What can I get for 350- 400$-

[highquality]

Okay, I need to post quality pis of corals for my website. I need to do close up of course. I know nothing about photography. Ive read some of the articles on RC , but want to get direct feedback. Can I get a digi camera that will do what I need for 350-400? What do you think and or recomend? Is buying a used camera off Ebay an viable option?:rollface:

 

[astrogazer]

Used anything is always a crapshoot ... use your discression. As far as cameras go, check out one of the Fuji finepix models or one of the Nikon coolpix, both make quality cameras in your price range.

 

[highquality]

What about the Fuji Fine Pix s5200? It has a macro range og 1cm. Thats good right? About 300$

 

[gregr]

Haven't played with the 5200 myself but the specs look good and the review I read was very favorable.
A macro range of 1cm is excellent however you can only focus that close when the lens is zoomed all the way out. If you could focus down to 1cm with the lens zoomed all the way in... now that would be amazing
Take a look at the review for the Canon A620- check out the 'compared to' sections to see what cameras are comparable to the A620. It's a different class of cameras than the 5200 (compact vs. slr-like) but you may find them worth checking out.
Hope this helps,
Greg

 

[astrogazer]

The Finepix S5200 takes great shots, I don't know where in NC you are but surely you can get to a store that will let you get your hands on one of theses models to play with it, check out the macro, also be sure to check out the shutter lag, tha amount of time it takes to take the actual picture after you press the button. Sounds funny but some cameras can take quite some time to actually image the shot, and some are instantaneous. It's really huge when you're trying to image something that's in a panic to get away from the barrel you're pointing at it.

 

[highquality]

will there be a huge difference between the fuji fine pix 5200 and the 900???? I read onother thread that recomended the 900 for bang for buck. The nikon d50 and the fuji s900 sounds great but with the lenses itll be expensive for me. Can I get good lenses(macro) for the s5200? sorry for all the questions. If its a must for good close ups ill move up to d50 ors900, but if i can get the shots with the s5200......uh...to many decisions...lol

 

[VoidRaven]

The Fuji S9000 is NOT a DSLR. It's a prosumer camera "all-in-one" package that performs wonderfully in many different applications. Unlike SLR cameras you won't need to buy different lenses for it. And it does take good macro shots.

Don't confuse it with the Nikon D50 which is a DSLR camera and for which you would need to buy lenses specific to macro photography to get the shots you want.

 

[highquality]

Can anyone tell me my limitations with the prosumer s900-fuji fine pix compared to the dslr d50........ Im going to go in to the store and check these out myself since this has given me a little more understanding.

 

[astrogazer]

The main and obvoius difference is being able to use the lens of choice in any given situation. That is of course if you own the lens of choice. For example I wish to get closer to my subjects so I would like a quality lens dedicated to that end, however my lens of choice is almost $850, almost twice what you want to spend on a camera. I just want to drive home an important point, and that is just because you have a fancy DSLR you won't necessarily be able to take the spectacular shots you see here without some expensive additional equipment. Not to mention a tad of knowledge on combining the systems to get the shot you want. The Finepix, while limited to the lens permantlyattached to the body, the S9000 has a particularly good lens, will take excellent shots, including macros that will dazzle you, right out of the box, even with limited photographic knowledge.

 

[gregr]

You're comparing apples to oranges here- the Fuji is a point and shoot [though advanced] and has a fixed lens like VoidRaven said. The D50 is an slr- [single lens reflex]- with it you can use any lens that is available in the Nikon mount. Take a look at what is available:
eleven pages of lenses!.
Point and shoots can have great image quality and are generally nice and small and portable and far less expensive in the long run. Slr's are more flexible allowing you greater creative control. It all boils down to how much control do you want? Do you see yourself really getting into photography as a hobby? If you plan on that then the slr is the way to go- but if you want something small, portable, easy on the wallet and easy to use (slr's can be easy to use too though) a point and shoot would be a good choice.
Greg

 

[gregr]

doh! Astro beat me to it

 

[mcegelsk]

I've found some interesting deals on here. Check it out if it can help you in your camera search. Good luck! ~Matt

http://bensbargains.net/

 

[astrogazer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7328934#post7328934 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gregr
doh! Astro beat me to it

LOL :lol:
I think he'll get the idea ...
The S9000 is probably out of the threads price range, think they're running $550+

 

[highquality]

I can move up to that range if its what I need to do to get good close ups. clean ,clear . They need to be good shots for my aqua company website. Im also very interested in photography. especially since I started setting up my bus. and realized this is a big part of selling corals. This has helped a great deal.

 

[highquality]

How about a refurbished d50 for 350$ Is that trecherous ground?

 

[gregr]

Depends on what kind of warranty they're offering.
Just to make sure you know- after you get the [D50] body you still need a lens (or lenses depending on what you want to shoot) and that will of course set you back a few more bucks.
I'm pretty confident you can get shots that will be sufficient with a good point and shoot but like we've been saying- the slr will be something that offers you maximum potential for flexiblity and creativity.
Lens-wise the very best Nikon lens for aquarium close-ups is the 105mm micro with vibration reduction. It goes for $830. The non VR is $660. This link brings you to the B&H website with a list of all available macro lenses in the Nikon mount.
hth,
Greg

 

[highquality]

I saw a macro lens for around 350$ Would that be any good ? Is vibration reduction absolutely needed even with a tripod?

 

[highquality]

I was thinking if I could save $ on a refurbished, I could then get a lens ( if it was around 3-4$ for macro lens that would work). And a flash. There was a package on ebay with the regular lens and a macro lens for price of approx. 850$ Not sure what lens tho. I like the idea of being able to get serious about photographyif I choose to.

 

[highquality]

and a used one ( the non vr ) for 299? I could go that route. How do you guys feel about the used lenses. do they get scratched a lot? can they be repaired?

 

[gregr]

Not sure how everyone else feels but my opinion is used is ok as long as the deal comes with a return policy or decent warranty. Make absolutely sure the front and rear elements are scratch free. Repair is very expensive and would wipe out any savings you got by buying used.
VR is not essential- it's a nice feature but not essential. With a tripod I never use it although some people do.

I saw a macro lens for around 350$ Would that be any good ?

There was a package on ebay with the regular lens and a macro lens for price of approx. 850$ Not sure what lens tho.

Got links? Hard to say if they are any good without knowing what lens we're talking about.
Greg