3 megapixels. Anything lower is becomming increasingly difficult to find, and frankly, cheaper as it is, it’s worth your money to spend a little more and go for a little bit of a higher model. After all, you won’t be ONLY taking pics of your models.
Second, it would be preferable if you got a camera with a built in zoom setting for closeup shots.
Shop around. Cannon, Kodak, and Olympys make some very nice digicams. HP isn’t the greatest, and sony is overpriced.
Another thing to keep in mind that optical zoom (typically 3X) is good, but digital zoom is pretty much worthless… it degrades the image stored by enlarging the pixels to give the illusion of zooming in closer without actually doing so. I turn off the digital zoom on my digi-cams.
Jimfredd’s right. Digital zoom is the same as cropping and enlarging in whatever image editing program you use. Look at the optical zoom specs when shopping.
Dennis
Wow, digital cameras have really come down since the last time I looked. I’ve been wanting to get one for my models, but I assumed it would be something like $300 at minimum.
Guess I won’t have an excuse not to have any pictures for the forum for much longer. [8)]
M.