CAMERAS???

[Monica S]

OK, I hope I don't get my hand slapped or yelled at for posting this question in here, but I couldn't find a better place to do it:

I'm wondering what types of cameras all of you are using to take these pics of your snakes! We've got a digital piece of S. and I'm loving the quality I'm seeing with so many of the photos posted on this site. I'm hoping to get another camera sometime in the near future... Any suggestions out there??

Thanks!!!
-Monica

 

[Nagah11979]

Mine is a FujiFinepix 2650 2.0 megapixels, cost me about $200.00

Although I had some really bad pics in the past, I finally started to learn how to use the darn thing through tips I learned on this site actually. Here's a decent pic (I think), it may have been pretty cheep but at least it does what I need it to do.

(Man I am posting this girl a lot, sorry but I love her!)

 

[Amanda E]

I use a Nikon Coolpix 4500 (~$500-600) and my husband uses a Nikon Coolpix 2100 (~$150-200).

I think both cameras take really good photos, but my photos are of a higher resolution, but this only seems to matter if you are actually going to print some large photos. If you plan to just use the photos on the web, you don't need a to go for an expensive one.

The photo is cropped small, and not of a snake, but this is from my camera:

This is from my husbands:

Just to make it snake related, here's a photo of a pair I plan to mate in 2006, although at this date, he doesn't seem to care for her. He has eyes for a different female right now.

 

[stephen]

digitial cameras

I was wondering if someone can suggest a camera to use to get good close up shots and what do you use to get the shots of detailed shots of there scales thanks Steve :cheers:

 

[Amanda E]

Well, it took me awhile to figure out how to use the macro setting on my camera (Nikon Coolpix 4500, 4 megapixel), but I think it's great.

Here's a shot of a grasshopper I took last August.

When I took the photo, even I had no idea that it would end up showing to much detail. If I hadn't had to crop it so much to put it on the web it would look even better.

As far as taking shots of a snake's scales...you just take a photo in the macro setting (or with a macro lens if you have no macro setting) just like you would for any other type subject. Oh yah, and good lighting always helps.

Here's a scale shot, though it's not one of my best:

 

[Monica S]

Wow Those are some great shots! thank you for posting them! I still have a lot more to learn about putting photos online. Mine always seem to get very blurry once I crop them- just as you were talking about with you grasshopper photo. I really want something that can take excellent up close photos that will be nice and clear even when enlarged. Your camera seems to to the trick. I guess keeping it nice and clear while downloading it on the web just depends on the size the site will allow you to dwnld? I'm never able to post photos because "it" says they are too large and I can crop all I want and it will still say the same thing. Hopefully I'll figure it out sooner or later!!
-Monica

 

[Neumann]

Olympus D-460 1.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (~$160.00 USD)

 

[Alex Dew]

I got a fujifilm finepix A303
and its great

 

[Hurley]

We have a Fuji FinePix 3800. Nice quality photos for a decent price. Only problem I have with it is that it seems to require more light than my other camera to get focused. However, if you don't have enough light, the photo won't be that great anyway, so it's really a non-issue.

 

[Serpwidgets]

The trick to good macros (closeups) is to take the picture in as high res as possible. Instead of taking the ENTIRE pic and reducing it to 800x600 or 640x480, simply crop the existing full-sized pic down to the size you want. This gives you more "zoom" than just with the lenses, and you don't lose image quality by doing so.

Also, it is a good idea to play with the JPEG "quality" or "compression" option on whatever program you are using to do your editing. Compression + Quality = 100%, so basically it depends on whether the program uses one term or the other. How far to go depends on the program you use, JPEG compression algorithms are NOT created equal. Generally you want to save at somewhere from 15%-25% compression, or 75%-85% quality.

I use 20% compression on Paint Shop Pro 5 for all my web pics. They are small enough in file size (usually around 100Kbytes) to not be ridiculous, and there's no noticeable or significant loss of quality in the pictures at that point.

If you go too high on quality (or too low on compression) the file is way bigger than it needs to be. If you go too low, it will look like someone dropped a bunch of pieces of broken glass all over your picture.

 

[MegF.]

I use an Olympus Camedia C-5050. It's pretty user friendly, and I'm getting better and better pictures.

 

[Monica S]

Thanks everyone for all the great examples and advise!!! That will really help me to make my decisions when I go to get my camera! It looks as though there are a few out there that take some pretty nice pictures that don't cost me the same as a motley lavender!!!

Thanks again for all the replies!
-Monica :cheers:

 

[Neumann]

Monica,

If money is an issue- when isn't it! You may also want to look into factory refurbished cameras. You can save quite a bit of money and still have a nice camera with a factory warranty.

 

[gardenmum]

One thing to keep in mind

If you are looking for a camera that takes good macro shots for your snakes, you don't really need to get the best in megapixels, you need to get one that takes good macros. I have seen some good high mg cameras that have very poor macro capability as well as those that do.
I have a Sony Cybershot P30 that I got a few years back and I only paid $100 for it and it takes superb macros yet it is only a 1.3 meg. camera. So my advice is to also check the specs of the ones you are interested in and make sure they say they can take good close ups - also you can do a check the digital camera reviews on line or in magazines to see what the users say.
Good luck.

Here are a couple of my real close up shots with my little ole 1.3 mg camera.

 

[Marshall_P]

Gateway Camera

I just picked up a 5.25 megapixel camera from the gateway country store for $349.00, it came with a $50.00 mail-in rebate so I really only paid $299.00! The name on it is gateway, but it's made by Toshiba., the pics it takes are awesome, you can also get it from the gateway website for the same price I believe! the model # is the gateway DC-T50 for you info, Have a nice Day!! Marshall P..

 

[Axe]

Right now I have two cameras...

Nikon N90s - 35mm SLR - Retails about $800-900 new, $600 used.
Nikon D100 (6.1MP) - Digital SLR - Retails around $1500 new, $1250 used.

Unless the up-and-coming D200 has a decent sized buffer, can take photos faster than 3FPS, has a larger viewfinder than the D100 and is at least 8MP, then the next time I upgrade I'll be looking at the Fuji S2 Pro Digital SLR (12.1MP - current retail around $2000), or the S3 Pro (due out near the end of this year).

Currently most used lens...

Nikon 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6 AF-D (around $100 mint condition used, they don't make them new any more)

Looking to get the following...

Nikon 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 AF (around $225 mint condition used, another one they don't make any more)
Nikon 105mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor (macro lens, around $650 new, $550 mint used)

And eventually (long term, lots of saving up to do)...

Nikon 80-400 f/4.5-5.6 AF-D-ED VR (Around $1400 new, $1100 mint condition used).

Here's a few sample photos with the D100..

 

[Taceas]

First off I apologize if the pics may not show up initially, it seems my server crashed and I have no clue when it might be operational again. Hopefully soon. Thanks.


I use an Olympus C-750 Ultra Zoom 4.0 megapixel. This is my second Olympus and I love it. It takes good quality shots all around. I think there's a few idiosyncrasies about every camera out there. I just find Olympus easy to use, and it takes good pics for the price. The only thing I don't like about it is the software that comes with it. My original Olympus software was easier and had more perks to it. So I would recommend getting ACDSee photo software.

The colors are the most true to life of any digital camera I've tried, the zoom works great, plus it has a video function so you can take quick movies.

This one cost me around $400, but it's well worth it I think. (Not biased or anything.) If I had the money, I'd get me a Fuji as well.

This spring/summer will be the first year I've had my camera, so I expect to really work on my macro shots.

Most of the photo's on my webpage were taken with this camera: http://www.mainecoon.net/~rain/

Here are a few samples:

A lot of digitals have problems with red not showing properly, however this cyclamen is true to life:

This one shows the feather detail of my bird:

Picture of our bon fire from last weekend, fire I find is difficult to photograph:

Here's a link to a short movie clip of the bonfire:
http://www.mainecoon.net/~rain/FamilyPics/PatokaHouse/BonFires/P2280057.MOV

Couple Snake Close-ups:

Snowy horses in Montana winter:

Spanish Peak Mtns near Bozeman, Montana:

Pictures my husband took on his ski trip:

And finally my goat, Kahlua:

Here's a link to a really good resource for digital cameras, it's what helped me to find what I have now. He really breaks down his reviews and goes into depth of what he likes and doesn't like.

http://www.dcresource.com/