camera choice

lunacris

lunacris

Active member
so ive been trying to take good pics of tanks but cant seem to get point and shoot camera detailed or dialed in as i like hours spent trying ive decided that its not made for what im trying to do . anyways went to best buy and that was a trip they didnt quite understand what i wanted not their fault not everyday u gett asked what camera will allow me to take good pics of my reef tank. i dont know isnt quite answer i was looking for so i turn to u guys with amazing pics what camera should i get and what features do i want
 
go to costco and get a dSLR. They have kits with accessories and an extra lens for the same price as just for the camera at best buy. When going for a camera you want optics, not flashy "features." My preference is Canon or Nikon. I went with Canon.
 
poidog said:
go to costco and get a dSLR. They have kits with accessories and an extra lens for the same price as just for the camera at best buy. When going for a camera you want optics, not flashy "features." My preference is Canon or Nikon. I went with Canon.
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1. don't go to costco. go to the internet. its cheaper, has more to offer, and does not have sales tax.
2. it all depends on your budget.
3. before you buy, go to a physical store to get an actual feel for what you think you want. that way you don't buy an expensive camera and ed up not liking the grip or feel to using it.

i have a Canon T1i along with 18-55mm and 55-250mm lenses. though to really get the shots i want i will be buying a more macro specific lens soon.
 
WeePee said:
1. don't go to costco. go to the internet. its cheaper, has more to offer, and does not have sales tax.
2. it all depends on your budget.
3. before you buy, go to a physical store to get an actual feel for what you think you want. that way you don't buy an expensive camera and ed up not liking the grip or feel to using it.

i have a Canon T1i along with 18-55mm and 55-250mm lenses. though to really get the shots i want i will be buying a more macro specific lens soon.
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Costco still has good prices to compete online (wait for them to offer an instant rebate, one brand is always on "sale.") and then you have an actual store to bring it back to, if its broken, or if you change your mind w/ no restock fee. Costco = unconditional return policy. Good luck with service or returns from an "online" place (there are a few good online camera store but they will be much more than costco).
 
I recommend checking craigslist for a dSLR. Much like reefing, people are always getting out of the hobby or upgrading to new equipment.

The ISO of a camera is important. Especially on dSLR bodies. The higher the number ie 3200+ the more sensitive to light your camera will be. On dSLR bodies you pay a premium for this technology. This is beneficial for a few reasons. First, it will allow you to have a faster shutter speed freezing movement in your tank. Second, it typically reduces overall noise in your photos because better camera perform better at higher ISO's. You want to try to keep your ISO as low as the situation will allow.

On lenses for dSLR cameras you pay a premium for the quickness of a lens. This is measure by a F stop number typically in front of the lens range. IE 1.8 50mm. The lower the number, the faster your lens, and the more light it will gather. Again, this will allow you to keep your ISO low reducing your noise.

If you want to work with the equipment you have try building a photobox. Basically its an acrylic box that will allow you to submerge your camera body. The macro pics I have seen from others always seem to turn out top notch.
 
+1 for Tangency

I have noticed, the lens seems to be where all the $$$ are. We are currently looking for a Macro lens for or Sony DSLR and I forgot about Craiglist. Thanks for the Refresh!
 
Here is a camera forum that has a very good for sale section (I think you have to register to see it):
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/

I picked up my macro lens from someone on criagslist... good deal over new, just make sure the guy you buy used stuff from knows what they are talking about. More than likely then they took care of the equipment.

I've had my dSLR for a little over a year now, and I'm still learning how to make the most out of it. I'd love to attend a class!
 
You can try this with your "point and shoot" camera. Depress the shutter button halfway to get the lense to focus on something. It'll lock on whatever focal point and then you can move the camera forward or backward to get your subject in focus. Then, depress the button the rest of the way. But if you're going go with a DSLR, I also like Canon. Hope this is some help. :)
 
Regarding camera brands... A good friends advice was "buy what your friends have" This turned out to be the single best piece of advice I got.

The idea is that you will be able to borrow a lens, trade tricks, and learn from each other. You will learn your camera much faster than sitting down with a 500 page technical manual.
 
picked up new camera and took a bit of reading and alot of patients which dont come easy but id say im getting it dialed in thx guys heres some pics
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Great choice, that's what I bought a couple of months ago. Now, if I didn't spend so much time maintaining my tanks, I could learn how to use it, lol!
 
nikon D40 older dslr but IMO one of the best out there and its not even that expensive. i had one for a while till it got stolen and i somtimes took better pics than bigger fancier dslr cams like the nikon D200. but never look at the mega-pixles the bigger the image sensor the better quality pics it is. like th nikon d40 was a 6.1 mega-pixle camera and the d200 was like a 12.1 but they have an image sensor that was almost the same size and therefore the image quality of both had little difference nikon d40 and d200 are both however discontinued but still found brand new if your lucky on ebay or slightly used.
 
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