Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I want to purchase a good camera that will allow me to take closeups as well as distance shots of my animals. I only have $200 - $300 to spend. Does anyone have a suggestion on what kind of camera I should buy. I have been looking at the Canon Rebel series and I like them. Maybe I could get on of those and a macro lense or something. I am also considering digital but know little about digital cameras. Any help is appreciated.

Chris

Chris,

The first thing you should do is buy a decent "how to" photography book. If you read through that, you will be able to answer this question yourself and find exactly the camera that is right for your needs.

There are lots of good photography books that will teach you how to choose a camera and accessories.

I would suggest you will be happier with an SLR as it will allow you more room to expand later. For example, if you bought one of the low end Rebels, you could add more lenses and accessories as your needs/skills rose and eventually add a digital SLR and still be able to use all the equipment. If you buy some sort of point and shoot, you have to replace everything every time you upgrade.

If I had to start over on a limited budget, I would buy an inexpensive SLR, a macro zoom lens (something like 28-80mm macro is OK for a start - although a 28-200 would be better - as long as it is capable of magnifications of 1:2), and a small flash and sync cord so I could take the flash off the camera. With that, you should be able to start learning the art and science of photography. You could then add as you gained skill. If you can't afford the flash right now, just go with the body and lens.

I would also strongly suggest you look into a used camera body and lens. With the advent of digital SLRs, many people are trading in film bodies and they can be had for a fraction of what they originally cost (I saw my $800 minolta body for sale two days ago in a used section of my local camera store for $215!). You can also get some deals on E-bay, but a camera store gives you more recourse if something doesn't work. E-bay is full of crooks!

You can also pick up camera bodies for a steal sometimes in pawn shops, but be careful to make sure they are working properly.

And remember the most important rule of photography. Good photographers take good photos, not good cameras. Buying a $5000 camera won't get you any better photos than an inexpensive camera and a willingness to put the time and effort in to learning the skills of photography.

It amuses me how often I see people post "Wow, great shot! What type of camera did you use?". Somehow they think if they had a better camera they would be a better photographer. That is generally not the case. Good photographers know what they are doing, regardless of the technology in their hands.
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Chris Harrison