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Cameras are inexpensive Some of the low cost point & shoot digital cameras available today can take excellent photos. In teaching workshops about digital photography I find the two biggest mistakes people make with their new camera is – they fail to read the instruction book! and they don’t take the time to understand resolution. A new camera is often set to take a 640×480 pixel image which is not big enough to print bigger than a 3×5in photo. I have had friends return from once in a lifetime vacation trips to find their images are blurred when they get them printed at Wal-Mart. Other issues of compensation. lighting, focus don’t mean much if your image is too small! Posted: Jul 24, 2008 1:58pm | |
Max, Posted: Jul 24, 2008 2:52pm | |
That’s a really good point, Maxfocus. I think some of the best advice I’ve heard when using a new camera on vacation is to practice using the camera before going on a trip so you know how to use your camera once you get there. Of course, it’s definitely wise to read the manual before traveling, too (but also a good idea to take it with you, just in case!). Posted: Jul 24, 2008 5:37pm | |
Mark, I don’t have the expertise that MaxFocus does, but I have a Canon Powershot SD 870, and I love it. I’ve recommended this camera to several friends, and they’ve all loved it. It’s got a nice wide angle, which is great for taking group shots or a photo of an expansive sunset. Plus, you can remove red eye from your photos, touch up the color, and plenty more before you ever upload your photos to your computer. It’s also nice because it’s very compact and easy to keep in your pocket or purse. It also has a date and time-stamp option, though I think many places that print photos now print them with the time and date stamped on the back without you even asking them to do so. I know Shutterfly does this. Posted: Jul 24, 2008 5:40pm | |
There are so many good cameras available these days. The Canons, Olympus and Minolta, Coolpix, etc. are very good. Even with a low budget we can find good cameras for less than $200 that will shoot 8MegaPixels – more resolution than most will need. I have recommended the smaller Kodaks to several friends for ease of operation and simple interface with printers. If you are looking for single lens reflex (SLR’s) I use a Sony (Alpha100). For $700 -$800 you get similar capabilities as the Nikon and Canon and also have interchangeable lenses. I do a lot of wildlife photography too so the in-camera stabiliser helps a lot! Posted: Jul 24, 2008 8:07pm | |
Just returned from a couple of days photographing wildflowers and amazing scenery in the Crested Butte area. The two most valuable tools I had, apart from the camera(!), were a sturdy compact tripod and a circular polarizer filter for each of my lenses. In low light conditions where there was a lot of shade I used the tripod and set the shutter speed at 1 second – this let me get a greater depth of field by using a higher F-stop. I’ll be posting a few shots on Flickr in the next week or so. Posted: Jul 28, 2008 1:45pm | |
I have had nothing, but great luck with Canons. I have both a Canon camera (Powershot A80) and camcorder (HG10). I’m a little brand loyal with them, but they have always come through for me. In fact, the only reason that I had to buy a new Canon was that my old one got fried with sand whitewater rafting through the Grand Canyon. I’ll use a throwaway next time. Posted: Jul 30, 2008 8:14am | |
I have a Canon 20D, I love. It goes with me everywhere. I usually carry extra lenses, filters and flash, and ofcourse charged batteries and extra CF’s. I learn from other photographers as well as my mac geniuses, most of them also have cameras and offer great tips in our one-on-ones. I have also gone to Meetups.com and joined a local photography club. I usually carry the manual with me to read up while traveling too. By joining a group, you can also follow their blogs, or bulletin boards and ask questions. Posted: Aug 1, 2008 6:49pm | |
Maybe I’m just picky. I think its really important to know what you are taking photos of, especially when taking travel photos. I have been going over thousands of Flickr images and downloading those that we can use to illustrate our Viscape travel destinations. (Antigua, Bermuda etc are really nice!). Very often people take really good photos of something (for example) but they haven’t a clue what the subject is. Tropical flowers are a good example. The photos are often labelled “pretty yellow flower” or something like that! This takes away the usefulness of the picture. When you are in the tropical country, or where ever you are, it’s fairly easy to take a few minutes to ask the locals what it is you are looking at. Another example is photographing a historic church or monument. It devalues the image if it’s titled “historic old church.” When you are visiting new places its a good idea to learn about them and bring home more detailed memories than the “pretty yellow flowers” and the “historic old churches!” Posted: Aug 5, 2008 2:27pm |
