Camera Recomendation

DeSotoSky

DeSotoSky

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Mar 21, 2011
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It's become clear that to effectively participate in this forum that I need to be able to take some pictures of my knives for posting or participating in the Sunday Picture show. Save me some time and give me a few suggestions as to what camera's I should be looking at.
 
If its just for knives and you aren't really a photography nut, pretty much any camera would be good.

I still have a Canon A70. It must be 10 years old now? It was about $300 when I bought it, now its worth maybe $20, but still takes awesome photos. Great macro.

My current camera is Canon Elph...again a few hundred now its worth nothing compared to the new models. Still takes great pics.

So in my opinion look on the Craigslist and see what you can get for super cheap. People upgrade all the time.

Otherwise look at the camera review boards or Amazon for top rated models.

http://www.dpreview.com/
http://www.steves-digicams.com/
 
Your budget has a lot to do with it.
Most anything available will do fine. Some have image stabilization which can help if your a bit shakey and you'll spend a little more for that.
Even some of the high end phones have pretty good cameras, I've seen some real nice pics from some of them. My $100 straight talk samsung does a fair job and its not a high end one. This way you always have a camera with you. I use it a lot to help my memory by taking pics as notes.
 
Remember that here on the forum we often want to do extreme closeups.....(to show that tiny crack in the stag or that interesting tang stamp) so make sure it has settings that can do good, crystal clear work at the range of a few inches and plan on getting a good tripod if you don't have one.

Most of this stuff is done with flash OFF and a slow exposure.

I like Canon, Olympus and Nikon.
 
Having done some how-too threads on photos here, I guess I have to speak up or stand down.

Well, You can be surprised what good pics you get with a non-proffesional camera.

Here is minimum:
- Have both a screen on back and a view finder you can look thru.
- Have a memory of at least 8 MG. 5MG is OK for a nice full frame shot for the websites but if you start blowing things up big, 8 or 12 is better
- Have a camera that uses a battery you can buy in a normal store......this will come in handy on a holiday or 10:00pm on a Sunday night.
- Compare close focus ranges. A macro setting would be even better. Pic one that gets closer than most of the others.
- Also the ability to have a 'timed' shot would be good. You know, the setting where you set the camera off, it starts beepiing while you run around and get in the picture. You will use this feature to prevent shake.

Shake........Unless you have bright sunlight or fancy stobe flashes you SHOULD BE USING A TRIPOD (or equal device). There are things that clamp on, wrap around or suction cup to stuff that you can screw a camera on but nothing beats a tripod. I always say buy a hundred dollar camera and 200 dollar tripod. You can put your camera on the tripod, get the knife all arranged just right and push the timer shutter button and step back and let it go off on its own. This reduces the dreaded shake effect that kills focus. Some folks rig it up to take good photos hand held, BUT a tripod is still everytime. They are no good during earthquakes only.

Search this forum and the photo fourm for 'How Too's' on knife photography. Take some of it with a grain of salt, except my advice on the tripod...........

300Bucks
 
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One comment on that wise advice, 300Bucks......

It's getting hard to find a camera with both screen and viewfinder these days.

Contributors to this thread should tell of the ones they know about.

And 300Bucks is dead on with his photography advice as usual.
 
300Bucks said:
Having done some how-too threads on photos here, I guess I have to speak up or stand down.
SHOULD BE USING A TRIPOD (or equal device). There are things that clamp on, wrap around or suction cup to stuff that you can screw a camera on but nothing beats a tripod. I always say buy a hundred dollar camera and 200 dollar tripod. YouTake some of it with a grain of salt, except my advice on the tripod...........

300Bucks
Click to expand...

Sorry to post again, but this is 100% excellent advice.

You need a tripod and a light box to take the best pics. Light boxes have many write-ups online to make one yourself, I made mine from a cardboard box, tracing paper and some lights pointing to it. Its also called a light diffuser if you Google how to make one.
 
I'll toss an off the tomh tidbit. Make sure you know how to use the auto focus settings, if your camera has it.
The one where you push down bout half way, let the camera focus, then push down the rest of the way.
 
Like 300bees said, if you want to do some close cropping, higher resolution (MP) is better.

This closeup of the mysterious dot inside the 1988 year code was hard to see otherwise.

csc_1120b.jpg

csc_1120.jpg
 
Get a canon s90 or s95 or a canon g11 or g12 you will not be disappointed I promise. Great macro large sensors, and they will stay relevant for a long time. Also don't feel any need to get a d slr unless you are willing to invest in lenses... This is coming from a pro photographer with too much gear.
 
Actually Big, If one can afford the DSLR, thats the route to go. Kinda a do it right the first time thang. Keeps one from wanting to upgrade soon after a non DSLR. A dslr with a lens in the, say, 18 to 135 range isn't too awfully expensive if you look down the road at not having to upgrade from a non dslr.

Shopping around is most important thing

Yeah,,,I'm spoilt,,, Not a pro, but been playing with Nikons and lenses since 1967.

Only thing I am,,, is OLD...ugh
 
Any canon with model name starting with A.
They are good, cheap, and quite simple.
 
I've been using this little guy for several years with good results. It's discontinued now but I'll never have another camera with out a view finder like it has.

Camera1.jpg


The problem with it now is that for some reason the only thing that works is the screen on the back (view finder died!) which really sucks so I'm in the market for a replacement. I bought a 12 mega pixel pocket type awhile back and found out that having the screen only just doesn't work for me at all.

I'd advise (as 300 mentioned) getting a camera with a viewfinder as well as the screen.
 
What is the advantage of the viewfinder, other than on occasion the screen can be hard to see in bright daylight? I find it a lot easier to look at the screen than to try to look thru the peep hole of the old view finders.
 
Viewfinder and screen gives you options. I have two 8mp, screen only, that will go in a band-aid box, sized cameras, that go in my pocket, fishing, hunting, touring, or going to major life events. (Weddings,birthdays etc.) Unless I really want bigger camera. I floated thru Grand Canyon with a Fuji camera that looks alot like Plumbs and got great shots. But it is only 5 mg so no great blow-ups.

All that said a view finder in a non-slr camera, slr = actual through the lens view, is usually just a small screen. But as st8 said there are light situations when a screen is hard to see. I also can get better composition and keep angles and lines even or not. No crooked picture of your kids birthday cake table. With only a screen this is just a hair more likely to happen. There is actually one instance where a screen is much better, when your standing in a crowd and you hold your camera up to snap a shot over the heads of folks in front of you.

But we are talking knife photos. Looking thru a view finder darkens the area around your eye and lets you preceive color and light better.
A screen is out in the open light and you just see the view differently. It will work, but just not as 'high craft' as the darkened viewfinder view. Again, if you are buying a quality big migpixel camera, one with viewfinder and screen gives you more options to make your shot.
The Canon g- series as recommended by Bigd I believe will have that.

If I was going back and gonna buy a new "knife special' camera, I would be looking at those 10/12 Mp pointandshoot cameras with all the bells and whistles. When I am holding $1500 of camera, fiddling with all the adjustments, I remember the quality of my old 5mp PanS and shake my head. Now that is a knife specific situation. You want to photo a hummingbird across the yard its all a different deal. Big telephots is the name of the game then.

All that said, I will still be using my slr tonight looking thru the viewfinder and at the screen, I have it, its working, its paid for. I guess I will just have to suffer the adjustments.
300Bucks/ch

There is nothing wrong with this 5 mp photo from my old point and shoot, but if you say what does it say on the serial numbers, I blow it up to full size and all the mp halo dots start showing up.
DSCF1249-1.jpg

Blown up a little, 10 or 12 mp would still be pretty sharp at this level.
DSCF1249-1-1-1.jpg
 
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