Camera recomendations

[Collyn]

I really need a camera of my own but don't know what to look for. What are fetures you would recomend for model photography? What brand do you like dislike? I will be mainly useing it to take pictures of my layout. I do not have much money. As of now i use my dad's camera and he is not always happy when he can't find it

 

[jbaakko]

The biggest thing would be to look for macro mode, and the option to select exposure times & the F/stop settings, which leads to a DSLR (or SLR if you're a non-digital fan). I have a Sony DSC-R1 and it's ALMOST perfect, minus exposure times (unless I've missed them so far)...

If you're not in that "price range" make sure its got quite a few megapixels that way you can always edit the picture before re-sizing down to a postable size, and Macro mode is always nice...

Oh and on a personal note, I prefer Sony products because they've allways been good to me, and they don;t require some crappy software (kodak) to do anythign with the images...

 

[railohio]

How about picking up an "ancient" film camera? You'd be amazed how much more you'll learn by using one over a digital camera.

 

[hminky]

How about picking up an "ancient" film camera? You'd be amazed how much more you'll learn by using one over a digital camera.

A film camera is very expensive in the long run with the cost of film processing.

I use Konica-Minolta z20 that runs under $200 and have had good results with. I have even used it for published articles. A digital camera allows developing techniques because you can try every imaginable combination for only the cost of time.

I would recommend Helcion Focus Software to increase depth of field.

Helicon Focus allows the foreground to be in focus and the background 8 feet away also be in focus with a cheaper camera.

Just a thought
Harold

 

[Jim Krause]

That comment that always comes up on The Gauge, "but I don't have much money", limits what you can do in the way of a camera as well as with trains. Decide what your picture taking is going to be done for. Just your own personal use? Sharing online? How seriously are you going to get involved in photography as a hobby in itself? Photography can get as addictive as model trains and more expensive. I'm still using film cameras but would switch over to digital if I could justify the expense. Has the camera that you borrow from your dad served the purpose? Maybe you can involve your dad in the decision if he is knowledgable about what you want to do. Brians' comment about buying a film camera has validity if you want to do some searching. You can buy a good Canon 35 mm for under two hundred bucks at Walmart.

 

[prodigy2k7]

Canon PowerShot S2IS
-or-
Canon PowerShot S3IS

the S2IS is around $250

up to 2592 x 1944
5 megapixels
12x (36 - 432 mm equiv)
F2.7 - F3.5

SHooting Modes:
• Auto
• Program AE
• Shutter priority AE
• Aperture priority AE
• Manual
• Custom
• Portrait
• Landscape
• Night Scene
• My Colors *
• Special scene mode *
• Stitch Assist
• Movie

Sensitivity • Auto
• ISO 50
• ISO 100
• ISO 200
• ISO 400 Shutter speed • 15 - 1/3200 sec
• Shutter speed limits at some combinations of aperture / zoom
• Automatic noise reduction for exposures of 1.3 sec or slower

Hell with it...go here and look at the specs:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0504/05042201canons2is.asp#specs

and for the S3IS
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0602/06022111canons3is.asp

 

[railohio]

Someone looking to learn photography and shoot their models would be much better served with a used Pentax K1k or Nikon FM and a single prime lens than anything Wal-Mart and Canon could offer.

 

[prodigy2k7]

Someone looking to learn photography and shoot their models would be much better served with a used Pentax K1k or Nikon FM and a single prime lens than anything Wal-Mart and Canon could offer.

Canons are the best cameras, what are you talking about.

Digital is the best way to go now-a-days too

 

[Jim Krause]

Brian: I've never used a Canon, it was just a suggestion for a cost effective 35mm camera. My experience has been with Pentax 35's of various types. Both professionally and as a hobby. My underwater housing is set up for a Pentax K series. The older K series Pentax cameras are rugged and very dependable. Almost no plastic and the lenses are real glass. They weigh a ton compared to the plastic bodies of today but you can hang a long lense on them without distorting the camera body. I doubt that Canon cameras are as bad as you suggest. They have been around as long as Nikon and Pentax.

 

[oldtanker]

Bang for the buck go to a box store and pick up a Kodak, they have a lot of features, are dependable and take good pictures.

Quality, Pentax, Cannon, Nikon and Fuji are all good.

Jim, underwater housing???? For underwater basket weaving photos????sign1 I'll be taking a class in underwater photography this spring, along with advanced, nitrox and rescue certs! I may even get to help recover an old logging car thats in about 30' of water, the historical society wants it.:thumb:

Rick

 

[hminky]

Why in this day and age would someone invest money in a film camera?

Harold

 

[Jim Krause]

hminky: Probably because there are some very good and in this day and age, cheap film cameras. Film and processing has always been the lowest cost part of photography. Also, I can go to a DIY photo center and make copies for very little money or print copies from my computer. The digital cameras that I've seen for under two hundred bucks are limited when it comes to to closeup work and image quality. As to the term invest in a camera, they are not an investment. They depreciate faster than a used car. Camera technology changes so fast that looking at them from that angle is not realistic. Of course, we will be faced sooner or later with the lack of film processing and have to move on to digital. I wouldn't recommend spending a couple of thousand bucks on a new Nikon film camera.

 

[hminky]

Here is a good article on digital photography with an under $200 camera:

http://www.conrail1285.com/news.asp?storyid=28

Harold

 

[Renovo PPR]

Photography is another hobby much closer to my heart than even my trains. First of all brand name will get you nothing more than a name. Don’t buy the premises that digital is cheaper than film, for the life on me I have never figured that one out. At last count my update to digital has run a little over $5,000 dollars over the past two years. Through in a few DSLR cameras, new computer, addition hard drive, new printer, Photoshop CS2 and the list goes on.

In any event if your not going to get into photography full time I would suggest a good point and shoot digital camera. Any camera that has over 5mps will produce photographs with great detail up to size 8x10. Actually spending more money for those newer camera’s with 10 mp is like buying a $1,500 locomotive. If you have the resources and you like that locomotive buy it but then again in will run the same as the $350 locomotive.

Name brands wars are fun but to tell the truth they don’t mean much. However with that said I would consider a Nikon or a Canon point and shoot first. There are others out there and they will take great photographs but service and selection is better form these tow long time camera manufactures.

Just about any modern camera will offer you the ability to take close up photographs of your trains. I suggest you try looking at http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ for your next camera purchase. They are on of the best places for both selection and price; their service is very good.

Now some cameras for you to consider.

Nikon Coolpix L5
Nikon Coolpix L6

Canon Powershot A530
Canon Powershot A540
Canon Powershot A630

Of course a film camera will do just as good of a job as a digital camera but then again you will need a good quality scanner to get your photographs on your PC. I am a proud owner of a fleet of fine Nikon SLR film bodies.

My personal favorite cameras are as follows, Nikon D200 DSLR, Nikon D70s DSLR, Nikon F 100 SLR and the Nikon FM 2n SLR.

I find the other brands such as Canon and Pentax to be just as good unfortunately when you pick a camera system the investment in quality lens doesn’t permit the affordability to switch brands that often.

[FONT=&quot]If there is something in greater detail you would like to know just ask and I will do my best to help you out.[/FONT]

 

[Collyn]

How exactly does that helican focus work? Thanks for all the input. I think thisw is a good time to buy a camera. I have seen some huge deals. Manufaturers a probably tying to get rid of exess that didn't seel before chistmas or someting

 

[prodigy2k7]

Canon PowerShot S3IS is 6 megapixels

Kodak says that a 3072x2048 scan "captures all the image data 35 mm film has to offer"
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/storage/pcdMaster/aboutPCD.jhtml

Which is basically equal to the camera i just told you in terms of resolution, most people believe digital is more sharp/clear than film in the same resolution, and you can get this camera for $350, depending on where ur going...

Digital is cheaper when it comes to making prints too, you dont waste film, never have to buy film again, get a 1 gig card or 512MB and ur good to go, or whatever size you want, you can put them on ur pc easily, delete photos u dont want, u can make prints of selected photos instead of ALL the pictures (film)

 

[jbaakko]

Why in this day and age would someone invest money in a film camera?

Harold

There are certain things that film still wins out on.

 

[prodigy2k7]

Photography is another hobby much closer to my heart than even my trains. First of all brand name will get you nothing more than a name. Don’t buy the premises that digital is cheaper than film, for the life on me I have never figured that one out. At last count my update to digital has run a little over $5,000 dollars over the past two years. Through in a few DSLR cameras, new computer, addition hard drive, new printer, Photoshop CS2 and the list goes on.

In any event if your not going to get into photography full time I would suggest a good point and shoot digital camera. Any camera that has over 5mps will produce photographs with great detail up to size 8x10. Actually spending more money for those newer camera’s with 10 mp is like buying a $1,500 locomotive. If you have the resources and you like that locomotive buy it but then again in will run the same as the $350 locomotive.

Name brands wars are fun but to tell the truth they don’t mean much. However with that said I would consider a Nikon or a Canon point and shoot first. There are others out there and they will take great photographs but service and selection is better form these tow long time camera manufactures.

Just about any modern camera will offer you the ability to take close up photographs of your trains. I suggest you try looking at http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ for your next camera purchase. They are on of the best places for both selection and price; their service is very good.

Now some cameras for you to consider.

Nikon Coolpix L5
Nikon Coolpix L6

Canon Powershot A530
Canon Powershot A540
Canon Powershot A630

Of course a film camera will do just as good of a job as a digital camera but then again you will need a good quality scanner to get your photographs on your PC. I am a proud owner of a fleet of fine Nikon SLR film bodies.

My personal favorite cameras are as follows, Nikon D200 DSLR, Nikon D70s DSLR, Nikon F 100 SLR and the Nikon FM 2n SLR.

I find the other brands such as Canon and Pentax to be just as good unfortunately when you pick a camera system the investment in quality lens doesn’t permit the affordability to switch brands that often.

[FONT=&quot]If there is something in greater detail you would like to know just ask and I will do my best to help you out.[/FONT]

wrong, about the name brand, most brands tend to use the same brand processors and whatnot, if you know anything about computers, CPU brands are very different. Also, different brands use different sensors.

For example, Canon mostly uses CMOS, and Nikon uses CCD, the brands often use different stuff in their camera, so ya different companies do matter, Canon > Nikon
Obviously Im a canon lover lol

 

[prodigy2k7]

Of course a film camera will do just as good of a job as a digital camera but then again you will need a good quality scanner to get your photographs on your PC. I am a proud owner of a fleet of fine Nikon SLR film bodies.

Wrong again, You dont scan anything to get them onto your computer, most have a USB cable to hookup to your pc, or u can just use a card reader... Using a scanner is old..

 

[Renovo PPR]

I don't really fight the brand war that is like saying MTH builds a better locomotive than Lionel. Reviewing sensor performance would take up too much time to come to the fact they really produce the same results.

Now I'm still looking for the USB connection for my film cameras.

HeliconFocus is a program that creates one completely focused image from several partially focused images by combining the focused areas. [FONT=&quot][/FONT]
The program is designed for macrophotography, microphotography and hyperfocal landscape photography to cope with the shallow depth-of-field problem.


[FONT=&quot]Here is an example of DOF; you will notice that everything behind the main subject is out of focus thus giving the photograph a shallow Depth of Field. PS- this was taken by one of my out dated film cameras and put on the PC with one of those outdated scanners.


[/FONT]