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View Full Version : Crazy question: What type of camera do you use?



Greg Deemer
02-29-2008, 7:57 AM
Here is an off the wall question but I feel a necessity in order to display our work: I see all these great photo's of beautifully turned pieces that everyone does. What types of camera can one buy that does a good sharp close-up? I have a $400 Fuji that I can’t get to focus worth a hoot in a close-up situation... What do you guys use? :confused::confused::confused:

Prashun Patel
02-29-2008, 8:00 AM
I like the Canon Digital Rebel or EOS line.
There are some stores on ebay that offer sweet packages. For like $1000 you can get a bunch of accessories w a 10mp cam including a wide-angle and closeup lens and a 4g mem card.

John W. Willis
02-29-2008, 8:11 AM
Not a crazy question at all Greg. That can/is one of the most frustrating things for me. I originally had one of the first digitals Polaroid came out with and it was meant to make me throw things, very frustrating.

I now use a Fuji s6000fd which with all of the bells and whistles can be frustrating. I almost learned my lesson this time and went with simple, inexpensive but didn't. Some of the best close up shots that I've seen were with simple point and shoots.

I still pull my old Nikon 35 out at times and just wait on my pictures to get back.
One reason I went with digital was to be able to see real time what the pics will look like but I still get frustrated at trying to get a focused close up sometimes.

robert hainstock
02-29-2008, 8:44 AM
I have tried two, a Canon, and a Panasonic PL759 video digicam. I have most of the forementioned problems with the Canon, and have gone back to my older Panasonic because it is much more flexible. I can shoot from a significant distance and have much better control of shutter speed. I still need to get a photo tent. don't know that I will. :)
Bob

Steve Schlumpf
02-29-2008, 8:56 AM
Greg - I have a Canon Powershot A70 but have been thinking about upgrading to a DSLR. Just thinking about it at this stage as the $$$$ is more than I want to spend. The A70 works OK but like you the most frustrating thing is the focus. My camera does have a number of things that are adjustable - including a manual focus. Maybe it's just my eyes getting old but while viewing the subject through a small LCD window I can't tell if something is in focus or not. Have to download to the computer and then check it out on screen. But, for now, the camera does work and I have learned what to do to overcome what I perceive to be it's shortfalls.

Joe Chritz
02-29-2008, 9:17 AM
I use a Nikon D80 at work for accident investigations and evidence photograph. With the macro and decent lenses it takes phenomenal photos. Not just still shots either. Spendy but a great camera and it is almost cop proof on auto.

This is a full action shot from almost a full soccer field width away with a telephoto lens. I blurred the face because it isn't my kid just a good example of the camera. We use the same camera to photo foot impressions and developed fingerprints.

Joe

Walt Nicholson
02-29-2008, 9:48 AM
Greg, I have had the same problems in the past. Finally bought a Canon Pro1 a couple of years ago and have been really happy. One of the big things that helped was when I finally found out how to use the "macro" settings for closeups. I had always thought it was just for tiny stuff like bugs or flowers with super close shots and you had to have the super macro lens and stuff, but finally discovered it works for bigger stuff too. There is a website www.dpreview.com (http://www.dpreview.com) that has some very good, in-depth reviews of just about every camera in the world on it. There is way more information about each camera than this old brain can absorb, but it can be very helpful if you are going to lay out the bucks for a new one.

Tim Thomas
02-29-2008, 10:14 AM
Several people have already mentioned using a macro setting, which is excellent advice. One other thing that I find helps is to use a tripod. If your digital camera doesn't have image stabilization built into it you may find that a tripod helps get a clearer picture.

Jeffrey Fusaro
02-29-2008, 10:17 AM
Here is an off the wall question but I feel a necessity in order to display our work: I see all these great photo's of beautifully turned pieces that everyone does. What types of camera can one buy that does a good sharp close-up? I have a $400 Fuji that I can’t get to focus worth a hoot in a close-up situation... What do you guys use? :confused::confused::confused:

GREG--

if you want to take your photography to the next level, a digital slr is the best way to go.

when you have this type of camera, and you learn how to use it outside of full auto mode, you will find that your photos improve. but, you can expect to take a lot of bad photos while you are learning to take good photos.

depth of field adjustment, the ability to manually focus a camera, along with proper lighting and exposure are all critical to making good photos.

as far as a specific camera goes, i use a nikon d70s.

the nikon d40 series is a real nice camera for the $$$.

good luck.

Richard Madison
02-29-2008, 10:29 AM
Use manual focus if you have it. Use a tripod and cable release or self timer to avoid camera shake. Agree that the Nikon D40 is a lot of bang for the buck.

Mike Golka
02-29-2008, 10:37 AM
I have a Canon Digital Rebel and an A70. I use the Rebel most of the time and can get very good closeups via the macro setting. The A70 is also good but I seem to only use it for underwater photography and as a small camera to take along for those "you never know" shots. I prefer the Rebel because of the lens changing ability (another vortex):o

Jim Underwood
02-29-2008, 10:40 AM
My wife bought me a Powershot A410 which got great reviews (we didn't buy the 510 because it was newer, and had fewer reviews). My sons bought me re-chargeable batteries and a fast charger for them. I also bought a bigger memory card for it.

I love that camera. It's got macro and super macro, zoom, ISO adjustments, and custom and pre-set white balances.
It's a simple point and shoot, but it's got lots of options, and takes great pictures. *Oh... and it was a really reasonable price on sale somewhere - I want to say it was $120.

I jsut went out this week and bought some foam board and a 500w halogen work light for lighting. I have already built my light box and have a white vinyl pulldown blind for the backdrop.

What I need now is a tri-pod...

Ken Fitzgerald
02-29-2008, 10:58 AM
I bought my wife a Nikon D40x last July. She was on vacation when I bought it. I joined her and gave her the camera. She didn't use it for 3 days. I was worried. Now.......I wish she'd let me use it more often....

John Fricke
02-29-2008, 11:16 AM
Was a Nikon Coolpiz 7.1 megapix til I dropped it and smashed the lens.....waiting to go back to work so I have funds for replacement.....unemployment sucks!

Bill Blasic
03-01-2008, 6:51 AM
I have the Canon Digital Rebel XT, I've taken over 12,000 shots without problems. The most important thing to look for in your camera is the ability to set it for different lighting conditions ie: White Balance, different lights etc. and being able to manually set your F-stop because you need the higher F-stop ie: F22 etc. to control your depth of field when taking pictures of your pieces. The high F-stop allows you to get the entire picture in focus from front to rear. A light tent is also a big help in getting gratifying photos of your work. Jamie Donaldson has a tutorial on his website called Phrugal Photo Techniques that will help you understand and attain better photos of your work.
http://www.jamiedonaldsonwoodturner.com/techniques.html

Russ Peters
03-01-2008, 8:33 AM
one thing that help me with posting pics of object was the lighting I built this light box and recommend it to anyone
http://www.studiolighting.net/homemade-light-box-for-product-photography/
hope this helps

Jim Becker
03-01-2008, 9:05 AM
I use both a Nikon D70 DSLR and a Nikon Coolpix S51 compact camera. I use Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 to do any retouching and resizing.

Brian Poor
03-01-2008, 9:05 AM
Here is an off the wall question but I feel a necessity in order to display our work: I see all these great photo's of beautifully turned pieces that everyone does. What types of camera can one buy that does a good sharp close-up? I have a $400 Fuji that I can’t get to focus worth a hoot in a close-up situation... What do you guys use? :confused::confused::confused:

Fuji makes a decent camera.

If you are trying to get inside of your lenses minimum focal length, then it won't matter what you point at your turnings.

What is the exact model of your Fuji?
Will it take any additional lenses?
Are you shooting hand-held or off a tripod?
How much light is available when you are taking pictures of your turnings?

David G Baker
03-01-2008, 9:48 AM
Greg,
Most camera companies make a close up attachment that fits over the front of your lens. This attachment is available from after market sellers as well.
I have an early Kodak digital camera that I use for my Ebay photos and with the close up attachment I can get excellent photos that are taken up close. It takes a few tries to get the picture lined up with the camera due to the offset of the viewer in relationship to the taking lens.
If you plan on doing a lot of photos or plan on expanding your picture taking into a serious hobby, a digital single lens reflex may be the way to go.
I have been looking at the Nikon D80 with a couple of lenses but my money keeps being spent on life necessities. This camera and the lenses I want will cost me in the neighborhood of $2000. You can buy a Nikon D40 for in the neighborhood of $600 and if you shop you can get a couple of lenses included in that price. The D40 is a great camera and has almost everything needed for some serious picture taking.
Cannon also makes some excellent cameras but I have not done the research on the Cannon product line.

Kyle Costlow
03-01-2008, 9:57 AM
I use a Nikon D-70, for close up shots I like to use a telephoto lens, or any lens with a small minimum focus range.
I took these with a 60$ telephoto lens. If you can afford it VR is well worth it. The 18-200 VR lens is one of the best multipurpose lenses around, once I have some coin to burn, I will be getting one.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/nomad85/Photography/luminaries.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/nomad85/Photography/flower.jpg

Kevin Groenke
03-01-2008, 10:22 AM
There are obviously many folks where with far more expertise than I, but here's my .02.

The images you make cannot be better than the available lighting. It takes much more light than you think to yield the low ISO and fast shutter speeds that are required for really clear/crisp images. This is more important with close-up photography because ANY camera movement will blur the image. Get a tripod and some lights to keep the camera still and provide the necessary light. (I'll go out on a limb and venture that with digital color correction, you can just use clamp on halogens from the BORG).

Use a macro lens/setting for close up images, most "normal" lenses/settings cannot focus at less than 24".

A common mistake with digital cameras is failing to pre-focus. Always depress the shutter button 1/2 way before capturing an image, this is what focuses the lens. If you just snap the pic, there is no guarantee that the image will be in focus.

If you're shopping for a new camera, you'll have to decide between a DSLR and a point and shoot (P&S) type camera. Both types of cameras have a variety of auto and manual controls/modes so a bit if research is necessary to determine what camera best meets your needs and technical abilities.

I took many photo classes back in college and appreciate the control that an SLR offers. I've been pretty close to getting a DSLR on a couple of occasions, but always realize that I am unlikely to want to carry a relatively large DSLR when traveling, which is when I take the most pictures.

If you want to get serious about photography a DSLR is probably the way to go, but I don't think you NEED one to capture beautiful images.

The best cam I've found for my current criteria is the Panasonic TZ3 (TZ4&5 just released).
file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Owner/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-31.jpg
http://www.letsgodigital.org/images/artikelen/38/lumix-tz5.jpg

This is the smallest "super-zoom" digital camera around. It features a 10X optical zoom that starts at 28mm for panoramic shots, indoor images and other instances in which you want to capture more without backing up. Very few small digi-cams have such a wide angle, which was a primary criteria for me. The TZ3 has in-lens stabilization, a high quality Leica lens and a good balance of auto modes and manual controls (though no manual focus:(.) This camera is smaller than a low angle block plane, it fits comfortably in a shirt or jacket pocket (or a belt case), but isn't so small that it's difficult to operate. I find the ergonomics VERY good.

Many of the CANON P&S's cams (A series especially) are consistently on the top of the heap review-wise. The FUJI F10/F20/F30 is widely regarded as THE BEST low light P&S.

Here are a couple camera sites that I've found useful.
http://www.steves-digicams.com/best_cameras.html
http://www.dpreview.com/

Whatever camera you have/buy, READ THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL. All digital cameras can probably do MUCH more than you think they can. Read the manual and practice/explore the camera until you're comfortable with the camera and you can achieve the results you expect. If you buy from a real camera shop, they'll probably offer free classes where you can learn more in a couple hours than you would in DAYS on your own. Consider taking a class through a community ed or similar program. You are unlikely to be the least or most knowledgeable person in the class.

Buy an extra battery and memory card so you can take pics when you really want to.

Post some pics when you nail this stuff down.

kg

Cary Falk
03-02-2008, 1:06 AM
I have a Nikon D80. It takes excellent pictures close up. I also like the quick shooting.

Curt Fuller
03-02-2008, 1:58 AM
Greg, there's more cameras out there than you can shake a stick at. And most of them will take a pretty decent picture. But what I found made the biggest difference was a cheap photo tent, a decent background, and proper lighting. All three can be had for less than 50 bucks. You can buy the tents online (or look at a picture of one and make your own), the cheap tin light reflectors you can get at home depot along with some "daylight" compact flourescent bulbs (5000K), and get a sheet of light gray photo paper for the back ground either at a photo shop or a craft store that sells big sheets of colored paper. If you put one light above the tent, one on each side, and just put your camera on the auto setting with the photo paper behind your turning you'll get a pretty decent photo. A tripod will help even more and using the timer release on your camera will keep you from jiggling it when you push the button. You can also tweek it a little with your computer software until it looks even better.

Hope that helps.

Curt Doles
03-05-2008, 7:01 AM
HeyGreg,

A lot of great advice here, it depends on the level you want to get to.

Adequate lighting is really important.

I shot a ton of pictures a few years back when I was selling a lot of stuf on EBAY. I used an older Olympus 2.1 MP (C2000) and a cloth backgroung with a spotlight I could manipulate for just the right lighting.

The picture were great for that purpose.

Sometimes I usesd the macro, other times not. I have a Fuji 5000 now that takes great pictures, for my purposes!

Good luck,
Curt

Randy Carnley
03-05-2008, 8:47 AM
I use a Nikon 8700 and a Nikon D80

J. Z. Guest
03-06-2008, 1:47 PM
Here is an off the wall question but I feel a necessity in order to display our work: I see all these great photo's of beautifully turned pieces that everyone does. What types of camera can one buy that does a good sharp close-up? I have a $400 Fuji that I can’t get to focus worth a hoot in a close-up situation... What do you guys use? :confused::confused::confused:
Greg, I apologize, but have not read the whole thread.

I use two cameras. For most online stuff, I use my handy little Canon SD600 Elph. It is just so handy.

For "serious" stuff, I use my Pentax K100D. The image stabilization is excellent, the optics are excellent, and it works with any lens. Lots of folks go with Nikon or Canon SLRs because the pros do, but that is not a good enough reason for an amateur who is willing to do some of his own research. Just like a lot of us who have cabinet saws would be just fine with contractor saws.

I am a hobbyist photographer as well, and in my opinion, most photos are ruined by one or more of these 5 things:

1) Flash: it flattens things out, reflects, robs depth

2) Camera Shake: When the flash is disabled, camera shake rears its ugly head, as most folks don't bother with a tripod. With your $400 Fuji, if you set it properly and use a tripod in conjunction with the self timer, your photos will be very good.

3) Bad lighting : fixing this requires some reading. Lighting is a huge part of good composition.

4) Bad composition: Too tight a crop, too loose a crop, centering your subject every time, bad background can all ruin an otherwise good shot.

5) Laziness: I have capability beyond what I show in my internet photography. Most of these photos are just for illustrative purposes. If they accomplish their purpose, and aren't blurry, I'm OK with that. With any given photo, you see me post or link to in this forum, I could easily do 200% better. Time is just too valuable. Maybe when I make something really nice, it will be worth the trouble. ;)