$700 budget, what camera and what lense?

[Thatgrimguy]

So I'm wanting a camera that is better than my Iphone. My tank is 2 ft deep and I can't get a decent pics of most of my corals on my phone.

I have $700 to spend total. I want something that isn't too hard to learn and will take good enough aquarium pics. I'm not trying to get into photography though and really would rather not have to fully learn photoshop. Any suggestions, I prefer Nikon because I have a friend who is a Nikon freak and will help me learn it.

 

[BlueCorn]

If your truly not interested in "learning photography or post processing" save your money. A new camera won't suddenly make your pictures amazing.

 

[Misled]

Have your Nikon friend take the pics for you. Pay him the 700 bucks.

 

[Allmost]

I dont know about nikon, never used it.

but I use a Canon DSLR Rebel T2I, and I have yet to photoshop any pic.

I take pics in raw, and correct white balance on my laptop, and that's it. I too am not an artist, nor do I know how to photoshop that well but you dont need to really, the camera is much better than the Iphone it will make your images much better. you will also have more options with a DSLR, like choosing shutter speed and apreture. they come in handy. specially when taking pics of movig fish or ....


I guess you can ask your nikon friend about a nikon set equal to rebel T2I.

about lens, save your money for now, and use the DSLR with the lens it comes with, soon you will want a mcro lens which is not cheap

quick comparison : and I am a bad photographer lol
DSLR :

Iphone

DSLR MAcro

again, these taken by me, who has no experience, no steady hands, and no artistic background

 

[Thatgrimguy]

There are point and clicks that take good shots and don't need dramatic post processing. I am just not going to spend $2500 on camera body lense and software. There is a happy median between iPhone and starting a whole hobby...


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[Allmost]

There are point and clicks that take good shots and don't need dramatic post processing. I am just not going to spend $2500 on camera body lense and software. There is a happy median between iPhone and starting a whole hobby...


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the camera I recommended is about 500 bucks ... not sure where u are getting ure info from ... the software, is a click. you click on a white area, it corrects the white balance ....

 

[Misled]

Here's the problem. If you don't know what you're doing, the shots you want to get won't be the shots you get. Sure, anybody can use a point and shoot and luck out and get something ok one out of a hundred times. The thing is, that's a waist of time. You could do the same thing with your phone. If you don't know what you're doing, the shot you want may never be the shot you get.

And Almost, if you can shoot in raw, why don't you? The WB on those is pretty horrid on all but the last one.

 

[coralreefdoc]

Olympus E-520 is a solid mid-range DSLR that can be acquired, with multiple olympus zuiko lenses, for under $700.

Hopefully, the photography experts here can better elaborate on this camera/lens ...

 

[Allmost]

Here's the problem. If you don't know what you're doing, the shots you want to get won't be the shots you get. Sure, anybody can use a point and shoot and luck out and get something ok one out of a hundred times. The thing is, that's a waist of time. You could do the same thing with your phone. If you don't know what you're doing, the shot you want may never be the shot you get.

And Almost, if you can shoot in raw, why don't you? The WB on those is pretty horrid on all but the last one.

if you read carefully through my post, you will see that I do shoot in RAW, and use the canon program for white balance, I explained it in my last 2 posts. [click on a white area .... ]

I also explained how I am not an artist, nor a good photographer. I just need to take pics of my corals, the way they look to my eyes, the above pics, are a good representation of my fish and corals, but that is my opinion through my eyes. the first fish pic of the angelfish, was taken with flash. other two no flash. the close up of the corals are prety good representation of their colors too.

I would love to know why you think the white balance on the fish pics are bad., can you please explain so I can learn from you ? unless u dont like me hahaha

 

[Thatgrimguy]

I can get great shots on a damn disposable camera, why do people act like you have to spend $1000+ just to take some pictures. I just want something more permanent than disposable. That has a decent sensor size and shutter speed.

I have no problem learning how to set the basics, but I am not trying to win any photo contests either.


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[Thatgrimguy]

if you read carefully through my post, you will see that I do shoot in RAW, and use the canon program for white balance, I explained it in my last 2 posts. [click on a white area .... ]

I also explained how I am not an artist, nor a good photographer. I just need to take pics of my corals, the way they look to my eyes, the above pics, are a good representation of my fish and corals, but that is my opinion through my eyes. the first fish pic of the angelfish, was taken with flash. other two no flash. the close up of the corals are prety good representation of their colors too.

I would love to know why you think the white balance on the fish pics are bad., can you please explain so I can learn from you ? unless u dont like me hahaha

I am very sorry. I didn't see your post before responding! That is very helpful and exactly what I was looking for! Thank you!


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[Misled]

In the EXIF data it says Auto White Balance and Auto Exposure. Maybe your software is different and it displays that way. I've never seen blue rocks or sand though.

 

[BlueCorn]

And it starts again....

 

[Thatgrimguy]

It's not that I'm not willing to learn anything. I guess I should elaborate more. My "friend" is my Mom and she's a professional photographer with a Nikon D4 and a D800 and about $15000 in lenses... (probably more I really don't know) But with all that, she is just unable to suggest anything that isn't over the top. My not wanting to learn is probably still more knowledge than most. I understand aperature and basic white balance (at least in theory, I have never adjusted it personally.) I just didn't want to go all the way to a full blown photography hobby. I mean, Photoshop on it's own is like $700 isn't it... I'm looking for the FOWLR of cameras. A good camera, but doesn't have to be top of the line in every way. When I want ridiculous pics, I'm still giong to call her.

It seems photography people are all - All or nothing. What happened to just taking a picture with a good resolution lol.

 

[Allmost]

In the EXIF data it says Auto White Balance and Auto Exposure. Maybe your software is different and it displays that way. I've never seen blue rocks or sand though.

I think you mean th purple tang pic ?

other pics, there are SPS corals in the background, and coraline alage.

let me try it again. I dont use auto, I use the click on white balance.

this time I tried clicking on the sand instead.

to

ok you are right this does look alot better and more real !

thank you again for your help

 

[Allmost]

It's not that I'm not willing to learn anything. I guess I should elaborate more. My "friend" is my Mom and she's a professional photographer with a Nikon D4 and a D800 and about $15000 in lenses... (probably more I really don't know) But with all that, she is just unable to suggest anything that isn't over the top. My not wanting to learn is probably still more knowledge than most. I understand aperature and basic white balance (at least in theory, I have never adjusted it personally.) I just didn't want to go all the way to a full blown photography hobby. I mean, Photoshop on it's own is like $700 isn't it... I'm looking for the FOWLR of cameras. A good camera, but doesn't have to be top of the line in every way. When I want ridiculous pics, I'm still giong to call her.

It seems photography people are all - All or nothing. What happened to just taking a picture with a good resolution lol.

Sorry for partial highjack I just had to take advantage of Misled's amazing skills to make the pics better haha

I was trying to show that with no photoshop, a DSLR camera would still take better pics than a point and shoot one specially for reef tanks

PS. if your mom has all those lens, make sure you get a camera that would accept those so u can borrow from her
the canon program I use, came for free, and its not bad for doing beginner stuff ... I think Nikon has one just like it too.

 

[Thatgrimguy]

Sorry for partial highjack I just had to take advantage of Misled's amazing skills to make the pics better haha

I was trying to show that with no photoshop, a DSLR camera would still take better pics than a point and shoot one specially for reef tanks

PS. if your mom has all those lens, make sure you get a camera that would accept those so u can borrow from her
the canon program I use, came for free, and its not bad for doing beginner stuff ... I think Nikon has one just like it too.

No worries, that little bit of editing made a drastic difference too!

Really I just want to be able to take a picture from a further distance than I can now. In the first 6 inches of water, the Iphone is taking pics that are high enough quality to satisfy me. I am just looking to take pictures for growth and color comparison over time.

So there are programs that don't cost $700 that I can do the editing in! I'm making some headway now! The lenses are a big draw of going Nikon. I doubt she'll let me just mess with the lenses. Some of them are stupid money. But I'm sure she will let me use some to figure out which I want to buy.

 

[BlueCorn]

I was trying to show that with no photoshop, a DSLR camera would still take better pics than a point and shoot one specially for reef tanks

Sorry, but that's completely false.

 

[Thatgrimguy]

Sorry, but that's completely false.

Ok, then forget the learning part.

Body, lense and software for around $750? Nikon is definitely preferred.

 

[tinman01]

Sorry, but that's completely false.

Nope not completely false ...

even with no editing .. a DSLR takes way better pics than a point and shoot ..

many factors help us do that ... prime factor being the size and type of sensor that an slr camera has is way far better than a P&S

and also there arent many P&s's that let you decide on the shutter time and aperture ..