proper camera

[glass-gardens.com]

I have an Olympus C740, which is a 3.2MP point and shoot with a 10X (380mm 35mm equiv) Optical zoom and a macro mode with focusing down to 1.2" in macro mode. I've found it to be very good for aquarium photos, plus it's a great camera to carry around with you in case sasquatch runs out in front of you. It has every setting from full auto to full manual (including focus). You can pick one up for around $250.00.

The lens is what sold me on the camera, and for the money, I'd put it up against anything Canon has in the same price range, and I'm a fairly fanatic Canon person, all my film equipment is Canon, but quite frankly, I haven't found a situation yet where the Olympus hasn't delivered. The film equipment has been spending more and more time in the bag at home.

[djlen]

This is very interesting because I am right now looking for a digital camera and have absolutely no idea what to get. Or how much to spend!!!!!
I used to be into photography with regular(film inside) cameras, but where can I find a price/options/versatility type site that will explain things as well? And I need to be talked to like a 2-year-old on this.
I want something that I can use to take picture of my tanks and also to take nice family pictures at get-together's etc. Doesn't have to be fancy or expensive.
All this is so off topic, but it's just the kind of thread I needed at this point.

Len

[m.lemay]

Originally Posted by djlen

This is very interesting because I am right now looking for a digital camera and have absolutely no idea what to get. Or how much to spend!!!!!
I used to be into photography with regular(film inside) cameras, but where can I find a price/options/versatility type site that will explain things as well? And I need to be talked to like a 2-year-old on this.
I want something that I can use to take picture of my tanks and also to take nice family pictures at get-together's etc. Doesn't have to be fancy or expensive.
All this is so off topic, but it's just the kind of thread I needed at this point.

Len

Go back to the first page of this thread, theres a great link to a reviews site with lots of info. Based on that site I just put a bid on a Canon Powershot pro1 on eBay. Good luck!

Marcel

[Ibn]

Oh yeah...forgot to mention this to everyone that's looking for a camera. Head on over to pbase (www.pbase.com) and run a search on the camera. Lets you view pictures which were taken with the camera.

[150EH]

You could get one of those Kodak Underwater disposables and just stick you head in the tank! Wet but cheap, I should put this in the DIY section.

[Ibn]

Originally Posted by m.lemay

Go back to the first page of this thread, theres a great link to a reviews site with lots of info. Based on that site I just put a bid on a Canon Powershot pro1 on eBay. Good luck!

Marcel

Just read through the review on this camera. Not too impressed by it, especially with the price tag that it carries (brings it into the range of the Canon 300D and within range of the D70). Last page of the review with the conclusions:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canonpro1/page20.asp

Just posted some pictures taken w/the D70 w/various lenses.

Non-aquatic subjects:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=13871

Aquatic subjects:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=13870

[m.lemay]

Well heres the thing:The SLR I was looking at was the Canon 20D which is an awesome camera. I don't like the feel of the Eos 300d, the entry level slr plus that ones about $900.The cheapest your gonna find the 20D is $1400 with one lens. I've been drooling over that camera since Thanksgiving. I simply can't afford it. I'm a Canon Guy, have been since the early eighties. I just picked up the Canon Powershot pro1 for $535 on E-bay, thats a price I can live with it does everything that I want it to and its 8mp with a 28-200 lens. I can put up with a little "noise" in the 8mp setting, most of my pictures wont be in that high res anyway. Bang for the buck was what I was after. I'll let you know what I think of it when I get it.

Marcel

Originally Posted by Ibn

Just read through the review on this camera. Not too impressed by it, especially with the price tag that it carries (brings it into the range of the Canon 300D and within range of the D70). Last page of the review with the conclusions:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canonpro1/page20.asp

Just posted some pictures taken w/the D70 w/various lenses.

Non-aquatic subjects:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=13871

Aquatic subjects:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=13870

[Sven]

For a tight budget I would recommend the canon A95, exellent and I especially like the "flip out" lcd, allow you to take pictures from difficult angles.
It´s hands down the best camera money can buy in it´s price category. Good prica at bhphotovideo.com

[glass-gardens.com]

3X optical zoom with basic elements (as in no ED or APO), macro focus range is only 2". Of course it is Canon, but it's fairly basic. And quite frankly, you can place two photo's side by side of the same subject, one composed through the view finder, one composed through the LCD, and chances are, the one composed through the view finder is going to be better.

I actually get a kick out watching people using the LCDs to compose their shot's. The subject moves and they try to coordinate their tracking with it and end up with half the subject, not a problem when it's a stationary subject I suppose, but in my opinion, the best results always come from the view finder. You'll generally notice things in the view finder that get ignored through the LCD.

For $309, you can get a lot more camera features you may not even know you want or need until you find yourself without them.

I would recommend the Canon 1S IS if that's the brand you want. It's a bit more, but the zoom is great, although minum focus is a bit sad, but the image stabilization system would be a huge plus in aquarium photography allowing for handheld shots in low light. Thelens is also fairly fast with an aperature of 3.1 at full zoom.

Price a zoom lens in that range and speed eh.

Of course the trade off is a lower resolution (most likely not a problem really, a 3.2 will give you a very good 8 X 10 in a digital printer) and is more than sufficient for any online application.