Affordable Digital Cameras?

[jakaufman]

Hey all!

I would love to be able to get some nice shots of my tank (when its up and running) but I'm worried that with my current camera I will not be able to get a good picture..

its like 3.2 megapixels, canon sd200... there is a macro setting but i still dont know if i could get much of anything looking good from it (it has been great for just normal pictures of friends and family up to this point)

what are some decent cameras out on the market now that can take nice shots, especially of our tank?

i know there are some people here with a lot of knowledge of cameras and photography.. since I am a noob and haven't done much research since i got my camera a couple years ago i figure i would ask

keep the amazing pictures coming, i love admiring the skill in both photography and reef keeping!

 

[gregr]

There are literally dozens of cameras that fit the bill- best thing to do is figure out your budget (include some money for a tripod if you can) and go from there. When you have an amount in mind you can narrow down your choices by deciding what kinds of pictures you most want to take. Some cameras do great close-ups and some are so-so, same thing for wide angle shots (for landscapes, architecture etc.) and some cameras are grainier than others at even medium iso's.
Learning about how cameras work will help you make the best choice.
This article explains the basics. This article will also help you in your decision.
Happy hunting,
Greg

 

[jeffbrig]

There's nothing wrong with your SD200, BTW. 3.2MP is more than enough for taking shots to share on the web, as well as small prints.

The SD200 is one of 3 cameras I own (the others are an Olympus C4040 and a Canon Rebel XT). The XT is a dream (what digital SLR isn't?), but when you add in lenses, it costs significantly more than any point & shoot.

Short of buying a dSLR, you're not going to see a significant difference in image quality moving to a different point & shoot camera. After mega-pixels, the only significant differentiators are screen size, zoom range, and macro capability.

If you have no compelling reason to get more megapixels, I say keep the SD200 and enjoy it. It's a good compact camera, and shares its optics with the more expensive SD300/400/500, if memory serves. It can take nice pictures of your aquarium, and it's very useful for capturing video clips as well. With a fast flash card, you can shoot continuously, too.