professional photography cameras?

smiffy_187

hey um i need a high qualitay camera but i dont no wat type to get.i need excellent quality , good zoom and all that,i want one like the paparazzi and photographers of models have but mabey not as deer$$,,,mabey under $500? THANKS

Answer
for under $500 I recommend Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens

Professional Cameras Under $500?

Alyssa

I was planning on buying a really good camera soon. But I really don't know want to spend more than $500 dollars on it, even $500 is pushing it. Any good professional cameras that you can think of? Thank you!

Answer
You only have enough money to barely get an entry level dSLR. It is in no way, shape or form a professional camera. That's not a bad thing, a cheap dSLR will blow a compact out of the water, but to make that happen, you will need some skills.

So, for your budget, you are very close. Keep saving, to figure in tax, or shipping, and you'll need a basic kit lens, the cost could be closer to 550-650 bucks, so you aren't far off.

The very bottom, entry level stuff from the big three is all you can get. That would be a Nikon D3100 (skip the 3200, that image sensor is a dog in low light) Canon T2i, Sony A37.

On the whole pro issue, you'll need to understand, even photographers will argue where pro bodies really start. One thing is for sure, you'll need at least 3,000 US dollars for anything that could be called entry level pro, and that's the camera only, nothing else. That bottom line would be Canon 5D mark III, Sony A99, Nikon D700 or 800.

Full blown, pro bodies like a Canon 1D mark IV, 1D X, Nikon D3s, D4 start at about 5,000 US dollars, and top out around 6,500 US dollars, body only.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

camera problem?

piggy1994r

i love photography with my whole heart and i want to get a really good camera so a can a-just the shutter speed and the iso and change lens, ect. so if you know of any good ones can you help and also give me price ranges


thanks

Answer
The Nikon D40 is a great little camera, very easy to use and quite reasonably priced. It's just under $500 with a lens. It has a few "consumer friendly" totally automatic modes that make it very easy to use, but still offers total photographic control when you are ready to take charge. It will get you in the Nikon family which is a great place to be. If you buy accessories and lenses, you will be able to use everything on any Nikon that you might upgrade to later on. The user manual is among the easiest to use, also, including three pages of "frequently asked questions" that could put Yahoo! Answers out of business.

Check out Nikon's "Picturetown" promotion, where they handed out 200 D40's in Georgetown, SC. http://www.stunningnikon.com/picturetown/

Here are a few reviews, in case you have not read them yet. Be sure to note that they are several pages long and some of the reviews also have some sample images that you can look at.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_reviews/nikon_d40.html
http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/3756/camera-test-nikon-d40.html
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40/d40-recommendations.htm

I hate to see people slam the camera because it can't autofocus with older Nikon lenses. It is true that there is a "slight problem" with older Nikon lenses not autofocusing on the D40, but if you do not own a bag full of older lenses, it is not going to be a problem. It is barely a problem anyhow. If you check www.nikonusa.com for "AF-S" lenses, which are ALL 100% compatible with the D40, you will find 28 lenses, including 13 "VR" (vibration Reduction) lenses and one true macro lens with "VR". There are another 25-plus lenses in the current catalog that provide all functions except autofocus as well as many (possibly dozens) "out of print" lenses that will work just as well. In addition, although these lens will not autofocus, most of them will still give focus confirmation. From the D40 manual: "If the lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 of faster, the viewfinder focus indicator can be used to confirm whether the portion of the subject in the selected focus area is in focus. After positioning the subject in the active focus area, press the shutter release button halfway and rotate the lens focusing ring until the in-focus indicator is displayed." (See http://www.members.aol.com/swf08302/nikonafs.txt for a list of AF-S lenses or see http://www.nikonians.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=read_count&om=16715&forum=DCForumID201 for even more...)

The D40 only has 3 autofocus zones arranged horizontally at the center, 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. This might be considered a limitation, but realistically, most people will find this perfectly adequate, especially if you are moving up from a point and shoot with only a center zone.

There is no "Status LCD" on top of the camera, but Nikon chose to use the rear LCD for this information. This is actually a nice move, as the display is bigger than the top display and you aren't using the read LCD for anything BEFORE you take the picture anyway. This is not a step backwards and it actually makes sense to me.

You can get the D40 with the 18-55 kit lens at B&H Photo available through Yahoo! Shopping or at 1-800-622-4987) for $475 (December 2007). Add a Lexar Platinum (60X speed) card for $25 or 2 GB for $35. Or - get the D40 with 18-135 lens and 1 GB Lexar card for around $700. This is a decent lens and it is very versatile. You will find it suitable for pretty much anything you want to do, other than really long telephoto shots. It will let you explore the range of focal lengths to decide where to start filling in your lens collection. If you don't want to buy any more lenses, this one will carry you through pretty much everything. B&H also have used D40's with the lens from $419.

What is a quality camera under $500?

I am going on a few trips and would like a camera that takes good landscape photos for under $500.
Please tell me your experience with the camera.
If you don't know of a specific camera, what brand do you think is best?

Answer
The usual Pavlovian response in here is NIKON! CANON! as though there were no other choices. If one does a little research one finds that Sony and Pentax offer excellent alternatives.

Sony and Pentax both have their versions of image stabilization in the camera body. They also have a focus motor in the camera body so any auto focus lens made for them will auto focus. The Nikon D3000 does not have a focus motor so you have to buy Nikon's AF-S lenses. Nikon and Canon have their versions of image stabilization in some of their newer lenses.

The Sony A230 w/18-55mm lens is $429.95 at B&H. http://www.bhphotovideo.com You can use every legacy Minolta Maxxum AF lens made back to 1985 and that 25 yr. old lens will be an image stabilized lens.

No camera, however, "... takes good landscape photos ...". That is the photographer's responsibility.

Tips for good landscape photography:

1) Use a tripod. Make sure to turn image stabilization "OFF" when using a tripod.
2) Shoot at your camera's highest resolution.
3) Use ISO 100.
4) Shoot in Aperture Priority. I tend to maximize depth of field (DOF) for landscapes.
5) Use manual focus. To maximize DOF don't focus to infinity. Manually set a focus distance of 5'-0'' using the 18mm end of your 18-55mm lens.
6) Make sure the camera is perfectly level. Nothing ruins a landscape photograph quicker than a tilted horizon.
7) Use the camera's self-timer to release the shutter.

If you are confused by DOF this site will teach you about it. http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

Three factors control DOF:
1) Lens focal length.
2) The f-stop chosen.
3) The subject distance.

Your shutter speed and ISO have absolutely NOTHING to do with DOF. Only the three factors listed affect DOF.

Choose your camera from the list and then choose a focal length (18mm), an f-stop (f16) and a subject distance (5'-0''). The table on the right will show that your DOF is from 2'-0'' to infinity. This means that anything from 2'-0'' in front of your camera (3'-0'' in front of your subject) to as far as you can see - infinity - will be in focus.

Here are some examples:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drifter45h/4032748624/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drifter45h/3721056971/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drifter45h/3529681412/

ISO 100, 21mm lens @ f16 and "focused" at 6'-0''. DOF from 2'-2'' to infinity. Camera tripod-mounted and perfectly level. Yes, I still use film.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What features should a digital camera have to take good low light and night shots?

best camera lens under 500 image

matters

Are there any cameras that you would recommend that cost under $500?

Answer
I disagree with those suggesting cameras with high ISO. Many consumer cameras (those in your price range) advertise high ISO ranges (usually to 1600, 3200, 6400... even a whopping 10,000 with the Olympus FE-250!). While it sounds great, point and shoot cameras preform TERRIBLY at these high ISO levels. You'll get a blotchy, smudged, and noisy mess. It's a marketing ploy -- most point and shoots can't produce desirable or printable results over ISO 400 (only a few are an exception to this). Check the samples at review sites like http://www.dcresource.com/ and http://www.dpreview.com/ to see what I mean.

So, in my opinion the most important features for effective night shots are:
- a good flash for close subjects
- a fast lens, if possible
- a tripod mount and a sturdy tripod
- manual shutter speed and ISO control

Higher ISOs should only be used when a slow shutter speed isn't suited for your particular concept (i.e. action or sports shots).

With your budget, there are a couple of entry model dSLRs that you can afford that can do many times better, but aren't entirely necessary (in no particular order):
- Pentax K100D / K100D Super
- Nikon D40
- Canon Digital Rebel XT

What type of camera should I get to start a head shot, portrait business?

The Dance

Want to spend under $500, and that is with the camera case. I had used a Canon Rebel 2000 SLR before, then it was stolen. I want to learn the shutter speeds and also have the ability to be able to use the point and shoot. Not sure what else I need, except a tripod. The camera I had before was film, I prefer at this time a digital.

Answer
Any FF digital SLR camera will do. I recommend a minimum of a Canon 5D. Unfortunately, they are twice your budget without a lens.

There really is nothing at $500 that will stand the rigors of pro use and give the image quality that your clients deserve.

You also need to think about lighting, accounting software/CPA fees, backgrounds, reflectors, website, liability insurance, advertising, studio space, props, etc. The camera is just a mechanic's wrench or a doctor's scalpel. There is so much more to consider than just the camera.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers