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Camera recommendation

CockyRooster

CockyRooster

Grab the Transmogrifier!
Joined
Apr 8, 2007
Location
Nevada City
Moto(s)
'08 ZX10, XR650L Baja King! And a CRF230 if I'm quick about it;)
I need a camera that can take good pictures of tight spaces such as bathrooms, etc, for my construction business. I've got a decent pocket camera for documenting open walls and such, but I need something better for capturing pics for the website and portfolio.

What I don't need is another hobby tempting me into bankruptcy as motos do that well enough already, so anyone with suggestions of an adequate camera without needing $5k in lenses and a PHD in science to operate would be a appreciated.

TIA

:ride
 
I bought a Canon ELPH SD 1200 for $150 recently (recommended by some BARFers) and it works great! :thumbup Easy to use, and not too expensive. Takes great pics.
 
entry level DSLR ala nikon d3100 or canon rebel whatever it is now (t2i? older models good too). tripod for sharp indoor photos where there isnt much light. maybe the 10-22mm lens (nikon has maybe canon too?) to get it all in there
 
I figured a few people would be foaming at the mouth and wanting to recommend $1000+ cameras.


OP, What you need is a LOW END DSLR (like a Canon Rebel XSi) Or a high end point and shoot.

You don't need $1000+ camera's to make photo's look good on a website. Well not unless you are making a website exclusively for photography work.
 
Looking through the recommendations now. :thumbup


Dopesick said:
I figured a few people would be foaming at the mouth and wanting to recommend $1000+ cameras.


OP, What you need is a LOW END DSLR (like a Canon Rebel XSi) Or a high end point and shoot.

You don't need $1000+ camera's to make photo's look good on a website. Well not unless you are making a website exclusively for photography work.
Click to expand...

Yep...you've got the idea. My Sony CyberShot does amazingly well, but in tight spaces like a bathroom I get a shot of about one toilet and a towel bar and not much else.:laughing

I'll check out the Rebel XSi:thumbup.
 
CockyRooster said:
but in tight spaces like a bathroom I get a shot of about one toilet and a towel bar and not much else.:laughing

I'll check out the Rebel XSi:thumbup.
Click to expand...

It's been as of late, that I've had to TRY not to be an asshole. But every time you ask for recommendations. You always get the damn snobs throwing in their 2 cents, without even reading the entire question asked.

You want a bit more camera then a point and shoot (since you obviously already have one). But you obviously want something that will take a better photo (I'm assuming here Field of View, and Pixel count).. So obviously a bit better camera all around. Then you say you need something that will do better in cramped areas. That leaves you 2 options. An HD format camera (16:9 vs 4:3) or a lower end DSLR and a Fish Eye Lens.

My advice would be the lower end DSLR and a fish eye lens.
 
Last edited:
-olympus E-PL1,does video and DSLR quality pictures around $500.....
 
Geez, nowadays you could get good enough pictures using an iPhone for what you want. No need to spend a lot, any low end DSLR will do fine. D3100 would be good but might even be overkill.
 
Do not get a Bloggie! :thumbdown

Crappiest HD video and blurry 13Mpix pictures!

Returned it to Costco today and she was very familiar with people returning them.
 
Don't need a new camera.

You can get a magnetic wide-angle add-on lens for point-and-shoots that I've used to good effect on my older Elphs.

Something like this - this might be the one I have, I just barely use the P&S these days:

http://www.amazon.com/Bower-Small-Magnetic-Converter/dp/B00026KIYU/ref=pd_cp_p_0



Basically, because there's no screw fitting on P&S lens, some enterprising company came up with the idea of a steel ring that sticks to the lens body of the camera, and then the lens has a ring-magnet on it to hold it to the camera body.

Cost ~$50. Sure, you're not going to get a decent 8x10 print out of it, but it will be easily good enough for on-screen resolutions.
 
CockyRooster said:
I need a camera that can take good pictures of tight spaces
Click to expand...

That means you want a camera with the ability to take a wide field of view... the opposite of zoom.

You'll see cameras listing their focal length in numbers like "28-200mm".
The human eye is ~35mm-50mm.

The smaller the focal length on the camera, the more you'll see in cramped locations.

Point and shoot cameras usually bottom out at about 26-28mm.

DSLR cameras allow you to buy wide angle lenses that are in the 10-16mm range.
 
I had gotten those magnetic lenses for the cybershot but they work like crap for me. It just makes a fisheye shot and cropped on the sides because the sizes are dissimilar. I think I'll keep my eyes open for a deal on a low end SLR with preferences towards Canon.
 
CockyRooster said:
I had gotten those magnetic lenses for the cybershot but they work like crap for me. It just makes a fisheye shot and cropped on the sides because the sizes are dissimilar. I think I'll keep my eyes open for a deal on a low end SLR with preferences towards Canon.
Click to expand...

Good for you. Many of the point and shoot camera's have a VERY hard time trying to focus through a fish eye lens. Especially in multi-focus mode. I know my Canon PowerShot A610 is one of them.

And once you use zoom to get the focal area of the boxing of the lens removed. It just granulates images. :laughing No happy medium to be found.

You'll be much happier with a DSLR (even a bottom end one), and a 10-22mm lens, or a straight 18-55mm lens and fish eye.
 
Don't forget software that fixes the pincushion effect like PTLens which even straightens Castro 10.5mm fisheye shots, is simple and $25.

Yes, the 'I'm a prophotog and need $2k in software and giant monitor because I'm so good that I need software to fix my photos,' has the same adjustments, but you need more expensive software like what - another hole in your head? :laughing
 
It looks like there are some deals on ebay such as this one.

So is it the smaller the number the wider the angle? 10mm is a wide angle, and around 20mm would be straight lens?

Do those numbers mean the length of the lens? I imagine a zoom lens could be as long your imagination and pocket book would allow.
 
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