I use digital and am just beginning to learn how to use it fairly well. You don't really need the big buck high res models, you just need to know how to set it up right, which is the difficult part. I currently use an inexpensive Canon Powershot A75, 3.2 Megapixel. Not having much photography experience at all, I have struggled for hours on end trying to figure this thing out. So, if you buy an under $200 digi-cam and take crappy pics... don't blame the camera, it is capable... you just need practice... practice... practice... practice... until your head spins! lol! Of course, the big dollar models I am sure make the whole thing much easier, I am actually looking to buy a much better Canon Powershot S2 IS for better resolution and image steadying for these active little beasts we try to photograph.

I experiment with many shooting modes, but for decent indoor closeup shots I have found that the portrait setting in macro mode works well with a reduced flash setting and lots of ambient light. I use the highest resolution setting available... which makes for a huge pic and file size, but when cropped down and reduced to small size it makes for a much sharper result. All additional settings are adjusted so as to dull colors just a bit so as not to over express color. That's probably the most difficult digital error to overcome, too much color enhancement. Trying to make the shot turn out as you see it with the naked eye is a challenge with indoor lighting. Outdoors is much easier with the bright natural light, but the snake looks different, most often brighter than how we see it inside, which is most all the time. I am trying to nail it so that my photos look as close as possible to how you would see the animals if you were standing in my snake room holding the subject. Reasonably tough task!

Mike

A few recent shots with the A75.....

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