Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What's a good camera for taking pics of my snakes? All of my snake pics are pretty dated. Want a camera that won't cost me an arm and leg. Any ideas?

Thanks!
Scott D

The one Doug uses. ^_^ I think he said it's a Canon.
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Holly

0.1 Lavender California Kingsnake (Lizzie Borden) (missing )
1.0 Florida Kingsnake (Eddie Gein)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Charley Manson)
1.0 Orange Marmalade Cat (Oliver)
1.0 Black Cat (Shadowfax)
1.0 Egyptian Arabian (Bagan)
1.0 Tennessee Walking Horse (Durango)

2.0 Toddlers (Justice & Trevor)

Thanks, now if I could get Doug to take the pics I'd be all set. LOL!

Scott D

Canon makes one of the best reasonably priced digital cameras out there. Most models are easy to use and have great features. I got a Canon for my wife and she loves it. It takes great pics. Hope this helps.

Thank you for your help, that makes things easier into looking for what brand name, and the easier to use the better for me!

Scott D

Scott,
Canon and Nikon are both good brands. My mom has also had good luck with a Kodak (I think it's called Kodak Easy Share).
I occasionally have to take pictures for my job (I'm a graphic designer), and I've used a number of film and digital cameras over the years. Alot of people ask me to recommend a digital camera. For beginners, I suggest this simple process:
Figure out how much you can spend. Then find a Nikon that costs that much. Buy the camera and then read the book to learn how to use it.
The same process works if you prefer Canon.
I have three Nikon digital cameras (2 point and shoot for day to day snapshots and traveling and a D70S SLR for serious work) and a Nikon 35mm film camera. All are excellent. I got mine from Broadway Photo (www.bwayphoto.com) and B&H (www.bhphotovideo.com). Here's an pro trick I use: buy the camera from one of these online sources to get a great price. Then buy your memory cards from Best Buy or Circuit City, because they have the better prices on accessories. I have saved alot of money doing it this way. Don't be afraid of refurbished cameras either. One of my little ones is a refurb and only cost $86. It takes awesome pics for a point and shoot.
One final thing: I would avoid Fuji cameras. Someone in our office tried to get off cheap and buy a Fuji after I had recommended a Nikon. The Fuji was very fragile and cheaply constructed and literally fell apart after a short time.
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1.1.0 Hondurans Het Amel
1.1.0 Hondurans Anery, Het Hypo
0.1.0 Honduran Hypo
0.2.0 Pueblans
1.0.0 Thayeri MSP
0.0.1 GBK Blair's Phase
1.0.0 California King
0.0.1 Speckled King WC
0.0.1 Jungle Carpet
0.1.0 Ball, Normal
0.0.1 Sulcata
0.1.0 Girlfriend, Caucasius Mexicana, Fiancee Phase

Scott,.....

Thanks for the kind words on some of the photos!, I have a Canon A-540 that I bought last year or so, I think the comparable later model is now a A-640(I think).

I'm pretty happy with it, and it takes great shots if used correctly. However, I found that the literature pamphlet that comes with it is pretty "user un-friendly", and can be very vague in some of the instructions. But if you read the instructions well, and do some experimenting, and certain techniques, you can really get some exceptional stuff!. In fact, it is capable of doing WAY MORE than most folks(me included) could ever imagine, no kidding! Of course the automatic "point & shoot" feature produces very nice photos generally. Over-all, I really like it, and have become very comfortable with it in a relatively short time.




best regards, ~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

This is cute, I don't think I've seen this one before...

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1.1 Florida Kingsnake
1.0 Kisatchie Cornsnake

Okay, so now I'm wondering... is Doug just *that* good at taking pictures, or does he just have the most beautiful snakes(subjects)?
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Holly

0.1 Lavender California Kingsnake (Lizzie Borden) (missing )
1.0 Florida Kingsnake (Eddie Gein)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Charley Manson)
1.0 Orange Marmalade Cat (Oliver)
1.0 Black Cat (Shadowfax)
1.0 Egyptian Arabian (Bagan)
1.0 Tennessee Walking Horse (Durango)

2.0 Toddlers (Justice & Trevor)

LOL!!,....you guys are too kind!,......actually, I take a fair amount of shots to get just a select few that are really up to standards. As everyone knows, snakes are usually VERY uncooperative! Certain angles, and the way a snake might be positioned can certainly make, or break a good photo. The way I look at it, if I take enough pics, there's bound to be some good ones in there somewhere!..LOL!

Thanks again!,....I'm glad you like some of them.

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

How could you possibly take a bad picture when it's such a gorgeous snake in front of the lens? See... I think you cheat. Your pictures *have* to come out better than ours because your snakes are prettier. It's like we're shooting models and you've got supermodels. Not fair, I tell you. ^_^ I think you should send me a couple of them just to make up for it.

They are gorgeous and the pictures are awesome. ^_^
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Holly

0.1 Lavender California Kingsnake (Lizzie Borden) (missing )
1.0 Florida Kingsnake (Eddie Gein)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Charley Manson)
1.0 Orange Marmalade Cat (Oliver)
1.0 Black Cat (Shadowfax)
1.0 Egyptian Arabian (Bagan)
1.0 Tennessee Walking Horse (Durango)

2.0 Toddlers (Justice & Trevor)

One thing's for sure Holly, in my opinion, snakes are some of the most beautiful things in the entire world!, living works of art, and I was lucky enough to find that out at the young age of seven, when I saw my first Scarlet Kingsnake............from that day forward, they've been my deepest passion.

thanks again!, ~Doug

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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

I don't know if you are into hunting, Doug, but if you could get a heater for the snake, you could wear it instead of an orange vest!

Both!

Scott D

I like my DSLR, but a good cheap option would be a Canon PowerShot A590 IS (I am a Canon fan) It is 8MP, can focus down to 2" and has an image stabilizer. B&H photo sells it for $165

Kevin
Kevin Collison.com

on your help and advise with cameras, going to some stores today to look and maybe buy one. Now give me about ten years here and maybe I'll be taking pics like Doug, then again maybe not. LOL!

Scott D