Which Camera

[HOBrien]

Which Camera that is under $250 would take excellent photos of my fishes? I can not go any higher on the price. I do already have a Kodak camera but I cant get a closeup shots of the fish to be clear and that is why I am looking for a better camera.

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

Define "excellent", by my definition of the word $250 isn't going to happen.

 

[HOBrien]

Well here is the quality I can get from my current camera and would like to be able to get a better picture.

Ok so I guess excellent wasnt the right word with the $250 limit so a good camera is more along the lines.

 

[dendronepthya]

Wow, that looks like a cellphone camera. There are a number of sub $250 point and shoot cameras that will do better. Take a look at www.dpreview.com for a Canon or Nikon point and shoot.

 

[HOBrien]

The camera takes clear pictures when not zoomed in to that level.

 

[Recty]

Which Kodak do you have now?

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14463929#post14463929 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dendronepthya
Wow, that looks like a cellphone camera. There are a number of sub $250 point and shoot cameras that will do better. Take a look at www.dpreview.com for a Canon or Nikon point and shoot.

Also look at Sony, Pentax, JujiFilm, Kodak, Panasonic/Lumix, Samsung, Sanyo, and Toshiba.
I don't care for Nikon point and shoots at all. They make a good DSLR though. At that price range there are soooo many options from soooo many manufacturers. I haven't seen any that were built with a reef tank in mind (yet) though. I'm still looking but I just don't see anything worth recommending at this point.

 

[HOBrien]

Its the Kodak EasyShare 8.2MP

 

[HOBrien]

Its set to to the sports settings so it can take clear pictures of someone moving.

 

[HOBrien]

What exactly do I need to look for as in features?

 

[HOBrien]

Here is what I found at bbuy.

Panasonic - Lumix 8.1-Megapixel Digital Camera 10x optical zoom 299.99
FUJIFILM - FinePix 10.0-Megapixel Digital Camera 15x optical zoom 249.99
Kodak Z8612 - EasyShare 8.1-Megapixel Digital Camera 12x optical zoom 199.99
Canon - PowerShot 9.0-Megapixel Digital Camera 10x optical zoom 249.99

I would go with the Kodak camera personnally but what do yall think?

 

[Recty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14464288#post14464288 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HOBrien
Its set to to the sports settings so it can take clear pictures of someone moving.

Try turning the flash on and just dont point directly at the fish... see if that helps. Not the best advice but it's something to try.

 

[HOBrien]

I take the pictures with the room lights off so that the flash works and will try different angels with this camera before I get the other one.

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

THe number of mega pixels is the least thing you should be worried about.

"Panasonic - Lumix 8.1-Megapixel Digital Camera 10x optical zoom 299.99" tells us nothing.

"Panasonic - Lumix DMC-LX3" tells us everything.

In a reef you want the following qualities paramount over all others:
1) The ability to shoot RAW
2) A manual transmission. IMO Automatic cameras are all but useless in reef photography. The ability to select your Shutter Speed, Aperture, and ISO speeds independently of eachother will take you far. Of course you have to know how to drive a stick shift if you want to make use of buying one.
3) lens quality, loosely f/2.8 is better than f/3.5.
4) Minimum focus distance. The shorter the better.

There are a lot of other qualities but this is what I would look for first and foremost. Megapixels don't make the list...but shoot for at least 7. Seven mega pixels is as good as ten megapixels.

 

[HOBrien]

Ok. I dont have a reef. All I want to do is be able to take good pictures of my lovely fish.

 

[Recty]

The same applies to FOWLR's as it does to reefs except maybe the minimum focus distance.

 

[HOBrien]

ok

 

[HOBrien]

Well I got a new Camera and it is the Kodak one listed above and here is a link to a thread I have with pictures using this camera.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1586562

 

[hummermaniac88]

I don't think you can get a DSLR for that unless its an old model, which still works great. P&S is the best optionfor that price...

 

[HOBrien]

Thanks hummer but I have already gotten a new camera.