What Camera do you recommend?

[lonewolf1977]

Hey guys, new to this stuff and I need advice on what camera would be good for the really great shots such as close up. My camera is 10 megapixel and I am satisfied with it's quality but I need something much better at close ups. Please give any suggestions and advice on this and also the lighting, need to understand the lighting a bit better. Do I need some sort of lamp to make it look as good as some here? Thanx a lot!

[Sonneilon]

Are you using your macro for closeups?

Are you cropping the images so you only get what you want?

Are you resizing?

Do you have a foto-editing software so you can SHARPEN your images. Photoshop has all that AND an ability to SAVE your file at a higher jpg rate. That means, the image will look better. A long time ago, Outrider said, "gee whiz, your images have gotten sharper." Now, I had been doing the same old thing for years but he was referring to specific shots that I had done thru Photoshop. For those few shots, I had upped the option of making the shot clearer (different than SHARPEN).

Cuz the fact is, you don't have to shoot REAL close to get close ups. It's good chances you are shooting at a fair distance so when you crop it, the image will be blown up to your target area. That'll make your close-ups look decent. I do it all the time in my dios. However, I do use MACRO but I know I can shoot several inches away. About the furtherest distance possible. 24" or something like that? 16"? I don't remember.

Otherwise, consider what you want to do with your camera in general. I mean, I'd love an $800 SLR-type of camera but as many times as I DROP the camera and get crap on it, I use a 5mp (wait, 4mp?) So if it's just for Joes or something, I wouldn't go all out. But if you are doing a lot of studio and gnarly outdoor photography, might as well get something good. I tend to look at Nikon and Olympus myself.

[LordRaven]

I think the key is to learn what you can do for your camera. When I first started on this site I had a 30 dollar 3.0 megapixel camera. I had a very basic macro function, and not much else. BUT! I came here and learned ALOT from constructive criticism. You just have to learn HOW to take a good picture with whatever you have. Learn WHATEVER camera you have top to bottom, learn how to take a proper picture. Some of my own favorite shots I used this crappy lil camera, and the right lighting. Just, take your time, RESHOOT. FOCUS. RELIGHT.

[Sonneilon]

Shane speaks truth, man. His first shots weren't all that great but he REALLY did learn how to use his camera well. I don't remember what he has now. I started with a crapola camera too (came w/ a computer, how good can that be, not to mention it was already out of date by a year or two!). I use a Kodak EasyShare z730 (5mp) but get this, I don't use the MAX 5.0 MP! MOst of my shots, according to the setting I use, shoot between 3-4mp.

BTW, either a tripod or shooting on a stable surface works wonders too.

What I'm after...

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=abcat0401005&type=category

[Outrider]

Like the guys have said! I too started with a 3.0mp click and shoot (check out my early shots - not great!), but graduated to a better camera with a great 2cm macro mode, and 8.0mp, which I still use today - it's taken over 12,000 shots and is still going strong. Any decent brand-name camera with a good macro mode and a decent mp count should give you the versatility you need to take pretty well any kind of shot.

[haradrel]

Megapixels can only do so much, its actually not the megapixels that will determine the quality of your shots. (well to a degree of course).
I now use a Canon 450D DSLR (I think its a DSLR :-s)
Anyways, see what the camera can do for you, experimentation is needed, you don't need an expensive camera to make great shots. I would recommend buying a better camera only if you are to use it elsewhere as well (like me, I have 2 big trips each year usually and then go all "tourist" on the places I visit - as well as photography in general, its basically my biggest hobby now).

[Scuba Steve]

I agree with everyone above. You can get great shots with any camera it's all in the set up, lighting, and focus. All my shots up until today have been don on a Nikon coolpics s60 camera. It is 10mp but it's basically a gimick camera because of the touchscreen and the ability to edit in camera (nothing useful though). As far as lighting the best light for shots is the sun, but try and shoot in a shaded area to keep the sun from overpowering the shots with glare. In the dark i'm still working on. but my only sorce of lighting right now is a white LED flashlight, a red LED light that was built into my old apartment key, and a mag light flashlight which unless your bouncing the light off something it is way too bright!
just keep at it and ask questions of others here about how they did certain things you like and you will be posting great things in no time!