Recommend a newbie camera

[aandfsoccr04]

At this point in time I am just using my cell phone to take pictures. Everything seems to be browned out when I take pictures.
I.E.

I'm looking for some type of entry level camera that I can take pictures of my corals and get an accurate representation. I see pictures all day on reef central that are amazing and mine look like poop. With christmas and my birthday right around the corner, I am looking for some good ideas on what to ask for.

 

[Recty]

What is the amount of money you want spent on you?

I'd recommend a Canon G11 or G10 as a good newbie camera that will let you take amazing photos, but they are $3-400.

The issue with your pictures I see there is you're using a flash, which totally overpowers the light from your regular lighting fixture. What you're seeing is what your corals would look like under normal lighting, not your fancy tank lighting.

 

[Dun Properly]

Any point & shoot camera should be much better than your cell phone. If you want to get more serious then an entry level DSLR is going to start around $500.

With a little knowledge and some practice, any camera can produce some nice photos though.

Many of the pictures that look FANTASTIC are taken by experienced photographers and are processed before posted.

 

[aandfsoccr04]

I mean I'm totally comfortable finding a deal on craigslist that is somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 dollars give or take. I just don't really know what I am looking for. I don't know anything about the photography industry. I've never really had a passion for taking pictures but think it is critical to keeping a reef tank so I would like to pursue it some...

 

[Dun Properly]

I mean I'm totally comfortable finding a deal on craigslist that is somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 dollars give or take. I just don't really know what I am looking for. I don't know anything about the photography industry. I've never really had a passion for taking pictures but think it is critical to keeping a reef tank so I would like to pursue it some...

If you aren't interested in delving into photography (i.e. iso, frame rate, f stop, lenses etc), then I would just get a nice point & shoot (not DSLR). I have a 5 year old Sony Cybershot that takes pretty nice pictures. I am sure that the technology is better and even cheaper today.

 

[aandfsoccr04]

I'm not into going out and and spending a weekend taking pictures of nature or photographing on my free time. I may take it with me on a vacation and shoot some pictures but that would be the extent of it. I'm buying one solely for the purpose of shooting pictures of my reef. What camera would you recommend in the ballpark of $400?

 

[BlueCorn]

I'd recommend a Canon G11 or G10 as a good newbie camera that will let you take amazing photos, but they are $3-400.

There's your answer.

The G series, from Canon, has several things that make it a good reefing camera. It shoots in RAW format, so you can tweak white balance in software, and it offers full manual control in addition to it's built-in automatic modes.

 

[aandfsoccr04]

so this is what I want:

http://richmond.craigslist.org/pho/2644195803.html

?

 

[BlueCorn]

Nope. That's a Rebel.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/800811024-USE/Canon_3632B001_PowerShot_G11_Digital_Camera.html

 

[aandfsoccr04]

What's the difference?

Do I want a g10 or g11?

 

[BlueCorn]

You don't want the first one.

 

[Recty]

so this is what I want:

http://richmond.craigslist.org/pho/2644195803.html

?

That's a Rebel GII, or G2, not a G11, he just typed it like an idiot.

As for your other question...

You want a G12 if you can swing it, but they are $450.

If that's too much, get a G11, they are less expensive due to being an older model and most likely used.

If that's too much, get a G10... and so on and so forth.

All will be capable, but the newer you get, the more up to date with technology features you'll have.

 

[aandfsoccr04]

Is the g11 and g12 a DSLR camera or a point and shoot?

 

[BlueCorn]

Yes. The Canon Powershot G10, G11 and G12 are point and shoot cameras but they have some features often found only on DSLR cameras.

 

[aandfsoccr04]

so the same picture quality can be achieved with these cameras that is often seen throughout reef central provided typically by DSLRs?

 

[BlueCorn]

so the same picture quality can be achieved with these cameras that is often seen throughout reef central provided typically by DSLRs?

That all depends on who's using it. I shoot professionally and carry 10K-12K worth of gear normally but the Canon G12 is my vacation camera of choice.

None of the cameras you see people using produce amazing photos unless used properly.

 

[IslandCrow]

As said, you're not going to get the picture quality of the better photos you see here with any camera you buy unless you're also willing to invest the time and energy into truly learning about not only photography but post processing (assuming you'd be going the digital route). It would be similar to expecting to run as fast as an Olympic sprinter just because you bought a $500 pair of running shoes. If you want to run faster, a good pair of shoes is going to help, though, and if you want to take better pictures, something like the Canon G series is a very good camera and easy enough to use that an amateur is going to be able to take pretty good photos most of the time. It doesn't sound like photography is an area where you want to invest too much effort, so I'd say this camera would be a very good choice for you.

 

[aandfsoccr04]

I will be looking for a good deal on the g11 or the g12. I read through the stickys but there wasn't too much information on how to take a picture or what to do once you take it. More of deciding how to pick a camera and what kind of lens you should use. I'm sure it's just a learn as you go kind of thing. We'll see what happens. good analogy btw

 

[Misled]

It's just in another sticky. Read these!!!!!

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=333197

 

[IslandCrow]

Very good reads. Technique certainly has a lot to do with it, especially in aquarium photography where so much is working against you taking a good picture.