benos Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I don't want to spend a bunch of money on it, cause I'll just use it for product pics for my web site. About the only thing I know I want for sure is the ability to manual focus up to about 6 inches. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry cazes Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 (edited) Are you looking for an SLR or viewfinder point and shoot? I just bought a Nikon D80 package through Costco and am really happy with it so far. The package with 2 upgraded lenses was $1300. First question is of course how much you looking to spend? Edited June 20, 2008 by larry cazes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38superman Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 (edited) Brian, Since you don't want to spend a bunch of money, I'd say go with a point & shoot camera. There are many quality cameras to choose from. Stick to Nikon, Canon, or Sony and it will be hard to go wrong. These cameras will focus pretty close and have built in flash units. Since you primarily want web quality pics, resolution even in a low end camera should be sufficient. If you must have a manual focus you are probably going to have to go with an SLR. It would be hard to find an camera with removable lenses that can focus that close on the cheap. Sounds like you would need to have a macro focusing lens. In that case D40 or D80 Nikon with a 60mm macro is just the ticket. Tony Edited June 19, 2008 by 38superman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotm4 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I don't want to spend a bunch of money on it, cause I'll just use it for product pics for my web site. About the only thing I know I want for sure is the ability to manual focus up to about 6 inches.be Brian I use a Canon XT Rebel 8.0megapixel SLR. I think now they're about $500 or 600, but they can get some really good photos depending on which lenses you use. Here's a couple pics that were taken which my camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Canon G9 for higher end Point & Shoot - as good as they come. Canon 720 is for the mid range priced group Skip the cheapies for your needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 (edited) Merlin is spot on re: the G9. I'd love to have one, myself. Don't know about the A-720, personally. I do know a couple of folks that have A-590s (about $50 cheaper than the 720) and they think they do a good job - these are photogs, so they know what makes a decent camera. That puts you in the $150 range, and gives you video capability, and close focusing to 2". That said - onboard flash sux rocks for product shots. The smaller cameras won't give you an easy way to operate and off camera flash, if you want to do something snazzier (it can be done, and isn't ridiculously difficult - PM if you want the gory details). The G9 has a hot shoe, which allows easier adaptation to off-camera flash, FWIW. However, the G9 is also near the $500 mark. Its a hell of a camera in a P&S package, though - really capable of professional quality work. Might be overkill for your application. All that said.... You do have a local pro photog who does exceptional product work, who could bang out quickie "on white background" type of product stuff easily for you, and who might be willing to work out a "deal" of some flavor It might be easier to give Yamil a shout, when you factor in buying the camera, toying around with getting things to look the way you want them to, etc, etc, blah blah blah... Anyhow... (edit for grammar) Edited June 20, 2008 by XRe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 That said - onboard flash sux rocks for product shots. The smaller cameras won't give you an easy way to operate and off camera flash, if you want to do something snazzier (it can be done, and isn't ridiculously difficult - PM if you want the gory details). The G9 has a hot shoe, which allows easier adaptation to off-camera flash, FWIW. However, the G9 is also near the $500 mark. Its a hell of a camera in a P&S package, though - really capable of professional quality work. Might be overkill for your application. Not to mention that a single off camera flash and controller will set you back close to what the camera costs, two lights and you'll be at about $800 for the lighting end of things. All that said.... You do have a local pro photog who does exceptional product work, who could bang out quickie "on white background" type of product stuff easily for you, and who might be willing to work out a "deal" of some flavor It might be easier to give Yamil a shout, when you factor in buying the camera, toying around with getting things to look the way you want them to, etc, etc, blah blah blah... Depending on volume --- and how much product you'll need to shoot on an ongoing basis, that might be the best way to go..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 Thanks everyone! The canon 720 is about $200, and the nikon D40 is about $500. For web pics, it sounds like the Canon is the way to go. I'm ready to buy one tonight so I can work with it tomorrow. Biz is slow so now's the perfect time to catch on some projects. Dave, That's a great idea about Yamil. I didn't think of him. But I bought one of these little web-pic studios, so I'm a little anxious to fiddle with it. But is amazing how much time I wasted today because I didn't get one shot I could use with my Sony DSG-T33. So I may get a camera and play with it until I decide if I want to turn it over to someone else. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Not to mention that a single off camera flash and controller will set you back close to what the camera costs, two lights and you'll be at about $800 for the lighting end of things. Nah, nah... you can do two off-camera flashes for around $250 and have a working rig An SB-26 or SB-80DX can be had pretty cheap ($100-$125). Both have onboard optical slaves.... Then you just gobo the on-camera so that the slave picks it up, but its not seen in the picture Its easy to do, but takes some explaining.... But... Brian's ghetto lighting rig should work just fine (I took various stuff using the same lighting rig ). Brian - what didn't work about what you were getting? Just not being able to focus close enough? Bear in mind the Canons being discussed are point and shoots - the D40 is not.... There are Nikons in the equivalent price and quality range as the Canon P&S cameras we've been discussing.... However, I think in photographic circles, the Canon P&S cameras seem to be held in slightly higher regard - but you can take good photos with either, in the end (just like the dSLRs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry cazes Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Cute setup! Is that a parrot in the background? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 Cute setup! Is that a parrot in the background? That's Squackers McGraw. He talks, and will repeat whatever you say to him - with the help of batteries. He's big fun at parties. Dave, I'm glad to hear that you got some good shots with my ghetto rig! So with that setup I shouldn't need a flash, right? be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 I'm glad to hear that you got some good shots with my ghetto rig! So with that setup I shouldn't need a flash, right?be I'm not Dave, but no, you shouldn't need a flash. You will probably want to set the camera to a matching color temperature though --- you may have to play with those modes a little, so that whites are whites, and everything else looks the proper color. Any time you spend getting the color and picture right in the camera, is time you won't have to spend in postproduction..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Brian, Just buy the Canon and be done with it. Get one with image stabilization so that it will be more usable in low light. I've messed with every other brand of P&S now, and Canon just buries everyone with the consistent quality of their autofocus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 I'm glad to hear that you got some good shots with my ghetto rig! So with that setup I shouldn't need a flash, right? Correct Nik is right about setting a white balance to match the lighting. The camera probably has a "tungsten" setting of some sort - that should get you close, but probably still isn't quite orange enough (household bulbs burn more orange than the professional stage/studio tungsten lights the setting is expecting). The cam should have instructions on how to set it - you can usually use a sheet of white paper or something stuck onto your set with the lights on, and basically you tell the camera - "Hey, this is white..." and it figures the rest out from there... Both of these shots were done w/ ghetto lights... http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?...c=28940&hl= http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?...c=30303&hl= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidwiz Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III I saw a guy in Goodburger yesterday with TWO of them, and he had at least another $5k worth of lens on each camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III I saw a guy in Goodburger yesterday with TWO of them, and he had at least another $5k worth of lens on each camera. He was walking around with two 500mm or 600mm lenses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III I saw a guy in Goodburger yesterday with TWO of them, and he had at least another $5k worth of lens on each camera. He was walking around with two 500mm or 600mm lenses? Matching 400 2.8s? :P Brian, if you have trouble with the tungsten bulbs and getting the color close, compact fluorescents and fluorescent mode might also work, and might be cooler (temperature wise) to work with.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 I'm going to Best Buy after lunch and get the Canon A590. For $179, it should be all I need. Do I need a little tripod? (I'm still fairly steady.) be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 A tripod is handy for that kind of stuff. The A590 has IS, so you shouldn't have any issue w/ shake, really - but the tripod lets you just set the camera up and leave it. Then you can re-arrange stuff in front of the camera and still have the same camera angle, etc. IS doesn't correct for everything either - at some point, even it breaks down.... You don't need anything expensive - a cheapo $25 one will do just fine. If you really want to be slick about it, use the self-timer on the camera in conjunction with the tripod No chance of camera movement at all, then.... Nik... forgot the 400 was that expensive new... Sheesh... of course... he could've had matching 200/2s, as well!!!! I see B&H has those suckers in stock, now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bergie Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 (edited) Canon PowerShot SD1000 $149.00 Great little camera Edited June 20, 2008 by Bergie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38superman Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 (edited) I'm going to Best Buy after lunch and get the Canon A590. For $179, it should be all I need. Do I need a little tripod? (I'm still fairly steady.) be Now wait a minute. Whatever happened to: "I know I want for sure is the ability to manual focus up to about 6 inches." Anyway, sounds like a good choice. Tls Edited June 20, 2008 by 38superman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Front Man Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 (edited) http://www.samys.com/ FM Edited June 20, 2008 by Front Man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Whatever happened to:"I know I want for sure is the ability to manual focus up to about 6 inches." We already took that into consideration with the suggestions we all made Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted June 21, 2008 Author Share Posted June 21, 2008 Got the A590 - nice little unit. Operates much faster in all respects than my Sony T33. The only thing I didn't like at first - and it's probably just something to get used to - it doesn't mount a disc image on my (Mac) desktop when I plug it in. Instead it launches its browsing/editing program, so I have to learn to deal with that thing. I'd much prefer I could get to the images from my desktop. With the Sony, you plug it in, double-click the disc image, drag the images onto my desktop, highlight all the images in the camera, delete them and empty the trash, and eject the image. In just a real short amount of time I've got all the images in a folder on my desktop, and the images are deleted from the camera. With the new setup, even after I figured out where it puts the pics on my drive (in owner/Pictures, imagine that), I still have to click my way to them just to get them in Photoshop. And then to delete the images from the camera, the only way I've found so far is click my way around the camera menus a bit until I find the "delete all images" selection. I set the white balance with the white background material that came with my ghetto studio, and with the side two lights turned on. Is that correct? Or should I set it with just a white piece of paper in some sort of natural lighting? The attached pic was take with only the light on the right side turned on. Otherwise, if I have both side lights on, the bottom end of the tube looks real "glarey." I had it set to manual focus, and also had the settings to "Safety Focus," which lets you manually focus, then the camera "takes over from there" when you take the picture. Now I realize I probably never needed manual focus. It's probably all in the lighting and the camera's settings. For the attached pic - too much light? It's kind of glarey and the smaller font (at the top) isn't too clear. Thanks for all the input all! Overall it's a pretty nifty little camera, especially for $180! be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Brian: Your picture tent should work great. I have a friend with a web business and the tent he has works perfectly. He still uses a tripod for some pics that he takes where he has to hold the object with one hand. It helped his business alot. People like pictures when they shop. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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